Saigon Opera House

Some of the tourist places you can not miss during your trip toVietnamincluding the Saigon Opera House, or Municipal Theatre. Right in the heart of the city, it is a fine example of the French style architecture inVietnamas well.

It is said that anyone who has been toFrancecan recognize many similarities between the Saigon Opera House and the Little Palace of Paris (Petit Palais) since the latter was used as a reference point to the former. Built in 1897, the building was initially intended to host Opera shows. After 1956 it was transformed into a meeting hall for the Lower House Assembly of Southern Vietnam. It’s not until 1975 that the opera house was restored to its original purpose of use.

In fact, the applied balustrades, cartouches, ornaments and roof of the building were imported directly fromFrance. As time passes, the Saigon Opera House has undergone several refurbishments. At present, equipped with state-of-the-art electric appliances, lighting and sound systems, it has around 500 seats and becomes a theater for a variety of traditional and classical performances such as play, concert, ballet, opera and Vietnamese traditional dance. The opera house is surrounded by new shopping plazas, which make it convenient to do some shopping besides enjoying a performance.