HOCHIMINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENTOF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION

Independence Palace

Reading 2

Instructor: Nguyễn Ngọc Hải

HO CHI MINH CITY, Math 7, 2022

 Members list

Name Student code

Nguyễn Thị Hồng Ánh 21DH485385

Võ Ngọc Thanh Thủy 21DH482525

Nguyễn Văn Minh Thành 21DH484658

Dương Gia An 21DH485375

Dương Minh Châu 21DH485388

Lương Thị Mỹ An 21H485377

Nguyễn Ngọc Thùy Dung 21DH485394

Nguyễn Thị Thùy Linh 21DH484581

Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Ánh 21DH485382

Hồ Anh Khôi 21DH485414

 Table of contents

Members list ................................................................................................................................................. 2

Table of contents .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 1
INDEPENDENCE PALACE................................................................................................................................ 2
THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF THE PALACE: ............................................................................................ 2
THE BOMBING OF THE PALACE: .................................................................................................................... 3
CONFERENCE HALL: ...................................................................................................................................... 4
PRESIDENTIAL RECEPTION ROOMS:.............................................................................................................. 5
VICE-PRESIDENT’S RECEPTION SALON: ......................................................................................................... 6
AMBASSADORS CHAMBER:........................................................................................................................... 7
STATE BANQUETING HALL: ........................................................................................................................... 8
MINISTERS’ CABINET ROOM: ........................................................................................................................ 9
THE 843 TANK: ............................................................................................................................................ 10
National Security Council Department ....................................................................................................... 12
Conclude ..................................................................................................................................................... 13
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Overview

As life is growing, cultural heritages and antiques are becoming increasingly rare.
Almost every country in the globe has its own monuments and heritages, which serve as a
reminder of historical events. Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital in Ninh
Binh, Hung Phu Tho Temple Relic... are only a few of the prominent sites in Vietnam.
These artifacts are a unique and vivid representation of history and national heroism. At
the same time, it recalls historical events from our forefathers' battle. We just spent two
major holidays, April 30 and May 1, commemorating the Independence Palace, which
served as the former center of the Saigon administration. Independence Palace is one of
Ho Chi Minh City's most unique and well-known architectural masterpieces, dating back
over 150 years. Independence Palace is located in District 1 and is bordered on four sides
by Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street to the southwest, Nguyen Du to the southeast, Nguyen
Thi Minh Khai to the northwest, and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia to the northeast. It also serves
as the location of the Independence Palace's main gate. The Independence Palace was
formally designated as a national historical and cultural relic of Vietnam by the Minister
of Culture on June
25, 1976. The
Independence
Palace is a
historical
monument
commemorating
our country's
independence and
union after years
of harsh conflict
with mighty
empires. Our
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group traveled to the Independence Palace to study its history and cultural values in order
to safeguard its historical worth, and we chose to use this topic to convey essential
information about the Palace.

INDEPENDENCE PALACE

Declared a National Site in 1976, then Special National Site in 2009, the
Independence Palace, C which was first opened to the public in 1990, has been the
scene of many of the most important and dramatic events in Viet Nam's history.
Today's Palace occupies the site of the former residence of the French colonial
Governors General designed by Achille - Antoine Hermitte and completed in 1871.
Following the 1954 Geneva Accords, the old structure, renamed Independence
Palace, became the residence of the first President of the new Sai Gon Republic
Ngo Dinh Diem. After a bomb attack on 27 February 1962, President Diem
commissioned the celebrated Vietnamese architect Ngo Viet Thu to design a
completely new structure. The project took 4 years to complete, with a 6-month
suspension of work following Diem's assassination in 1963. His successor Nguyen
Van Thieu-assumed the presidency in October 1967 and occupied the Palace until
his abdication on 21 April 1975, when he was replaced by his Vice President Tran
Van Huong, and then a week later by General Duong Van Minh. On 30 April
1975, Liberation Forces entered the Palace grounds and raised the flag of liberation
for the first time from its rooftop. General Duong Van Minh offered his
unconditional surrender Victory had come. The liberation of the South had been
achieved.

THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF THE PALACE:

Situated in a 12 hectare park, the Palace occupies a 4,500 sq. metre ground
space. It is 26 metres in height, and its 95 rooms comprise an interior space of 20,000
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sq. metres. The Palace's architect Ngo Viet Thu wished to achieve a fruitful harmony of
tradition in his ground-breaking design. Its combination of concrete and wooden
embellishments, without any curved roof design, makes the structure at once
distinctively modern and in tune with ancient Vietnamese architectural design. The
external sun canopies evoke the shape of tall bamboo. The interior design is a series of
spacious rooms opening onto grand corridors, grouped around a monumental central
staircase. The architect Ngo Viet Thu, born in 1927 in Hue, was the first Asian recipient
of the prestigious Prix de Rome. He died in Ho Chi Minh City in 2000.

THE BOMBING OF THE PALACE:

On 8 April 1975, an underground member of the Communist Party of Vietnam,

Lieutenant Nguyen Thanh Trung, whe had infiltrated the airforce of the Southern
Republic, seized the opportunity provided by his assignment to fly a military mission to
Phan Thiet. Evading detection by the local control tower, Lt. Trung flew his F5E aircraft
directly over Sai Gon and succeeded in dropping two bombs on the Palace before
landing at an improvised airstrip prepared by the Liberation Forces. The helipad on the
upper terrace of the Palace and the main central staircase were damaged in the attack,
though they were subsequently repaired. But this feat seriously undermined the
republic's authority and prompted the US President to order the evacuation of the last
of the Americans still in Sai Gon.
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CONFERENCE HALL:

Receptions for as many as 500 guests were held in this room, which was also
used for the installation of each new Cabinet. At 19:30 on 21 April 1975, President Thieu
delivered his resignation speech in this room: he spoke for over 2 hours about the
country's situation in the wake of the Americans' decision to discontinue their support.
Vice President Tran Van Huong, then succeeded to the Presidency, pledging to continue
the struggle "to the bitter end". He resigned just a week later, and was replaced by
General Duong Van Minh, from whom the revolutionary authorities received the formal
declaration of surrender. In November 1975, the Consultative Council for National
Reunification used this room for its deliberations. Today it is used for official receptions
and other important events.
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PRESIDENTIAL RECEPTION ROOMS:

In the first of the two presidential reception rooms, the President's chair is placed
on a platform in front of a striped panel symbolising the flag of the Republic of Viet
Nam. Facing the President's throne-like seat is a chair intended for the guest of honour.
Both are carved with dragon's head motifs. The other chairs are carved with a phoenix
head or characters symbolising longevity. The second room is considerably simpler.
Between 19 and 23 October 1972, six meetings were held in this room between
President Thieu and Henry Kissinger, President Nixon's National Security Advisor, during
which Kissinger sought to persuade President Thieu to accept the agreement which was
eventually enacted as the Paris Peace Accords of January 1973.
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VICE-PRESIDENT’S RECEPTION SALON:

Nguyen Cao Ky, Vice President of the Southern Republic from 1967 to 1971, was
born in Son Tay in 1930. He had French and US military training and served as
commander of the Southern Republic's airforce and President of the Central Executive
Committee, then as Prime Minister. He spent his final years in exile and died in Malaysia
in 2011. Tran Van Huong was born in Vinh Long in 1902. He served as Prime Minister of
the Southern Republic and as Vice President from 1971 to 1975, then as President from
21 to 28 April 1975. He died in 1982 in Ho Chi Minh City. This salon's principal decorative
features are the two lacquer paintings produced in 1966 by Thai Van Ngon. They
represent Ha Noi's Temple of Literature and a famous historical scene: the 13" century
King Tran Nhan Tong presenting his robe to a mendicant.
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AMBASSADORS CHAMBER:

Before 1975, many countries had embassies in Sai Gon. Newly arrived
ambassadors presented their credentials to the President in this room in the presence
of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The furnishings and pictures in the room are in fine
Japanese-style lacquer-work, created by the artist Nguyen Van Minh. The larger painting
in 40 small panels entitled "Declaration of victory over the Ming" depicts a famous
scene from the reign of King Le Loi. The wall sconces were lit during ambassadorial
presentation ceremonies. On 18 April 1975 at 11:30am, President Nguyen Van Thieu
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received the newly appointed Japanese Ambassador, Hiroshi Hitomi. This was the last
such ceremony ever enacted in the Independence Palace.

