Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — Where to Go
Ho Chi Minh City Sightseeing Overview
Ho Chi Minh City has enjoyed over 35 years of peace following decades of unrest in the 20th century. After the defeat of French colonialists in 1954, Vietnam was divided into two. Saigon became the capital of the Republic of South Vietnam but almost immediately Communist North Vietnam, under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, began an attempt to unify the country.
The USA, fearing the spread of Communism, stepped in, sparking the bloody Vietnam War that colored much of the cultural, social and political climate of the 1960s. Driven back by tenacious North Vietnamese defense and jungle warfare they were ill-equipped to deal with, the Americans left in 1973 and the whole of Vietnam came under Communist rule.
Massive inflation and poverty followed until 1986 when the government introduced doi moi, the Vietnamese equivalent of perestroika, relaxing its hold on the people and allowing them to run their own businesses. The last two decades has seen a steady transformation and a rise in the city’s fortunes, which has enabled it to become one of the most exciting places to visit in south-east Asia.
Discover the sights and sounds of this dynamic city on foot or by cyclo, as most sightseeing in Ho Chi Minh City is located in the central District 1. Stroll along the riverfront and enjoy the constant activity on the Saigon River, as small and large boats ply to and from the opposite bank.
Meander along the main shopping street, Dong Khoi, crammed with gift shops, tailors, jewellers, restaurants and even shopping malls. At one end of this street are Notre Dame Cathedral and the huge central Post Office, with its enormous portrait of the former president, Ho Chi Minh.
Take in the intriguing Reunification Palace, be sobered by the exhibits in the War Remnants Museum or meander through the small pagodas in Cholon which are symbols of tranquility in an area frantic with commercial activity.
Ho Chi Minh City Tourist Information
Tourist Information Center
92-96 Nguyen Hue, District 1
Tel: (08) 3822 6033.
Website: www.ticvietnam.com
Opening hours: 0800-2100.
Key Attractions in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Dinh Thong Nhat (Reunification Palace)
The Reunification Palace is beautiful in its ugliness, a 1960s monstrosity designed with the help of Soviet architects. Most people will remember the image of a North Vietnamese tank crashing through the gates on 30 April 1975, signifying the fall of Saigon. The tank still graces the front lawn. Rooms open to the public remain exactly as they were in 1975, showing where important meetings were held during the war, as well as some of the private quarters of the president and his family. Most fascinating are a series of underground tunnels housing a telecommunications center.
135 Nam Ky Khoi Ngia, District 1
Tel: (08) 3822 3652.
Website: www.dinhdoclap.gov.vn
Opening hours: Daily 0730-1100; 1300-1600.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Nha Trung Bay Toi Ac Chien Tranh Xam Luoc (War Remnants Museum)
This is not a museum for the sensitive as it houses instruments of torture and hundreds of photographs of atrocities committed during the 20th century and, in particular, the Vietnam War. Visitors cannot fail to be moved as the exhibits provide a context for a period of history many only know from old newsreels and Hollywood movies. At the front of the museum is a small collection of military hardware and, most interestingly, the mobile guillotine used by the French colonists to dispense justice throughout the country before WWII.
28 Vo Van Tan, District 3
Tel: (08) 3930 5587.
Opening hours: Daily 0730-1200; 1330-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: N.
Notre Dame Cathedral
The twin towers of the beautiful, red-brick Notre Dame Cathedral have been a familiar landmark in Ho Chi Minh City since the 1880s. In front of the cathedral in a small garden lies a delicate statue of the Virgin Mary. The interior of the cathedral is rather plain, unlike most French cathedrals, with no stained glass, but it offers a cool respite from the heat outside. It is also an oasis of calm from the incessant traffic that circles the cathedral. There is still a significant Christian community in the south of Vietnam and church services are well attended.
Dong Khoi, District 1
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1000 and 1500-1600.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: N.
Buu Dien Truong Tam (Post Office)
Across from the Notre Dame Cathedral, the vast Post Office was also built in the late 19th century in European style. The elegant, high-ceilinged interior has hardly been touched since it was built and is dominated by a huge portrait of Ho Chi Minh. The building always seems busy but most people are just visitors rather than customers. Fascinating collections of colorful stamps can be purchased here.
2 Cong Xa Paris, District 1
Tel: (08) 3827 1149.
Opening hours: Daily 0700-2000.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: N.
Ho Chi Minh City Museum
Housed in the former building of the Government of Cochinchina, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum (formerly the Revolutionary Museum) contains artifacts, such as weapons, uniforms, medals and old photos, from the period of Communist struggle against the French and the Americans. Unfortunately, the exhibits are only labelled in Vietnamese but some are self-explanatory. Outside the museum is a collection of military hardware including a tank and a helicopter. The museum building itself is of interest, built in classical style in the late 1880s and was formerly the palace of the governor of Cochinchina and the Supreme Court.
65 Ly Tu Trong, District 1
Tel: (08) 3829 9741.
Website: www.hcmc-museum.edu.vn
Opening hours: Daily 0800-1700.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: N.
Vien Bao Tang Lich Su (Historical Museum)
Located just inside the entrance to the Botanical Gardens and Zoo, the Historical Museum houses a collection of artifacts covering the last 2,000 years of Vietnamese history, including items belonging to ancient cultures such as Dong Son, Oc Eo and Cham, right up until 1945. There are also collections of ceramics, weapons and Cham sculptures as well as a wing devoted to ethnic minorities. The museum was built in 1929 and the collection assembled by the Ecole Francaise d'Extreme Orient.
Nguyen Binh Khiem, District 1
Tel: (08) 3829 8146.
Website: www.baotanglichsuvn.com
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 0800-1100 and 1330-1700.
Disabled access: Y.
Thao Cam Vien (Zoo and Botanical Gardens)
The Botanical Gardens were established by the French in 1864 and once had the reputation of being some of the finest in Asia. Now, however, the area is just a pleasant one for a stroll in the heart of the city, among tropical plants and trees. The zoo is not up to Western standards, but many of the animals and birds are now housed in better enclosures and the zoo now has its own conservation program. Make sure you visit in the afternoon to watch the animals being fed.
Nguyen Binh Khiem, District 1
Tel: (08) 3829 3728.
Website: www.saigonzoo.net
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1800.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Further Distractions
Chua Ngoc Hoang (Jade Emperor Pagoda)
The Jade Emperor Pagoda is one of the most attractive pagodas in the city and was built in 1909 by the Cantonese community. Dedicated to various Chinese-Vietnamese divinities, in a mixture of Taoist and Buddhist styles, the pagoda houses numerous statues and delicate woodcarvings with intricate tiles on the roof. The interior is full of the smells from incense spirals hanging down from the ceiling and the altars are richly decorated. There is a pleasant courtyard with a pond full of tortoises.
73 Mai Thi Luu, District 3
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1700.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: N.
Giac Lam Pagoda
Located 3km (2 miles) from Cholon, the Giac Lam Pagoda, dating from 1744, is believed to be the oldest pagoda in the city and is a calm place to visit. The pagoda is surrounded by a tranquil walled garden and there is a seven-story stupa storing relics of the Buddha. Families of the old and sick regularly go to the pagoda to pin supplications to the large bronze bell, in the belief that when it is rung, the messages will be sent to the heavens above.
118 Lac Long Quan, District 11
Opening hours: Daily 0730-1700.
Admission charge: N.
Disabled access: N.
