Saigon, traffic jam

Saigon, traffic jam

Now that we have seen the most western side of Saigon, we will take a look at its more Asian face.

The first thing that will surprise you in your first visit to Saigon is the amount of motorbikes. It seems that each and everyone of the 10 million people who live in Ho Chi Minh City has its own bike!

You have to know that walking in the streets of any Vietnamese city can be dangerous. And Saigon is the most dangerous of all the towns in this country.

In some of the big avenues there are traffic lights, but in most of the streets there are not. To cross a street takes some practice. Do not wait for Saigonese drivers to stop, instead, start walking at a slow and steady path. Look at the face of the drivers that will try to avoid you. If you see some danger, stop. This way moto riders will have time to react.

HCMC Central Post Office

- Started to be built in 1886 and completed in 1891 under architect Villedieu's design, this magnificent building was located on a high hillock by the sie of the municipal cathedral with Hai Ba trung avenue in the back. The building's front side was adorned with rectangle squares inscribed with the names of telegraphic and electric inventors together with figures of men and women wearing laurel wreaths.A big clock was hung over the dome of the building . Inside the building , visitors can see two historical maps, one is "Saigon and its environments" created in 1892 and "Telegraphic network in South Vietnam and Combidia" created in 1936.
- The Central Post Office is available with 35 customer servicing counters equipped with up-to-date telecom facilities that enable direct telegraphic contact with any areas of the globe and any place in the country. In addition, there are various services such as registered postal parcel time alarm, express mail service, cultural souvenir products, telegraphic philately, telegraphic gift...,
Address : No.2 Paris Commune Park, Dist.1

Thien Hau Temple

Located in the center of Chinatown, Thien Hau Temple was built by the Cantonese Congregation in 1760 in order to express their gratitude to this Goddess for her protect during their immigration trip to Vietnam by sea. Huge circles of incense, some of which are one meter in diameter and can burn for a whole month, are hung in the main sanctuary.

Address: 710 Nguyen Trai Street., District 5

Open daily

Can Gio Mangrove Forest

The Can Gio Mangrove Forest was recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2000. Covering an area of 75,740ha, the evergreen forest is a lively world of 150 kinds of flora, 137 species of fish, 31 species of reptiles, 4 species of mammals, 130 species of birds which has inspired biologists and nature lovers alike. At Can Gio, visitors will have opportunities not only to indulge in a fresh green environment but also to explore the mysteries of the tidal swampy ecosystem and thrill to the legends of amphibious commandos during the Vietnam War.

Giac Lam Pagoda

Built in 1744, Giac Lam Pagoda is considered the oldest pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City. All the construction reflects the fine art of southern Buddhist architecture featuring pleasant ambience with dark interior, subtle and meticulous sculptures, hundreds of precious 200-year-old statues of Buddha, Bodhisattva and Arhat, delicately engraved pillars and gilded descriptions in old Vietnamese characters.

Address: 118 Lac Long Quan Street, Tan Binh District

Open daily

Notre Dame Cathedral

Inaugurated in 1880, Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the oldest and biggest Catholic churches in Vietnam. This neo-Romanesque architecture, built with bricks and tiles imported from France, reminds of the cathedrals in Paris, Chartres or Reim. Visitors can attend mass held three times on weekdays and six times on Sundays.


Address: Cong xa Paris Square, Dong Khoi & Han Thuyen Streets, District 1, HCMC

Open: Daily, Sunday Mass 9:30am

Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels is one of the most famous historical vestiges of Vietnam's national liberation war. The network consists of over 200 kilometers of tunnels connected with one another like a cobweb. Inside are fighting posts, kitchens, food and ammunition storage caches, medic care chambers, meeting chambers, commanding chambers as well as living quarters which enabled guerillas to held on to the land and fight for years. From this underground village, the revolutionary forces staged the 1968 general offensive and the Ho Chi Minh campaign in April 1975 to liberate South Vietnam.


Address: Phu My Hung Ward, Cu Chi District

Open daily: from 8am to 4pm.

Entry: VND 65,000