HO CHI MINH CITY
Ho Chi Minh City is one of the new Asian boomtowns and with
4 million inhabitants Vietnams largest city. There is still a lot of
the old Asia, but it is changing rapidly, becoming modern quite
quickly. Ho Chi Minh City is often referred to as Saigon.
However, this is only part of the truth, as Ho Chi Minh City also
includes other parts, like Cholon. The area has a latitude of
10º22'13" - 11º22'17" North and latitude
of 106º01'25" - 10º701'10" East. For long
time ago Saigon was praised as the "Pearl of the Far
East".
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| Statue of Uncle Ho in front of City
Hall |
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Song of City : Saigon Dep Lam (Beautiful
Saigon) in Midi file Ho Chi Minh City is not so much a
city as a small province covering an area of 2029 sq km stretching
from the South China Sea almost to the Cambodian border. Rural
regions make up about 90% of the land area of Ho Chi Minh City and
hold around 25% of the municipality's population. The other 75% is
crammed into the remaining 10% that constitutes the urban centre.
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| Traffic in Saigon |
Saigon river |
Tourist Attractions Phuoc Hai Tu Pagoda
Built by local Cantonese in 1909,
this is one of the most colorful pagodas in Ho Chi Minh City.
Dedicated to the Emperor of Jade, the supreme Taoist god, this
temple also contains a wide range of other deities including the
Buddhist archangel Michael, a Sakyamuni Buddha, statues of two
generals who tamed the Green and the White Dragon, and Quan Am.
There is also a Hall of Ten Hells with relief depicting the one
thousand tortures of hell. Women sell birds at the pagoda that are
set free to gain merit and there is a pond containing large turtles. Thong
Nhat conference Hall Thong Nhat conference Hall, also
called Reunification hall or Presidential Palace, was build in 1965
on the ground of Norodom Palace as a residence for the French
Governor Generation of Cochinchina. After 1954 ,President Ngo Dinh
Diem an his family lived and worked in Norodom Palace. In 1963 a
dissident launched an air bombardment and heavily damaged the
palace. Diem built a new one ehich was later replace by another call
Independence Palace.
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After the liberation the
Palace was turned into the Headquarters of the Municipal
Military Administrative Committee. After that Palace was
change name to Hoi Truong Thong Nhat(Unify conference Hall) |
Notre Dame Cathedral Notre
Dame Cathedral is a magnificent building located in the heard of the
city. The cathedral was built between 1977 and 1880 in French style
The name was approval of the Vatican during ceremonies held in
1959.In front of the cathedral is a statue of the Virgin Mary. Near
the Cathedral you can visit Central Post Office of Indochina ,It was
build in French-Colony style
Tran Hung Dao Pagoda This temple was built in 1932 for
the worship of the victorious 13th century general Hung Dao. It
contains a series of bas-reliefs depicting the general's successes,
carved dragons, and weapons.
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda A Japanese-style pagoda completed in
1967, it is one of the largest in Vietnam. The structure is a
classical seven-story pagoda with a spacious sanctuary.(only open on
holidays). Inside is a large Japanese-style Buddha in an attitude of
meditation, flanked by two goddesses.
Le Van Duyet Temple Le Van Duyet is the South
Vietnamese hero who put down the Tay Son Rebellion and reunited
Vietnam. The main sanctuary displays a strange collection of the
Marshal's personal possessions: a stuffed tiger, a miniature
mountain, whale baleen, carved elephants, crystal goblets, spears,
and other weapons of war. The Marshal is buried here with his wife.
Giac Vien Tu Pagoda The Pagoda of Buddha's Complete
Enlightenment was built in 1771 and dedicated to the worship of the
Emperor Gia Long. Although restored, Giac Vien Tu remains one of the
best preserved temples in Vietnam. It is lavishly decorated, with
over 100 carvings of various divinities and spirits, dominated by a
large gilded image of Sakyamuni. Giac Lam Pagoda
Built in 1744, the Forest of
Enlightenment Pagoda is the oldest in Ho Chi Minh City. It has a
sacred Bodhi tree in the courtyard, the gift of a monk from Sri
Lanka, and curious for the blue and white porcelain plates used to
decorate the roof and some of the small towers in the garden facing
the pagoda. Inside there are rows of funerary tablets with pictures
of the dead and a main altar with layers of Buddhas dominated by the
Buddha of the Past. Particularly interesting is a 49-Buddha oil
lamp. The monks are very friendly and are a good source for the
history of the pagoda. Some speak good English and French.
| Zoo and Botanical
Gardens The construction of gardens began in March
1964 under the supervision of French tropical botanists
it was completed in 1865.Valuable trees from different parts
of country as well as from India, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and
other countries were planted there. |
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| Bronze elephant gift from King
Rama VII of Siam to the Zoo |
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| City Theatre |
Notre Dame Cathedral |
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