The Reunification Hall (formerly known as the Independence Palace) was the seat of South Vietnamese power from its construction in 1966 to the fall of the South Vietnamese Republic to North Vietnamese forces in 1975 and it was here that the transfer of power occurred. "I have been waiting since early this morning to transfer power to you" announced President Duong Van Minh to General Bui Tin as he strolled into the 2nd floor conference room April 30th 1975; "You cannot give up what you do not have" was the general’s rather curt reply.
French Trained Architect Ngo Viet Thu built the Hall at the request of President Ngo Dinh Diem after the previous Norodom Palace (built for the French Govenor in 1868) had been destroyed in 1962 during an assassination attempt on Diem’s life by two members of his own air force. Completed in 1966, 3 years after a more successful assassination attempt on Diem, the palace has a very ‘60s feel to it. Yet despite its stuffy exterior inside it is surprisingly open and airy.
Passing the huge wrought iron gates that stand out front one cannot help but feel part of history as the breaching of these gates by an NLF tank in 1975 and the subsequent unfurling of the North Vietnamese flag from the top of the palace are iconic moments in this nation's history. Wandering through the beautifully manicured gardens, one is struck by the austerity of the exterior and can’t help but feel a certain dread about what lies inside.
Once through the entrance, however, it is an entirely different story as your guide leads you through the airy rooms with there 1970s furniture and decorations still in place one is overcome by the feeling of how kitsch it all is no more so than in the president’s personal movie theatre with its circular sofa. Outback is the president’s personal living quarters, surprisingly Spartan and simple compared to the rest of the palace they provide an insight into the men who lived here.
Finally there is the basement with its bomb shelters and war rooms; complete with radio equipment, large-scale maps and miles of tunnels just the sort of thing that you expect from a military bunker. There are even a couple of little screening rooms where you can kick back and relax in front of a rather dodgy collection of news reel footage telling the story of the war from a somewhat biased view point (but still what do you expect).
You are then unceremoniously dumped back out into the spectacular gardens and the Cong Vien Van Hoa Park, with a vague sense that you have just experienced something surreal. A fascinating look into the schizophrenic nature of this once divided society -- well worth a visit.