Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum

Designed by renowned French architect Auguste Delaval and constructed between 1929 and 1934, the grand yellow mansion at 97 Pho Duc Chinh served as the main private residence and commercial headquarters for the vast real estate empire of Hứa Bổn Hòa (1845–1901), popularly known throughout Indochina as 'Uncle Hòa', and his sons. Born in Fujian Province, China, Uncle Hòa originally arrived in Saigon empty-handed before establishing one of French Indochina's largest commercial property fortunes. His firm owned thousands of prime properties across Saigon, including iconic landmarks such as the Majestic Hotel, Tu Du Hospital, and the Saigon General Hospital. The opulent 99-door mansion seamlessly blended French Art Deco architectural luxury with traditional Chinese roof tiles, vibrant stained glass windows, wrought-iron balustrades, and Saigon's very first electric wooden-caged elevator. Following the departure of the Hứa family to France during the 1970s amidst the end of the Vietnam War, the estate was requisitioned by municipal authorities. In 1987, the complex was formally designated as the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum, opening to the public in 1991 to showcase Vietnam's premier national collection of ancient sculptures, silk paintings, lacquer works, and modern revolutionary art.

The most famous ghost story in Saigon revolves around Uncle Hòa's beloved daughter, Hua Thi Tuyen. According to persistent urban folklore, when the young heiress contracted leprosy—a deeply feared and incurable condition during the early 20th century—her protective father sought to prevent public scandal, social ostracization, and forced government quarantine. She was allegedly isolated in a luxurious room on the mansion's topmost floor, where meals and medicine were discreetly passed to her through a small wooden slot in the heavy door. Tragically, she died at a young age in complete solitude. Local legend insists that Uncle Hòa, consumed by grief, refused to accept her death and preserved her body inside a glass-topped coffin placed within the mansion. Folklore claims that on dark, stormy nights, the spirit of the 'Ghost of the Fine Arts Museum' wanders the top-floor corridors wearing a white nightgown, weeping softly and floating between the estate's 99 doors and windows in search of her lost youth, warning intruders away from her private chambers. Local merchants in nearby Chợ Lớn also claim to see phantom carriage lights pulling up to the courtyard gates at midnight. Visitors and art enthusiasts coming to the museum often report feeling a lingering spiritual aura surrounding the top floor displays, where the heiress spent her final years in solitary seclusion. The tragic story of Uncle Hòa's daughter inspired numerous Vietnamese films, literary stories, and theatrical plays, cementing her status as Saigon's most famous romantic ghost legend. Local residents in District 1 continue to pass down the tale to younger generations as an iconic piece of urban folklore.

Museum security guards, groundskeepers, and night visitors have documented numerous eerie supernatural occurrences on the mansion's upper levels and grand stairwells. Common reports include the sound of a young woman weeping mournfully coming from locked gallery rooms after official closing hours, accompanied by distinct, light footsteps pacing across polished floor tiles in empty halls. Several museum visitors photographing the artwork in the stairwells have captured unexplainable shadowy female silhouettes wearing white garments standing near the upper stained glass windows. Sudden, localized cold drafts near the historical electric elevator, unexplainable audio footsteps echoing down deserted corridors, disembodied whispers near the inner courtyard gardens, and unexplainable light flickering inside sealed exhibition rooms remain frequently cited experiences. Photographers capturing high-resolution images inside the main gallery hall have documented strange light streaks and unexplainable shadows near the original wooden elevator doors. Security guards patrolling the central courtyard at night have also reported hearing soft piano music echoing from the closed gallery rooms when all instruments were locked away.

The museum complex consists of three three-story French colonial mansions arranged around a landscaped central courtyard. Architecturally, the buildings present a stunning hybrid of French Art Deco and traditional Chinese motifs, featuring yellow stucco facades, tiled hip roofs, ornate iron balconies, imported French floor tiles, and vibrant stained-glass windows. The main building preserves Saigon's historic first electric elevator with its original wooden cab, grand marble staircases, expansive gallery halls, high vaulted ceilings, wrought-iron courtyard gates, and 99 arched doors and windows designed for optimal natural ventilation. The interior rooms feature high ceilings, ornate plaster cornices, and marble fireplaces imported directly from France, showcasing the immense wealth of the original owners.

Situated in central District 1 near Ben Thanh Market, the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum is easily accessible on foot, by taxi, or via ride-share apps. The museum is open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, charging a nominal entrance ticket fee. Visitors can explore all three historic buildings, which house extensive displays of ancient Champa and Khmer stone sculptures, classic Vietnamese lacquer art, contemporary paintings, and historical photography exhibitions, offering a rich cultural experience. Guided tours are available for art enthusiasts and historical researchers who wish to learn more about the building's architecture, art collection, and colonial heritage.

The museum's haunting reputation stems from the immense wealth and mysterious private family life of the Hứa clan, coupled with the mansion's labyrinthine 99-door layout and striking colonial beauty. The enduring popularity of the 'Ghost of the Fine Arts Museum' urban legend made it an indelible landmark of Saigon's cultural folklore and dark tourism history. The combination of opulent French colonial architecture, immense historic wealth, and the famous ghost legend ensures the museum remains a premier cultural attraction in Ho Chi Minh City.