Discussing the exploitation of the 'golden land' at 164 Dong Khoi or the old Catinat police station

On the morning of September 19, the scientific seminar on the Catinat Historical Site took place at the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City at 164 Dong Khoi (old District 1, now Saigon Ward), Ho Chi Minh City.

Address 164 Dong Khoi (HCMC) used to be Catinat Police Station, now the headquarters of the Department of Culture and Sports of HCMC - Photo: MI LY

Dong Khoi is Catinat Street during the French colonial period, and Catinat Station is the Southern Secret Service/Spy.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Nhut, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, said when summarizing the workshop: "This place, from a place that was a tool of violence and repression of the enemy, has become a school of communist ideals, a place to forge and form the qualities and integrity of loyal communists and patriotic Vietnamese people."

Not only golden land, but also a 'living museum' of Catinat Police Station

Over the past 50 years, this place has transformed from a "hell on earth" into a center, a specialized agency advising on culture, sports, information, and tourism of Ho Chi Minh City.

Therefore, in addition to the proposal to recognize Catinat Station as a cultural and historical relic, the workshop also discussed the issue of exploiting economic and tourism benefits. In his speech, Colonel Nguyen Thanh Trung - Political Commissar of the Ho Chi Minh City Command - proposed 7 solutions to protect and promote the historical value of this work.

In particular, he believes that it is necessary to apply modern technology, using virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) so that visitors can experience a part of living history.

Regarding the economic value of the land at 164 Dong Khoi, Ms. Le Tu Cam - President of the Ho Chi Minh City Cultural Heritage Association - estimated that the 3,500m2 campus could bring in a net profit of VND4,000 billion if commercially exploited, not to mention the annual rental revenue of over VND300 billion.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Hau and Ms. Le Tu Cam at the workshop - Photo: MI LY

Dr. Nguyen Thi Hau - General Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Historical Science Association - commented: "This golden land was once planned for redevelopment (commercial complex - hotel), although it has not been implemented, but up to now this area still has the highest real estate value in the city, always the destination of real estate investors. Therefore, first of all, it is urgent to collect and research documents to rank this project as a city-level historical - cultural relic, preserve and promote its value in the direction of keeping the office function of the project".

She said that the pressure of modernization, commercialization and new construction is threatening the landscape, so there needs to be solutions to protect the landscape in the direction of conservation associated with development. "If done well, this street will not only be a high-end commercial area but also a living museum of Saigon's memories," said Dr. Nguyen Thi Hau.

MI LY

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ban-chuyen-khai-thac-dat-vang-164-dong-khoi-hay-bot-catinat-xua-20250920095247925.htm