This exhibition is the result of three years of research and implementation by the Reunification Hall, with consultation from historians and museum experts such as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Huy, Dr. Le Thi Minh Ly (National Council for Cultural Heritage), and American historian Professor Edward Miller.

The exhibition brings together hundreds of documents and images and is considered the largest exhibition to date on the history of the Independence Palace. Notably, it is held inside a two-story historic building constructed during the French colonial period, located within the Independence Palace complex at the corner of Nam Ky Khoi Nghia and Nguyen Du streets.

The exhibition also sheds light on the story of a palace that once symbolized the French colonial administration in southern Vietnam and existed for nearly 100 years. In 1954, the palace was renamed Independence Palace, a name that has remained to this day.

On the ground floor, many rare images of Norodom Palace—the residence and workplace of the Governor of southern Vietnam built by the French administration in 1868—are presented to the public. In addition, the living spaces and daily life of Saigon in earlier times are vividly recreated, allowing visitors to view images, listen to narration, and experience the bustling sounds of Saigon’s streets and neighborhoods of the past.

The building’s corridors are used to display images and documents related to the lives and careers of prominent southern figures such as Truong Vinh Ky and Nguyen An Ninh, while the second floor introduces the rise and fall of the Ngo Dinh Diem administration along with the process of constructing the Independence Palace.

What distinguishes the exhibition “From Norodom Palace to Independence Palace (1868–1966)” is its adoption of a new approach and method of historical interpretation. Drawing on rich archival sources from national archives in Vietnam, the United States, and France, the exhibition offers a vivid and multi-dimensional perspective on historical events, narratives, and their contexts, while also employing modern technologies that allow visitors to watch, listen, interact, and explore history through direct experience.

Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Diep, Director of the Reunification Hall, stated that the organizers hope the exhibition “From Norodom Palace to Independence Palace (1868–1966)” will be welcomed by the public as a new destination to experience and share memories of the past and to take pride in the present.

The exhibition is open to the public free of charge for two weeks, from March 10 to March 23, at 106 Nguyen Du Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: http://tphcm.chinhphu.vn/trung-bay-nhieu-tu-lieu-moi-‘tu-dinh-norodom-den-dinh-doc-lap-1868-1966’