Travelog - A travel guide to Vietnam

Location: Duc Ba Cathedral is located on Han Thuyen Street, facing down Dong Khoi Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Characteristic: The resplendent Governor’s Palace, completed in 1875, symbolized the regime’s political power in Asia. And five years later, the Duc Ba (Our Lady’s) Cathedral was inaugurated, and became the spiritual and cultural crucible of the French presence in the Orient.

After the first French colonizing force arrived in Vietnam in the mid - 19thcentury, it took only 21 years before the country had a cathedral to match the hulking Gothic edifices of France itself. The cathedral is supposed to represent the glory of the French Empire. Yet, as is always the case with colonization, this attempt to import French traditions into Vietnam transformed the colonizers’ culture in the process. Even though the cathedral is built in a Western architectural style, it has a uniquely Eastern aspect.

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Location: Giac Vien Pagoda is located on Lac Long Quan Street, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City.
Characteristic: It has the ancient architecture of the pagodas built in the Nguyen Dynasty of the 19th century, and typical characteristics of the southern area in terms of the architecture, design and arrangement of the worshipping shrines.

In 1798, a monk who was in charge of taking care of the restoration of Giac Lam Pagoda, built a small pavilion for his daily prayers, called Quan Am Cac (Kwan Yin Pavilion). In the third year under king Tu Duc’s reign (1850), the pavilion was rebuilt and named Giac Vien Pagoda. When building Dam Sen Tourist Park, the Management Board decided to preserve Giac Vien Pagoda intact and incorporate it into the park, making the park more attractive due to its cultural-historical value.

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Location: Vinh Nghiem Pagoda is located at 339 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Road, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
Characteristic: The pagoda is noteworthy for its ancient Asian architecture and the seven-storey Kwan-Yin tower.

Vinh Nghiem Pagoda was constructed between 1964 and 1971 in the area of 8,000m² following the design of architect Nguyen Ba Lang.

The Kwan-Yin Tower classic style of 35m seven-storey tower with strong Japanese influences was built with the assistance of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association. It is located on the left of the pagoda. This structure is the biggest of the Vietnam Buddhist Association.

A Devotee Relic four-storey Tower (Thap xa loi cong dong) with 25m high was erected behind the pagoda in 1982.

Vestiges

• Cu Chi Tunnels
• Thong Nhat Palace
• Vinh Nghiem Pagoda
• Giac Vien Pagoda
• Notre Dame Cathedral

Entertainment

• Van Thanh Park
• Dam Sen Park
• Ky Hoa Touist Area
• Suoi Tien Tourist Area
• Zoo and Botanical Garden
  
• Vam Sat Tourist Site

Location: Cu Chi Tunnels are located approximately 70km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City centre in Cu Chi Rural District.
Characteristic: Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels.

Cu Chi District is known nationwide as the base where the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968.The tunnels are between 0.5 to 1m wide, just enough space for a person to walk along by bending or dragging. However, parts of the tunnels have been modified to accommodate visitors. The upper soil layer is between 3 to 4m 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.

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Location: Ben Duoc Monument was built in Cu Chi District, about 70km from Ho Chi Minh City centre.
Characteristic: The Ben Duoc Monument to the War Martyrs is a harmonious architectural complex. The monument was built according to the design of a traditional Vietnamese temple.

The monument is dedicated to the war martyrs from 40 cities and provinces, who laid down their lives on the battle fields in Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh during the anti-French and US resistance wars for national independence and freedom. Read the rest of this entry »

Location: Thong Nhat Conference Hall is located on No.106 Nguyen Du Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Characteristic: Thong Nhat Conference Hall, also called Reunification Hall or Presidential Palace, was built in 1865 on the grounds of Norodom Palace as a residence for the French Governor General of Cochinchina.

After 1954, Ngo Dinh Diem and his family lived in the Norodom Palace. In February 1963, a dissident launched an air bombardment and heavily damaged it. Diem rebuilt the palace, which was later replaced by another one, called the Independence Palace. It was designed by Western-trained architect Ngo Viet Thu. The construction was undertaken by Saigon engineers and was completed in 1966.

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Location: War Remnants Museum is located on Vo Van Tan Street, Ho Chi Minh City.
Characteristic: The War Remnants Museum was established in September 1975 in Ho Chi Minh City. It contains countless artifacts, photographs, and pictures documenting American war crimes.

Such documents illustrate the killing of civilians, spreading of chemicals, torturing of prisoners, and the effects of the war on the north. Planes, tanks, bombs, and helicopters are also on display. Outside the museum are some rooms displaying cultural products of Vietnam. Over the last 20 years, over 6 million visitors entered the museum. Among this number, nearly 1 million were foreign visitors, including American tourists.

Location: Vietnam History Museum is located on No. 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Characteristic: Through the different exhibits that can be seen, the museum portrays Vietnam’s history from ancient times (approximately 300,000 years ago) up to the 1930s, when Vietnam’s Communist Party was founded.

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Location: Ton Duc Thang Museum is located on No.5 Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Characteristic: The Ton Duc Thang Museum was established on the occasion of the late President Ton Duc Thang’s centennial birthday anniversary (August 20th, 1988).

It was established in the former residence of Tran Thien Khiem, Premier of the Saigon government prior to 1975. The exhibits are a lively reflection of the life and cause of President Ton Duc Thang. The museum has more than 600 items, documents and photos relating to the life of the later president, who is remembered as a great patriot and model fighter. President was the only Vietnamese who participated in the anti-war activities on a French warship on the Black Sea in 1917; these activities supported the success of the world’s first proletarian revolution, the Russian October Revolution. He replaced President Ho Chi Minh in 1969.