Many local and international visitors on Saturday took a fantastic tour of the French consul general’s heritage residence in HCMC’s District 1 to gain an insight into the history and distinctive architectures of the nearly-150-year-old building in the heart of the city.

The facade of the residence of France’s consul general in HCMC at 6 Le Duan Boulevard in District 1 

Located at the corner of Le Duan Boulevard and Hai Ba Trung Street, the rectangular-shape building is surrounded by a 1.5-hectare beautiful garden under the shades of trees that are more than a hundred years old.

In response to this year’s European Heritage Day, the French consul general’s heritage residence was opened for public viewing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on September 16 with free admission. 

The visitors were admitted in groups, with each group spending only 30 minutes going around the property.

The tour program has been in place since 2000 and captured a lot of attention and applause from the media and the public. 

The annual activity proves an effort of the French consulate general in HCMC to introduce French cultural features and unique architectures to the Vietnamese community.

The corridor of the house is decorated with many old furnishing items such as lacquered chairs and pottery vases

Consul general of France in HCMC Vincent Floreani told the Daily that the building was constructed in 1872, well before the landmark Post Office in HCMC, but has maintained its original architecture for more than a century and preserved numerous antiques of Asia of great historical and cultural value.

The consulate will organize such tours in the coming time for city dwellers to visit and learn more about French history, culture and architectural features in an effort to increase cultural exchanges and deepen ties between Vietnam and France, Floreani added.

The French consul general said that on the opening day of the French consul general’s residence for public tours, a huge number of Vietnamese residents, especially local youths and students, came.

Nguyen Thi Cuu, a 79-year-old woman who worked for the French Culture Agency in HCMC from 1965 to 1975, said despite having worked for French agencies for ten years, there was no previous chance of entering the age-old building, and that this is the first time she has visited the building with her sister. 

Therefore, no words could express her joyful feelings as she grasped a valuable opportunity to meet and greet the French consul general.

The main living room where the consulate general holds receptions

Dinh Nha Nhu Lan, a third-year student majoring in French linguistics and literature from HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities in District 1, explained to the Daily that it is a great occasion for students of the French language like her to delve into French history, architecture and lifestyle, which are essential for her major apart from boosting her language proficiency by communicating with staff of the Consulate General in French.

SGT