Lam Sơn Square

Lam Sơn Square
City square
Công trường Lam Sơn
Former names: Place du Théâtre, Place Augustin Foray
Lam Son Square in 2015
Lam Son Square in 2015
Named forLam Sơn uprising
OwnerHo Chi Minh City
LocationSaigon, Ho Chi Minh City
Public transitL1 Opera House station
Interactive map of Lam Sơn Square
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 Downtown Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

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. The Opera House station of Ho Chi Minh City Metro Line 1 also located in the square side of Đồng Khởi Street. A landscape garden opposite the Opera House main gate on Lê Lợi Boulevard is Lam Sơn Park (Công viên Lam Sơn), it is also a part of the square.

History

The site of the present-day Lam Sơn Square was originally the section of the boulevard Bonard (now Lê Lợi Boulevard) between the rue Catinat and rue Nationale (Đồng Khởi and Hai Bà Trưng Street nowadays, respectively). 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.

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

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.

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.

Lam Sơn Park

Lam Sơn Park (Vietnamese: Công viên Lam Sơn) is a landscape garden located directly in front of the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House at No. 7 Lam Sơn Square. It has an area of 2,200 m2 (24,000 sq ft) and was once dismantled to facilitate the construction of the Opera House Metro Station on Line 1, it was subsequently restored to its original size and layout, officially reopening in late August 2020. It currently serves as a public space and a frequent venue for photo exhibitions and major city commemorative events.

Buildings

List of buildings in the Lam Sơn Square (Only buildings surround the Opera House and between Đồng Khởi and Hai Bà Trưng Street):

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.