Ho Chi Minh City Theater

Ho Chi Minh City Theater (often shortened to City Theater, officially named Ho Chi Minh City Symphony - Music and Dance Theatre), also known as Saigon Opera House, is a theater with a facade facing Lam Son Square and Dong Khoi Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Located in a convenient location in the city center, the theater is considered a central, multi-purpose theater that specializes in organizing art performances and is also used to organize major events. This is also a long-standing theater with Western European architecture and is considered a tourist destination of this city. After capturing Cochinchina, in 1863, the French government invited a theater troupe to perform in Saigon to entertain the French expeditionary soldiers. At first, the troupe performed temporarily at the wooden house of the Admiral's Palace at Place de l'Horloge (current corner of Nguyen Du - Dong Khoi). Afterwards, a temporary theater was set up where the Caravelle Hotel is today. In 1898, the Opera House was started right next to the old theater and on January 1, 1900, it was inaugurated. 

Between World War I and World War II, the troupe brought from France to perform here was entirely subsidized by the city government. Although it was intended that this place would become an entertainment center exclusively for luxury figures, the Western Theater increasingly lost customers, because playboys were attracted to nightclubs, restaurants with music and entertainment. Dancing entertains most people... After the initial period of bustling activities, the theater only operates moderately with singing sessions, concerts and operas. Due to many criticisms about the cumbersome architecture and expensive organization costs, the city government once intended to convert the theater into a concert venue (Salle de Concert). 

However, this intention was not realized. Instead, in 1943, the decorations and sculptures on the front of the theater were removed (the statue of the goddess of art, festoons of flowers, two lamps...) to rejuvenate the architectural style. However, in 1944, the theater was bombed by Allied aircraft, severely damaged, and had to stop operating. After France recaptured Indochina, due to wartime circumstances, the theater was not repaired much. 

In 1954, this place was used as a temporary residence for French civilians migrating to the South from the North under the 1954 Geneva Agreement. In 1955, the theater was renovated but was used again for the same function. The National Assembly Headquarters (later called the House of Representatives) of the Republic of Vietnam government. After 1975, the Theater was returned to its original function as a performing arts organization. In 1998, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Saigon City, the City Government made a major renovation with the motto of preserving the original architectural style, with a number of embossed decorations and sculptures on the theater facade such as The statue of the goddess of art, the festoons... were restored. Ho Chi Minh City People's Council approved a theater renovation project in November 2007, with an estimated budget of 1.6 billion VND. In this program, the restored architectural parts are listed as follows: The project was completed at the end of 2009. The company organizing the musical performances received a 160,000 € subsidy from the City of Lyon (France) to Equipped with an artistic lighting system at night.

Saigon Opera House is an architectural counterpart to the Hanoi Opera House - built in 1911, modeled after Opéra Garnier in Paris, 900 seats, architect Broger et Harloy. Saigon Theater holds its own unique characteristics. The authors of this architectural building are architects Félix Olivier, Ernest Guichard and Eugène Ferret, who built it in 1900 in the "flamboyant" architectural style of the Third French Republic. The front door is clearly influenced by the art of the Petit Palais built in the same year in France. Modern interior design with full equipment for sound and lighting. 

In addition to the ground floor, there are 2 floors with a total of 1800 seats. All decorative patterns, facade and interior reliefs were drawn by a famous artist in France similar to those of theaters in France in the late 19th century and sent from France. However, there are also many criticisms regarding the decoration of the theater's facade. Following the Imperial style (later decorated in the Beaux Arts style, then simplified in the Art Deco style), the theater's facade was decorated with many reliefs and embossed statues like the City Hall, so it was criticized. is quite cumbersome and confusing. Therefore, in 1943, some of these decorative details were removed to rejuvenate the architectural style. 

In 1998, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Ho Chi Minh City, the current government restored its old function as the city theater as well as restored some decorations such as statues of two goddesses of art, festoons, two lamps... during the theater's renovation and upgrade. The total cost of restoration was about 25 billion at the price at that time. Originally, the flower garden in front of the Theater did not have a monument.

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