Saigon Opera House, Saigon/HoChiMinh City

Saigon Opera House, Saigon/HoChiMinh City (must see)

Saigon Opera House is one of the finest examples of 19th-century French colonial architecture in Ho Chi Minh City. It was built to stage plays and operas for the entertainment of French troops stationed in the city.

The Saigon Opera House was designed by architect Felix Olivier and its construction was supervised by architects Ernest Guichard and Eugene Ferret. It was built between 1898 and 1900. The theater was damaged by the allied bombs of World War II. After the victory of the forces of the Viet Minh in Dien Bien Phu, it became the temporary shelter for French families fleeing North Vietnam. The theater was renovated to house the lower house of parliament of South Vietnam in 1955. Its function as a performing arts venue was restored after the fall of Saigon in 1975. Extensive restorations were carried out in 1998 by the Municipal Government as part of the celebrations of the 300th anniversary of Saigon.

Visitors are greeted by two white female statues at the gate. The stairs are lined with ornate chandeliers and bronze statues. There is a main seating floor with two upper floors. The theater can seat an audience of 1800 people. Today, the Saigon Opera House is the venue for Jazz concerts, operas, traditional Vietnamese dances, and ballet performances.

Why You Should Visit:
Attending a show here is a great evening out, as you get a welcome drink as well as a tour of the beautiful Opera House before the performance. Definitely worth the price of a ticket.

Tip:
If you pre-book online they have some specials that include free dinner with the purchase of mid-priced tickets.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Saigon/HoChiMinh City. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Saigon Opera House on Map

Sight Name: Saigon Opera House
Sight Location: Saigon/HoChiMinh City, Vietnam (See walking tours in Saigon/HoChiMinh City)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Saigon/HoChiMinh City, Vietnam

Create Your Own Walk in Saigon/HoChiMinh City

Create Your Own Walk in Saigon/HoChiMinh City

Creating your own self-guided walk in Saigon/HoChiMinh City is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Shopping Tour

Shopping Tour

Among other accolades, Ho Chi Minh City is known as a great shopping destination. Attesting to its reputation are a plethora of street markets scattered throughout the city, selling all sorts of fresh local produce, including coffee beans, and other delights, not to mention street food and souvenirs – all at extremely competitive prices. There are also designated markets specialized in niche...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Saigon/HoChiMinh City Introduction Walking Tour

Saigon/HoChiMinh City Introduction Walking Tour

While many still refer to the city as Saigon, it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in 1976 after the reunification of North and South Vietnam. The name honors the first leader of communist North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh. But many still call the inner business district Saigon, while the larger metropolitan area is known as HCMC.

For most of its early history, this was a scarcely populated area...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
Historical Religious Sites

Historical Religious Sites

For centuries, Vietnamese people have practiced Confucianism and Buddhism brought over from neighboring China. Added to these Eastern teachings, in the 16th century, was Christianity – introduced to Vietnam by Western missionaries. The result of this variety of faiths has become a mixture of gorgeous Confucian and Buddhist temples and Catholic churches in Ho Chi Minh City. Some of these...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.9 Km or 3.7 Miles
Chinatown Walking Tour

Chinatown Walking Tour

The relationship between Vietnam and China traces back over 2,000 years. Over this time, Vietnamese culture, customs, administrative system, and even the language have been heavily influenced by the great northern neighbor. So much so, in fact, that although Vietnam had its own spoken language, until the late 1800s its official written language was Chinese.

Chinatown in Ho Chi Minh City,...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles