Library Membership Card No. 15-186 issued to Mr. To Ky Nghia
The Abraham Lincoln Library, Saigon
The Abraham Lincoln Library was located in The Rex Complex on Nguyễn Huệ Street in Saigon. The Rex Complex was designed by Vietnamese architect, Lê Van Cấu, for husband and wife, Nguyễn Phúc Ung Thị and Nguyen Thi Nguyet Nga. Mr. Ung, a wealthy businessman born into the Nguyễn dynasty, had long desired to obtain the property located near the Hotel de Ville, which was formerly occupied by a Citroën dealership. In 1959, his wish came true and he and his wife began to renovate the building into a modern 100-room hotel. The renovated hotel featured the first escalator in Vietnam, three cinemas, a cafeteria, a dance hall, and the Abraham Lincoln Library.
Due to the Vietnam war, The Rex Complex was involuntarily surrendered to the Saigon Tourism Bureau in 1975. In 1976, Ung Thi left Vietnam to join his wife and children in France where they remained until their deaths. The Rex Complex was renamed The Rex Hotel in 1986 and classified as a 5 star hotel in 2008.
To Ky Nghia
Mr. To Ky Nghia lived at 15/83 Nguyen Trail in Cholon, Saigon, Vietnam.
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