The Indochina College of Fine Arts was established on October 27, 1924 by decree of the Governor General of Indochina Martial Merlin. The French name of the school at that time was Ecole Superieure des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine (en), but according to the French formal education system, the Indochina College of Fine Arts cannot be considered a college because the Ecole Superieure must belong to the system of grandes ecoles, which are the most prestigious universities. In fact, according to the French education system, a college is a specialized university, and the entrance exam is more difficult than that of normal universities. However, the College of Fine Arts was successful as a breakthrough in bringing Western art standards to Indochina.