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Ho Chi Minh City’s Attractions

The iconic Reunification Palace made its name in global history when in 1975 a tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main gate – thus signifying the end of the Vietnam War.

Reunification Place

The iconic Reunification Palace made its name in global history when in 1975 a tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main gate – thus signifying the end of the Vietnam War. This image is one of the most famous pictures depicting the Reunification Palace which has seen a rich and varied history and once served as the base of the US-backed Vietnamese General Ngo Dinh Diem during the Vietnam War, until his assassination in 1963.

 

The palace is like a time capsule frozen in 1975 with two of the original tanks used in the capture of the palace parked in the grounds. Originally the site of the Nordom Palace also known as the Governor’s Palace its first role was as a home and workplace for the then French Governor of Cochinchina. The Reunification Palace is a landmark not to be missed by any tourist visiting Ho Chi Minh City. Surrounded by lush tropical gardens, the palace hides secret rooms, antique furniture and a command bunker within its eerie corridors. The Reunification Palace is still in use to host occasions including APEC summits and national events of significant importance.

 

Reunification Palace Highlights

The Reunification Palace is a five-storey building with the basement housing a warren of tunnels, a war room and telecommunications centre. The war command room still has maps on its walls and period telecommunications equipment on display, whilst adjoining basement rooms feature war propaganda materials. Other areas of interest are the third floor featuring a card playing room, a fourth floor which once had a casino and was used for entertaining guests and a rooftop terrace with a heliport.

 

The Reunification Palace entered the world history books in 1975 when a Vietnamese Air Force pilot (who was also a communist spy) flew an aircraft over the palace with an attempt to bomb it. Although no real damage was caused this was a significant step towards the fall of Saigon and the ending of the Vietnamese War.

 

On 30th April in 1975 at 10:45 a North Vietnamese Army Tank rammed the main gates and entered the palace grounds before hanging its flag on the balcony to declare victory for the communist party and thus ending the Vietnam War. Meanwhile staff escaped from the rooftop minutes before the palace was overrun, known as Operation Frequent Wind this was part of history’s biggest ever helicopter evacuation and included the departure of General Thieu.

 

Good to Know about Reunification Palace

The Reunification Palace is open from 07:30-12:00 then 13:00-16:00. Tickets are purchased at the main gate and visitors will be checked for security reasons. Free guided tours are available in English, French, Japanese and Chinese (invaluable as there are not many signboards inside).

 

The palace is situated on Man Ky Khoi Nghia Street close to the Ben Thanh Market with the main gate located on the east side of the palace gardens.

 

The Ho Chi Minh Museum (Nha Rong Harbor)

Located on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City, this museum mostly contains pictures and objects relating to President Ho Chi Minh.

 

Ben Nha Rong or The Dragon House Wharf was built in 1863 and served as the office of a French Shipping Company. From this place, Nguyen Tat Thanh (later President Ho Chi Minh) set sail on a French sip named Admiral latouche Treville in June 1911.

 

In September 1979, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City chose Nha Rong as the Ho Chi Minh Museum–Dragon House Wharf. The name was taken from the two dragon-shaped symbols on the top of the building. Over time, approximately ten million people, local as well as foreign, have visited the Ho Chi Minh Museum. In addition, events such as artistic festivals and the introduction of new members into the Youth Union and Communist Party have been held in this museum.

 

Revolutionary Museum

Revolutionary Museum is located on No.65 Ly Tu Trong Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. The Museum used to be enlisted as the Governor of Nam Ky’s residence.

 

The construction of the museum started in 1885 and was completed in 1890 under the design of a French architect named Alfred Foulhoux. Following that, the building became the residence of Japanese Governor Minoda. It was also the office of the Nam Bo Provisional Administrative Committee (1945) and of the Republic of France High Commissioner. The building was later reconverted into the residence of the Governor of Nam Ky. Until August 1978, the building was finally turned into the Ho Chi Minh City Revolutionary Museum.

 

The museum displays items related to the invasion of Vietnam by French colonialists, the founding of the Vietnam Communist Party, the anti-French resistance in Saigon-Gia Dinh (1945 to 1954), the anti-American movement, the national resistance of Saigon-Gia Dinh and the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

 

Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theatre

Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theatre is situated on Dong Khoi Street, Ho Chi Minh City, between the Caravelle and Continental Hotels. With a rotating stage and a 800 - seat hall, the theatre provides high standards for various artistic forms such as singing, music, dancing and traditional and modern dramas.

 

Built at the beginning of 1897, under an original architectural design by French architect Ferret Eugene, who won a prize for theatre designing in July 1895, the Municipal Theatre was restored and renewed to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the foundation of Saigon (1698-1998).

