A statue of Uncle Ho cradling a small child watches over the tiny park fronting the building, where flowerbeds add a splash of colour. A whitewashed concrete edifice with all the charm of a municipal library, the palace occupies the site of the former Norodom Palace, a colonial mansion erected in to house the governor-general of Indochina.
After the French departure in , Ngo Dinh Diem commandeered this extravagant monument as his presidential palace, but after sustaining extensive damage in a February assassination attempt by two disaffected Southern pilots, the place was condemned and pulled down. The present building was named the Independence Palace upon completion in , only to be retitled the Reunification Hall when the South fell in The reversion to the label "Palace" was doubtless made for tourist appeal. All visitors are required to join a group tour in one of several languages.
Unlike at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, you are unlikely to be distracted here by the building that houses the heart-rending exhibits — a distressing compendium of the horrors of modern warfare.
Some of the instruments of destruction are on display in the courtyard outside, including a tonne howitzer and a ghoulish collection of bomb parts. Inside, a series of halls present a grisly portfolio of photographs of mutilation, napalm burns and torture. Most shocking is the gallery detailing the effects of the 75 million litres of defoliant sprays dumped across the country: besides the expected images of bald terrain, hideously malformed foetuses are preserved in pickling jars.
A gallery that looks at international opposition to the war as well as the American peace movement adds a sense of balance, and makes a change from the self-glorifying tone of most Vietnamese museums. Accounts of servicemen — such as veteran B52 pilot Michael Heck — who attempted to discharge themselves from the war on ethical grounds are also featured.
Artefacts donated to the museum by returned US servicemen add to the reconciliatory tone. At the back of the museum is a grisly mock-up of the tiger cages, the godless prison cells of Con Son Island, which could have been borrowed from the movie set of Papillon. Water puppets are an ingenious concept and few people fail to be enchanted at their first encounter with these waterborne buffoons.
The early-evening timing of the shows make them a fun activity with the kids before bed or dinner and consist of a dozen or so sketches on themes like rearing ducks and catching foxes, boat racing and unicorns playing with a ball. In the evenings, food stalls specializing in seafood set up along the sides of the market, attracting a mixed crowd of locals and tourists. Visitors come not so much for its ground-floor car showrooms and offices of wheelers and dealers, but for the sweeping views from the Saigon Skydeck on the forty-ninth floor, m above the ground.
Known as Norodom Boulevard to the French, who lined it with tamarind trees to imitate a Gallic thoroughfare, it soon became a residential and diplomatic enclave with a crop of fine pastel-hued colonial villas to boot. Its present name doffs a cap to Le Duan, the secretary-general of the Lao Dong, or Workers Party, from until his death in If you visit just one temple in town, make it this one, with its exquisite panels of carved gilt woodwork, and its panoply of weird and wonderful deities, both Taoist and Buddhist, beneath a roof that groans under the weight of dragons, birds and animals.
To the right of the tree-lined courtyard out front is a grubby pond whose occupants have earned the temple its alternative moniker of Tortoise Pagoda. Located at 4 Le Duan, the current nondescript building that houses the US Consulate was built right on top of the site of the infamous former American Embassy, where a commemorative plaque is now the only reminder of its existence and significance in the American War.
Two events immortalized the former building on this site, in operation from to and left standing half-derelict until as a sobering legacy. The first came in the pre-dawn hours of January 31, , when a small band of Viet Cong commandos breached the embassy compound during the nationwide Tet Offensive. That the North could mount such an effective attack on the hub of US power in Vietnam was shocking to the American public.
The embassy building was one of thirteen designated landing zones where all foreigners were to gather upon the secret signal.
The area soon became the largest Hoa community in the country, a title it still holds, with a population of over half a million. The original Hoa residents of Cho Lon gravitated towards others from their region of China, with each congregation commissioning its own places of worship and clawing out its own commercial niche — thus the Cantonese handled retailing and groceries, the Teochew dealt in tea and fish, the Fukien were in charge of rice, and so on.
By the early twentieth century, sassy restaurants, casinos and brothels appeared for the wealthy residents to spend their fortunes. Also prevalent were fumeries, where nuggets of opium were quietly smoked from the cool comfort of a wooden opium bed. Among the expats who frequented them was Graham Greene, and he recorded his experiences in Ways of Escape.
By the s, Cho Lon was a potentially dangerous place to be, its vice industries controlled by the Binh Xuyen gang. Post-reunification, Cho Lon saw hard times.
As Hanoi aligned itself increasingly with the Soviet Union, Sino-Vietnamese tensions became strained. Economic persecution of the Hoa made matters worse, with hundreds of thousands of ethnic Chinese, many of them from Cho Lon, fleeing the country.
Today, the business acumen of the Chinese is valued by the local authorities, and the distemper that gripped Cho Lon for over a decade is a memory. Set back from the bustle of Cho Lon, it has an almost tangible air of antiquity, enhanced by the film of dust left by the incense spirals hanging from its rafters.
Framing the two door gods and the pair of stone lions assigned to keeping out evil spirits are gilt panels depicting petrified scenes from traditional Chinese court life — dancers, musicians, noblemen in sedan chairs, a game of chequers being played.
