I grew up with Walter Cronkite telling us each evening about the Vietnam war in black and white and later in color. Later the silver screen and Broadway musicals filled the cracks in my heart about his sordid affair. What a delightful surprise to see what the 13 million in HCMC as part of a hundred million in united Vietnam have achieved as Liam toured our cruise excursion "family" around and we became as close as sticky rice!
Experience Ho Chi Minh City’s major landmarks and attractions on an
all-day tour. After a convenient pickup from Phuoc An Port, travel in a
private air-conditioned minivan with a personal guide to the War
Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, and the French colonial Notre
Dame Cathedral and General Post Office. Enjoy a cafe sua da (coffee
with condensed-milk) and lunch at a local restaurant included.
What To Expect
1 Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French
colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in
the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Located in Paris Square, 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. Measuring almost 60 metres in height, the
cathedral’s distinctive neo-Romanesque features include the all-red
brick façade (which were imported from Marseille), stained glass
windows, two bell towers containing six bronze bells that still ring
to this day, and a peaceful garden setting in the middle of downtown
Ho Chi Minh City District 1. 10 minutes
2 The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved
remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office
in all of Southeast Asia. Located next door to Notre Dame Cathedral,
the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a
chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese
Empire. The building was designed by Alfred Foulhoux and features
arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it would have in its
heyday in the late 19th Century. 30 minutes. Check the souvenir store
next to the post office.
3 Independence Palace was the base of Vietnamese General Ngo Dinh Diem
until his death in 1963. It made its name in global history in 1975. A
tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main
gate, ending the Vietnam War. Today, it's a must-visit for tourists in
Ho Chi Minh City. The palace is like a time capsule frozen in 1975.
You can see two of the original tanks used in the capture of the
palace parked in the grounds. Independence Palace was the home and
workplace of the French Governor of Cochin-China. It has lush gardens,
secret rooms, antique furniture, and a command bunker. It's still in
use to host important occasions in Ho Chi Minh, including APEC
summits. 45 minutes (ticket included)
4 The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City first opened to the
public in 1975. Once known as the ‘Museum of American War Crimes’,
it's a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War. Graphic
photographs and American military equipment are on display. There's a
helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a
single-seater attack aircraft. You can also see a conventional bomb
that weighs at 6,800kg. American troops had used these weapons against
the Vietnamese between 1945 and 1975. 45 minutes
6 The Secret Weapons Cellar / Saigon Special Force House
Amid the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh City, a humble house at
287/70 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, District 3, quietly preserves a
significant piece of history — the secret weapon bunker of the Biet
Dong Sai Gon, a special force unit of the Vietnam People's Army that
operated during the Vietnam War. This site once hid over two tons of
weapons, prepared for the attack on the Independence Palace during the
1968 Tet Offensive. 45 minutes (ticket included)
7 The People’s Committee Building Saigon in central Ho Chi Minh City
features well-preserved French colonial architecture in a spacious
garden landscape. Originally constructed as a hotel in 1898 by French
architect Gardes, it now serves as a city hall and one of the city’s
most iconic landmarks. Occupying the end of Nguyen Hue walking
promenade, it has three buildings with embossed statues of animals and
people, intricate bas-reliefs on the walls, as well as a statue of Ho
Chi Minh in front of the main building. The best time to visit is in
the evening, as these features are beautifully illuminated with LED
lights. 30 minutes
8 The Saigon Opera House (Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theater) is an elegant
colonial building at the intersection of Le Loi and Dong Khoi Street
in District 1, very close to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral and the
classic Central Post Office. The restored three-story 800-seat Opera
House was built in 1897 and is used for staging not only opera but
also a wide range of performing arts including ballet, musical
concerts, Vietnamese traditional dance and plays. Performances are
advertised around the building and information can be found in the
state-operated tourist information center close by. 30 minutes
9 Ba Thien Hau Temple in Saigon is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the
Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. It’s believed that she protects and rescues
ships and people on the sea by flying around on a mat or cloud.
Mazuism is connected with traditions and beliefs from both Taoism and
Buddhism. Mazuism is therefore an incorporation of different aspects
and traditions which have merged to form a new belief. You will find
this temple in ‘Cholon’ (Chinatown) in District 5, which is roughly a
twenty-minute drive from the city center. 30 minutes
10 Phố Tau Sai Gon (Chợ Lớn Quận 5)
Ho Chi Minh City’s Cholon is Vietnam’s largest Chinatown with roots
dating back to 1778; it’s also a place of great historical and
cultural importance. Chinese minorities hid here from the Tay Son and
subsequently had to rebuild the area twice following attack with as
many as 70% estimated to have died trying to escape on boats. Those
who survived settled and began selling a variety of Chinese products.
During the Vietnam War Cholon was a thriving black market for US
soldiers trading in American Army issue supplies. The area today is a
popular site for those on the tourist trail and also attracts many
Taiwanese and Chinese visitors. Cholon is an interesting place to see
classical Chinese architecture reminiscent of years gone by with
plenty of Chinese restaurants. The Binh Tay market at the center is
busy, crowded and messy with small aisles selling all manner of goods.
This market sometimes disappoints tourists when compared to other
markets in Ho Chi Minh as the products are not that varied, but the
main draw to Cholon is not to shop but to enjoy the authentic Chinese
atmosphere that has existed here for hundreds of years. It’s a
wonderful place to experience at night. 1 hour
11 Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 is a great place
to buy local handicrafts, branded goods, Vietnamese art and other
souvenirs. 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.
