Saigon Harbour
Map in 1955
Saigon Harbor
Bến tàu Sai Gòn
From left to right, the Bank of Indochina, Joker’s Point, the Francis Garnier Barracks and the Customs buildings.
© Photo by Xavier Lacrambe, from the collection of J.Y. Brouard.
Saigon Harbor
On February 22nd 1860, under Napoleon III, the Port of Saigon was opened to navigation and commerce by Vice-Admiral Théogène François Page (1807-1867), military Governor of Indochina from October 19th 1859 to March 23rd 1860.
Argonne Docks
Tôn Duc Thang
by Marcelino Truong
It is made up of three parts:
- The military port:
It is located upstream of the Saigon River between the Avalanche Bridge and the Rigoud de Genouilly (now Mê Linh) roundabout.
American food aid
© Thanks to René Poizat for these photos from his personal collection.
The arrival of French Army vehicles.
- The Commercial Port of Saigon:
In the left: Entrance and exit of the commercial port of Saigon, in the left on the photo, the Mobile Republican Guard (G.R.M.) station, and on the right, the Customs House.
In the right-hand photo: Leaving for the homeland aboard one of the mixed-service ships of “Chargeurs Réunis” company, the “Cap Touraine”, or the “Cap St. Jacques”.
It extends from the Rigaud de Genouilly roundabout to the Chinese Arroyo with the offices of numerous companies such as the Chargeurs Réunis (S.M.E.O.) located at 15, Myre de Villiers Quay, Denis Brothers of Indochina at 4, Catinat Street (in front of Majestic Hotel), The Coastal Company of Annam, the Saigon Navigation Company...
The Denis Brothers of Indochina
Denis Frères d'Indochine (The Denis Brothers of Indochina)
4, Catinat Street
Saigon
Tel: 20.043 to 20.045
The Compagine Côtière d’Annam (Annam Coastal Company) was established in 1923 by the Denis brothers, and was to link small ports and facilitate exchange between the agricultural Cochinchina, a rice exporter, and Tonkin’s mining regions.
In 1953 the Compagnie de Navigation (Navigation Company) became the Denis Brothers Navigation Company (C.N.D.F.).
In 1954, the Geneva Agreements put an end to the north-south maritime traffic in Vietnam and the Denis Brothers headquarters would move to Paris.
On the left: Unloading ship.
On the right: The Rigaud de Genouilly Roundabout, the Belgium Dock and the Myre de Villers.
On the left: the ship, “La Marseillaise” arriving at the Messageries Maritimes dock.
On the right: the Saigon fleet band.
The Messageries Maritimes wharf is located across from Joker’s Point, down from the Chinese Arroyo.
On the left: A view or the Myre de Villiers Quay.
On the right: Joker’s Point or the Signal Mast Wharf.
The Skaubryn
The M.S. Skaubryn (of the Norwegian Eikland Company) docked in the port of Saigon. She was launched in October 1950 and sank in March 1958 in the Indian Ocean. She was one of the last ships to pass through the Suez Canal in 1956. She served several times to repatriate the French Expeditionary Corps in the Far-East (C.E.F.E.O.) to Marseille.
© The color slides were taken by Mr. Émile Poizat in 1955.
Saigon Dock
On the left: A water color showing the Saigon Harbor docks, by Charles Fouqueray, considered to be the 20th century’s marine painter.
On the right: A view of the Saigon River from the Hotel Majestic.
The Messageries Maritimes (Maritime Transport) Building
On the Yser embankment, in the middle of the financial district (Bank of Indochina, Franco-Chinese Bank, Bank of Hong Kong and Shanghai), is located one of the oldest buildings in Saigon, built in 1862 out of red brick. It is that of the Imperial Maritime Transport Company, which became the Messageries Maritimes under the Third Republic.
Ships would travel up the Saigon River to the harbor, 83 Km. (51½ miles) from the sea. The docks and M.M. building were immortalized in Jean-Jacques Annaud's film “L ‘Amant” (The Lover), from the novel by Marguerite Duras.
The Messageries Martimes
The Far-East is the exclusive domain of the Messageries Maritimes. Saigon is the company’s second home-port, from which radiate small-tonnage ships assigned to local lines. They provide service to Haiphong for the north of the country, as well as for the Poulu-Condor islands and their penal colony built in the 1880’s in the image of the one in Cayenne (Guyana).
During the ‘70's the Messageries Maritimes (MM) and the Compagnie Génèrale Transatlantique (CGM) merged to form the Compagnie Générale Maritime (C.G.M.).
3 Jean Eudel Street (in 1955 Trinh Minh now Nguyên Tât Thành)
Saigon
Tel: 20-061
L'appontement des Messageries Maritimes se trouve en face de la Pointe des Blagueurs à proximité de l'arroyo chinois.
