On April 18, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council approved the policy of investing in the construction of a new administrative center in Thu Thiem New Urban Area.
The project is expected to be implemented in the period 2026 - 2028, with a scale to meet the working needs of about 8,000 officials, civil servants, public employees and workers.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, after the new center is completed and put into operation, the headquarters of the People's Council - Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee at 86 Le Thanh Ton (Saigon ward) will no longer have administrative functions.
Instead, the project will be preserved and exploited to serve sightseeing, tourism, and traditional education according to regulations.
Along with the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House, Saigon Central Post Office or the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City, the headquarters of the People's Council - People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City is one of the typical French architectural works remaining in the central area.
The project was built in the period 1898 - 1909, designed by French architect Femand Gardès, inspired by the Paris City Hall in the Renaissance style. The overall architecture stands out with the central bell tower rising high, two symmetrical doors, multi-layered tiled roof and elaborate decorative details.
The interior space is imbued with European artistic imprints with Baroque and Rococo styles, combined with details such as Art Nouveau iron doors, reliefs, flower beds and incense badges that are elaborately crafted, creating a special aesthetic value.
From 1975 to now, the building has been used as the headquarters of the People's Council and People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. In 2020, the building was ranked as a national-level architectural and artistic relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Notably, during the April 30, 2023 holiday, the project opened for the first time to the public, attracting nearly 1,500 domestic and foreign visitors to visit and learn about history.
Then, from July 2023, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism has periodically organized weekend tours every month.
However, from the beginning of 2025 to now, sightseeing activities here have been temporarily suspended.
In the near future, when the new administrative center is completed and put into operation, the conversion of the function of the existing headquarters is expected to open up a unique cultural and tourist destination right in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, contributing to enriching the city's urban tourism products.
