We continued our journey to the city center where one of the stunning landmarks is located. Our friends took us to the famous People’s Committee Building near Dong Khoi Street.
Built between 1901 and 1908, the building is arguably one of the most prominent French architectures and the loveliest structures in the cityscape. It is located at the north-western end of the Nguyen Hue street. Designed by the famous French architect, P. Gardes, it was modeled after the original Hotel de Ville in Paris. After the construction was completed, the building was used as a hotel, thus referred to as the City Hall of Saigon. However, since the communists took control of the city in 1975, it soon was transformed into the People’s Committee Building and has been used as the city government’s headquarters for the Ho Chi Minh City’s People Committee ever since. Unfortunately, the building is closed for general public visit or tourism. Only those who have official state business can enter the interior of the structure. So, we could only admire it from outside.
As one of the oldest French style buildings in the city, the structure has three main buildings with the tallest one in the middle. It is notable for its beautiful garden, gorgeous sculpture of Ho Chi Minh, ornate facade, and elegant interior. Three statues are embossed on the front facade and delicate bas-reliefs decorate the walls. Referred to as “Gingerbread House” due to the charming cream and yellow color of the ornate features of the exterior, it attracts a great number of visitors to come and take photos. The best time to view it is in the evening when all parts of the building are floodlit that makes it look like a castle glowing in the dark. A bell tower graces the top of the building on a pyramid-shaped pedestal, which is a characteristic of Renaissance architecture and a common feature in most European town halls. Its beautiful architecture and the iconic statue of Ho Chi Minh make it one of the top tourists destinations in Ho Chi Minh City.
In front of the building sits triumphantly the imposing bronze statue of the Vietnam’s prominent revolutionary leader, Ho Chi Minh, reading a book to a little girl. The statue is titled “Uncle Ho and Children”, created by artist Nguyen Min Chau as a sign of respect of the Vietnamese to the leader and reminder of his loving-children personality. 
The building is beautifully illuminated in the evening. It looks like a castle with a Vietnamese flag on top of it.
The view of the statue at daylight
The yellowish building
Beautiful flowers in the garden across the buildingSource:
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