UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE OVER 130 YEARS OLD
Notre Dame Cathedral is located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, one of the large-scale architectural works built in the early years of French colonial rule. The project began in 1877, was inaugurated after 3 years of construction according to the project of architect M. Bournard and was ranked among the most beautiful churches in the French colonies at that time.
Ho Chi Minh City Post Office is now an attractive tourist destination in Ho Chi Minh City.
PHOTO: QUYNH TRAN
Most of the basic materials used to build the church at that time were brought from France. In particular, the church walls were built with exposed red bricks, stained glass windows, combined with blue stone quarried in Bien Hoa. All construction and interior decoration costs were covered by the Southern Governor's Office.
The Saigon Post Office was started in 1886 and inaugurated in 1891, designed by two architects, Alfred Foulhoux and Henri Villedieu, with a combination of classical European and local architecture. The steel dome inside and the steel materials used in the construction were designed and manufactured by the Gustave Eiffel Company.
Since its completion, the main building has maintained its original design. The main entrance of the building is an arched door. In the middle of the arch is a relief portrait of the god Mercure surrounded by a laurel wreath. Over the past 139 years, the Ho Chi Minh City Post Office has been regularly renovated, repaired, and repainted, maintaining its original function and has just been included in the list of 11 most beautiful post offices in the world voted by the American architectural magazine Architectural Digest .
Currently, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City Post Office, Ben Thanh Market, Reunification Hall (former Independence Palace)... have been connected into a chain of heritages that attract a large number of tourists to visit. "It can be said that Notre Dame Cathedral and Ho Chi Minh City Post Office have typical values of the whole country, relics of national stature, not just of Ho Chi Minh City", Deputy Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Information) Truong Kim Quan emphasized.
WHY ARE MONUMENTS "AFRAID" OF BEING RANKED?
Responding to the above question from Thanh Nien reporter, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports Nguyen Minh Nhut said: "For a long time, the mentality of owners or management units of relics has often been... worrying too much. They are afraid that after being classified as relics, the construction will be under the management of the state, and will no longer have the right to repair or restore as they wish" and added: "The new Heritage Law just passed by the National Assembly will soon take effect, these worries will be resolved".
Notre Dame Cathedral is still undergoing restoration that has lasted for many years (photo taken on the morning of May 14).
PHOTO: QUYNH TRAN
A representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Post Office worried: "The authority to enter or not to enter the classified relic of the City Post Office is decided by the Vietnam Post Corporation. Two years ago, we also received a survey delegation from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Information to work. At that time, according to regulations, the unit and agency managing the relic had to make a proposal for classification. We were a bit worried that once the relic was classified, would it be difficult to repair it, or if we wanted to preserve it, would the government support the funding? We were bound by many things, so we were also... worried."
According to Mr. Truong Kim Quan, in foreign countries, churches being recognized as heritage sites for protection is completely normal, but in Vietnam it is still "too heavy". "We must see that when a relic is ranked, the manager and the owner will enjoy many benefits from the state such as: investment, financial support from new policies, working with the management agency to protect and promote the values of the relic, bringing benefits to the community and people, and cannot stand alone", Mr. Quan affirmed.
Faced with anxiety and after a long time waiting for the voluntary completion of the documents of the management units of the two relics to complete the ranking procedures, on May 13, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Information of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Minh Nhut sent an official dispatch to the Board of Directors of Ho Chi Minh City Post Office and the Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City, the Parish Priest of Notre Dame Cathedral "requesting attention and coordination to issue a document proposing to rank the relics". Up to now, everything has not been completed.
VINH N NGHIEM PAGODA IS "ASKING FOR OPINION"
Along with Notre Dame Cathedral and Ho Chi Minh City Post Office, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Information also sent a document to the Abbot of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda "requesting coordination with the Department's leaders to complete the ranking dossier". Thanh Nien reporters went to meet and were told by a representative of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda: "The pagoda is still waiting for a meeting to discuss this issue, and is still asking for opinions from higher management levels, so there will be information for the press later".
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/di-tich-tam-co-quoc-gia-ngai-xep-hang-185250616212435253.htm
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