Saigon University in HCMC's erstwhile District 5 was founded in 1908 by a Chinese merchant named Xie Matian.
The school in what used to be District 5 until the recent reorganization of provinces and cities was originally called "Lycée Franco-Chinois" (French-Chinese High School) and catered to the children of Chinese immigrants in Vietnam.
After April 30, 1975, when the war ended and Vietnam's north and south reunited after 20 years, the school became the headquarters of the Saigon Pedagogical College (renamed Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogical College in 1976). In 2007 it was upgraded to Saigon University.
The façade of Building B is characterized by low-rise architecture.
It has a canopy-shaped roof, arched windows and intricate blue glazed ceramic tiles. A dragon-and-cloud motif is embedded in relief.
This was the first block of classrooms, built in 1910.
Lion head sculptures holding ceramic pinecone clusters feature on both sides of the Building B façade. This rare decoration style was typical of school buildings at that time.
The building has two stories, with two symmetrical wooden staircases that have remained intact for over a century. In the middle is a passage that leads to the courtyard and other buildings.
The wide hallways feature vaulted architecture. The wide doors and windows and high ceilings ensure that the classrooms always have light and ventilation.
Due to development needs, a second building, Block C, with a similar structure and architecture to Block B, was built in 1925.
The architecture of these two buildings blends Western and Chinese classical influences. These structures are considered the main architectural features of the school for designation as an architectural heritage site of HCMC, which was done in March this year.
Between the two historic buildings is a yard. Over the 117 years of existence, despite a number of repairs and renovations, the two buildings have retained almost their original structure, architecture and decorative style.
The traditional tile roofing system with ventilating ridges complements the overall architectural design.
The campus, shaded by huge trees, is situated at the intersection of An Duong Vuong and Nguyen Trai streets in what is called Cho Quan Ward following the reorganization.
New buildings, including blocks A, D and E, were built later as the requirements ballooned but blend harmoniously with the existing architecture, preserving the historical charm.
Saigon University offers 47 majors in fields such as education, social sciences, economics, and engineering, and has around 20,000 full-time students. It also runs an elementary and secondary school each, where practical training is provided to pedagogy students from the university.
