Ho Chi Minh City - Destination of Safety and Friendliness

Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, locates at the heart of the southern part of Viet Nam, between the northern edge of the Mekong Delta and the South Eastern region of volcanic red soil. Being a transformation between the two terrains, Ho Chi Minh City is intertwined with natural forest, vast plains, long coast and hundreds of rivers and canals. The Saigon River winds around the city and connect it with the East Sea.
Over the past three centuries, Saigon, once praised as the “Pearl of the Orient”, was known as an important trade center for Chinese, Japanese and Western merchants. It had also been christened the “Paris of Asia” for its wide boulevards lined with the stately trees and magnificent French villas.

Nowadays, Ho Chi Minh City has a total area of 2,090 squar the Orient”, was known as an important trade center for Chinese, Japanese and Western merchants. It had also been christened the “Paris of Asia” for its wide boulevards lined with the stately trees and magnificent French villas.

Highlights

Independence Palace

Independence Palace is situated at 106 Nguyen Du Street in Ho Chi Minh City. Originally called Norodom Palace and the Palace of the Indochina Governor General, it was built in 1865.Until 1954, Ngo Dinh Diem, South Vietnam's President, and his family lived and worked in Norodom Palace.
In 1963, this palace was heavily destroyed by bombs. President Diem commanded the remains to be destroyed and that a new palace be built called Doc Lap Palace or Independence Palace. The new palace was built on a 120,000 m2 area and covered 4,500 m2 . It included a basement,
three main floors, two mezzanines, one terrace, and one upper floor. There is a total of 95 rooms in the Palace; each decorated according to its function. The Palace also features two exhibition rooms, a 33-room guesthouse, and numerous entertainment services, such as tennis courts and stilt houses.On April 30, 1975, the tanks of the liberation army entered the Independence Palace, and the government, including 45 members and president Duong Van Minh, surrendered without condition.After liberation, the Independence Palace became theheadquarters of the city's military administration committee. The political consultation for national unification was held in this palace which was renamed Thong Nhat Conference Hall.Nowadays, Thong Nhat Conference Hall has become a historic and cultural relic attracting
domestic, as well as international visitors.

Cu Chi Tunnels
The Cu Chi Tunnels are located approximately 30 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City in Cu Chi district. This district is known nationwide as the base where the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968.The Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200 km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The tunnels are between 0.5 to 1 m wide, just enough space for a person to walk along by bending or dragging. However, parts of the tunnels have been modified to accommodate visitorsThe upper soil layer is between 3 to 4 m thick and can support the weight of a 50-ton tank and the damage of light cannons and bombs. The underground network provided sleeping quarters, meeting rooms, hospitals, and other social rooms. Visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels provides a better understanding of the prolonged resistance war of the Vietnamese people and also of the persistent and clever character of the Vietnamese nation. The Cu Chi Tunnels have been visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world.
Historical Museum


Located in Saigon's Botanical garden and Zoo, the museum opened its doors to the public in January 1, 1929. Originally, the museum was named Blanchard de la Brosse. In 1956, the museum was renamed Bao Tang Quoc Gia - National Museum. And finally, in 1979, the government renamed it Bao Tang Lich Su - Historical Museum.





The museum houses many historical artifacts including three wooden stakes from the battle between Ngo Quyen and the Han invaders, granite tablets with intricate carvings, and uniforms of mandarins and kings of yesteryears. A statue of the Buddha with 1,000 eyes and 1,000 arms is also part of the museum's collections. According to the curator, many of the artifacts dated back to the 6th and 7th century.


The Nha Rong Wharf
The Nha Rong Wharf, or Uncle Ho's souvenir area, is located at the junction of the Ben Nghe Channel and the Saigon River. This museum mostly contains pictures and objects relating to President Ho Chi Minh.It is from this area that 21 year old Ho Chi Minh set sail on a French ship named Admiral Latouche Treville in June 1911The Dragon House Wharf, originally called Nha Rong, was a French shipping company built in 1862. The first ship left Nha Rong in November 1862.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 international, 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.

Dam Sen Park
Dam Sen Park belongs to district 11 in Ho Chi Minh City, at the cornerof Lac Long Quan and Hoa Binh streets.The park?s infrastructure is divided into 30 parts and features several activities, restaurants, and shows, including a smaller reproduction of the Giac Vien Pagoda, the Thuy Ta floating restaurant, a lake similar to West Lake in Hanoi where one can fish, a puppet show, a bird garden, a water park, a sports center, and the Nam Tu Royal Garden.
Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh market has long been one of Saigon's most famous landmark. The market has been in existence since the French occupation. The original market was located on the shores of Ben Nghe river by old fort Gia Dinh. Its proximity to the fort and the river where merchants and soldiers would land was reason for its name (Ben meaning pier or port and Thanh meaning fort). In 1859, when the French invaded Saigon and overtook fort Gia Dinh, Ben Thanh Market was destroyed. It was rebuilt shortly thereafter and remained standing until it was moved to its present location in 1899.



Built on a landfill of what was once a swamp named Bo Ret (Marais Boresse), the new Ben Thanh Market is located in the center of the city. Under the French government, the area around Ben Thanh Market was called Cu Nhac circle (Rond point Cuniac), named after Mr. Cuniac, the person who proposed filling the swamp to create this area. The area was later renamed Cong truong Dien Hong.



Cathedral of our Lady



Proposed to be one of France's most ambitious project in Indochina at the time, Rev. Colombert laid the cornerstone for the cathedral on October 7, 1877. Three years later, in 1880, the cathedral was opened to the public. These two dates are inscribed on a marble placard in the cathedral.The bricks used to build the structure were shipped from Marseilles. Artisans from Lorin Company (Chartres, France) were commissioned to create the stained glass windows. The cost of construction was a whopping 2.5 million francs. In 1962, the Vatican gave the cathedral the title Basilique.





Vinh Nghiem Temple
Located on Cong Ly boulevard (or Nam Ky Khoi Nghia), Vinh nghiem is south Vietnam's most majestic temple. Construction of the temple was completed in 1971 after the design was drawn by Mr. Nguyen Ba Lang and associates. The ground floor consists of the library, the auditorium, and offices. The temple is located in a large parcel of land. On the left of the upper court yard stands a tower or the seven-level Avalokitesvara Stupa. Next to the tower hangs a large bell given to the temple by the Japanese Buddhists Sangha.