 

The architectural style and staple material of the Municipal Theatre of the old days are reflected in its stone veranda, a pair of white stone statues of pretty girls at the gate, the colorful granite tiled floors, the chandeliers, the bronze statues in front of the stairs, the audience's hall with its arch engraved with decorative designs and rows of statues on the two sides of the theatre.

 

In the years of the Second World War, France was involved in many battles. In Vietnam the revolutionary high tide shook the colonial regime. The Municipal Theatre was closed and deserted. During the French re-invasion of the South after 1945, the Theatre was restored. When the French invaders withdrew from the South under the Geneva Agreement in 1956, the Ngo Dinh Diem regime turned the theatre into the headquarters of the lower House, therefore the inside and outside structure of the theatre was changed considerably.

 

The theatre was renewed with new materials and equipped with state-of-the-art electric appliances, light and sound systems and fire and safety equipment. It is a good place for artistic performances by domestic and foreign art ensembles and well - known artists, who visit Ho Chi Minh City.

 

Notre Dame - Duc Ba Cathedral

In a quiet corner of bustling downtown Ho Chi Minh City stands Notre Dame Cathedral, the one remaining stronghold of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam.

 

Built in the late 1880s by French colonists, it was formerly called Saigon Church. The name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the statue ‘Peaceful Notre Dame’ in 1959. In 1962, the Vatican conferred the Cathedral status as a basilica and gave it the official name of Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica.

 

Notre Dame Cathedral Highlights

Made from red bricks imported from France, the neo-Romanesque structure is 60 metres tall and has two towers containing six bronze bells. In front of the Cathedral stands a statue of the Virgin Mary, made in Rome from Italian marble, which was reputed to have shed tears in 2005.

 

Notre Dame Cathedral is a working religious place where masses are held every Sunday.

 

Location: Paris Square, District 1 

 

Cho Lon – Lon Market

Cho Lon is located at Tran Hung Dao Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. In 1788, a group of Chinese from Pho and My Tho Islands came to Ben Nghe River Dike and founded a market which developed into the existent Cho Lon Market, offering a wide array of products. This is Vietnam’s Chinatown market. It is an attractive site for visitors to observe that lively atmosphere.

 

Ben Thanh Market

Situated in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, bustling Ben Thanh Market in District 1 is a great place to buy local handicrafts, branded goods, Vietnamese art and other souvenirs. Ben Thanh Market is always loaded with varieties of goods, such as consumer goods, cakes and candies, food and foodstuff, and particularly high-quality fruit and vegetables. Goods are displayed in a very attractive way that always catches the eyes of the buyers. They meet all requirements for the customers' daily life or for their families. The market has four gates that are very convenient for the market-goers. For all of its advantages, Ben Thanh Market is one of the most attractive tourist sites in the city for both domestic and foreign visitors.


Here, you’ll find eating stalls inside the market where you can get a taste of hawker-style Vietnamese cuisine or simply cool off with a cold drink when the bargaining becomes too much.

 

The market is big, difficult to navigate at times and certainly best avoided during the hottest part of the day but all the same its well worth a look. When night falls, restaurants around the perimeter of the market open their doors creating a vibrant street side scene filling the air with the scents of wok-fried noodles, barbecued fish and meats.

 

One of Saigon’s oldest landmarks, Ben Thanh offers a great atmosphere that is absolutely authentically Vietnamese.

 

Sai Gon Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Founded more than 100 years ago, Ho Chi Minh City Zoo and Botanical Gardens (aka Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens) are listed as one of the oldest zoos in the world, opened in 1865 by French botanist JB Louis Pierre. There are currently more than 550 animals exhibited in the zoo and more than 1,830 trees and 260 plant species in the botanical gardens with some dating back over 100 years.

 

There are a number of different sections to explore including the animal conservation area, orchid garden and plant conservation centre and a children’s amusement area. Lakes brimming with tropical fish form part of the zoo and botanical gardens which is also home to a monument dedicated to Vietnamese killed in World War I. The Ho Chi Minh Zoo and Botanical Gardens is a popular place to while away an afternoon and is visited by locals and tourists who are often surprised by the fact that you can get up close and personal to some of the animals and feed them.

 

Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens Highlight

The Botanical Gardens has a vast array of flora and fauna including 20 different orchid types, 32 species of cactus and 34 species of bonsai in addition to trees, plants and ferns some of which are as old as the gardens.

 

The zoo exhibits a diverse range of animals including monkeys, tigers, hippos, lions, elephants; turtles and snakes. There are also rarer animals such as the white tiger that are being displayed for the first time ever in Vietnam. The zoo aims to help animal conservation of endangered species through a breeding-in-captivity program and recently bred the crested argus pheasant – being the only zoo in the world to do so.

