Lam Sơn Square

Lam Sơn Square is the city square surrounding the Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City in Saigon ward, downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The square extends from Đồng Khởi Street to Hai Bà Trưng Street, although it is commonly known for its section in front of the Municipal Theatre's façade, Hotel Continental Saigon and Caravelle Hotel are located. The Opera House station of HCMC Metro Line 1 also located in the square side of Đồng Khởi Street. A landscape garden opposite the Opera House main gate on Lê Lợi Boulevard is Lam Sơn Park, it is also a part of the square.

History

The site of the present-day Lam Sơn Square was originally the section of the boulevard Bonard between the rue Catinat and rue Nationale. Following the completion of the Municipal Theatre, the square was known as place du Théâtre, and it was not until 11 January 1935 that the official name, place Augustin Foray, was given after the former mayor of Saigon.
In 1955, place Augustin Foray was renamed Lam Sơn Square by the South Vietnamese government, and the Municipal Theatre became the National Assembly building.
Lam Sơn Square also housed the Brinks Hotel, the building used by the United States Army officers and was bombed by the Viet Cong in 1964. Today, the site is occupied by the Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel, and a memorial to the bombing was erected.
After Vietnam was reunified, the National Assembly building was restored to its original function as a theatre. The square's layout had little change until 2018, when the open space behind the theatre, previously used as a parking lot, was transformed into a landscaped garden.