Ho Chi Minh City Tour

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Ho Chi Minh City - Things to Do

Formerly Saigon during Vietnam's French colonial era, Ho Chi Minh City is an upcoming visitor destination for its position on the banks of the River Saigon and the convenience of its international airport as an arrivals hub in this developing country. Its sprawling conurbation is home to nine million people, with plans afoot to incorporate the surrounding rural towns and villages into a greater metropolitan area with over 20 million residents by 2020. Originally inhabited by the Greater Mekong Delta Khmer peoples, the Vietnamese moved in from the early 17th century, isolating the Khmer population in the delta from their Cambodian roots.

The central part of the huge city, known as Saigon, is the hub for tourism, with Ho Chi Minh City Centre hotels and restaurants catering for a steadily increasing number of visitors every year. French colonial buildings and religious sites account for most of the historic sites here, with memorials of the disastrous Vietnam War which split the country in two and resulted in its adoption of Communism its major heritage sites. Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City as a memorial to the revolutionary leader Ho Cho Minh.

Sizzling nightlife, a grand selection of markets and combinations of the ancient and modern such as incense-redolent temples set beside city roads groaning with motorcycle traffic are all icons of this recently-awakened city, roaring into the 21st century like an angry tiger. Chaos rules, but it's an exciting time to visit here. A self-guided walking orientation of the central area is the best introduction, with most of the city's main sights and sounds set in District 1, starting with the Reunification Palace, outside of which is parked a tank. The building itself is a five-storey 60s time-warp sight, known before the war as the Independence Palace and the former home of the country's presidents. The tank is symbolically important, as the demolition of the palace gates on 30 April 1975 by tank 838 signified the ending of the war and the fall of the South.

City Hall, set on Nguyen Hue Street, was originally the Hotel de Ville during the colonial era, a striking yellow and cream edifice floodlit at night. The statue of ‘Uncle Ho' now fronting its entrance does nothing for its architectural glory. Another great colonial pile is the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, set in colonnaded magnificence near the Saigon dock area. The entire building is taken over by the military struggle and  Ho Chi Minh as the ‘father of the country', with not a lot concerning the interesting history and heritage of the city itself and Vietnam. For this, you'll need to visit the Museum of Vietnamese History with its excellent display of Vietnamese antiquities, set just inside the zoo gates and close to the botanical gardens. The zoo, however, should be avoided by visitors who care about animal welfare.

For temple buffs, Ho Chi Minh City is a fascinating place to explore, with many spectacular pagodas overlooking its streets and back alleys, giving it a character and ambience at odds with its recent violent history and present political stance. Chua Giac Lam is the oldest, built in 1744 and carefully maintained since. The fabulous Chinese-style Jade Emperor Pagoda, a Taoist treasure dedicated to the religion's supreme ruler, the Emperor of Jade, has a magnificent tiled roof and is crammed with images of divinities, mythical and religious figures and historic heroes. In District 11, close to lovely Dam Sen Lake, is Giac Vien Pagoda with its intricate carvings of divinites, and Ngaih An Hoi Quan Pagoda is famous for its stunningly rich gilding and woodwork. Many of the pagodas here, whether Chinese or Vietnamese in design and structure, are famous for their magnificent decorations and depictions of deities.

About the Author

Lek Boonlert is an editor and content reviewer at DirectRooms and is responsible for all Ho Chi Minh City Centre Hotels content.

Cycle Tour from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City - DAY 3 - Chau Doc to Long Xuyen


ho chi minh city tour
ho chi minh city tour
ho chi minh city tour