A Brief Introduction of The Central Sector of the Sai Gon Independence Palace

Independence Palace (Also known as Reunification Palace) is a unique 12 hectare complex featuring a large palace with an 80-meter-wide front, surrounded by a vast garden with many trees. Inside the palace, there are conference rooms, workrooms and a hall with its capacity of 800 people.

This is a restored 5 floor time warp to the 60s left largely untouched from the day before Saigon fell to the North (construction started in 1962 and finished in 1966). Formerly South Vietnam's presidential palace, the war ended on April 30, 1975 when tank #843 crashed through the gate. A replica of that tank is now parked on the lawn outside. Be sure to check out the impressively kitschy recreation room, featuring a circular sofa, and the eerie basement, full of vintage 1960s phones, radios, and office equipment, supposedly left exactly as it was found when the North took over. There is also a photo gallery and a propaganda film recounting how the South Vietnamese military and American forces succumbed to Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary forces, upon which point many South Vietnamese supporters fled as refugees, military and police were punished and many sent to labor camps. Tours are available and are free, but not necessary.

A Brief Introduction of The Central Sector of the Sai Gon Central Post Office

The Ho Chi Minh City Post Office, or the Saigon Central Post Office (Vietnamese: Bưu điện Trung tâm Sài Gòn, French: Poste centrale de Saïgon) is a post office in the downtown Ho Chi Minh City, near Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, the city's cathedral. The building was constructed when Vietnam was part of French Indochina in the late 19th century. It counts with Gothic, Renaissance and French influences. It was constructed between 1886-1891 and is one of the top Saigon attractions because it was designed by Gustave Eiffel (the man who also engineered the Eiffel Tower in Paris).

Sai Gon Central Post Office ‎(Bưu điện trung tâm Sài Gòn)‎ was built in 1895, designed by Alfred Foulhoux, but is often erroneously credited as being the work of Gustave Eiffel or a collaboration between Foulhoux and Hanoi-based Auguste Henri Vildieu. As translated by the historian Tim Doling, the journal Architecte constructeur: Revue du monde architectural et artistique of 15 September 1891 commented: “The inauguration the new Saigon Post Office, which was held on July 14, had been postponed until the return of the Governor General. This monument, adorned with a most artistic façade, is particularly well laid out and well equipped for the different services to which it is intended; it does the greatest honour to the skill and talent of the distinguished Chief Architect of the Colony, M. Foulhoux.”

Inside the Saigon Central Post office of special note are two painted maps that were created just after the post office was built, the first one located on the left side of the building is a map of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia titled Lignes telegraphiques du Sud Vietnam et Cambodge 1892 which translates to "Telegraphic lines of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia 1892". The second map of greater Saigon is titled Saigon et ses environs 1892 that translates as "Saigon and its surroundings 1892

The architecture of the post office combines Western structure styles and Eastern decorations. The front of the post office is decorated with rectangles honoring French celebrities and the inventors of the telegram and electricity. The post office and Notre-Dame Cathedral create a beautiful architectural complex.

A Brief Introduction of The Central Sector of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee

Located at 86 Le Thanh Ton Street, Bach Dang Ward, District 1, This is the administrative body of Ho Chi Minh City. The French style building with three bell towers was built in 1898 and inaugurated in 1909. It is surrounded by many statues and is regarded as one of the most beautiful structures in the city. In front of this building, there are a statue of President Ho Chi Minh and Nguyen Hue Walking Street, which is Vietnam’s most beautiful and modern square. This square is 640 meters long and leads to Bach Dang Wharf.

A Brief Introduction of The Central Sector of the Notre-Dame Cathedral

Located at 01 Paris Commune Square, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Sai Gon Notre-Dame Cathedral was built in 1877 and completed in 1880, designed by French architect Bourard, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. The name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the statue ‘Peaceful Notre Dame’ in 1959. In 1962, the Vatican conferred the Cathedral status as a basilica and gave it the official name of Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica. Being a reproduction of Notre-Dame de Paris, it has a statue of Maria placed in the front square. Measuring almost 60 metres in height, most of the materials including the bricks, tiles, cement, and decorative glass were brought from France. Located in the city center, Notre-Dame Cathedral is one of the most famous destinations of Ho Chi Minh City thanks for its special architecture and rich spirituality and history. It is very close to Ho Chi Minh City Central Post Office and Independence Palace.

