217: Saigon Twin Towers

Saigon Central Post Office is currently the best-preserved French post office system in Southeast Asia.

This post office is also known as the Centennial Post Office.

The designer was Gustave Eiffel, who designed the Eiffel Tower, and this status cast a celebrity halo over the Saigon Central Post Office.

Saigon Central Post Office

This Baroque-style building, infused with neoclassical elements and painted yellow, features a highly symmetrical design, exuding a romantic French charm.

Entry here does not require a ticket, but you do need to queue. Following Zhang Meiqi, we pushed through the crowded people and entered this well-maintained old building in Saigon.

The goose-yellow corridors, green dome, and cast-iron carved chandeliers along the way truly reflected the marks of that era and its faded glory.

In the largest central hall, rows of old-fashioned counters were displayed, and ancient telephone booths were placed on both sides, looking as if they were still in operation.

The tall dome and elegant color scheme complemented each other, making one feel as if they were in Europe, if not for the photos of Vietnam's national father on the walls.

Quite a few European and American Caucasians wandered around, their eyes filled with curiosity and nostalgia for past glories.

At the counters here, you can buy lotus postcards with strong Vietnamese characteristics, which can be stamped and sent all over the world.

Many tourists also get the unique stamp of the Saigon Central Post Office here, signifying their visit.

Li Qinghe specifically asked, if a postcard was to be sent to China, it would cost 20,000 vietnamese dong, with 15,000 vietnamese dong for postage and 5,000 vietnamese dong for the Send on behalf of service fee.

That adds up to more than five dragon country currency.

Li Qinghe saw some antique stamps in the counter that cost over 200,000 vietnamese dong each. He originally wanted to take a look but was pulled back by Zhang Meiqi.

“Brother Qinghe, these antique stamps are all fake; they are all later imitations.”

Li Qinghe suddenly realized that these were all waiting for suckers.

The entire Central Post Office hall is a large handicraft sales department. In addition to selling stamps and postcards, it also sells the famous Miss Saigon perfume, as well as a series of handicrafts such as coin purses with Ao Dai style.

There is also a special silk hand-painted postcard; for 80,000 vietnamese dong, you can customize a Vietnamese name embroidery on the spot, attracting many European and American tourists to watch and order.

After all, 21 dragon country currency, or just over 3 US dollars, is a very cheap price for these tourists.

Consumption in Southeast Asia is quite high for locals, but for many elderly white men who receive low-income welfare benefits in Europe and America, it is an ideal place to live.

Here, they can even live a very affluent life.

This is also why you often see many poor white people living leisurely in various Southeast Asian countries.

This is the impact caused by the income disparity.

Among the four giant murals on the dome of the Central Post Office, one is a route map from Saigon to Cambodia, clearly showing the ambition of the French colonizers during that period.

Zhang Meiqi took Li Qinghe on a tour around the entire Central Post Office, feeling that, overall, the place was quite well-preserved.

Especially some of the later renovations were very thorough, allowing this century-old post office to maintain a very youthful state.

Inspired, Li Qinghe picked up his phone and took many photos of Zhang Meiqi from different positions.

When Zhang Meiqi saw Li Qinghe's photography skills, her eyes lit up. She knew Li Qinghe could shoot videos and take photos, but she never expected his photography skills to be so good.

He took a bunch of beautiful photos at several classic locations.

Zhang Meiqi, still not quite satisfied, followed Li Qinghe out of the Saigon Central Post Office.

“Brother Qinghe, can you help me take more photos today?”

Zhang Meiqi's eyes sparkled like stars as she looked at Li Qinghe beside her.

As a part-time model, she had also taken some good street photos, but it seemed that those photographers couldn't capture her in such charming states and angles.

“Other requests might need some consideration, but photos can be taken anytime.”

Li Qinghe smiled and gave an answer that made Zhang Meiqi's heart blossom.

After leaving the Central Post Office, the next destination was naturally the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon.

As the two most famous landmark buildings in Saigon, many people prefer to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon first and then come to the Saigon Central Post Office.

However, Li Qinghe and Zhang Meiqi did the opposite, visiting the Notre Dame Cathedral after seeing the Central Post Office.

In fact, these two buildings are not far apart, facing each other, and are very famous twin-star landmark buildings in Saigon.

It only took a two-minute walk from the Central Post Office to the entrance of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

This Notre Dame Cathedral was originally called the Saigon Royal Notre Dame Cathedral, also known as the Red Church.

According to Zhang Meiqi, all the red bricks used in this church were shipped from France. After a hundred years, they still have not faded.

This building mimics the bell tower design of Notre Dame de Paris, with two towers on either side reaching 40 meters high. In front of the main hall stands a 4-ton statue of the Virgin Mary, gifted to South Vietnam by the Roman Church during that time.

Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon

Many tourists stood in front of the main hall, taking photos as souvenirs.

With a dedicated photographer, Zhang Meiqi naturally stood without hesitation in positions suitable for photos.

As a young woman who has lived in Saigon for many years, she naturally knows where to take good-looking photos.

It was said that there was an event inside the church today, so it was not open to the public.

Zhang Meiqi then took Li Qinghe on a tour around the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Li Qinghe discovered that the numerous churches and French-style buildings left by the French colonizers in Vietnam had deeply imprinted their mark here.

Because the rule lasted for a period that was neither long nor short, Li Qinghe checked some material and found that France officially colonized Vietnam for about 80 years.

This directly led to the very fragmented flavor between Southern and Northern Vietnam.

While Southern Vietnam exuded a strong French flavor, the Sanskrit Champa style of Central Vietnam remained deeply rooted in people's hearts.

Not to mention the unbroken Confucian cultural heritage of Northern Vietnam, and ancient buildings filled with Chinese characters.

Counting on his fingers, Vietnam actually has ties with all five major international powers.

The Franco-Vietnamese War, the American-Vietnamese War, including being supported by the predecessor of Russia, attempting to counter China.

The only one with whom there has been no interaction is the United Kingdom.

This has also led to Vietnam's current very bewildered state internationally, unsure how to position itself.

And Vietnam's internal situation is not as unified as it appears on the surface.

After all, the GDP of Southern Vietnam accounts for the vast majority of Vietnam's total.

The forces from Saigon are very dissatisfied with having to continuously provide blood transfusions from Southern Vietnam to Central and Northern Vietnam.

However, the fists from Northern Vietnam in the past have ensured that Southern Vietnam never forgets that pain.

Therefore, the vibrant nightlife of Southern Vietnam, represented by Saigon, actually also represents a silent resistance to Northern Vietnam.

This, in turn, has given rise to a mysterious Saigon, which is a paradise of joy for men all over the world.

After visiting these two famous landmarks, Li Qinghe and Zhang Meiqi did not go to the next attraction.

Instead, they chose to go to a rooftop cafe, where they sat drinking coffee, enjoying the breeze, and quietly waiting for Li Mingyue's arrival.

Because Li Mingyue had just called to say that she had finished her tutoring and was on her way to meet them.