The institution that is now Lê Quý Đôn High School started in 1871 as the École normale indigène. A decree in 1874 replaced it with the Collège indigène de Saïgon on the same site, and three years later the school was renamed Collège Chasseloup‑Laubat after the French general François, Marquis de Chasseloup‑Laubat.

In 1927 the college was upgraded to a full secondary school and received the title Lycée Chasseloup‑Laubat. After the end of French rule, the name changed to Lycée Jean‑Jacques Rousseau in 1958, and in 1967 the South Vietnamese Education Ministry renamed it Lê Quý Đôn High School, honoring the 18th‑century Vietnamese scholar.

The campus buildings still show the late‑19th‑century French lycée style: long galleries on the ground floor and wide overhanging roofs, with little adaptation to the tropical climate.

When the school first opened, European and indigenous pupils were kept in separate zones called the “Quartier Européen” for French children and the “Quartier Indigène” for local children. The two areas were divided by kitchens, courtyards, covered walkways, washrooms and pools.

During the colonial era the Lycée became one of the most prestigious schools in the region. Its alumni include French novelist Marguerite Duras, Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk, Vietnamese revolutionary Trần Văn Giàu, and many other influential figures.

Today, Lê Quý Đôn High School at 110 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai Street remains the oldest surviving educational establishment in Ho Chi Minh City, continuing a legacy that mirrors Vietnam’s complex colonial history and cultural exchange.