Over the past few months, one of Saigon’s most beloved old buildings has been undergoing a serious makeover, trading in its subdued, light pink paint for a bright, golden yellow coat.

Post office officials told Thanh Nien that they had spent a great deal of time picking the color, trying out seven shades of yellow before settling on the current one which was meant to match the original.

Interestingly, the officials didn’t consult the HCMC Fine Arts Association as they had done in the past and it looks like they missed the mark as a result.

“The French tended to use a light yellow," said Huynh Van Muoi, Chairman of the Association. "Not too bold.”

Le Kiem Hoa, Chief of Investment at the Saigon Post Office said that since the building is not registered as a historic landmark, they weren’t required to consult the Fine Arts Association.

The Saigon Post Office's previous color.

Perhaps they should have as everyone from street vendors to tourists have taken issue with the new paint scheme.

Duong Van Ngo, also known as “The Last Letter Writer of the Saigon Post Office”, started working at the building in 1946 and didn’t understand why a bright yellow hue was chosen:

“Now people feel very strange. I don’t understand why the city did not choose the soft yellow color like before to repaint the office,” Ngo said.

A local tour guide told the paper that nearly all the foreigners he guided to the post office last week, “complained that the color hurt his or her eyes."

Souvenir seller, Nguyen Thi Thuy Loan had similar complaints:

"I can't stand this flashy color scheme. I get angry sitting here listening to tourists criticize it...the color makes it look more like a pagoda than a post office."

But, hey, it could have been worse.