Overwhelmed by greenery and ancient architecture in the heart of the city
Built in 1872 by Navy engineers, the French Mansion is one of the typical architectural works of the late 19th century in the central area of Ho Chi Minh City, at the same time as Norodom Palace (now Independence Palace) or Notre Dame Cathedral. This place is currently the residence of the French Consuls General and is only open to the public on European Heritage Day every year.
Inside the campus shaded by ancient trees, a large number of people and tourists had the opportunity to admire the living room space where Nguyen Dynasty furniture is displayed, along with the precious lacquer painting "The Procession" created in 1939 by famous painter Nguyen Gia Tri.
Witnessing this space firsthand, Ms. Da Thao (Tan Son Hoa ward, Ho Chi Minh City) shared that before, she was only used to passing by the outside area, never thinking that she would have the opportunity to enter and visit.
The architecture and objects here are very ancient, difficult to see from the outside. The interesting thing is that this place still retains the living space with the imprint of time" - Ms. Thao excitedly said.
New points from the heritage passport and interactive experience
This year, the event is organized with the theme "Photography Heritage" to celebrate the 200th anniversary of world photography. To serve the increasing visitor demand of the public, the French Consulate General has increased the number of visitors in each time frame from 100 to 120 people.
The highlight attracting a large number of young people is the 3-language QR code system (French - English - Vietnamese) and the heritage passport issued at the entrance, encouraging viewers to answer questions and collect a full set of 3 commemorative stamps.
Regardless of the distance, Ms. Thuy Tram (Tran Bien ward, Dong Nai city) woke up at 6 am to be able to go to Ho Chi Minh City to participate in a 10 am sightseeing slot on September 19. The first time she set foot in the mansion, Ms. Tram could not hide her surprise at the green space in the heart of the city and the way this place preserves each historical artifact.
I am a collector, so when I have the opportunity to collect stamps like this, I am very excited and have collected all 3 stamps. Answering questions to receive stamps is also quite easy thanks to observing the surrounding space or scanning QR codes in the visiting area" - Thuy Tram shared.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Etienne Ranaivoson - French Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City said that the new point of this year's event is the heritage passport to make exploring the French Mansion more interesting. The event has attracted many young people, especially those interested in the architecture, landscape or garden of the French Mansion as well as taking photos.
With the heritage passport, visitors are encouraged to read introductions along the tour and answer some questions to collect different stamps.
Our idea is to turn the sightseeing journey into a real discovery experience, with more interaction and public participation. Further, to arouse curiosity and encourage creativity. We hope to help the public have more desire to learn, appreciate and preserve architectural heritage works, which are part of history and life" - Mr. Etienne Ranaivoson said.
