A superb, French-Colonial style building, the Municipal Theater or Nha Hat Thanh Pho was built in 1899 as a concert hall for the French. Still referred to as the Opera House, the hall served temporarily as the headquarters of the South Vietnam National Assembly in 1956. A graceful staircase leads up to the entrance, which is flanked by two huge columns shaped like Greco-Roman goddesses. Winged figures and exquisite scroll works grace the eaves below the roof, and the grounds are speckled with lovely fountains and statues. While the interior is not as ornate, it is a fine setting for performances that include everything from traditional Vietnamese theater and Western classical music to rock concerts and a regular hour-long cultural show. Program details are posted on the box office billboards and online.