Reunification Palace - Ho Chi Minh City

Originally built in 1868 to house the French governor, the Presidential Palace, now called the Reunification Palace, went on to become the home of South Vietnamese President Diem. It suffered extensive damage in 1962 when two planes bombed the palace in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Diem (he hid in the cellar). The damaged structure was demolished and rebuilt with what can only be described as a definite 60's flavor. On April 30, 1975, recorded for all the world to see, Communist tanks crashed through the gates of the building, and a VC soldier ran into the building and up the stairs to unfurl the VC flag from the 4th floor balcony.  This effectively marked the end of the Vietnam War and the Republic of South Vietnam, thereby reunifying Vietnam and giving the palace its new name.  The palace is a very interesting place to visit due to its architectural style and its historical significance.

Exterior shots of the Palace.		The Vietcong tank that crashed through the gates on the fateful April day.	The heliport, featuring an old helicopter, on the roof of the palace.  In the red circle is a target showing where a bomb was dropped in April 1975.
The view from the roof of the palace.	Ho Chi Minh's Mercedes?	A very red conference room featuring Ho Chi Minh's bust.	Famous words from Ho Chi Minh (in Vietnamese).
Some of the magnificent rooms in the palace, preserved as they were the day the Vietnam war ended.
The map room.	A large meeting room.	A long, empty corridor in the basement.
One of the most interesting parts of the palace is the basement, which houses the military command.  Here you can see maps, computers, teletype machines, and radios, all vintage 1970's.