Today the Messageries Maritimes building still stands, on the bank of the Saigon River. It no longer serves passengers, but is now the Ho Chi Minh museum!
Left: Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes (MM) and Transports Aeriens Intercontinentaux (TAI).
The steamship “La Marseillaise” leaving Saigon
The Messageries Maritimes steamship "La Marseillaise" leaving Saigon Harbor in november 1949.
© photo by André Mardon from the collection JY Brouard
La Pointe des Blagueurs
The "Joker's Point"
On the left: The steamship “La Marseillaise” (ex- Maréchal Pétain) of the Messageries Maritimes Company and in the foreground the terrace of the Joker’s Point Café (watercolor by Albert Brénet).
On the right: La Marseillaise poster from the Messageries Maritimes.
In front of the Joker’s Point Cafe there were sampans and sea-going junks as well as a Mobil service station.
The "Joker's Point Cafe"
(Café de la Pointe des Blagueurs)
The "Joker's Point Cafe (Café des Blagueurs)
Belgium Embankment (quai de Belgique) now Bên Chuong Duong
(opposite n°23)
Saigon
Tel : 20.182
The "Joker's Point" restaurant (Restaurant de la Pointe des Blagueurs) was run by its owner, Madame Durand. From here one could dream while watching ocean liners arriving and departing from the "Messageries Maritimes" pier across from the restaurant.
The terrace faced the confluence of the Saigon River and the Chinese Arroyo.
On Sundays, the people of Saigon often had a drink or a light meal on the floating dock of the "Jokers Point"cafe, located on the Quai de Belgique (Belgium Embankment).
On the left: the Joker’s Point Cafe at the beginning of the 20th century.
On the right: the Joker's Point (la Pointe des Blagueurs" in 1948, in the background the steamship "Auguste Pavie".
Le Myre de Villers Quay
In 1879, Charles Le Myre de Villers was the first civilian governor of Cochin-China and plenipotentiary minster to the Court of Annam. He was the Deputy for Cochin-China from 1889 to 1902.
Air Vietnam
Hotel Majestic
2, Le Myre de Villers Quay
Air Vietnam was founded in 1951, the capital of which is divided 50/50 between the Vietnamese government and Air France.
Its fleet was made up of Douglas DC 3 and DC 4 aircraft, and later was equipped with Boeing 727's and Caravelles.
Caric
CARIC (Chantier et Atelier Réunis d'Indochine)
Combined Shipyards and Workshops of Indochina
Chairman: m. Picard
Headquarter:
5, Le Myre de Villers Quay
Saigon
Branches:
30, Fort Annamite Street
Haiphong
Companies represented: Electrolux & Philco Refrigerators, Isover, Saint-Gobain, Marrel tippers, General Tires, Titan trailers, SKF.
Indochina Air Transport Company
Indochina Air Transport Company (Société Indochinoise de Transports Aériens)
SITA
5, Le Myre de Villers Quay
Saigon
Tel: 20.055, 20.056 and 21.070
The Chargeurs Réunis Steamship Company
S.M.E.O. (The Chargeurs Réunis Steamship Company)
15, Le Myre de Villers Quay
Saigon
Tel : 20.145 et 20.146
On the left: A poster of the Compagnie Maritime des Chargeurs Réunis.
On the right: The Rigaud de Genouilly Roundabout, the Belgium Dock and the Myre de Villers.
Customs and Government offices
Customs and Taxes
21 Le Myre de Villers Quay
Saigon
Tel : 20.665 & CA.495
The Customs Headquarters building is located on the corner of Myre de Villers Quay (in 1955 Bên Bach Dàng, now Tôn Duc Thang) and the Somme Boulevard (now Hàm Nghi).
This office was responsible for collecting taxes on the rice and alcohol trade as wells as on the manufacture and sale of opium.
Francis Garnier Barracks
On the Le Myre de Villers quay along the Saigon river was the Francis Garnier Barracks located near by the Admiralty.
-The river port:
It is located near the Chinese Arroyo and the Marne and Belgium docks, with industries connected to rice, beer and soft drinks, shipyards, brick yards, tobacco manufacture…etc.
Marne Wharf
now bên Vân Dôn
F.A.C.I.
Forges Shops and Worksites of Indochina
F.A.C.I. (Forges Ateliers et Chantiers d'Indochine)
A corporation with a capital of 6,000,000 Piastres
Marne Wharf (now bên Vân Dôn)
Saigon
Tel: 20.141
Indochina manufacturer of Juan Bastos
Cigarettes and Tobacco
Indochina manufacturer of Juan Bastos cigarettes and tobacco, supplier to the French, Spanish, Tunisian, and Moroccan administration.
