Once the largest munitions depot in Indochina, a tranquil park in Ho Chi Minh City now blooms with plumeria and shade trees - surprising visitors with both beauty and history.

Legacy of a massive bomb depot

Located on Nguyen Thi Nho Street in Tan Binh District, Tan Phuoc Park may appear modest in size, but it is shaded by a rich canopy and anchored by a towering statue of a special forces soldier at its center.

What many don’t realize is that this park was once home to the massive Phu Tho Hoa bomb depot - once considered the largest in all of Indochina.

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A corner of Tan Phuoc Park. Photo: Ha Nguyen

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Plumeria trees fill the park with fragrance year-round. Photo: Ha Nguyen

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This site once housed Indochina’s largest munitions depot. Photo: Ha Nguyen

According to the Tan Binh District Cultural and Sports Center, in 1946 the French colonial forces seized over 3 square kilometers of rubber forest in Phu Tho Hoa village to construct a fortified weapons depot. Strategically built to supply all of southern Vietnam, the depot stretched 2 kilometers in length and 1 kilometer wide, divided into three zones: bombs, ammunition, and fuel.

To protect the depot, the French installed six layers of barbed-wire fencing, moats, and minefields. Guard towers and bunkers dotted the inner perimeter, patrolled day and night by a full battalion with armored vehicles and sniffer dogs. At its peak, the facility stored weapons equivalent to 15,000 tons of explosives, including bombs, artillery shells, and over 10 million liters of fuel.

The depot was the target of two successful attacks by Vietnamese forces. The first occurred on August 31, 1952. The second and more devastating assault took place on June 1, 1954, led by the Saigon-Cholon special forces under political commissar Nguyen Van Linh and his deputy Dao Tan Xuan.

According to the district’s cultural center: “After meticulous preparation - including training, reconnaissance, and weapon crafting - ten special forces operatives led by Nguyen Van Cu infiltrated the depot via the Rau Ram Canal on the night of June 1. They planted timed explosives in the bomb and fuel storage areas and retreated safely.”

The explosions destroyed over 10,000 tons of explosives and more than 10 million liters of fuel, eliminating the depot’s elite French-African battalion. The battle became one of the most significant victories in the South in 1954, serving as a powerful follow-up to Dien Bien Phu and drawing widespread domestic and international attention.

A green sanctuary emerges

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The monument stands atop the former bomb storage bunker. Photo: Ha Nguyen
Relief of Hero Pham Van Hai (left) and plaque honoring the Phu Tho Hoa battle (right). Photo: Ha Nguyen

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Diorama inside the exhibition room shows key points of the Phu Tho Hoa battle. Photo: Ha Nguyen

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The park is a popular spot for relaxation and fitness. Photo: Ha Nguyen

In 2005, the site and the historic battle were officially recognized by Ho Chi Minh City as a historic relic under Decision No. 22/2005Q-UB.

Today, a portion of the former depot has been transformed into Tan Phuoc Park, a peaceful green space filled with ornamental plants, neatly paved walkways, and clean, open-air design. Atop the old bunker now stands a monument to special forces heroes.

On one side of the statue is a relief depicting People's Armed Forces Hero Pham Van Hai; on the other, a plaque commemorates the victory at Phu Tho Hoa.

White plumeria trees bloom year-round around the monument, and the park also houses an exhibition room featuring photographs, documents, artifacts, and a battlefield diorama.

Today, the park draws local residents daily for exercise, relaxation, and history. One woman recalled: “This used to be just an empty hill. Then the city turned it into a park.”

“I was surprised to learn it was once a massive munitions depot from the anti-French resistance. It gives the park a unique character,” she added. “Though small, it’s full of greenery and very clean. It’s busiest in the mornings and evenings when people come to work out or bring their kids to play.”

Ha Nguyen