Ho Chi Minh City Things to Do Tips by dlytle

Cho Lon, Saigon’s Chinatown, is one of the oldest, mysterious and most interesting parts of Saigon. Cho Lon literally means ‘big market’ and the vast Binh Tay Market lives up to that reputation. Though not as centrally located as the famous Ben Thanh Market, it was the first market I visited in Saigon.

Unlike other markets, Cholon Market hasn't changed since the days of the Viet Nam War. Here you will find derelict shells of old French style houses that are still surrounding the market building. When I arrived it was probably in the mid-80s Fahrenheit but because of overcast skies and a little breeze it was humid but not stifling. The market, however, was crowded and under its roof it did get pretty warm. I took my time shopping and I would suggest that you do also. The aisles are narrow, the din is loud, and the people are scurrying about or squatting in the narrow passages to talk or eat. The variety of goods here is positively astounding and will give you uncanny glimpses into modern Vietnamese life. I took a lot of pictures and my guide and I stopped often to inquire about some eye-appealing trinket or to haggle over the price of some pistachios.

At the center of the Binh Tay market is a very nice, eye-appealing courtyard of trees, beautiful shrubbery and stonework. Get your camera out as you will be taking photographs of the courtyard and the delightful market.

Saigon seems a paradise for shoppers. You will find tacky tourist junk right next to beautiful local handicrafts that are situated next to glittering fake-brand watches. And basketry and cloth seems to be in endless supply. If you love to shop and have at least some rudimentary bargaining skills and a good eye for value, your money will go a long way and you can enjoy virtually endless retail entertainment. Your bargaining skills will come in handy almost everywhere in Saigon as long as you avoid the major tourist-bus stop shops. Generally speaking, anything not marked with a price sticker can be had for about two-thirds the price first quoted.

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Directions: Saigon's Chinatown

The finest pagoda in Saigon just might be Cholon's Thien Hau Temple on Nguyen Trai Street that dates from the late 18th century. Its beautiful roof, topped by ceramic friezes, is remarkable. This is the oldest Chinese temple in Saigon and is consecrated to the Sea Goddess, the Goddess Protector of Sailors, based on Chinese folk beliefs. Within this temple you will find alcoves dedicated to other Chinese gods such as the Money God (it is said that good luck in doing business will be granted after some money is offered to him), the Mother Goddess, and the Mermaid.

A large, ancient looking open-air central area is filled with the pungent aroma of burning incense and its swirling pale white smoke. Coils of incense hang from the rafters and they all contain an attached red tag. These tags are prayers that get sent when the incense burns out at the top of the coil. My guide actually purchased one for me and placed my name on the prayer tag for luck and good fortune. Several women were busy lighting bundles of incense sticks and then praying within the alcove at the rear of the temple. A prayer for good health and business can be said after an incense coil or bundle is purchased.

To one side of the temple is an alcove containing a pool of fish, among which, is a giant. I never really did figure out what was represented by this pool and its fish.

The picture is a collage of views from outside and inside the temple.

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Directions: In Saigon's Chinatown

Outside of the temple, just by the street, was a vendor with a cage full of sparrows. I asked my guide, Minh Tran, about them. He explained that pilgrims would buy one or more sparrows before entering the temple and release them into the sky. It is an old Vietnamese custom that is presumed to bring a person some good karma.

Apparently, at least for now, it is also an illegal activity. It is illegal because of the avian flu that has been prevalent in Asia. Since humans are susceptible to this flu, the police will run these vendors off when they find them outside the temples.

And if you are wondering - no I didn't purchase a sparrow. Avoiding the avian flu was good karma enough for me!

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Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon is the commercial hub of Vietnam and certainly its most lively city. This place springs to life early in the morning with the hustle and bustle of the local markets and the incessant honks and noise from all manner of vehicles. If you would like to see Saigon up close and personal you should visit the large local markets of which Ben Thanh Market is the oldest and largest in Saigon. I was amazed at how large and varied and different this market is than anything I am use to at home.

'Ben' means pier or port and 'Thanh' means fort. It gets its name from the original market which was located on the shores of the Ben Nghe river close to old fort Gia Dinh. Its proximity to that fort and the river is the reason for its name. It has been in its present position since 1899.

At Ben Thanh, you will find practically every staple household commodity imaginable. If consumerism offers intimate glimpses of how people live, wandering among the tiny, packed stalls here will give you some unique insights into modern Vietnamese life. Ben Thanh also has a large, inexpensive food court which caters to local specialties. And you will also find produce, flowers, postcards, balloons - you name it and you will probably find it - sold on the sidewalks surrounding the building.

