Lam Sơn Square

Lam Sơn Square
Công trường Lam Sơn
City square
Former name(s): Place Augustin Foray
Lam Son Square in 2015
Lam Son Square in 2015
Dedicated toLam Sơn uprising
OwnerHo Chi Minh City
LocationBến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Map
Coordinates: 10°46′35″N 106°42′11″E / 10.776461°N 106.703032°E / 10.776461; 106.703032

Lam Sơn Square (Vietnamese: Công trường Lam Sơn) is the city square surrounding the Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City in District 1, downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.[1]

The square extends from Đồng Khởi Street to Hai Bà Trưng Street, although it is commonly known for its section in front of the Municipal Theatre's façade, Hotel Continental Saigon and Caravelle Hotel are located.[2][3] The Opera House station of HCMC Metro Line 1 also located in the square side of Đồng Khởi Street.

History

The Municipal Theatre of Saigon

The site of the present-day Lam Sơn Square was originally the section of the boulevard Bonard between the rue Catinat 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.[4]

The National Assembly building in 1967

In 1955, place Augustin Foray was renamed Lam Sơn Square by the South Vietnamese government,[5] and the Municipal Theatre became the National Assembly building.

Park Hyatt Saigon and the memorial reads on Hai Bà Trưng Street

Lam Sơn Square also housed the Brinks Hotel, the building used by the United States Army officers and was bombed by the Viet Cong in 1964. Today, the site is occupied by the Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel, and a memorial to the bombing was erected.[6]

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.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Map of Ho Chi Minh City". HCM CityWeb. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  2. ^ Dodd, Jan; Lewis, Mark; Emmons, Ron (2003). The Rough Guide to Vietnam (4th ed.). Rough Guides. p. 92. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  3. ^ Sullivan, James (2010). National Geographic Traveler: Vietnam. National Geographic Society. p. 196. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  4. ^ Baudrit, André (1943). Guide historique des rues de Saigon. Saigon: S.I.L.I. p. 491. Archived from the original on 2023-11-03. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  5. ^ Guillaume, Xavier; Guillaume, Marie-Christine (2004). La Terre du Dragon – Tome I (in French). Paris: Publibook. p. 59. Archived from the original on 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  6. ^ Bowyer, Mark (December 3, 2015). "Park Hyatt, Saigon". Rusty Compass. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  7. ^ Tran, Duy (March 6, 2018). "HCMC transforms downtown parking lot into flower garden". VnExpress. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.