Located in the center of the southern delta, Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon) is easy to connect to different regions of the country such as the Mekong Delta, High lands, central-southern beaches, and international destinations (Cambodia, Singapore, HongKong,…) by air, land, and sea.Tan Son Nhat Airport is one of the two most important International airports that receive guests coming to Vietnam. It has direct flights to tourist centers around the country such as Buon Ma Thuot, Ca Mau, Con Dao, Da Lat, Da Nang, Hue, Ha Noi, Nha Trang, Pleiku, … and other destinations in the world (Singapore, Hongkong, Bangkok, Beijing, Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Sydney, Frankfurt, Doha,…).
Good infrastructure and facilities are factors that meet the tourism needs of the country especially towards MICE – an advanced and progressive type of tourism in Vietnam that combines a tour together with meetings, conferences, or workshops. Ho Chi Minh city has a vast system of hotels and restaurants compared to other cities within the country, especially with 5 star-hotels such as the Park Hyatt, Caravelle, Equatorial, Legend Sai Gon, and the New World. They provide the required quantity and quality of service for MICE: meeting room for thousands of people, modern technical equipment, excellent service, professional staff, and hospitality…
The people of Saigon not only work hard, but also play hard. They are very friendly and hospitable. The weather is nice with warm sunshine in the day and a cool feeling intermingled with a gentle breeze to wisk away tiredness after the stress of a working day. The people of Saigon like to drive motobikes around the city in the evening, which has become an integral part in daily living. The nightlife is bustling with an array of cafés, bars, dance halls / discos, hotels, and modern to popular restaurants… Ho Chi Minh city is not only the economic and tourist epicenter of the country, but is also the largest amusement center with diverse entertainment options. Tourists find themselves absorbed into the attractive lifestyle of this constantly changing and developing young city.
Coming to Saigon, tourists have the opportunity to contemplate French- architectural works such as Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon Opera House, as well as visit revolutionary and historical monuments such as the Cu Chi tunnels and numerous other museums.
With its young population, Ho Chi Minh City does not have the cultural or historical overtones like the capital city of Hanoi. But, with over 300 years of development, Saigon has established its own cultural characteristics. One of these being the infusion of diverse cultural influences which blends the best from Vietnam, China, and Europe. This is a culture that combines harmoniously the Vietnamese tradition with special cultural characteristics from the North and West.
One more advantage of Saigon is that it is a place chosen for many events, fares, and culture & art exchange programs from within the country and internationally. These are all opportunities for Saigon to showcase all she has to offer and increase her status as a destination for local and international tourists alike.
With all the advantages and opportunities mentioned above, combined with developing policies, the tourism industry in Ho Chi Minh City will prosper and grow in its beauty and benefits.
Places of interest
Notre Dame Cathedral
Built between 1877 and 1883, Notre Dame Cathedral is located right in the heart of the city. Its neo-Romanesque style and two 40-metre-high square steeples make it a central landmark. Visitors can attend mass held three times on weekdays and Saturdays and six times on Sundays. HCMC’s post office overlooks the square in front of the church.
City Hall
Standing at the end of Nguyen Hue Boulevard, the People's Committee building is the city hall of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly called the Hotel de Ville. In French style, the building is modeled on Paris' own Hotel de Ville and was completed in 1908. Facing toward Saigon River, the building is notable for its ornate facade and elegant interior lit with crystal chandeliers. The small park in front has a memorial statue of Ho Chi Minh. Nowadays the building is used for the city administration in daily working and meeting occasions
Municipal theatre
Municipal theatre is in Dong Khoi Street just opposite Caravelle Hotel. It was built at the turn of the century and later renovated in the 1940s. The 3-story building has a seating capacity of 1800. It was built in French architectural style of which the materials were mainly transported from France. A group of French artists was in charge of interior decoration with patterns similar to those in France’s late 19th century opera houses. The theatre finished with spacious ventilation and state-of-the-art sound and light systems. In front of the theatre is a park where young people like to sit around. The theatre often offers different programs such as concert, drama, and ballet. The performance is typically at 8pm. It also has rooms for meetings, conferences, ceremonies, workshops, and other gatherings.
