The Independence Palace (also called the Reunification Palace) was built from 1868 and completed in 1871 by the French after they had conquered the six provinces in the South of Vietnam (Cocochine). The Palace had been meant to be the Residence of the Governor of South Vietnam and it was called Norodom Palace (after the King of Cambodia).
In 1954, the French lost the battles at Dien Bien Phu and Norodom Palace in Saigon was handed to the Government of South Vietnam. Prime Minister of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem later deposed the Chief of State Bao Dai and claimed himself to be the President of the Republic of South Vietnam. Ngo Dinh Diem renamed Norodom Palace into the Independence Palace which he used as the Residence of his family.
In February 1962, there was a coup d'etat in the Republic of South Vietnam and the Independence Palace was bombed and partially destroyed. Since the former palace could not be restored, Ngo Dinh Diem ordered the destruction of it to rebuild a new one on the same site. Ngo Dinh Diem's family temporarily moved to Gia Long Palace (Ho Chi Minh City Museum now). Soon after that, Ngo Dinh Diem's family was assassinated in November 1963. The reconstruction of the Independence Palace was completed in 1966 and it was used as the Residence of the President and the seat of the government of South Vietnam till 1975.
Visiting the Independence Palace (or Reunification Palace) you'll have time to recall an important period in the history of Vietnam. There are quite a few stories behind the scenes which assist you in thorough understanding of a piece of the Vietnamese history. The site is visited on several Vietnam tours operated by Paradissa.