Besides Vietnamese cuisine, which these days enjoys global popularity, just about every other type of food you could imagine is served here, including Indian, Italian, Brazilian, Japanese, Mexican, Lebanese and German, though perhaps predictably French restaurants comprise the most formidable foreign contingent in town. One area well worth checking out in the evening is around Ben Thanh market, where a cluster of food stalls offer a bewildering variety of dishes, many specializing in seafood.
Some of the best things to eat in Ho Chi Minh City can be found in the simple eating houses, where good, filling rice and noodle dishes are served for a pittance from buffet-style tin trays and vast soup urns; these are especially popular at lunchtime. When looking for where to eat in Ho Chi Minh City, you have to consider the specialist restaurants.
Some of the swankier restaurants lay on reasonably priced set menus and also live traditional music in order to lure diners. Though there are many delectable dishes to discover when finding what to eat in Ho Chi Minh City, keep an eye open for chao bo , slithers of beef grilled on sticks of lemongrass, which can be superb when the beef is well marinated.
Earlier in the day, the same venues offer the chance to linger over a coffee and watch the world go by. Later at night, a number of clubs get going, though they often have short lifespans unless they are under the protection of a major hotel. Things seem a bit looser around the budget district, where several places open all night. Bars and pubs in Ho Chi Minh City range from hole-in-the-wall dives to elegant cocktail lounges that would not be out of place in a European capital.
The area around Dong Khoi is predictably well endowed, and another boozy enclave exists around Le Thanh Ton, Hai Ba Trung and Thi Sach, where a glut of places, ranging from slick yuppie haunts to watering holes that hark back to the raunchy GI bars of the s, has developed to cater for expats renting apartments nearby.
Many of the bars listed below feature live music either every night or at the weekend. One way to economize while downtown is to take advantage of early-evening happy hours, or check out the surprisingly cheap and tasty bia hoi.
Paintings on rice paper, silk ao dai , lacquerware, embroidered cloth, musical instruments and ethnic garments are all popular gifts and souvenirs, as are curious such as opium pipes, antique watches, French colonial stamps and banknotes, while the cheapest items are the ubiquitous T-shirts and conical hats. Sadly the range of English-language books available in regular bookshops is very limited.
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Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk. It features free Wi-Fi and an international restaurant with a rooftop terrace.
The room is cozy and the main building is a very lovely western style. Great place, perfect design, very good staff. I cancelled the Park Hyatt and continued to stay there. Super fast internet. Excellent staff. Modern quality facilities. The staff is absolutely amazing.
This place does all the little things that are now overlooked or Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, a hour front desk and a concierge service, along with free WiFi. Was visiting here couple of months ago and had mixed review then. It also features a restaurant and provides free WiFi throughout the property. Perfect for our short stay. Very clean and comfortable rooms, and we loved the breakfast on the roof The location was excellent and wonderful amenities.
Amazing location! Was able to walk around everywhere! Perfect location, wonderful breakfast and the all for free eats and drinks were fantastic. This 3-star hotel offers a hour front desk, room service and free WiFi.
Meander was really new brand property jn city with perfectly location in district 1 which you can Super confortable room with nice design. Spacious room with lovely design, a little bit retro and a little bit modern will totally give you a Located in Ho Chi Minh City, 1. This 3-star hotel offers a concierge service The staffs are crazily cute and helpful, especially the staff in the lounge. The staffs are friendly, helpful.
Room feel good, bathtub with warm water is good for relax. Looking for something even fancier? With delicious Vietnamese aromas, small silk shops and ancient pagodas, the streets of Ho Chi Minh City dazzle tourists with their vibrant atmosphere. On the other hand, the Haussmann-style boulevards are typically packed with small motorcycles that make every street crossing a whole new experience. Meanwhile, Saigon Center or Zen Plaza are some of its modern shopping malls.
A sunset visit to the 23rd September Park is the best way to mingle with the locals. Error: Please enter a valid email address.
Error: Oops! An error has occurred. We've sent you an email so you can confirm your subscription. We were able to walk to most of the tourist highlights in the city from the hotel itself.
There are two money exchange shops just a few steps away from the hotel which was very convenient as well. The breakfast buffet was just perfect! Offered a good variety of food. All in all I feel I was very satisfied with what I received for the price I paid. The room is really spacious. You won't find that size with the same price anywhere in Ho Chi Minh city.
Yes, it's clean. Room service and new towels everyday. Free water, coffee and tea. There is a big kitchen where you can store and cook your food if you want. The staffs are friendly. Location is ok for my work. It's not in the very center but it's quite close to District 1 where all tourists will head to.
Bright and beautifully decorated hotel in the heart of district 1. If you feel like escaping the crowds take to the rooftop pool but go early as the spaces in this little oasis are limited. Great sized room and comfy bed, great choice for breakfast and even quaint little afternoon tea is included.
The hotel is located in District 1, which is where the highlight of Hochiminh city is. Design of the hotel is cozy and contemporary, which stands out from many other hotels in hochiminh. Room service is prompt. Hotel advocates environmental friendliness. Bathroom was spacious but the towels few and small. The location is very good close to the city center and some major attractions with many restaurants and bars around.
Overall cleanness is acceptable. The staff is kind and friendly and at the reception speak English. The price is good but generally hotels in District 1 are bit overpriced.
Very comfortable bed. Very clean hotel with attentive staff. Breakfast had ample choice and was good quality produce. At the edge of District 1 but walking distance to city centre.
Exceptional value for money with x2 spa treatments a day in the package. I had a wonderful stay in Ipeace hotel.
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