A one-day trip in Ho Chi Minh City will be more meaningful if you know where to go or the best attractions to explore. There are plenty of places to choose from, but the suggestions are probably what you should take into consideration.
Ben Thanh Market
The first attraction you ought to keep an eye on when making a trip to Ho Chi Minh City is Ben Thanh Market, located in the heart of downtown. The market is indeed a remarkable destination because not only its elegant style of architecture dates from the French colonial period, but it is also where there is a wide selection of items, such as clothes, handicrafts, souvenirs, etc. With that mighty French structure, it almost considered as the city’s symbol. Are you wondering what else is interesting? Yes, entering inside is right time for you to practice the bargaining skill; it also means that you must prepare yourself first not to get shocked at the prices of the products people are selling here. Nevertheless, the plus point is the taste and scent of local cuisines in the hawker style; it will not let you down to try one.
Reunification Palace
Referred to as a symbol of independence of Vietnam, Reunification Palace should not be put off your list of attractions to explore in Ho Chi Minh City. It is possible to say that the palace is closely associated with the glorious victory of Vietnamese soldiers in the war against American and French colonists; on April 30th 1975, the North Vietnamese Army tank hit the palace’s gate as an action of declaring the end of the war as well as regaining the Vietnam’s independence. Therefore, the site means a lot to this country. What you can contemplate here consist of a unique style of architecture – a mix of modern and traditional design and historical objects, equipment, and photographs as it now functions as a museum for both domestic and international visitors.
Saigon Post Office
Erected between 1886 and 1891, Saigon Post Office is well known as a French colonial structure with marble floors, looping arches, and antiquated telephone boxes, allowing you to understand more the significant role the post office played before the era of mobile phones and email. There is a large picture of the Vietnam’s president Ho Chi Minh at the end of the building, though its architecture is in a French style. Besides being open for sightseeing, the site still functions a post office, so you are encouraged to send a postcard or letter from here. For those who love collecting postcards, souvenirs, and lacquerware in classical styles, inside the main office is where you can find some.
Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica
Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1863 and 1880 by the French colonists and first called Saigon Church. Its name was changed into Notre Dame Cathedral after Bishop Pham Van Thien had conducted a ceremony to mark the event of installing the statue of Peaceful Notre Dame inside it. Since 1962, the building has been known as the name of Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica. Despite the fact that the basilica is designed to look like a solemn religious place, you find an elegant charm in architecture showing the influence of Christianity and French civilization over Saigon. The thing which will amaze you so much is that all the materials used to construct the building were imported from France.
Cu Chi Tunnels
It is no exaggeration to say that Cu Chi Tunnels is a phenomenal underground village any visitor must admire when they take a chance to explore inside. The tunnel network stretches for over 120 kilometers and consists of facilities enough for survival and struggles against enemies, such as living areas, hospitals, kitchens, command centers, trapdoors, armories, etc. Discovering a part of the network by crawling through narrow dark tunnels is actually a quite interesting experience you ought to have during the trip in Ho Chi Minh – the Vietnam’s biggest city. Additionally, a shooting range inside the site is for those who wish to try a real shooting gun which was allegedly used in the Vietnam war.
