The whole notion of a post office seems antiquated these days; I mean, who writes letters any more? All the more reason why it’s fortunate that this 19th-century building has been so well preserved, and fulfilling its original function as well. Its shuttered front is impressive enough, but stepping inside is like going through a time tunnel into the past....

“Dong Khoi’ means ‘uprising’, to commemorate the uprising of Vietnamese over would-be colonial masters in the past. Before 1975, it was known as Tu Do, meaning ‘freedom’, a name bestowed on it by President Diem in 1954 to celebrate the departure of the French. The French themselves knew it as La Rue Catinat, and even a century ago it was...