Standing magnificently at the heart of Ho Chi Minh City is the Saigon Opera House, which is also known as the Municipal Theater. The building stands as one of the impressive sight in Saigon – both night and day.ho
Typical French Architecture
The style of this majestic building is influenced by flamboyant style of the French Third Republic. People can easily recognise similarities between the façade of this building and the Petit Palais, which was built in the same year in France. Inside, the house has a main seating floor plus two levels of seating above, and is capable of accommodating 1,800 people. All of applied ornament, balustrades, cartouches and roof were taken from France. Additionally, all the inscriptions, décor, and furnishings were drawn by a French artist and sent from his nation.
Significant historical events
January 17th, 1900: The first show of the Opera House was performed by French actors and actresses.
November 18th, 1918: The first time Vietnamese organized a performance at the Opera House, which is a play mixed with Cai Luong, a theatrical genre from Southern Vietnam, often known as Vietnamese Opera.
1945 – 1955: The Opera House was closed during World War II and reopened in 1955 – after the Geneva Convention (1954), and became the Southern Vietnam’s Assembly House.
May, 1975: it is officially named the city’s opera house.
1996: Saigon Opera House is closed for renovation.
December 18th, 1998: Inauguration ceremony of Saigon Opera House after 2 years renovation. The event marked 300th anniversary of Ho Chi Minh City.
2012: The Opera House is certified a National Relic. Interesting facts and figures
The Opera House was built in 1898 and carried out 3,200,000 square meters in total areas.
The theater was set to be two meters higher than the street surface with two door layers in order to prevent traffic noise.
The oval auditorium with 468 seats offers good view from every seat. It is also echo-free and therefore preserves all the sound inside the theatre.
The major renovation, which cost USD 1.7 million at the time, took 2 years from 1996 to 1998 to finish.
SHOWS AT SAIGON OPERA HOUSE
A O SHOW
The name ‘A O’ derives from ‘Lang Pho’, which means ‘village and city’. The show depicts the charming beauty and cultural richness of Vietnamese life in the countryside, in contrast with the nation’s racing urbanization. The show is a unique mix of bamboo cirque, acrobatic acts, contemporary dance, and theatrical visual art. The live music echoes Vietnamese Southern work songs. All in all, this beautiful blend of genres creates a unique stage language, which well captures the essence of Vietnam’s fascinating culture.
TEH DAR
Teh Dar invites audience on a venture into the enchanting world of Vietnamese highlanders. Wild animal hunts, moonlit romance, jungle's tales of death and reincarnation, are all recreated with stunning bamboo cirque, daring acrobatics, and hypnotizing melody from exotic tribal instruments certified cultural heritage by UNESCO. Meaning ‘going in circle’ in the highland tribe K&s tongue, Teh Dar embrace and preserve beautiful and diverse Vietnamese tribal cultures. As the artists keep inspiring, the circle of tribal life keeps going, the cultures shall remain.
THE MIST
The Mist tells a story Southern Vietnamese farming life, expressed through neo-
classic and contemporary dance by skilled artists.
Using rice cultivation as a metaphor to appreciate farmers’ dedication, from their misty dawn on the fields, their hardship and will power to rise up from humble muddy soil, to brace storms, to the moment they arrive joyously like shining pearls at harvest. The Mist is an hour of emotions, with myriad ups and downs, painted by sensational live music, splendid visuals, and colorful lighting effects.
How to get there
Nowadays, the Saigon Opera House, lying charmingly in the heart of the city, District 1 area, becomes a theater for a variety of traditional and classical performances such as plays, concerts, ballet, opera, and Vietnamese traditional dance. Moreover, this house – the brightest building of Ho Chi Minh City – is also one of the exciting destinations which no one should miss when visiting this city. The central position of Municipal Theatre makes it pretty easy to be found.
The theatre is now a venue for many high profile events and cultural – entertainment activities of the city. Certified as a national relic in 2012, this magnificent building stays on top of the must-visit of Ho Chi Minh City.
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