Ho Chin Minh City
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Attractions |
Ben Thanh Market
The market is situated at the intersection of Le Loi Avenue, Ham Nghi Avenue, Tran Hung Dao Avenue and Le Lai Street.
In 1912, the French filled a pond, the Boresse, into a solid foundation of 12,000m² and built a market on it. The market was close to a landing stage (Ben) of the old city (Thanh), hence its name of Ben Thanh. The opening ceremony for the market in March 1914 was a big festive event. Located at the centre of the city, 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.
Binh Quoi Tourist Village
Binh Quoi Tourist Village is located on the Thanh Da peninsula by the Saigon River, 8km from the centre of Ho Chi Minh City. This is the city’s biggest resort with its unique scenery. There are 55 modern-equipped bedrooms in the village, which nestle under big trees by the river. The village’s restaurant is where big parties can be held and famous grilled dishes and Vietnamese traditional specialties can be found. There are marvelous shows of traditional music in the evening, including “Ky Yen Festival,” “Southern amateur singing on Ghe Hau,” “Traditional Vietnamese Wedding.” Such shows attract a great deal of domestic and overseas tourists. You can also go water-surfing, fishing, swimming, play tennis, and many other kinds of sport. From Binh Quoi, you can boat along the Saigon River to visit the Ben Duoc Underground Tunnel, Lai Thieu Fruit Gardens, and back to the Nha Rong Harbour.
Can Gio – Biosphere Reserve
The ecological forest of Can Gio is situated 50km away from downtown Ho Chi Minh City.
With an area of over 70,000 ha, of which 35,000 ha is salt-watered forest, Can Gio has been recognized as a biosphere reserve of the world by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after evaluation of various aspects, including the people, ecology, environment and biosphere sustainability. According to the Can Gio Forest Managing Board, at present more than 600 households with 1,500 people reside in this area. They live on reforestation, forest protection and aquatic production.
China Town
Located at Tran Hung Dao Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, China Town is the frenetic commercial centre, where every building has a shop or workshop on the ground floor. 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 Cholon 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.Cu Chi Tunnels
Approximately 70km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City centre in Cu Chi Rural District, Cu Chi tunnels, one of the most famous battlegrounds of the Vietnam War and were the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam’s base of operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968. Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels.The tunnels were used by NLF guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. The role of the tunnel systems should not be underestimated in its importance to the NLF in resisting American operations and protracting the war, eventually persuading the weary Americans into withdrawal.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Located on Han Thuyen Street, facing down Dong Khoi Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.The resplendent Governor’s Palace, completed in 1875, symbolized the regime’s political power in Asia. And five years later, the Duc Ba (Our Lady’s) Cathedral was inaugurated, and became the spiritual and cultural crucible of the French presence in the Orient.
After the first French colonizing force arrived in Vietnam in the mid – 19thcentury, it took only 21 years before the country had a cathedral to match the hulking Gothic edifices of France itself. The cathedral is supposed to represent the glory of the French Empire. Yet, as is always the case with colonization, this attempt to import French traditions into Vietnam transformed the colonizers’ culture in the process. Even though the cathedral is built in a Western architectural style, it has a uniquely Eastern aspect.
The whole building is well-ventilated thanks to a system of air-holes placed above and under the windows. The belfry is 57m high. For a long time it was the highest structure in the city centre, and was the first thing an arriving traveler would see when approaching the city by boat. Six bells weigh a combined 25,850kg. In 1885, the floor was taken apart and new pillars were added, because the original foundation could not bear the cathedral’s weight. Stepping inside the cathedral, tourists see a line of Chinese characters eulogizing the Jesus’ mother, “the innocent and unblemished Virgin Mother”, and stained-glass portraits of Vietnamese believers amid Asiatic plants. On the square in front of the cathedral, there is a statue of the Virgin Mother made of white marble, symbolizing peace. All told, it’s an unusual building: a Western architectural and religious style that has been transplanted into, and adapted to, the East. The colonizers were trying to impose French beliefs and customs onto Vietnam but once that culture arrived on Asia’s shores, it took on a life of its own. The cathedral is seen as a unique synthesis, adding an unmistakable Oriental flavour to an ancient Occidental recipe.
Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theatre
Located 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 meets the required 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).
Thong Nhat Conference Hall
Located on No.106 Nguyen Du Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Thong Nhat Conference Hall, also called Reunification Hall or Presidential Palace, was built in 1865 on the grounds of Norodom Palace as a residence for the French Governor General of Indochina.The five-story building consists of 100 rooms and chambers decorated with the finest modern Vietnamese arts and crafts. The ground floor room has a boat-shaped table that was often used for conferences. Upstairs, a room called Phu Dau Rong was where Nguyen Van Thieu received foreign delegations. The residential quarters are in the back of the building. On the third floor, there is a card-playing room. This floor also possesses a terrace with a heliport where a helicopter is parked. The fourth floor was used for dancing, and even had a casino. The most interesting part of the building is probably the basement containing a network of tunnels, a telecommunication centre, and a war room. At 11h30 on 30 April 1975, the palace was overrun by Liberation Army tanks. After the liberation of Saigon, the Independence Palace was turned into the Headquarters of the Municipal Military Administrative Committee. In December 1975, the palace welcomed a conference for national reunification. To mark the historical significance of the event, the building was renamed Thong Nhat Conference Hall (Reunification Conference Hall).
Vietnam History Museum
Located on No. 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Through the different exhibits that can be seen, the museum portrays Vietnam’s history from ancient times (approximately 300,000 years ago) up to the 1930s, when Vietnam’s Communist Party was founded. The History Museum in Ho Chi Minh City was built in 1929 and was called “Musée Blanchard de la Bosse”. Until 1956, it was renamed Saigon National Museum, and finally in 1975, after some renovations, the museum was expanded and became the Ho Chi Minh City History Museum.
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is located at 339 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Road, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.The pagoda is noteworthy for its ancient Asian architecture and the seven-storey Kwan-Yin tower.
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda was constructed between 1964 and 1971 in the area of 8,000m² following the design of architect Nguyen Ba Lang. The Kwan-Yin Tower classic style of 35m seven-storey tower with strong Japanese influences was built with the assistance of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association. It is located on the left of the pagoda. This structure is the biggest of the Vietnam Buddhist Association. A Devotee Relic four-storey Tower (Thap xa loi cong dong) with 25m high was erected behind the pagoda in 1982.
Vam Sat
Vam Sat Salt-Marsh Forest Ecological Tourist Zone
Situated between the stream flows of Vam Sat and Long Tau River, Vam Sat Salt-Marsh Forest Ecological Tourist Zone contains most beautiful forests of Can Gio which is one of the world’s Salt-Marsh biosphere preserve, sited in Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City. Historically, this land had been damaged by toxic chemicals that turned the zone into an uninhabited land. Thanks to the hard work of people, the forest has gradually recovered, and its beauty and magnificence feature have been returned.
War Remnants Museum
Located on Vo Van Tan Street, Ho Chi Minh City, the War Remnants Museum was established in September 1975 in Ho Chi Minh City. It contains countless artifacts, photographs, and pictures documenting American war time. Such documents illustrate the killing of civilians, spreading of chemicals, torturing of prisoners, and the effects of the war on the north. Planes, tanks, bombs, and helicopters are also on display. Outside the museum are some rooms displaying cultural products of Vietnam..
