Overview
The theatre stands in central Hanoi and was built between 1901 and 1911 by the French colonial administration of Indochina. It was designed by the architects Harlay and Broyer, who took the Palais Garnier in Paris as their model.
Description
The exterior is French neoclassical, with balconies, and inside rises a grand staircase. Seating roughly 600, it was the social centre of colonial Hanoi.
History and legacy
During the August Revolution of 1945, the square in front of the theatre and its balcony served as a stage for mass rallies in the Viet Minh takeover of the city. Restored in the 1990s, it is now Vietnam’s premier venue for opera, ballet and symphonic music, and a landmark of French colonial architecture in Hanoi.