The building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Hanoi was recognized as a national relic site this August.
About the Foreign Ministry’s building
The building, having a hundred clay-tiled pitched roofs, is situated on Ton That Dam Street at the Chu Van An – Dien Bien Phu crossroads. It used to be the headquarters of the Indochina Ministry of Finance and has become the headquarters of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs from October 3, 1945.
The building was designed by French architect Ernest Hebrard in 1924. Its construction work began in 1925 and was completed in 1928. Like other buildings he designed, it bears his distinct Indochine Style, which blended Eastern and Western traditions.
Being recognized as a national relic site
The building served as the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Hanoi and received a certificate recognizing it as a national relic site at a ceremony on August 26.
The event saw the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Pham Binh Minh, and Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) Nguyen Ngoc Thien.
Speaking at the event, the Head of the MOFA’s Culture and UNCESCO Department Pham Sanh Chau said the building is a prominent architectural work, representing the distinct Indochina Style. It was designed by French architect Ernest Hebrard in 1925 and construction was completed in 1928.
The building has been used as the main headquarters of the MOFA since 1954.
Tran Dinh Thanh, Deputy Head of the Culture and UNCESCO Department, under the MOCST, said numerous diplomatic events, which are significant to the country’s history, have taken place at the building.
The Law on Cultural Heritage and related regulations will protect the building.