Ho Chi Minh City Things to Do Tips by keeweechic

Notre Dame Cathedral or Grand Cathedral is a magnificent building in the heart of the city near the Tu Do (Dong Khoi) Street which was a former red-light district. The cathedral was built 1877-1880 using stained glass windows from Chartres and bricks from Marseilles.

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Address: 1 Commune of Paris, Dist. 1
Directions: Right Next to the Post Office.

In 1959 with the approval of the Vatican the cathedral was named Notre Dame. It is supposed to sit on the site of an old pagoda. The neo-Romanesque architecture is complete with two-40m square bell towers. The garden outside is a popular gathering place.

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Address: Notre Dame Cathedral, 1 Commune of Paris, Dist. 1

Then Central Market or Ben Thanh Market is the biggest of the markets found in the city The building was formerly the main railway terminal. The market sells a large variety of goods from imported electronics and imported perfumes to local souvenirs, clothing and produce.

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Address: Le Loi St., Dist.1 Ho Chi Minh City

Only a few weeks earlier, an American woman had been stabbed in the market but I believe it was an isolated case. She was ok. The market is busy but just take care of your bag when it is crowded.

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Address: Ben Thanh Market , Le Loi Circle

While the crafts and other goods are on the inside of the market, the produce, flowers, and meats are generally sold on the pavements and alleys surrounding the building.

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Address: Ben Thanh Market, Le Loi St., Dist.1

Right outside the Ben Thanh Market on Le Loi Circle is the statues of General Tran Nguyen Han, a 15th-century warrior. The Circle is a busy roundabout for traffic.

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Address: Le Loi Blvd.

City Hall was built in the early of 1900's.
Few French colonial buildings in Ho Chi Minh City are as well preserved as the City Hall..

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Address: Ho Chi Minh Square, Nguyen Hue St

Ho Chi Minh was born in 1890 in the village of Kimlien, Annam and given the name of Nguyen Sinh Cung. He worked for a short time as a school teacher, then travelled the world as a sailor. Ho was inspired by the Russian Revolution and he even visited Moscow and thought that all Vietnamese communists should return to their country to fight for freedom and independence from French Colonial rule.

Ho Chi Minh went on to become the leader of the Communist forces during the Vietnam War. He was one of the most influential political leaders of the 20th century. The statue shows Ho holding a child and sits in the park in front of City Hall.

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Address: Ho Chi Minh Square, Nguyen Hue St

On the long boulevard which leads up to City Hall and Ho Chi Minh’s statue you will the Municipal Theatre (built in 1890) which was undergoing restoration when I was there. The theatre served as the seat of the National Assembly during the days of the South Veitnamese Republic. The architecture was inspired by the Grand Palais in Paris. Also on the Boulevard are several hotels including the well known Rex Hotel.

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Address: Nguyen Hue Blvd

The Rex Hotel was a popular haunt amongst journalists during the Vietnam War. It was once home to the daily U.S. military attaché’s press briefing which was dubbed the “Five O’Clock Follies” . The Rex, while not as modern and as upmarket as the newer hotels, still has a charm relating back to that period.

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Address: 141 Nguyen Hue Blvd. - Dist. 1