 

The Botanical Gardens are striving to use the area as a knowledge centre where visitors can learn more about the species on display and how to protect them for the future.

 

In addition to creatures and plants, the zoo and botanical gardens also have the Saigon National Museum and the World War I monument within its vicinity. The museum covers the entire history of Vietnam and includes war weapons from the French colonial era and thousands of important documents within its walls.

 

Good to Know about Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens

 

Ho Chi Minh Zoo has in some parts seen better days and is certainly not on par with western zoos; however it is better than some zoos seen in other Asian countries. If you have any reservations regarding animals in captivity then this might not be the place for you.

 

The zoo is located close to Saigon District 1 and the easiest way to reach it is via taxi. The entrance fee allows you to visit both the zoo and gardens, although you will need to pay more if you wish the feed any animals. There are two main gates, one on Nguyen Binh Khiem and the other on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street.

 

Cao Dai Temple

The Cao Dai Temple was finished in 1955 when the Cao Dai Army was formed following the Japanese occupation of Indochina. Caodaists believe that all religions are ultimately the same and seek to promote tolerance throughout the world.

 

The Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad and Confucius, in addition to Joan of Arc and Julius Cesar are all honored at this temple.

 

There are nine hierarchies of worship including a pope, cardinals and archbishop with festivals, rituals and prayer all practiced regularly. The temple is similar in design to a Christian Cathedral featuring side aisles and an altar, as well as a long central nave, all positioned as they would be in a Christian Church, there is even a high dome decorated with clouds and saints.

 

The main focal point is a Divine Eye symbolising God which has the Ying and Yang icon in its pupil. Ceremonies take place daily with two services accompanied by musicians and a choir singing in English to traditional Vietnamese music.

 

Sai Gon River

A boat tour round Ho Chi Minh City on the Saigon River offers the chance to see the varied lifestyles surrounding this busy metropolis. The Saigon River flows from Cambodia through South Vietnam before merging into the South China Sea close to the Mekong Delta. In Ho Chi Minh City the river is also joined by the Dong Nai River and the Ben Cat River. Along the riverbanks are villages, underground passages dating back to the Vietnam War, city skyscrapers and ancient houses.

 

The Saigon River is still very much a working river and is the only way in which you’ll be able to experience sites such as the Cu Chi tunnels, hidden canals and the Mekong Delta. There are a number of tour operators offering cruises which can be booked as private charters or as part of a tour group, some offer Saigon River dinner cruise and fire dancing on board, others are daytrips further afield to see some of the historical and cultural hotspots only accessible by boat on the Saigon River.

 

Saigon River Highlights

One of the drawbacks of taking a Saigon city tour by day is that the river can be smelly due to the waste that is disposed into the water, however the shorter city trips will also usually include a trip to the secret city canals where the locals live, thus giving you an authentic slice of real Vietnamese life. More popular are the longer day excursions on boats heading along the Saigon River to the Cu Chi tunnels along with a visit to the Mekong Delta.

 

A boat trip to the Mekong Delta offers a fascinating insight into village life. The trip usually incorporates a riverside market visit, a trip to a pagoda, a tour around handicraft centres and the chance to see colonial architecture, tropical jungle and scenic smaller waterways. The Cu Chi tunnel tour delivers an opportunity for visitors to see the 250km underground network of tunnels which acted as a base for the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.

 

Tourists are invited to explore this warren in which guerrillas once hid and which were once crucial communication routes and hiding spots for injured soldiers, food and ammunition. This tour will also include a visit to a fish farm, tourist village and an ancient house dating to 1890 in which the French Governor resided during the French War.

 

Mariamman Hindu Temple

Situated close to the Ben Thanh market, the Mariamman Hindu temple serves the small community of 100 or so Chinese and Vietnamese Tamil Hindus living in Ho Chi Minh City.

 

It is the only Hindu temple that is still open in the city and is considered sacred by Hindu and non-Hindu Vietnamese. The temple is rumoured to have miraculous powers giving luck and wealth to those who worship within its walls.

 

Built at the end of the 19th century in honour of Mariamman the Hindu Goddess of strength, the temple’s first purpose was as a place of worship for the Chettiar community.


Classically Hindu in style, the colourful temple features vibrant deity sculptures reminiscent of those usually found in Southern India, decorating external walls, roof tops, towers and the shrine inside. The temple was also once used as a factory in which joss sticks were produced.

 

Mariamman Hindu Temple Highlights

Merchants visiting Vietnam from Tamil Nadu first built the Mariamman Hindu Temple, bringing divine beings such as Ganesh, Amman and Murgua to the streets of Saigon. Sacred images dance on the external walls which feature a royal tower at the entrance that stands 12 metres high. Gods and Goddesses including Shiva, Kali, Brahma and Vishnu are prominently represented with Simha Vahanam sitting to the left of the entrance.

