The exhibition ‘From Norodom Palace to Independence Palace 1868 – 1966’ is held in a French architectural structure, which is a remaining trace from the Norodom Palace era – a symbol of power and the French presence in Cochinchina (Nam Kỳ). After 1954, Norodom Palace was renamed Independence Palace and became the official workplace and residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem, just one year later. In 1962, after the palace was severely damaged by bombing, President Ngo Dinh Diem decided to rebuild Independence Palace on the same site.

This exhibition introduces Saigon during the colonial period, focusing on significant transformations in transportation, architecture, commerce, and social life. Visitors have the opportunity to learn about the figures who once lived in the palace, as well as the prominent events in Saigon and Southern Vietnam. Concurrently, the exhibition also presents the formation and collapse of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime, along with the coup d’état that led to his death in January 1963.

The exhibition design features high interactivity, combining auditory, visual, and direct experience through newly collected historical documents from both domestic and international sources. The exhibition is expected to offer visitors a comprehensive perspective on a significant historical period, closely linked to the name of a palace that has existed for more than a century in Saigon.

The exhibition design is interactive; besides listening and viewing, visitors can independently explore numerous newly collected historical images and documents from both domestic and international sources. We hope this exhibition will provide visitors with a comprehensive view of a significant historical period, closely associated with a Palace that has existed for over 100 years in Saigon.