22 Gia Long Street

22 Gia Long Street is a residential building with multiple floors and a flat rooftop accessible by elevator up to the ninth level. The structure represents typical apartment architecture found in this district of Ho Chi Minh City.

In April 1975, the building served as a staging point during Operation Frequent Wind when American personnel were evacuated from Saigon by helicopter. This event marked the end of the American presence in the city.

The street honors a young revolutionary who resisted French colonial rule, reflecting how the city marks its past through place names. This naming choice connects the building to the broader story of Vietnamese independence.

The building is centrally located in Ho Chi Minh City and easy to find once you know the street names. Keep in mind this is a private residential complex, so access may be restricted to the exterior.

A famous photograph showing people on a rooftop ladder during evacuation was widely misidentified for years as being from a different location. The image became one of the most recognizable photos from that period despite this confusion about where it was actually taken.