Originally built in 1868 as the home of the French Governor General of then Cochin china, this building was destroyed and rebuilt in 1966 by the South Vietnamese President Diem, who commissioned Paris-trained Ngo Viet Thu, winner of an architectural excellence prize in Rome, to design it. Then known as Independence Hall or the Presidential Palace, it became the home of then President of South Vietnam Nguyen Van Thieu until April 30, 1975. On that historic day, tanks of the liberation army crashed through the wrought-iron gate to the palace where General Duong Van Minh, then president for only 43 hours, and his entire cabinet was waiting to surrender. It is now called Reunification Hall and has been preserved as it was found on that day in 1975.

The palace consists of 95 rooms, each decorated according to its function. It features two exhibition rooms, a 33-room guesthouse, bomb shelter, Catholic chapel, helipad and numerous entertainment facilities. The visitor's entrance is at 106 Nguyen Du Street.