A Brief Introduction of The Central Sector of the Bitexco Financial Tower

Bitexco Financial Tower ‎(Tháp Tài chính Bitexco thành phố Hồ Chí Minh)‎, located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City’s business and entertainment district, is the most exciting commercial property development undertaken in Vietnam to date. It stands 262 metres high consisting of 68-storey, the lowest of which are occupied by retail stores, food outlets and the FV medical clinic (3rd floor), above this are offices with restricted access. That tambourine is the 48th-floor Saigon Skydeck, with a helipad on its roof.

The architect responsible for the design of Bitexco Financial Tower, Carlos Zapata, drew inspiration for this skyscraper’s unique shape from Vietnam’s national flower, the Lotus. To the Vietnamese, the lotus is a symbol of purity, commitment and optimism. Built at a time of unprecedented growth for the Vietnamese economy, the Bitexco Financial Tower is designed to represent the energy and aspirations of the country’s people.

The tower is owned by Bitexco Group, a Vietnamese multi-industry corporation, with a focus on real estate development. The building also houses the Ho Chi Minh City office of Bitexco Group, while its headquarters are in Hanoi.

A Brief Introduction of The Central Sector of the Saigon Municipal Opera House

The Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon Municipal Opera House (Vietnamese: Nhà hát Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh; French: Opėra Municipal de Saigon), is an opera house in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is an example of French Colonial architecture in Vietnam.

Built in 1897 by French architect Eugène Ferret as the Opėra de Saigon, the 800 seat building was used as the home of the Lower House assembly of South Vietnam after 1956. It was not until 1975 that it was again used as a theatre, and restored in 1995.

The Municipal Theatre is a smaller counterpart of the Hanoi Opera House, which was built between 1901 and 1911, and shaped like the Opéra Garnier in Paris with 800 seats to entertain French colonists. The Municipal Theatre owes its specific characteristics to the work of architect Félix Olivier, while construction was under supervision of architects Ernest Guichard and Eugène Ferret in 1900.

Its architectural style is influenced by the flamboyant style of the French Third Republic, with the façade shaped like the Petit Palais which was built in the same year in France. The house had a main seating floor plus two levels of seating above, and once was capable of accommodating 1,800 people. The design of all the inscriptions, décor, and furnishings were drawn by a French artist and sent from France.

In 1955, the theatre was restored as the seat of the Lower House of the State of Vietnam, then the Republic of Vietnam. After the Fall of Saigon in 1975, the building was restored to its original function as a theatre. In 1998, on the occasion of 300th anniversary of the founding of Saigon, the municipal government had the theatre façade restored.

A Brief Introduction of The Central Sector of the Phu My Hung Area & Starlight Bridge

Phú Mỹ Hưng New (PMH) Urban Area is a planned city located in District 7, southern Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), at the peri-urban fringe. Built by the Vietnamese-Taiwanese joint venture Phu My Hung Corporation since 1997, PMH is a showcase of modern urban neighbourhood in Vietnam, turning wetlands into a multifunctional urban area. The new city features one of the largest Korean expatriates communities in South-east Asia. It is often cited as a rare successful case in the 2630-hectare Saigon South Master Plan. Another new urban zone around HCMC would be Thu Thiem– a 647-hectare peninsula located across the Saigon River.

Phu My Hung is an upscale development area of Saigon, filled with an abundance of pleasant sit down restaurants, both Vietnamese and international, with big breezy patios, your choice of just about every fast food chain, from Lotteria to Dominoe's, and plenty of Korean restaurants as well. Along with restaurants, modern malls, and the shops that fill Phu My Hung, one of the main draws is the Starlight Bridge, a bridge that spans across the lake, with a waterfall cascading down, illuminated by flashing lights in a rainbow of colors.

A Brief Introduction of The Central Sector of the Sai Gon Cu Chi Tunnels

Sai Gon Cu Chi Tunnels (Địa đạo Củ Chi Sài Gòn) are part of a much larger network of tunnels was built underground. The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong's base of operations for the Tết Offensive in 1968. They offer visitors a sneak-peek at the underground life of Vietnamese soldiers back in 1948. This place is one of the most important historical tourist attractions in this city. The above 200-km-long tunnels were built and used as a shelter from U.S. troops by Vietnamese soldiers during the war in Vietnam. Hospitals, kitchens, food, weapon depots and working as well as meeting rooms were in the underground tunnel complex. Visitors can experience profound sufferings of the soldiers by discovering the tunnels. Before entering the Cu Chi Tunnels, visitors will see documentary films about the destination. Furthermore, they can even try shooting with machine guns with real bullets. Furthermore, visitors can book a bicycle or motorbike tour from the city center to the tunnels. It can be said that a one-day tour to the tunnels is a must-do thing.