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| Ho Chi Minh City is the heart and soul of Vietnam. It's a bustling,
dynamic and industrious centre, the largest city, the economic capital
and the cultural trendsetter. The streets, where much of the city's life
takes place, are a myriad of shops, stalls, stands-on-wheels and vendors
selling wares from blankets on sidewalks. The traffic roars. The jackhammers
of progress pound the past into pulp. The city churns, ferments, bubbles
and fumes. Yet within the teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions
and beauty of an ancient culture. Central Ho Chi Minh City is the place to be on Sundays and holiday nights. The streets are jam-packed with young locals cruising the town on bicycles and motorbikes, out to see and be seen. The Municipal Theatre area is the hub for young hipsters. Entertainment ranges from disco and karaoke in the larger hotels, loud Western music in bars such as the Hard Rock Cafe, dancing at the Rex Hotel or experiencing traditional Vietnamese music at the Conservatory of Music. Most forms of entertainment can be found in downtown Ho Chi Minh City along Mac Thi Buoi Street. The downtown area of Ho Chi Minh City is now officially called District 1, though you will still hear some people call it Saigon. Stick to either District 1 or Ho Chi Minh City - that way, nobody will be confused or offended. Orientation is quite simple in the city - a relief if you've been travelling to other Asian destinations. Since the Vietnamese language uses Latin-based lettering, signs are easy to read. Street numbering can sometimes be confusing, sometimes comprising a generous quantity of letters as well as numbers, but usually there are no problems. Budget travellers tend to congregate around Pham Ngu Lao St at the western end of District 1. Cholon (Chinatown) has plenty of cheap rooms, but Western backpackers are still rare here. Travellers with a little more cash prefer the more upmarket hotels concentrated around Dong Khoi St at the eastern side of District 1. Pham Ngu Lao and De Tham Streets form the axis of Saigon's haven of budget eateries. The famously muddled Tan Son Nhat International Airport is only 7km (4.3mi) from the city centre. Trains, including the infamous Reunification Express from Hanoi, arrive from the north into District 3, just north of the city centre. Dirt-cheap buses - in equal measure unreliable and unsafe - run from a variety of locations around the city, including Cholon (for Mekong Delta connections) and the Binh Tranh District (for all northern destinations). |
| Attractions |
| Reunification Palace On the morning of 30 April 1975 the 43-hour old government of South Vietnam sat quietly on the second floor of this grand building - then called the Independence Palace - waiting to transfer power to the Northern forces who were crashing through the wrought iron gates below. 'There is no question of you transferring power', they were told by a Viet Cong officer. 'You cannot give up what you do not have.' It is partly because of the rich history of this building - and partly because of the striking modern architecture - that this building is one of the most fascinating sights in the city. Preserved almost exactly as it was on the day Vietnam was reunified, the building took its current form in 1966 after it had been partially destroyed in an attack by South Vietnam leader Diem's own air force (they really hated him, it seems). Now, the building is a magnificent example of 60s architecture - airy and open with spacious chambers and tasteful modern decorations. The building is still used for official functions. The most interesting section of the Reunification Palace is the basement - a network of tunnels and rooms, including a war room and a telecommunications room. One of the tunnels stretches all the way to Gia Long Palace, now known as the Revolutionary Museum. Reunification is in District 3, in the heart of downtown Ho Chi Minh. Giac Lam Pagoda Ho Chi Minh City boasts an astonishing, mind-numbing number of pagodas (places of worship). The oldest of these is Giac Lam, which dates from 1744. Ten monks live at this Vietnamese Buddhist pagoda, which also incorporates Taoism and Confucianism. It retains much of its traditional layout, structure and ornamentation, not having been worked on since 1900. Many other pagodas in Ho Chi Minh city have been substantially altered by modernist transformations. Ornate tombs greet visitors at the entrance to the compound, as does a gleaming white statue of Quan Thew Am Bo Tat, the Goddess of Mercy. Inside, there are photographs and portraits of monks from the past and an impressive sanctuary with countless gilded figures. Prayers are held four times daily, and consist of a rare, traditional blend of chanting, bells, gongs and drums. The pagoda is north of Cholon in District 10, about 1km (0.6mi) north-west of Phu Tho Stadium. War Remnants Museum Once known as the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, the name change reflects a desire not to offend wealthy tourists. The pamphlet handed out at reception pulls no such punches; it's entitled 'Some Pictures of US Imperialist Aggressive War Crimes in Vietnam'. Despite the rhetoric, this museum has become one of the most popular attractions with Western visitors of all political persuasions. It is a stark reminder that wars rarely have winners and are never glorious. Along with the many photographs, the museum displays US armoured vehicles, artillery pieces, bombs and infantry weapons. There is even a guillotine used by the French on pesky Viet Minh 'troublemakers'. Though certainly not an even-handed representation of events in Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s, the museum is nonetheless successful in driving home the fact that wars are brutal and that civilians are the biggest losers. The museum is a three minute walk north-west of the Reunification Palace in District 3, Central Saigon. Binh Soup Shop Yes, the Binh Soup Shop is a real soup shop, but it also is worthy of inclusion in a sightseeing itinerary in Ho Chi Minh City. The shop was the secret headquarters of the Viet Cong in Saigon during the conflict. Prior to the massive Tet Offensive, when the VC mounted a huge campaign right across Vietnam and actually stormed the US embassy in Saigon, the soup shop was the planning base. Its waiters, waitresses and cooking staff were all VC infiltrators. The shop is in District 3. Pho is served from 6am. It's not bad. |
| Getting Around |
| Getting There & Away Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport hosts flights from many major international airports, as well as domestic flights from eleven centres. If you can't travel directly to Ho Chi Mihn, the next best route is via Bangkok or Hong Kong. Buses run to the city from Cambodia and Laos, while buses and trains also link Ho Chi Minh City to most major towns in the country. Getting Around The streets of Ho Chi Mihn are not a place for the faint-hearted, so you'd be well-advised to put yourself in the hands of an expert. Metred taxis, cyclos (pedicabs) and motorbike 'taxis' run the route from the airport to town, with official taxi meters in $US. Unless you're happy about paying four times the going rate, avoid the airport Taxi Booking Desk. Cyclos are the most popular and hair-raising form of transport among travellers. They're cheap, everywhere, and the usually helpful drivers are happy to steer you around all day for a small fee. Taxi rental is also a good deal if you're headed further out of town. Probably because the routes and timetables are a constant mystery, foreigners rarely make use of the few buses in the city, with the hard-core adventure traveller preferring to rent a moped or bicycle. If you're more interested in the journey than the destination, Ho Chi Minh is a good city for walking around, with one drawback - the traffic. Learn to cross roads by observing locals: they don't sprint towards the other side for a very, very good reason. Take it slowly, avoiding any sudden movements or panic, and you'll probably survive for a day or two. Because Ho Chi Minh stretches along the Saigon River, many people enjoy seeing the sights from a boat. Small boats are easily hired, and many destinations are located along the banks of the river or one of several long canals. |
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