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Directions: This market is located in the center of the city

To me, this neo-Romanesque cathedral almost looks out of place in Saigon. It is much too European to be sitting in such a prominent position in this teeming city. Regardless, here it is standing in the middle of town just to the end of Dong Khoi Street. Built between 1877 and 1883, allegedly on the site of an old Chinese Pagoda, this is one of the best examples of classical French colonial architecture in the city. Remarkably every stone used in its creation was shipped from France to Vietnam. The bricks used to build the structure were all shipped from Marseilles. And French artisans from Lorin Company (Chartres, France) were commissioned to create the stained glass windows. The Cathedral cost 2.5 million francs to construct, a fortune both then and now. Structurally, the church is composed of two main central bays with two sidereal corridors, with tall pillars and light coming in through sets of high windows, and a semi-circular shrine. In 1962, the Vatican gave the cathedral the title Basilique.

Her two imposing 130 feet (40 m) tall towers, topped with iron spires use to dominate the city’s skyline but now there are a number of high-rise buildings that are much taller. However, in earlier years it was THE landmark that passengers looked for during their arrival aboard passenger liners traveling the winding Saigon River.

On the square in front of the cathedral, there is a statue of the Virgin Mary made of white marble, symbolizing peace.

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Address: Dong Khoi, District 1
Directions: City center

After taking a few pictures of Notre Dame Cathedral, my guide Minh and I walked directly across the street to the General Post Office (GPO). I probably would not have gone in but Minh told me how interesting it was and now I am glad that I saw it.

This is another example of French colonial architecture and is also Vietnam’s largest post office. It was built from 1886 to1891 and was designed by Gustave Eiffel of ‘The Eiffel Tower’ fame. It is a marvelous, airy place with so many windows and plenty of helpers waiting to serve you. And, often overlooked, a massive wall mural of Saigon in 1892 is another good reason to look inside. Also take note of the large portrait of Ho Chi Minh (the man) as ‘Uncle Ho’ watches over the proceedings from the far wall. Busy at all times, many of those milling around, like I was, are actually visitors and not in need of postal services.

There is a small card vendor near the open doorway who sells postcards. I bought one and then purchased a stamp to send it back to the USA. It turns out that the stamp has no glue to hold it on the envelope. So there are little glue pots on the long worktable that one uses to coat the back of the stamp with paste before attaching it on the card or letter to be mailed. Certainly different than where I come from.

Now there is a bit of trivia that the guide books don’t tell you about!

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Address: 2 Cong Xa Paris, District 1

This lovely theatre, often referred to as the ‘Opera House’ has a stone veranda, a pair of white stone statues of pretty girls at the gate, colorful granite tiled floors, pretty chandeliers, some bronze statues in front of the stairs, an audience hall with an arch engraved with decorative designs and rows of statues on the two sides of the theatre. All this design was aimed to bring a feeling of French style to the French and pro-French Vietnamese people under the period of French domination in the South of Vietnam in the early 20th century. Built beginning in 1897, the Municipal Theatre was later restored to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of Saigon (1698-1998).

For a time, in the 1950s, the Theatre was used as the headquarters of the lower House of government with the result of dramatically altering its architecture and look. Happily, the restoration brought back its original appearance.

You will find significant after-dark activities in the area due to the hotels and good restaurants nearby.

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Located in the heart of the central business district, across from the Rex Hotel, I visited this three-story shopping center filled with shops and stalls selling inexpensive clothes, backpacks, luggage, and accessories as well as jewelry and knock-off watches, CDs, DVDs, videos, and handbags. The second and third floors primarily include shops selling inexpensive clothes, reminiscent of the days when the Russians came here to buy such items in large quantities.

I spent most of my time on the ground floor that includes several small jewelry stalls and counters as well as vendors offering counterfeit watches and pirated CDs. While these CDs are attractive buys at $1 USD each, the quality of these illegal reproductions is often poor if not pathetic and many cannot be played because of production flaws. You may end up with a lot of cheap trash so shop wisely. Those shops will tell you that their CDs are top quality, and they do come in nice, artsy packaging - but don’t judge the product by its cover!

This is a much more glamorous and glitzy market than the Ben Thanh or Ben Tay markets. But it does not have the charm of those markets either. If you get a chance to visit here you will be surprised at the amount of inexpensive merchandise that is on sale here.

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Directions: The Russian Market (also known as the Tax Trade Center)
135 Nguyen Hue, Q. 1, HCMC