Saigon Opera House

On the outside, it looks like the Petit Palais in Paris. Inside contains is a replica of the Palais Garnier, the spectacular Paris Opera, only in a smaller, yet just as grand setting. The Saigon Opera House, built in 1900 by French architect Félix Olivier, is located in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, the most elegant of the city. This "municipal theater" is built at the intersection of Dong Khoi (formerly Catinat Street) and Long Lai, a lively neighborhood day and night filled with chic restaurants, bars and shops. Saigon Opera House, which became the seat of the Parliament of South Vietnam before the Vietnam War, was completely renovated to become a major cultural auditorium today.