The palace was built by
Auguste Henri Vildieu between 1918 and 1919 to house the French Governor of
Tonkin. The building was the location of
Viet Minh's takeover of northern Vietnam, following the
August Revolution in 1945. On December 20, 1946, the French Army battled to capture Tonkin Palace from Viet Minh. The fighting was intense and marked the early stage of the
First Indochina War. After six attacks, 122 casualties, and the destruction of four tanks, the French Army occupied the palace. After the partition of Vietnam, it became the state guest house of
North Vietnam, while
South Vietnam had the state guest house at Nguyễn Du Street, Nhà khách 108 Nguyễn Du, and close to the
Independence Palace. In modern times, even though the building is designated as the State Guest House of the Vietnamese Government but it is mostly used for usual press briefings and formal meetings by
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while Hung Vuong Hotel serves as
de facto state guest house under management of
Office of Vietnamese Government. After a major restoration and upgrading in 2025, the site has been designated as a headquarter of Office of the
President of Vietnam along with two new office buildings having identical architectural style as Tonkin Palace. While
Presidential Palace remains for state ceremonial activities. . ==Gallery==