Reunification Palace
One of the most fascinating sights in HCMC is Reunification Palace. This building was once known as Independence Palace, which witnessed every historic events happening to the Saigon Government until the regime finally collapsed in April 30, 1975. The former “Independence Palace” used to be a power symbol of the “South Vietnam” government till then. It was renamed as “Reunification Palace” to engrave the unforgettable victory of the Resistance war. In addition to historic value, the Reunification Palace is famed for its architecture, which is unique in Vietnam. Located in the heart of downtown Saigon, the building was built on a area of 12ha, surrounded by immense walls and high trees in its gardens, the palace’s main building is modern architecture of the 1960’s style.
Town Square
It is the most crowded roundabout in HCMC with such famous landmarks as the City Hall, the Municipal Theatre, the Continental Hotel, and the Rex Hotel. Dong Khoi Street, Nguyen Hue Bvld., and Le Loi Bvld., where much of the city's life takes place, such as a myriad of shops, stalls, and vendors selling all sorts of goods spread out on the sidewalks for browsing and bargaining.
Thien Hau Temple
Dating back to the early 19th century, the temple is dedicated to Thien Hau, the Chinese Goddess of the Sea, who protects fishermen, sailors, merchants and other seafarers. Though there are guardians to either side of the entrance, it is said that the real protectors of the pagoda are the two land turtles living here. The temple’s interior courtyard with intricate ceramic friezes is worth seeing with beautiful ceramic figurines and antiques, commemorating the arrival of the first Chinese immigrants from Canton. On the 23rd day of the 3rd lunar month, the biggest ceremony is held in Thien Hau temple to her honour. People pray to her for happiness, prosperity, and solidarity.
Giac Lam Pagoda
Built in 1744, Giac Lam, the oldest pagoda in HCMC, reflects the architectural style of pagodas in southern Vietnam. The pagoda impresses visitors with remarkable 98 carved wooden pillars, gilded descriptions in old Vietnamese characters, and 113 Buddha statues made from jackfruit wood. The Buddha statues of Giac Lam pagoda are famous for their fine sculpture. On the left of the pagoda’s main gate is a seven-story tower built in 1994 in which each level is reserved to worship a Buddha and the top level for the sacred relics of the Sakyamuni Buddha. Giac Lam pagoda is acknowledged as Nation Heritage.
Binh Tay Market
Built in 1928, Binh Tay Market is considered the biggest wholesale market in southern Vietnam dealing in a wide variety of goods made by the Chinese community in Chinatown and products from the Mekong Delta. Visitors are encouraged to stroll around the market, to socialize themselves with locals.
Ben Thanh Market
Built in 1914 and known to the French as the Halles Centrales, the market, last renovated in 1986, is located right in the heart of the city where everything can be found, from vegetables and fish to spices and electronic gadgets.
Historical Museum
In 1929 this museum was built within the boundaries of Zoological and Botanical Garden to serve as “Musee blandchard de la Bross” and later became the “National Museum of Vietnam” with a collection of ancient art from several Asian countries. In 1975 the Museum was renamed “History Museum in Ho Chi Minh City”. The museum now displays an excellent collection of artifacts representing the evolution of Vietnamese people and featuring the characteristics of its culture. The artifacts are divided into 2 groups: the Vietnam’s history from the first human vestiges (some 300,000 years ago) until the establishment of Vietnamese Communist Party (in 1930); and the second group is represented the cultures of the southern provices such as the Oc Eo culture, the Cham art, the culture of Ben Nghe-Saigon area, the ethnic groups in Vietnam, the collection of Buddha statues in Asia and an ancient ceramics from Asian countries.
War Remnants Museum
Established in September 1975, the museum was formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes, then changed as the War Remnants Museum. The museum keeps things remained from the War such as tools of torture, photographs of atrocities committed during the 20th century and, in particular, the Vietnam War. At the front yard of the museum there 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 World War II.
Cu Chi tunnels
About 70km from downtown HCM city, Cu Chi used to be a bitter battle ground for many years during the Vietnam War. Visitors should not miss this intricate network of over 200km of tunnels at Ben Duoc or Ben Dinh. The digging of the tunnels began in 1946 during the anti-French resistance and continued until the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Pleasant eye-catching sights on the way to Cu Chi are green rice paddies, peasants at work and children riding aimlessly on water buffaloes
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