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War
Remnants Museum
While most Vietnamese people have been busy getting on with
business, the Vietnam-American War continues to fascinate visitors.
Fair enough - the story of how the ill-equipped underdog managed
to defeat a world superpower deserves further investigation.
As you'd expect given the brutality of the conflict, the War
Remnants Museum (28 Vo Van Tan Street, D.3) is far from cheerful.
The displays of photos, scenes of torture and nasty weaponry
will leave you grateful that you're visiting Vietnam today.
Reunification Palace
Whatever visions the word "Palace" conjures up for
you, forget about them. Fans of 1960s architecture will be enchanted
by this structure; the rest of you will pine for the former
French-built residence of the French Governor of Cochinchina,
which was destroyed in a bombing raid by the southern Vietnamese
airforce in 1962. The intended target of the bombing was the
southern president (and head of the air force who tried to kill
him) Ngo Dinh Diem. If only the walls could talk... When the
first Communist tanks to enter Saigon on April 30th, 1975 tore
through the gates of the Palace (106 Nguyen Du Street, D.1),
the war crashed to an end. You would be hard pressed to find
a more interesting site for a MICE function than the Presidential
Palace.
The
Post Office
Whether you need to post something or not, pop in and have a
look. Built between 1886 and 1991, Ho Chi Minh City's French-style
Central Post Office (2 Cong Xa Paris, D.1) is a magnificent
building. Occupying an entire city block, it looks more like
a train station than a post office, with a high, vaulted ceiling
and slow-moving ceiling fans. There are even wooden benches
on which to sit and scribble those postcards you've been meaning
to write. Facing the post office stands Notre Dame Cathedral,
a red brick structure that dates back to 1883.
Jade
Emperor Pagoda
While Ho Chi Minh City boasts dozens of pagodas, the Jade Emperor
Pagoda (73 Mai Thi Luu Street, D. 3) is one of the more memorable.
Step inside this Chinese-style pagoda and you'll be confronted
by an army of weird and wonderful statues, some of them beautiful
and some of them downright terrifying. There are lots of small
rooms to explore, all of them housing Buddhist and Taoist figures
and clogged with incense smoke. One little room holds the figurines
of 12 women, each of whom represents a virtue or a vice. We
never did find the corresponding men's room...
Cho
Lon 
Cho Lon, which means "Big Market", is the name used
to refer to the city's Chinatown, which covers Districts 5 and
10. Along with great, authentic Chinese food, you'll find a
thriving commercial district. Much of the activity is centred
around Binh Tay Market, a massive, French-era indoor market
frequented by wholesalers. Unfortunately, many of the district's
Chinese-style shop-houses are in the process of being torn down,
although a drive through this area will reveal some beautiful,
old-fashioned buildings, complete with art-deco tile inlays,
wrought-iron balconies, and red-tiled roofs. The area's canals
are lined with massive colonial-era factories and warehouses,
some of which still bear, in faded letters, the names of their
former raison d'etre.
Shopping
Dong
Khoi Street
Dong Khoi (Revolution) Street has had almost as many names as
it now has silk shops. At the turn of the 20th century it was
known as La Rue 16; before 1954 it was called La Rue Catinat;
and in the 1970s it was Tu Do (Freedom) Street. Today, Dong
Khoi should be called "Boutique Street"- this is where
you'll find everything from the afore-mentioned silk fashions
to designer watches. While prices are relatively high you'll
still find yourself tempted by the array of high-quality house
wares, clothes and accessories. This colourful street lies in
the heart of Ho Chi Minh City's business district, near many
upper-end hotels.
Ben Thanh Market
Even if you don't intend to buy a thing, no visit to Saigon
is complete without a ramble around Ben Thanh Market. Almost
anything you could ever need - and virtually everything you
don't - is on display in this jam-packed, covered market. Imported
cosmetics, fabrics, clothing, liquor, vegetables, spices...
This is as good a place as any to hone your bargaining skills.
Towards the back you'll find food and drink stalls, while the
back end stocks fruit and fresh-cut flowers.
Department
Stores
Growing spending power has spawned a whole new shopping experience
in Saigon:
the department store. The advantages are obvious: air-conditioning,
convenience and set-prices. Two of the best are the Diamond
Plaza ( 34 Le Duan, D.1) and the Tax Department Store (corner
of Nguyen Hue and Le Loi, D.1). |
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