Bitexco Financial Tower
From the outside, Bitexco Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Ho Chi Minh City, is impressive enough. The 68-storey, 262-meter skyscraper is reportedly reminiscent of the lotus flower which Vietnamese people normally refer to as the floral emblem, while if you focus on the helipad, the building resembles a CD rack. The tower offers an awe-inspiring 360-degree view of the city and many dining options where visitors can skip the Skydeck on the 49th observation floor and go straight to Eon Heli Bar on the 52nd floor for a late afternoon or night drink. It is definitely worth a visit to get a sense of the city’s geography and dense population.
Saigon City Hall
Saigon City Hall, renamed Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee after 1975, started building in 1902 and was completed by 1908. It first functioned as a hotel before becoming headquarters for civil servants of the city. Saigon City Hall was designed by French architect Gardes and was modeled after the City Hall in Paris.
There is a bell tower inspired by those in European town halls that marks the highest point of the structure. As of right now, Saigon City Hall is not open to the public, it still remains a must-visit landmark for tourists as the building and its grounds are illuminated at night.
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Located in Paris Square, the name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the statue ‘Peaceful Notre Dame’ in 1959.
Measuring almost 60 metres in height, the cathedral’s distinctive neo-Romanesque features include the all-red brick facade (which were imported from Marseille), stained glass windows, two bell towers containing six bronze bells that still ring to this day, and a peaceful garden setting in the middle of downtown Ho Chi Minh City District 1.
Saigon Opera House
The Saigon Opera House is an elegant colonial building at the intersection of Le Loi and Dong Khoi Street in District 1, very close to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral and the classic Central Post Office. The restored three-storey 800-seat Opera House was built in 1897 and is used for staging not only opera but also a wide range of performing arts including ballet, musical concerts, Vietnamese traditional dance and plays. Performances are advertised around the building and information can be found in the state-operated tourist information centre nearby.
Nha Rong Wharf
Nha Rong Wharf, once Saigon’s trading port, was built by French colonialists in the span of a year and a half, construction was completed in 1963. The building is a mixture of Eastern and Western architectural features. “Nha Rong” translates to “House of Dragon”, justifying the two dragon figures situated on top of the building’s roof.
Today, Nha Rong Wharf is also known as Ho Chi Minh Museum, in honor of Ho Chi Minh’s embarkation to seek national salvation. The museum hosts seminars, presentations, and showcases information about Ho Chi Minh’s life and career. There are more than 3,300 books and 11,000 about Ho Chi Minh at the museum.
Ho Chi Minh Central Post Office
The Central Post Office is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia. Located next door to Notre Dame Cathedral, the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese Empire. The building was designed by Alfred Foulhoux and features arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it would have in its heyday in the late 19th century.