High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Citadel of Saigon also known as the Citadel of Gia Dinh was a square Vauban stone fortress that stood in Saigon (also known in the 19th century as Gia Dinh, now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam from its construction in 1790 until its destruction in February 1859. It was destroyed in a French naval bombardment as part of the colonisation of southern Vietnam which became the French colony of Cochinchina. The citadel was only used once prior to its destruction, when it was captured by Le Van Khoi in 1833 and used in a revolt against Emperor Minh Mang. In the late 1700s, the city of Saigon was the subject of warfare between the Tay Son Dynasty, which had toppled the Nguyen lords who ruled southern Vietnam, and Nguyen Anh, the nephew of the last Nguyen lord. The city changed hands multiple times before Nguyen Anh captured the city in 1789. Under the directions of French officers recruited for him, a citadel was built in 1790.