151 Marne Wharf
Saigon
Tel: 21.872
The Cape St. Jacques Line in Saigon
The ship "Argoat" provided daily service from Saigon (dock near the Hotel Majestic) to Cape St. Jacques (Rach Dua), and the other ship providing the connection in the other direction was the "Armor".
The ship “Argoat” provided daily service from Cape St. Jacques (Rach Dua) to Saigon (dock near the Hotel Majestic), and the other ship providing the connection in the other direction was the “Armor”.
With the Armor and the Argoat Breton sailors were quite in evidence in this part of Indochina!!
At the end of the war in Indochina in 1954, the newly secured road would outpace the river link by halving the travel time, and the line would be abandoned in 1955.
Today the trip by hydrofoil (of Russian manufacture) from Cape St. Jacques (Vung Tàu) to Saigon is made in 1 hour, 30 minutes instead of the 5 to 6 hours according to the tides at the beginning of the ‘50’s.
The Ship Dursat
Connections on the Saigon River
A robust river traffic has always existed on the Saigon River.
My-Canh
The floating restaurant
This floating restaurant on the Saigon river was destroyed on June 25, 1965 by two powerful bombs, 32 people were killed, and 42 were wounded.
The Chinese Arroyo (Creek)
The swing bridge
Cau quay Khanh Hoi
The swing bridge “Cau quay Khanh Duong”, located on the Chinese Arroyo, connecting the Bank of Indochina to the Marne Wharf on the other side at the level of the Belgium Wharf.
Arc-en-Ciel (rainbow) bridge
The "Rainbow" bridge, located on the Chinese Arroyo chinois, connecting the Belgium wharf to the Belgium whark on the other side.
Insecurity and Temptation in 1968
Saigon 9/16/1968:
The majority of black market items come from the post exchanges, clubs, commissaries, U.S. aid and military warhouses and from ships unloading American goods at the docks.
As much as 25 per cent of cargo unloaded from an ocean-going vessel in Saigon harbor may be lost by the time it has been conveyed through the confused system of river traffic to city warehouses and inland stations.
Belgium Wharf
now Bến Chương Dương
The Bank of Indochina
(now National Bank of Vietnam)
Banque de l'Indochine (Bank of Indochina)
9, Belgium Embankment (maintenant Bến Chương Dương)
Saigon
Tel: 20.491 à 20.495
The Bank of Indochina, a private French bank founded in 1875, controls the entire Vietnamese economy and had the monopoly on the minting of the Indochinese Piaster.
A branch is located at 178 LeLoi Street (Eden Passage) as well as in Cholon.
The headquarters of the Bank of Indochina is located at 96 Boulevard Haussman, in the 8th district of Paris.
The Bank of Indochina was bult in 1930, out of Biên Hoà granite, by the architect Félix Dumail, with:
- on the outside, columns inspired by Khmer archictecture.
- on the inside, a magnificent Art Deco style.
Descours & Cabaud
Importer of manufactured products
Director: Pierre Weber
Branches in : Haiphong,Tourane,Phnom Penh, Hong Kong, Tokyo
Belgium Wharf (Quai de Belgique)
Saigon
Tel : 20.114 à 20.116
French Commercial Company of Indochina
Rice – Corn – Pepper – Kapok
Belgium Wharf (Quai de Belgique)
Saigon
Tel : 20243 and 20244
Headquarters: 63, Testard Street Tel : 20160
Mitac Company
Cigarettes Mélia
Mélia Cigarettes
Belgium Wharf (Quai de Belgique)
Saigon
Diethelm & Co
Diethelm & Company
29, Quai de Belgique (Belgium Wharf now Bến Chương Dương)
Saigon
Tel: 20.109 and CA.516
Bierdermann & Co
Exclusive agent : Biedermann & Co
35-37, quai de Belgique (Belgium Wharf)
Saigon
Tel: 20.173
Louis Ogliastro & Co
Company founded in 1875
Branches in Saigon - Haiphong - Hanoi - Phnom-Penh
58, Belgium Wharf (Quai de Belgique)
Saigon
Tel: 20.173
Ogliastro in 2012
Cong-Ty Renault in the beginning of the ‘60’s
Renault
231, Bến Chương Dương (formerly Quai de Belgique)
Saigon
Tel: 26.652 & 25.349
Showroom:
59, Lê Thánh Tôn (formerly Lê Loi Street and Spain Street)
Tel: 23.4911
The aircraft carrier “La Fayette” on the Saigon River in 1954
The French aircraft carrier "La Fayette" with a Liberty Ship-type freighter. The "Boulogne sur Mer", of the Chargeurs Réunis company, moored in the Saigon river roads in 1954.
© Photo by Xavier Lacrambe, from the collection of J.Y. Brouard
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