Designed by architect Ngô Viết Thụ as a blend of traditional ritual and modern architecture, the Reunification Palace was built in 1963 in place of the Norodom Palace, an earlier colonial structure which was destroyed in a bombing raid. It served as the presidential palace of South Việt Nam until reunification in 1975. The building now functions as a museum, offering tours of the former state rooms, presidential office and library, living quarters of the president's family and underground war rooms. In the grounds of the palace visitors can view the F5E fighter plane which bombed the palace on 8 April 1975 and tank 843 which led the final assault through the palace gates at 11.30am on 30 April 1975. A special exhibition room displays an important collection of antiques, crockery and cutlery used in the palace before 1975.