Rue Catinat
Encyclopedia
The rue Catinat is a street, now called Dong Khoi, in Ho Chi Minh City
, the former Saigon.
It was named for Nicolas Catinat
, the 17th and 18th century French marshal
.
The street is the location of a number of famous colonial buildings:
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
, the former Saigon.
It was named for Nicolas Catinat
Nicolas Catinat
Nicolas Catinat was a French military commander and Marshal of France under Louis XIV. The son of a magistrate, Catinat was born in Paris on 1 September 1637...
, the 17th and 18th century French marshal
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
.
The street is the location of a number of famous colonial buildings:
- Hotel ContinentalHotel Continental, Ho Chi Minh CityThe Hôtel Continental is a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was named after the prestigious Hôtel Continental in Paris, and is located in District 1, the central business district of the city. The hotel is situated by the Saigon Opera House and was built in 1880 by the French...
, the old foreign journalists' hang-out. Restored somewhat earlier than the other hotels, it has a more Vietnamese feel and is cheaper. The outdoor bar is gone, but the lobby one is furnished in rattan.
- Hotel Majestic, located where the street meets the Saigon RiverSaigon RiverThe Saigon River is a river located in southern Vietnam that rises near Phum Daung in southeastern Cambodia, flows south and south-southeast for about 140 miles and empties into the Nha Be River, which in its turn empties into the South China Sea some 20 km north-east of the Mekong Delta.The...
. Built in 1928, with a central courtyard and a roof bar. French restoration, French prices.
- Grand Hotel, on the next corner in from the Majestic. A very French restoration—cream stucco and white marble dark mahogany, liveried attendants. The original building, the home of Fowler and Phuong in The Quiet AmericanThe Quiet AmericanThe Quiet American is an anti-war novel by British author Graham Greene, first published in United Kingdom in 1955 and in the United States in 1956. It was adapted into films in 1958 and 2002. The book draws on Greene's experiences as a war correspondent for The Times and Le Figaro in French...
may be seen among the photos in Norman Sherry's biography of the authorThe Life of Graham Greene (Volume 2)The Life of Graham Greene, Volume 2: 1939—1955 is the second part of Norman Sherry's biography of the famous 20th century British author, published in 1994, following Greene's death.- Contents :Part 1 - War...
.
- Palais Cafe, a bar, also renovated.