Ho Chi Minh is Vietnam’s Capital of Commerce
There are a lot more to Vietnam than the endless series of movies about the atrocious war that happened in the country some three decades ago. There are awesome attractions to see, splendid characters of a people to appreciate and rich culture to experience, which are all above and beyond the scars of conflict. The remnants of the previous struggles, which are found in its cities and remote villages are now sights to behold. They came to be in no time favorite destinations of foreign tourists, especially the veterans of war.
The ideal entry into the country is via Ho Chi Minh, formerly known as Saigon which is the south’s capital prior to the Vietnam reunification in 1976. It is here where most international flights land and depart, and where main land transportation hubs are located. Named after the revolutionary leader and North Vietnamese president Ho Chi Minh, the city being an important port and a major commercial and industrial center, boasts of sophisticated hotels and restaurants and fine tourism facilities.
Ho Chi Minh is a relatively young city. Established only in the 18th century by Vietnamese refugees fleeing the civil war in the north, the small settlement on the banks of Tau Hu River, a branch of the main Sai Gon River, was soon shared with migrating Chinese merchants. The place which is christened Gia Dinh by the ruling Nguyen Dynasty, became a beehive of commercial activities and government operations. After the French conquest in 1859, the city was renamed Saigon and turned into the capital of the French colony of Cochin China.
Presently, the city’s urban landscape is dotted with a conurbation of early colonial and modern buildings and structures. The firsts of the Vietnamese religious temples and government buildings still standing are typically made of hard woods swathed with intricate carvings and sheltered by tiled roofs which an architectural style adopted from mainland China. The French left their design imprints in the Mediterranean-inspired villas scattered around the city and its suburbs, in Catholic churches and in wide tree-lined boulevards leading to the city center.
Ho Chi Minh is an extremely huge city. It is known that Ho Chi Minh is tha Vietnams largest metropolis and capital of commerce. It covers an area of 2356 square kilometers, which is divided into 12 urban wards or quan and six rural districts or huyen. The latter occupies for almost 75% of the population. To discover the many facets of the city, it is best to start at Ward One or Saigon proper. This downtown area is where most of the city’s foremost attractions are located. The Dai Lo Le-Duan is a picturesque avenue straddled by foreign consulates and is abutted by important destinations. At is acme is the 143-year old French- established and tree-canopied Zoo and Botanical Garden. Inside the zoo’s main gate is the History Museum, a repository built by the Societe des Etudes Indochinoises in 1929 to house Vietnamese artifacts dating as far back as three milleniums ago. Ensconced at the southern end of Dai Lo Le Duan is Reunification Palace which is a mute witness to the dramatic conclusion of the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975. The first communist tanks to enter Saigon went straight to the courtyards of this former presidential palace.
The War Remnants Museum a block west from here is next. Formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes. The Name has been changed to avoid upsetting the burgeoning American tourist market. This museum is very popular because of its graphic renditions on how gruesome the Vietnamese War was. Adjacent to Reunification Palace is Cong Vien Hoa Park, once upon a time a sports club exclusively for the colonial elite. A neat column of benches under the shades of centuries-old trees beckon for tranquil afternoon and early evening respites.
The pulse of Saigon is felt strongest at the nearby Dong Khoi whic is a rather short street with a long record of legendary entertainments. Refered to by the French as Rue Catinat and Tu Do by American GIs, this most famous Vietnamese strip is dotted with bars, restaurants, shops and hotels. Ironically, this vibrant capital of earthly undertakings commences right after the doorsteps of the neo-Romanesque style Notre Dame Cathedral. Built between 1877 and 1883, this Roman Catholic Church whose 40-meter high twin towers with iron-tipped spires lording over the skyline, is sometimes a little off sync in the area.
There is a litany of places to try in Dong Khoi. For a night of revelry with the city’s expatriate and pretty people community, the Underground is the pub to go. In the nearby Pham Ngu Lao street, the Allez Boo Bar offers sundown to sunrise partying with fellow night owls.
Cholon, a busy suburb west old downtown Saigon, is the city’s closest version of Chinatown. It has narrow streets teeming with commercial activities and a horde of shops selling everything, from souvenirs and garments to high-tech toys and appliances. Cholon is also home to some of the oldest structures in the city. Buddist pagodas straddled near each other at the heart of Cholon are testaments to the pioneering presence of the ethnic Chinese merchants who settled in this area more than two centuries ago. Of the three, the more ancient one is Quan Am Pagoda which was built in 1816. On the outskirts of Cholon district is another Buddhist temple considered to be the oldest in the city. Giac Lam is a splendid pagoda dating 1744, perhaps an era when the first wave of Fujian Chinese arrived by boat in the banks of Tau Hu River.