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.

But there is a down-side to every city, and Ho Chi Minh's streets are filled to bursting with poverty and sadness. 'Rural refugees' continue flocking to the city, attracted by the surface glitter. Few find the pot of gold. That the city is developing is without question.

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. 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.

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.

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.

Binh Soup Shop
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.

Tag: Ho Chi Minh City