Lam Sơn Square

Lam Sơn Square (Vietnamese: Công trường Lam Sơn) is the city square surrounding the Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City in District 1, downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.[1]

Lam Sơn Square
Công trường Lam Sơn
City square
Former name(s): Place Augustin Foray
Lam Son Square in 2015
Lam Son Square in 2015
OwnerHo Chi Minh City
LocationDistrict 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Coordinates: 10°46′35″N 106°42′11″E

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, where the Hotel Continental Saigon and Caravelle Hotel are located.[2][3]

History
The Municipal Theatre of Saigon

The site of the present-day Lam Sơn Square was originally the section of the boulevard Bonard between the rue Catinat and rue Nationale. 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.[4]

The National Assembly building in 1967

In 1955, place Augustin Foray was renamed Lam Sơn Square by the South Vietnamese government,[5] 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.[6]

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.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Map of Ho Chi Minh City". HCM CityWeb.
  2. Dodd, Jan; Lewis, Mark; Emmons, Ron (2003). The Rough Guide to Vietnam (4th ed.). Rough Guides. p. 92.
  3. Sullivan, James (2010). National Geographic Traveler: Vietnam. National Geographic Society. p. 196.
  4. Baudrit, André (1943). Guide historique des rues de Saigon. Saigon: S.I.L.I. p. 491.
  5. Guillaume, Xavier; Guillaume, Marie-Christine (2004). La Terre du Dragon – Tome I (in French). Paris: Publibook. p. 59.
  6. Bowyer, Mark (December 3, 2015). "Park Hyatt, Saigon". Rusty Compass.
  7. Tran, Duy (March 6, 2018). "HCMC transforms downtown parking lot into flower garden". VnExpress.
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