 

The centre piece at the altar in the heart of the temple is a statue of the Goddess Mariamman with two Hindu guardian deities next to her and two lingams in front. The shrine is usually surrounded by offerings including flowers and joss sticks. There are also two colourful towers on the roof adorned with more Hindu gods, goddesses and lions, simply follow the stairs up from the entrance to see these wonderful pillars.

 

The temple has a permanent caretaker who will gladly point out different areas and additionally hopes to secure a Hindu Priest from India to conduct regular worship.

 

Good to Know about Mariamman Hindu Temple

The Mariamman Hindu Temple is open every day from 07:00 until 19:00 and is located at 45 Truong Dinh Street in District 1, just three blocks to the west of Ben Thanh Market. Dress conservatively and remember to remove your shoes before you enter.

 

Always ask permission from the caretaker before you take any photographs and also expect to be asked to give money to the beggars inside the temple.

 

Dong Khoi Street

Home to many French colonial buildings, Dong Khoi Street has witnessed many changes in Ho Chi Minh City. During the French occupation, it was the centre of glamour and was called Rue Catinat.

 

It became Tu Do or Freedom Street during the Vietnam War. When the Communists took over Saigon in the late 1970s, the name changed again to Dong Khoi, which means Total Revolution.

 

Dong Khoi Street Highlights

Now Dong Khoi Street is at the heart of the city’s commercial life. It is still the best place to admire the grand old colonial buildings although they too are being overshadowed by the nearby high-rise office towers. International brands, boutiques, stylish cafes and high-end restaurants now line this bustling street.

 

Walk along Dong Khoi Street to admire what is left of the colonial architecture. Starting from the southern end on the bank of the Saigon River, have a look along the way at the Continental Hotel, the Opera House, the Caravelle Hotel, the stunning Gustav Eiffel-designed Central Post Office, and the Hotel de Ville, which is now the People’s Committee Building, ending at the Notre Dame Cathedral on Paris Square.

 

Giac Lam pagoda

Giac Lam Pagoda, built in 1744, is the oldest Buddhist temple in Ho Chi Minh City and as such was listed as an important historical site by the Vietnamese Department of Culture in 1988.

 

Situated in Binh Than District, the pagoda is surrounded by spacious, walled garden and fronted by statues of mythical dragons, the protective guardians to many temples here.

 

Giac Lam Pagoda Highlights

Inside, this richly decorated shrine is comprised of three areas: the ceremonial hall, the chanting hall and the refectory. This large and sprawling establishment houses beautifully rendered images of Buddha in various incarnations, along with numerous Taoist deities, each with own altar. All the wooden pillars are decorated with red-and-gold Chinese characters.

 

The ceremonial hall is dominated by the large statue of Amitabha Buddha, who is surrounded by five smaller Buddha images. Also in the main hall is the ‘nine dragon altar’ depicting the birth of Prince Sidharta, the future Buddha Gotama.

 

Outside, a new addition, the 32-metre tall stupa dominates the temple grounds. This seven-story high, hexagonal structure contains a Buddha relic housed on the top floor. Visitors can climb up to the top floor for panoramic views of the city. In front of the stupa stands the white statue of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy on an open lotus flower, a symbol of purity.

 

Opening Hours: 05:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 – 20:00 daily 

Location: 118 Lac Long Quan, District 3 

 

The War Remnants Museum

The War Remnants Museum once known as the ‘Museum of American War Crimes’ first opened to the public in 1975.

 

It’s a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War with many graphic photographs and American military equipment on display, including a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft and a 6,800kg conventional bomb.

 

All these weapons were used by America against the Vietnamese at some point during the infamous war that lasted from 1945-1975.

 

History, Highlights and Features

One of the most talked-about exhibits is the ‘tiger cages’ in which the South Vietnamese government kept their political prisoners. These small cages are only 2.7m x 1.5m x 3m each and were sometimes used to keep up to 14 prisoners in. There is also a guillotine used by the French and the South Vietnamese to execute prisoners from opposing political groups. Brought to Vietnam by the French; the guillotine was last used in 1960.

 

Also featured are grisly photos that show the disfigured bodies of locals who had prenatal exposure to strong pesticide and chemical sprayed, best known by the name ‘Agent Orange’. Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs believed that there were 500,000 children born with birth defects while as many as 4.8 million people were exposed to it from 1961 to 1971.

 

The War Remnants Museum is in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City and is run by the government. It is open all year round from 07:30 to17:00. A visit to this war museum is a disturbing experience for most people and may not be suitable for children (though they are allowed to enter).

Opening Hours: Daily from 07.30 - 12.00 and 13:30 – 17:00 

Location: 28 Vo Van Tan, in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City