The Reunification Palace
This is the Reunification Palace; a building with a lengthy, storied history. It housed the former South Vietnamese government under the Republic of Vietnam, in which hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans died in vain to preserve. Before the fall of Saigon in 1975, this was the home of the South Vietnamese leader, Ngo Dinh Diem - who summoned a Paris-trained designer, Ngo Viet Thu to establish a very pronounced style replete with 60's-era modern furniture and lighting in conjunction with trademark Vietnamese gold leafing and lacquer workmanship onto fixtures. Throughout the French and Vietnam Wars (1950's - 70's combined) this palace has been ravaged by bombings and fire several times. Since 1975 the architecture and interiors have been preserved to such a degree, it feels as if history stopped and has an eerie feel.