10 Tourist spots not to be missed in Ho Chi Minh City

The War Remnants Museum has a total area of more than 3,000 square meters, with more than 15,000 artifacts on display and serving education and historical learning. The artifacts include weapons, military equipment, historical documents, photos, and evidence related to the arduous war. Activities at the Museum strongly propagate the spirit of fighting to protect the Fatherland, raising awareness against aggressive wars, and affirming the power of peace and the noble spirit of solidarity and friendship between nations. nation in the world.

Reflecting a historical period full of tragedy and hardship, the War Remnants Museum is a tourist destination worth visiting. This is also an opportunity for tourists to understand the history and culture of Vietnam better while honoring the soldiers who heroically sacrificed their lives in wars.

The War Remnants Museum is a member of the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP) and the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

The History Museum of Ho Chi Minh City was first established in 1929, during the colonial era of French Indochina, and was originally known as the “Musée Blanchard de La Brosse.” It was named after the French historian and archaeologist Etienne Blanchard de La Brosse, who was one of the museum’s earliest curators.

The History Museum of Ho Chi Minh City is the very first museum in the south of Vietnam. Over the years, it has undergone several renovations and expansions yet still preserved its essence.

The History Museum of Ho Chi Minh City owns collections representing thousands of years of Vietnamese history and culture, learning about the cultural characteristics of the Southern region and some countries in the Asian region. Over 43,000 documents and artifacts, including 12 national treasures introduced in the galleries, will be invaluable gifts of historical and cultural knowledge that are displayed to the public.

Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts

The Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts was established in 1987 and officially opened in 1992. It has witnessed the city’s history through its ups and downs and has also played a role in the rise of Ho Chi Minh City. The museum is not only a great place to explore fine arts in the city, but its unique combination of Eastern and Western architectural styles makes it a sight to behold. Additionally, the story behind the museum is fascinating. Initially, a contemporary art center supported the museum’s foundation, and the wife of a famous artist rented a room to create a platform for contemporary art. In the following years, the space hosted various workshops, exhibitions, and performance events.

 

What to See at Fine Arts Museum? The answer is plenty of masterpieces. Ancient Bronze Sculptures in South Vietnam, Champa Ancient Sculptures, the Statues in Tay Nguyen Tombs, Vietnamese Ceramics (11th-20th century), Southern Fine Arts (18th-20th century), and Contemporary Art are displayed here.

Address: 97A Duc Chinh Street, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1

Reunification Palace

The Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace, was built on the site of the former Norodom Palace. It represents the traditional philosophy, the oriental rituals, and the characteristics of the Vietnamese people in a harmonious combination with modern structures.

The Palace, a landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, covers 120,000 square meters (300 meters x 400 meters). It is adjacent to four major streets: Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street to the northeast, Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street to the southwest, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street to the northwest, and Nguyen Du Street to the southeast.

It is also adjacent to 30-4 Park at the front and to Tao Dan Cultural Park at the rear. The Palace campus has many ancient trees, many of which date back to the French period. For those who appreciate art and architecture, this palace is one of the most appealing attractions in Ho Chi Minh City.

Address: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1

Landmark 81 SkyView

Landmark 81 is inspired by the image of a traditional bamboo bundle and is recognized as the tallest tower in Vietnam until now. With a height of 461.2 meters, visitors can enjoy the panoramic view of the city through a transparent glass system, capturing the whole view of the city from above.

Address: 720A Dien Bien Phu Street, Ward 22, Binh Thanh District

Thieng Lieng community – based tourism destination

Thieng Lieng is an island hamlet located about 7 km from the center of Thanh An commune, Can Gio District (HCMC), accessible by waterway. According to local statistics, Thieng Lieng hamlet has about 243 households that make a living mainly from salt making and fishing. In 2023, the salt production area in Thieng Lieng hamlet is 390 hectares with an output of 17.000 tons, the average salt price in the field is 1.900/kg.

The entire Thieng Lieng hamlet has only one oval-shaped road, 4 km long, winding around salt fields, rivers, canals, and mangrove forests. Thieng Lieng has not been affected much, so it still retains its rustic, natural features that are not found in all coastal areas. Here, in addition to the surrounding mangrove forest with an extremely rich ecosystem, there is also Giong Chua Mountain. This is considered the only natural rock mountain in Ho Chi Minh City, and if considered more broadly, it is probably the lowest mountain in the country.

Address: Thanh An island commune, Can Gio district.

Saigon Ranger Monument System

To visitors’ surprise, this place is one of the rare pieces of historical evidence in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, located on the alley connecting Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Vo Van Tan streets (District 3). This “red address” marks the victory of the Saigon Rangers, consisting of a secret basement that once hid nearly 2 tons of weapons of the Saigon Rangers to attack the Independence Palace during the 1968 Tet Offensive. The house is recognized as a National Historical-Cultural Monument.

Visitors can also visit the Saigon Ranger Monument System scattered around the city, including the Museum of Intelligence-Saigon-Gia Dinh Rangers, Secret mailboxes and floating bunkers of the Saigon Rangers, Secret weapons bunkers of the Saigon Rangers.

Cu Chi Tunnels

Located about 70 km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City to the northwest, is a vast network of subterranean tunnels. This tunnel system will bring a completely different and equally adventurous experience of the South of Vietnam. It is a unique war-fighting wonder, dubbed the “underground maze” with about 250 km of tunnels spreading like spider webs in the ground: trenches, emplacements, fighting nests, bunkers for dining, sleeping, meetings, activities, military medicine, food storage warehouses, wells, kitchen… Travelers will get to know about real events that happened in this tunnel, the story of the wars from the ground between Vietnamese soldiers, compatriots, and invaders during the period 1945 – 1975.

People with Claustrophobia should be on notice.

Address: Provincial Road 15, Phu Hiep Hamlet, Phu My Hung commune, Cu Chi District

Notre Dame Cathedral – City Post Office

The Cathedral is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Saigon, and is where the chair of the Archbishop of Saigon, who has a strong influence on the religious life of Catholic adherents in the south of Vietnam, is located. Since it is located right next to the Saigon Central Post Office, it is recommended that you visit these two attractions and the nearby Independence Palace at the same time.

This church was crowned the Basilica title in 1962 and is one of the only four Basilicas in Vietnam for its important role in the Vietnamese Catholic community. The construction work of this Basilica began in 1877 and lasted for three years under the supervision of J. Bourad, who was the designer of this building. The inauguration mass of the cathedral took place on April 11, 1880. The most special thing about this church is that it has a diverse system of stained-glass windows depicting Saints and stories in the Bible. In addition, it is one of the few churches in Vietnam that has a real pipe organ, which is deemed the king of instruments. However, it has been severely damaged and can no longer be used and has been replaced by an electronic pipe organ produced by Rodgers.

Address: 2 Cong Xa Paris, District 1