HCM City Post Office gets facelift after 40 years

VietNamNet Bridge - The famous 130-year-old central post office of Saigon is being repainted in yellow, at a cost of up to billions of dong.

VietNamNet Bridge - The famous 130-year-old central post office of Saigon is being repainted in yellow, at a cost of up to billions of dong.

The project has attracted the attention of HCM City citizens and tourists. It began in August and is expected to be completed before the Lunar New Year (February).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Van, deputy director of the HCM City Post Office, said this is the first major painting of the building since 1975. The major tasks are re-painting the entire building and repairing the leaking roof. The project does not affect visitors.

With the critical nature and significance of the building, before the project is implemented, HCM City Post Office set up an evaluation board to test and carefully select the paint.

Workers work both day and night, even on the weekends.

The Saigon Central Post Office still welcomes visitors.

The building retains its Asian-European style after 130 years. It is a must-see destination of international tourists.

Some photos on Zing and VNE about the ongoing repair of the 130-year-old Post Office in HCM City:

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The building is located at No. 2 Cong Xa Paris Road, in Ben Nghe Ward, District 1. The facade of the building has been re-painted yellow. This is the original color of the building and the color of the postal sector.

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The repair, said Deputy Director of the HCM City Post Office Nguyen Thu Van, is the largest undertaking on the building since 1975. The funding was paid for by the Vietnam Post Corporation.

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The relief on the newly painted main gate.

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Foreign visitors seem to be interested in the new color of the old building.

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"This unique ancient architecture is more beautiful after being restored. Thank you for retaining the old precious patterns and architecture," said a foreign man who has been living in Saigon for years.

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During the time of the facelift, the building was still open to tourists.

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Before the facelift, the post office officials asked builders to paint some pieces of outdoor walls to test the effects of wind and rain for a few months. "We have to be very careful because this is the heritage of the city," the deputy director of the HCM City Post Office said.

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After painting the outside, the inside was also covered with a new layer of paint. "After 40 years of working here, I can see the repair is necessary because some walls were peeling and the paint was faded," said Mr. Duong Van Ngo, the man who is famous for writing letters for people at the Post Office.

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HCMC Post Office said the facelift will be completed before the Lunar New Year (mid-February).

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The HCM City Post Office, along with the Notre Dame and Tax Trade Center, are symbols of Ho Chi Minh City. The post office was built by the French and its function has been maintained to this day. This historical site attracts thousands of international tourists every day.

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