The former Bot Catinat building, now home to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, stands at 164 Dong Khoi Street in the city’s central Saigon Ward. Photo: Mi Ly / Tuoi Tre
Known as Bot Catinat, the building at 164 Dong Khoi Street — now the headquarters of the city’s Department of Culture and Sports — was the spotlight of a public workshop on Friday that gathered expert opinions and survivor testimonies as part of efforts to prepare a scientific dossier for heritage recognition.
Built during the French colonial period, Bot Catinat served as a police station and political prison, housing detainees accused of anti-colonial activities.
It is one of the few surviving sites in the city that directly reflects the era of resistance against French rule.
Now, with its central location on a prime 3,500-square-meter lot, city officials and cultural experts are debating how to preserve the building while developing it into a space for public education and tourism.
Former political prisoners Tran Thi Minh Son (L) and Le Van Ngay attend a workshop on the historical site of Bot Catinat, where both were once detained and tortured during the French colonial era, in Ho Chi Minh City, September 19, 2025. Photo: Mi Ly / Tuoi Tre
Le Van Ngay, 93, a former revolutionary who was arrested and detained at Bot Catinat in 1954, described the brutal conditions he faced while imprisoned.
“Only those who’ve lived through it can understand,” he said.
Former political prisoner Le Van Ngay attends a workshop on the historical site of Bot Catinat, where he was once detained and tortured during the French colonial era, in Ho Chi Minh City, September 19, 2025. Photo: Mi Ly / Tuoi Tre
Ngay said he was later sentenced to 20 years in prison on Con Dao Island but was released under the terms of the 1954 Geneva Accords.
Tran Thi Minh Son, 92, was arrested three times during the 1950s, the first following a protest.
She offered limited details about her time in custody but said the determination of fellow detainees — especially female prisoners — was unwavering.
Le Tu Cam, former deputy director of the Department of Culture and Sports and president of the city’s Cultural Heritage Association, said the site has both symbolic and economic potential.
Former political prisoner Tran Thi Minh Son speaks at a workshop on the historical site of Bot Catinat, where she was once detained and tortured during the French colonial era, in Ho Chi Minh City, September 19, 2025. Photo: Mi Ly / Tuoi Tre
Cam noted that if developed commercially, the land could generate over VND4 trillion (US$151.6 million) in value, with annual rental revenues exceeding VND300 billion ($11.4 million).
However, she argued that preserving the building and turning it into a public heritage site could bring long-term cultural and educational value.
“We must safeguard the historical legacy while also thinking about sustainable use,” she said.
“If it becomes a heritage site, we’ll need a creative and committed management team to ensure its future.”
Dr. Nguyen Thi Hau (L) and Le Tu Cam attend a workshop on the Bot Catinat historical site in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 19, 2025. Photo: Mi Ly / Tuoi Tre
She suggested restoring the building, recognizing it as a cultural and historical monument, and opening it as a public-facing site — part museum, part learning space, and part tourist attraction.
Cam cited successful examples like the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City and Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi, which have drawn steady visitor numbers while remaining financially sustainable.
“If done right, a heritage can generate income,” she said.
“This could become a new cultural, educational and tourism destination for the city — a place where the memory of past sacrifices guides the next generation.”
The former Bot Catinat building, now home to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, stands at 164 Dong Khoi Street in the city’s central Saigon Ward. Photo: Mi Ly / Tuoi Tre
Delegates attend a workshop on the proposed heritage status of Bot Catinat, a former French colonial detention site, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, September 19, 2025. Photo: Mi Ly / Tuoi Tre
