The Consulate-General of France in Ho Chi Minh City ( or , ) is a diplomatic mission of France to Vietnam. Located in

Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...

(formerly Saigon), it previously served as an official residence for French leaders (1872-1945), the home of the French High Commissioner (1945-1954) and the embassy to South Vietnam (1954-1965, 1973–1975). As a consulate, it opened in 2003. It has been noted for its historical architecture and artifacts.

History and architecture

The building housing the current consulate was originally built in 1872 by engineers from the French Navy in the historical center of the city and later gained recognition as one of the main buildings of the colonial era. It initially served as the official residence of the governor of

Cochinchina Cochinchina or Cochin-China (, ; ; ; ; ) is a historical exonym and endonym, exonym for part of Vietnam, depending on the contexts, usually for Southern Vietnam. Sometimes it referred to the whole of Vietnam, but it was commonly used to refer t ...

and then various high-ranking military leaders of the same area, which led to the building gaining the alternative moniker . During the

First Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam, and alternatively internationally as the French-Indochina War) was fought between French Fourth Republic, France and Việ ...

, the High Commissioner of France resided here between 1945 and 1954. After the division of Vietnam following the

1954 Geneva Conference The Geneva Conference was intended to settle outstanding issues resulting from the Korean War and the First Indochina War and involved several nations. It took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 26 April to 20 July 1954. The part of the confe ...

, the property became the embassy to

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...

. Relations between the countries were rocky due to French recognition of

North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...

and other allegations of supporting communist forces as part of a policy of reconciliation, leading to a series of student protests at the embassy throughout the fall of 1963. As relations worsened, another protest occurred in July 1964 and involved 200 student demonstrators who destroyed furniture the equipment. Finally, in 1965,

Nguyễn Cao Kỳ Nguyễn Cao Kỳ (; 8 September 1930 – 23 July 2011) was a South Vietnamese military officer and politician who served as the chief of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force in the 1960s, before leading the nation as the prime minister of Sout ...

suspended relations and expelled the embassy, although ties were reportedly maintained at the consulate level. Relations were restored in 1973, and a new ambassador was accredited and took up residence in Saigon. Following the

fall of Saigon The fall of Saigon, known in Vietnam as Reunification Day (), was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by North Vietnam on 30 April 1975. As part of the 1975 spring offensive, this decisive event led to the collapse of the So ...

in 1975, the French embassy was reportedly the only mission in Saigon allowed to continue operating semi-normally, with a

Bastille Day Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as () in French, though ''la fête nationale'' is also u ...

celebration even being held; but it was closed later that year. Eventually, the premises were restored by France in 2000 (the second renovation of the site following the first in 1959) and the consulate was opened in 2003. As part of the

European Heritage Days European Heritage Days (EHD) is a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission involving all 50 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention under the motto, ''Europe: a common heritage''. The annual programme offers ...

program, the consulate annually holds tours for the public; in a 2019 article, ''

Tuổi Trẻ ''Tuổi Trẻ'' ("Youth", or ) is a major daily newspaper in Vietnam, published in Vietnamese by the Hồ Chí Minh City branch of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union, the youth wing of the Communist Party of Vietnam. While it is still ...

'' noted the important place the consulate held as an example of French colonial architecture, the 19th-20th century Vietnamese "rare antiques and paintings" curated inside, and the botanical significance of the consulate grounds, which are the largest private park in the city.

References

External links

* (French and Vietnamese) {{Diplomatic missions in Vietnam Diplomatic missions of France Diplomatic missions in Vietnam Diplomatic missions in Ho Chi Minh City