BackHeritage » Saigon » A Brief History of the Vietnam Railways Building Before Its 110th Birthday

A Brief History of the Vietnam Railways Building Before Its 110th Birthday

The iconic Bến Thành Market is not the only Saigon landmark that has endured for more than a century. The Vietnam Railways building at 138 Hàm Nghi, given its inauguration in 1914, is pushing the 110-year milestone in less than six months.

When construction of the southernmost section of the Transindochinois (North-South) railway line got under way in 1904, it was envisaged that the existing terminus of the Saigon-Mỹ Tho Line at the riverside end of Rue de Canton (modern Hàm Nghi boulevard) would serve both lines. However, when the first northbound trains began operating, the colonial authorities realised that a larger station was required.

An early 20th-century image of the Chemins de fer de l’Indochine (CFI) building with the Halles centrales in the background.

In 1910, a scheme was drawn up under Saigon mayor Eugène Cuniac to reroute both railway lines as they entered the city centre, building a larger Saigon Railway Station in reclaimed swamp land to the west, and demolishing an old locomotive depot to free up land for the construction of a new central market and spacious city square.

Colonial-time taxis parking on the side of the building.

The project was beset by delays, but the Halles centrales (modern Bến Thành Market) finally opened on Place Eugène Cuniac (now Quách Thị Trang Square) in March 1914, and the second railway station on the site of today’s 23/9 Park in September 1915. 

As part of this scheme, the Chemins de fer de l’Indochine (CFI) built itself an imposing new southern region railway headquarters on place Eugène Cuniac, right opposite the station entrance. It was inaugurated in 1914, a full year before the opening of the new railway station. Each level of the ornate three-storey building incorporates a spacious outer corridor which shields the offices from the heat of the external walls.

The building in 2014 with the Quách Thị Trang Roundabout still intact. Photo by Tim Doling.

In May 1952, when CFI became the Việt Nam Department of Railways (Sở Hỏa xa Việt Nam, HXVN), the railway building became its southern branch headquarters. Just three years later, HXVN became the southern rail operating company, responsible to the South Vietnamese Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

A late-colonial image of the CFI building.

During the 1960s the railway headquarters acquired a certain notoriety after the sidewalk outside the building was turned into a place of execution. Today, the building functions as the Hồ Chí Minh City branch office of Vietnam Railways (VNR).

During the 1960s, the pavement outside the railway building was turned into a site for public executions.

As one of Saigon's oldest remaining structures, the Vietnam Railways building is in great need of conservation, even though its fate is still unclear today. Throughout the years, there have been numerous announcements regarding its future, some even involved demolition. The People's Committee of HCMC has classified the building as a municipal-level heritage site and expressed interests in using the site to host Saigon Metro operations, but VNR has continued to assert their ownership of the building.

This article was originally published in 2014 and received updates in 2023.

Tim Doling is the author of the guidebooks Exploring Huế (Nhà Xuất Bản Thế Giới, Hà Nội, 2018), Exploring Saigon-Chợ Lớn (Nhà Xuất Bản Thế Giới, Hà Nội, 2019) and Exploring Quảng Nam (Nhà Xuất Bản Thế Giới, Hà Nội, 2020) and The Railways and Tramways of Việt Nam (White Lotus Press, 2012). For more information about Saigon history, visit his website, historicvietnam.com.

Related Articles

in Saigon

The Tumultuous Tale of Three Ga Sài Gòn Locations, From 1885 Until Now

Travelers arriving by train in Hồ Chí Minh City sometimes express surprise that the main Saigon Railway Station is located in Hòa Hưng, some distance from the central business district. In fact, this ...

in Saigon

A Brief History of Cung Văn Hóa Lao Động and Saigon's First Swimming Pool

Once a fashionable rendezvous for the elite of colonial society, the Labour Culture Palace (Cung Văn hoá Lao động) at 55B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai is today one of Hồ Chí Minh City’s most popular spor...

in Saigon

How Nhà Thờ Tân Định, Saigon's Iconic Pink Church, Came to Be

You just have to mention the “pink church” and everyone knows which one you mean. But few are aware that the building in question — Tân Định Church — is one of Saigon’s oldest and most important Roman...

in Travel

Officials Announce (Yet Another) Plan to Restore Historic Đà Lạt-Tháp Chàm Railway

The 84-km railway line connecting Đà Lạt and Tháp Chàm (Phan Rang) was built between 1908 and 1932 and abandoned in 1976.

in Saigon

Tân Định Market, D1's Nearly 100-Year-Old Trading Hub

Originally known as the marché de Phu-Hoa, Tân Định Market at 1 Nguyễn Hữu Cầu in District 1 is one of the city’s most historic markets, but it was the opening of the stylish French market building of...

in Saigon

From Vauban Citadel to Modernist Icon: The History of Turtle Lake

The area of Công Trường Quốc Tế and Turtle Lake (Hồ Con Rùa) has been through many changes both in design and function throughout the history of Saigon. First, it housed a gate for a Nguyễn-dynasty ci...

Partner Content