The Forgotten History Behind Saigon's CEE Colonial Substations

Woven into the fabric of modern-day streets, the aging electrical substations of Saigon stand as quiet witnesses to a historical era shaped by the complex legacy of French colonialism.

When discussions turn to French colonial influence on Saigon’s infrastructure, familiar icons like railway lines, bridges, and grand colonial buildings often take center stage.

Yet, beneath this grandeur lies a less celebrated but equally pivotal legacy: the establishment of a robust electrical grid that fueled the city's metamorphosis into the “Pearl of the Far East.” Central to this transformation was the Compagnie des Eaux et Électricité (CEE), a French company responsible for building the substations that helped establish a stable and far-reaching electrical grid across Saigon and its neighboring districts.

At the crossroads of Võ Thị Sáu and Hai Bà Trưng stands one of the CEE’s electrical substations, a relic from the French colonial era.

Electricity first appeared in Indochina in the 1870s when the telegraph network was established. At this time, the French colonial government had successfully occupied Saigon, but the city still lacked modern infrastructure, and its streets remained dark at night, relying on hundreds of coconut oil- and kerosene-lit street lamps for illumination.

Proposals to modernize street lighting faced steep challenges, from technical difficulties posed by the region’s humid climate, to debates over the exorbitant costs of an innovation that even many colonial officials considered a luxury.

It wasn’t until 1889, after much debate, that Saigon’s municipal council approved a trial of electric streetlights. Shortly after, the Société d’Électricité de Saigon (SEVS) was established, managing the city’s first power plant on Paul Blanchy Street — today’s Hai Bà Trưng.

Saigon's first electric plant. Photo via historicvietnam.

In the first two decades, only administrative areas and main boulevards like Norodom (Lê Duẩn), Blancsubé (Phạm Ngọc Thạch), and Mac-Mahon (Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa) were prioritized, as the power supply remained scarce. However, with the city’s growing population and the expanding tram network, the demand for a more comprehensive and modern public electricity system became undeniable.

By the early 20^th century, a new company, Compagnie des Eaux et Électricité (CEE), was established. Based in Paris with an initial investment of 2.5 million francs, CEE was tasked with providing water and electricity to Saigon, Chợ Lớn, and Phnom Penh to advance the colonial goal of “civilizing” the Indochinese territories. By 1906, revenues from utility services had allowed CEE to strengthen its financial standing and expand its influence by acquiring competitors like SEVS, taking control of Saigon’s electrical grid.

CEE's headquarter at 72 Hai Bà Trưng in the 1950s. Photo via historicvietnam.

This period was marked by rapid urbanization, necessitating infrastructure upgrades to meet both residential and industrial electricity demands. To meet this need, Governor-General Albert Sarraut introduced legal frameworks to standardize power distribution and management. CEE then began providing electricity to private customers, expanding its network. January 1912 marked a major milestone with the inauguration of the Chợ Quán Power Plant, marking the beginning of an integrated power system linking Saigon, Chợ Lớn, and surrounding areas.

By the mid-1920s, a major upgrade project was underway, focusing on the construction of a high-voltage power grid in Chợ Lớn. High-voltage electricity would be distributed to key locations through substations to power significant sites like the Governor's Palace, Opera House, and City Hall, as well as essential infrastructure such as water pumping stations in Phú Thọ and Tân Sơn Nhứt.

Some substations still bear the CEE logo and the year of construction, like this one on Hai Bà Trưng Street, next to the Saigon Opera House.

Cách Mạng Tháng 8 Street.

Nguyễn Du Street.

Lý Chính Thắng Street.

Nguyễn Cư Trinh Street.

Trần Hưng Đạo Street.

Through these substations, electricity could be distributed more efficiently, ensuring a reliable power supply to areas with high demand. Indeed, this centralized system allowed CEE to replace outdated infrastructure and significantly reduce costs. By the time the new plants and substations were operational, the electricity supply had increased by up to 50%.

The spread of electricity throughout the city was highly regarded by both the French and the Vietnamese for improving quality of life, from street lighting to air circulation and cooling buildings. “Electricity brought countless valuable conveniences to the white population... it was highly appreciated in the cities by locals, and even more so by the Chinese,” one CEE report noted. Author Nguyễn Liên Phong also praised the electric lights on Catinat Street with one of his poems in Vietnamese: “Elegant, refined, unmatched in grace. Smooth roads, bright lights, a shining embrace.”

After the French withdrawal from Vietnam in 1955, CEE continued to operate in South Vietnam under an agreement with the local government until 1967. From that point, all infrastructure and operations were transferred to Sở Điện Lực (Department of Electricity).

Surpassing the expectations of those who laid the groundwork, many of CEE’s old substations are still in operation today. Albeit hidden behind graffiti, peeling paint, or obscured by trees, these relics continue to fuel Saigon’s social and economic growth, and they will likely keep powering the city for decades to come.

Explore more of these historical landmarks scattered throughout the city in the following photo series: