Lam Sơn Square () is the

city square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Rel ...

surrounding the Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City in District 1, downtown

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 ...

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. The square extends from

Đồng Khởi Street Đồng Khởi Street (Vietnamese language, Vietnamese: ''Đường Đồng Khởi''), formerly known as Rue Catinat and Tự Do Street, is a street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The street stretches fro ...

to Hai Bà Trưng Street, although it is commonly known for its section in front of the Municipal Theatre's façade,

Hotel Continental Saigon The Hôtel Continental, or also known as Khách sạn Hoàn Cầu in Vietnamese, is a hotel in District 1, the central district of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The hotel is located at the corner of Đồng Khởi Street and Lam Sơn Square, by t ...

and

Caravelle Hotel The Caravelle Hotel Saigon is located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The hotel was opened to the public on Christmas Eve 1959, when the city was known as Saigon. It was named after the Sud Aviation Caravelle, a jet airliner operated by the hotel' ...

are located. The Opera House station of

HCMC Metro Line 1 Line 1, also known as Bến Thành – Suối Tiên Line, is a rapid transit line of the HCMC Metro in Vietnam. It is the city's first metro line and the nation's first underground metro line, connecting District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, District 1, B ...

also located in the square side of Đồng Khởi Street.

History

The site of the present-day Lam Sơn Square was originally the section of the boulevard Bonard between the

rue Catinat ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of the genus '' Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Mediterranean. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially fo ...

and rue Nationale (Hai Bà Trưng Street nowadays). Following the completion of the Municipal Theatre, the square was known as place du Théâtre (Theatre Square), and it was not until 11 January, 1935 that the official name, place Augustin Foray, was given after the former mayor of Saigon. In 1955, place Augustin Foray was renamed Lam Sơn Square by the

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 ...

ese government, and the Municipal Theatre became the National Assembly building. Park_Hyatt_hotel_and_the_bombing_memorial_today

Lam Sơn Square also housed the Brinks Hotel, the building used by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

officers and was bombed by the

Viet Cong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...

in 1964. Today, the site is occupied by the Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel, and a memorial to the bombing was erected. After Vietnam was reunified, the National Assembly building was restored to its original function as a theatre. The square's layout had little change until 2018, when the open space behind the theatre, previously used as a parking lot, was transformed into a landscaped garden.

References

External links

*{{Commons category-inline, Lam Son Square, Lam Sơn Square Squares in Ho Chi Minh City Streets in Ho Chi Minh City

History

See also

References

External links