The city is a blend of history and modern life. French colonial buildings with preserved facades stand alongside tall skyscrapers, office towers, shopping malls, and apartment blocks, showing how the old and new exist together (VERONA ITALY TOP THINGS TO DO).
There is no shortage of things to see and do in Ho Chi Minh City. Its top attractions tell stories of Vietnamese culture, street food, and the city’s past. Amidst the busyness, there is always something meaningful to find. For most travellers, discovering Vietnam begins in Ho Chi Minh City, landing at the airport, and everything is out there waiting to be experienced (COLOMBO SRI LANKA MUST SEE SITES).
Ben Thanh Market
There’s nothing like taking a walk through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City on the way to Ben Thanh Market. Instead of stopping right in front, start the walk about fifteen minutes away. The busy streets lined with shops, vendors on motorbikes, and the everyday city buzz give a real sense of local life before reaching the market.
Located on Le Loi Street in Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, this market is one of the oldest and most popular in the city. Inside its large covered area are narrow lanes packed with stalls selling all kinds of Vietnamese goods - from handmade slippers to Vietnamese traditional outfits for ladies (ao dai) and many other items.
Ben Thanh
Market has a wide range of Vietnamese coffee and food stalls with local street
food. It is a market where locals shop daily, and travellers are seen as well.
Don’t be
surprised that some traders speak fluent English, making communication easier.
Prices are in Vietnamese Dong (VND), though a few vendors may accept USD.
Bargaining is common in Ben Thanh Market.
The Water Puppet Show Ho Chi Minh City is a well-known attraction, especially among tourists on group tours, many of whom are Westerners. Tickets are usually arranged in advance, and entry is easy. Just walk in and take a seat on the benches inside the theatre. Pamphlets in English are given out upon entry, but the performance is entirely in Vietnamese, which can make it a little difficult to follow.
The show begins promisingly with traditional Vietnamese music that sets a lively tone for the performance in water. However, after the first fifteen minutes, it can feel repetitive, and boredom may set in. Still, the Water Puppet Show is about respecting the performers who stand knee-deep in water throughout the show, appreciating their skill and understanding the cultural heritage behind this traditional Vietnamese art.
Walking through the main entrance gate, Reunification Palace is a magnet attraction in Ho Chi Minh City. The display of war tanks and fighter planes across the palace grounds makes it feel as though the war is over and everyone is rejoicing by taking pictures with them. It is exciting and thrilling to see the tanks and planes that are usually only seen in movies, but here they are, right in front, for the experience.
Time passes
quickly until entering Reunification Palace no longer seems to matter, yet
inside there are many things related to the same Vietnam War tanks and fighter
planes seen outside.
Reunification
Palace, also known as Independence Palace, is a major historical landmark and
one of the top sites in Ho Chi Minh City. It was formerly the presidential
residence of South Vietnam and became significant during the Vietnam War when
tanks crashed through its gates on April 30, 1975.
The palace was
once the home of President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, who led South Vietnam from 1967
until he resigned and fled shortly before the fall of Saigon. His successor, President
Dương Văn Minh, surrendered to North Vietnamese forces at the palace on the
same day.
There is much to see throughout the five levels - preserved rooms, war command bunkers, artifacts, furnishings, and kitchen equipment, all well displayed and labelled. Some of these exhibits are also related to the former presidents.
The rooftop brings back the real feeling of the Vietnam War, with the original helipad used during that time. From the rooftop of Reunification Palace, it also offers a pleasant view of Ho Chi Minh City.
The feeling of the Vietnam War continues to linger upon entering the War Remnants Museum. This time, it is touching, sober, and surreal - realising how the war left a painful and lasting impact on the Vietnamese people.
The exhibits
make silence the only language when seeing the displays showing the effects of Agent
Orange and other chemical warfare. Photographs, military equipment, and graphic
displays reveal the human cost of the Vietnam War.
Inside the War Remnants Museum, a walkway leads to the outside area, where the merciless sufferings are shown through more exhibits. Known as the torture chamber, part of the display includes equipment that was used for brutal acts such as beheading. Visiting the War Remnants Museum rings the bell of realisation on how humans can be cruel to each other in the name of war.
At the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, across the road, the Saigon Post Office with its attractive façade greets everyone. Its architecture immediately shows that, though it is a post office, it also stands as a legendary tourist attraction in Vietnam.
Built in the
early 20th century by Gustave Eiffel during Vietnam’s time as part of French
Indochina, it is remarkable how much of its architecture is still preserved.
The vaulted roof, arched windows, and colonial-era phone booths, now repurposed
as ATMs, reflect how Vietnam continues to uphold its past while moving forward
into modern times.
It takes around fifteen minutes to cover this significant post office in Ho Chi Minh City, yet it leaves a lasting impression that stays for a long time.
Notre Dame in Vietnam, located across the Saigon Central Post Office and right within the busy roundabout. The Notre Dame Cathedral, a smaller replica of the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris, France, is an amazing sight with its attractive color theme. Built in 1880 during French colonial rule, it stands as a fine example of Vietnam’s colonial past.
The interior of the cathedral features stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings, showcasing its European influence. Interestingly, all construction materials, including the red bricks, were imported from France. The cathedral continues to hold Sunday Mass and remains an active place of worship in Ho Chi Minh City.