STATE BANQUETING HALL:

State banquets with as many as 100 guests were held in this room. One of the
most notable such events was the inauguration dinner of President Nguyen Van Thieu
and his Vice President Nguyen Cao Ky on 31 October 1967. The last State Dinner was
held here by President Thieu on 1 March 1975 for the US congressional delegation sent
to report on the prospects for continued support for the Southern government. The
room's gold colour scheme was intended to create a convivial atmosphere. Its focal
point is the massive painting in 7 sections by the Palace's architect Ngo Viet Thu
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representing a scene from a poem in Chinese characters widely known and cherished as
an evocation of national unity. Its opening lines are “The land is as lovely as a length of
brocade, all its growing things ripening in peace”.

MINISTERS’ CABINET ROOM:

The place where the meetings of the General Council and the Cabinet of the
Republic of Vietnam take place. According to the decree of President Nguyen Van Thieu
issued in November 1967, the Cabinet of the Republic of Vietnam consisted of the Prime
Minister, 19 ministers and ministers, and 7 deputy ministers. From 1967 to 1975, there
were 5 cabinet changes. The person who holds the position of Prime Minister the
longest is General Tran Thien Khiem (6 years). The last cabinet, established by Mr. Vu
Van Mau as Prime Minister on April 29, 1975, intended to present to the President at
10:00 a.m. on April 30, 1975, but at the same time, Saigon Radio broadcast President
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Duong Van Minh called for a halt to the sale pending the handover of the government to
the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the

THE 843 TANK:

The tank T54B bearing number 843, one of the first tanks to ram the side gate of
the Independence Palace at noon on April 30, 1975, was recognized as a National
Treasure and became an extremely valuable object. of the nation. The vehicle has
special historical value related to the Ho Chi Minh Campaign during the Spring General
Offensive and Uprising in 1975. The vehicle is a proud demonstration of the Vietnam
People's Army, contributing to the victory. the last of the nation. Tank number 843 was
assigned to Company 4 (1st Battalion, 203 Tank Brigade, 2nd Army Corps from May
1974). As part of the battle formation, the 843 tank marched to participate in the
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liberation of Hue, Da Nang, central provinces and headed straight to Saigon after
crossing nearly 1000km with the motto "quickly determined to win".

Gifts presented to President Nguyen Van Thieu:

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The picture: “Viet Nam Quoc To” – Trong Noi artist.

National Security Council Department

The President of the Republic of Vietnam met with US generals and military
advisers in the National Security Council Room. Surrounded by maps of several
countries, particularly maps depicting the South Vietnamese war scenario. On March 25,
1975, at 9:30 a.m., in front of the oncoming Liberation Army forces, President Nguyen
Van Thieu ordered Lieutenant General Ngo Quang Truong, commander of the I Corps, to
withdraw his soldiers from Hue and fortify Da Nang. In such conditions, US President
Gerald Ford dispatched a military mission led by Army Chief of Staff Frederick C.
Weyand to assess the situation. The group met with President Nguyen Van Thieu and
troops on April 3, 1975, to discuss ways to save the military situation in South Vietnam.

The National Security Council room of the Independence Palace is luxuriously

decorated with red curtains and carpets combined with polite tables and chairs to
accommodate the commanders and generals of the former Republic of Vietnam. when
there are important military meetings. The ceiling and walls are painted white to make
the room brighter. Around the room, there was a map of the population of voters, a
map of the routes established by the Communists, a map of the coordination of forces,
etc. These were all maps to serve the management of the people and the war. of the
former Republic of Vietnam.
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Conclude

Independence Palace is a culturally significant historical monument for the

Vietnamese people. It depicts the whole Republic of Vietnam's rule in the past and is
also a historical landmark commemorating the country's independence. Each of us must
be more attentive to not just the Independence Palace but also other cultural heritages
in order for future generations to appreciate and grasp their historical significance.