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Ho Chi Minh City Tour

COMMENTARY FOR CITY TOUR


Outline
1. Introduction of the city tour program:
The three-hour tour will cover a pedicab tour in the city center in 30
minutes, a visit to History Museum, a water puppet show, a bus
tour by some landmarks for snap-shots, a visit to China town and a
drop by a lacquer-ware workshop.
2. Introduction of the citys topography and geography,
administrative centers:
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is the largest and
most crowded city in Vietnam with the official population of over 6
million people. The city now comprises 19 districts and 5 suburban
districts. District 1, along the Saigon River, where downtown Saigon
is located, is the commercial center and contains most of the citys
monuments. China town is 8 km away in district 5.
3. Introduction of the citys history and main landmarks along
the way:
It was first established in 1698 and considered as an administrative
unit under the Nguyen Dynasty. It became the principal city of
Cochin China during the mid 19th century under the French rule.
Later, Saigon served as the capital city of South Vietnam from 1956
to 1975 when the country was reunified. Today, the city has
emerged as the most dynamic commercial and industrial heart of
Vietnam.
* City Hall
Built in 1909 and known as Hotel de Ville, the building with its
ornate faade and its elegant interior lit with crystal chandeliers is
one of the city s most prominent landmarks and is now the office of
Ho Chi Minh City People s Committee.
* Municipal Theater (Opera House)
First built in 1899 as a theater for French troupes performances,
the building then served as the seat of South Vietnamese National
Assembly in the late 1950s. The theater has been renovated in its
original architecture and used for Vietnamese variety shows ranging
from traditional music, orchestral performances, fashion shows to
symphonies and operas.
* Notre Dame Cathedral
The Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1880 on the site of the
former Citadels arsenal. The faade is made of red brick in the

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Ho Chi Minh City Tour
Neo-Romanesque style and is framed by two square belfries of 40
meters high. A statue of Virgin Maria with the height of 4.2 meters
was erected later. You can see communion celebrated here two
times a weekday and four times on Sunday.
* General Post Office
Located on the east side of the square in front of the Cathedral, it
was built between 1886 and 1891 in European style architecture
with a great glass and ironwork dome. A huge mural of the map of
Saigon was added at the beginning of the 20th century.
* Ben Thanh Market
This large covered central market together with Binh Tay Market in
Cholon is the largest in Saigon. Ben Thanh market was completed
in 1914 at the intersection of Le Loi, Ham Nghi and Tran Hung Dao
Boulevards. All kinds of products and services are available here
every day from 06:00 A.M. to 06:00 P.M.
4. The cultural and social life of city dwellers:
Traditionally, Vietnamese people follow the extended family
structure, often including three or even four generations, and
typically consisting of grandparents, parents, children, and
grandchildren, all living under the same roof. The practice,
however, becomes less popular in big cities like Ho Chi Minh City.
Most families in Ho Chi Minh City are now nuclear ones with only
parents living with the children. In this way, they are not
completely dependent on their parents in every familys decision. As
for nuclear families, both husbands and wives go to work or work
on their own, leaving their children either in kindergartens or at
grandparents home so that grandparents can help look after their
children. A lot of Vietnamese people are Buddhists or practice the
concepts of Buddhism in life.
5. Economy of the city: light industry, handicraft industry,
service industry, etc.:
Since the introduction of the new policy of market-oriented
economy (Doi Moi policy) in 1986, more private enterprises have
been encouraged all over Vietnam, especially in Ho Chi Minh City.
Though farming still persists in the suburban districts,
industrialization is increasing dramatically in the city center. Ho Chi
Minh City now accounts for more than 30 per cent of the country
industrial output. The main light industries here include textiles and
garments, footwear, plastics, food processing; handicrafts such as
embroideries, bamboo and rattan wares, lacquer wares. Tourism
also plays a very important role in the city economy. In 2005, Viet
Nam received more than 3.5 million foreign tourists and more than
half of that came to Ho Chi Minh City.

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6. Education and medical care system of the city:
Vietnam in general has a fairly complete education system ranging
from kindergarten to tertiary schooling levels. Children aged from 3
to 6 are encouraged to join kindergartens; those aged from 6 to 15
must go to primary and junior secondary schools on the basic of the
compulsory education. After finishing these levels, they can go
either to vocational centers or to senior high schools and
universities for further education. Ho Chi Minh City is one of the
first to complete this compulsory education among the children.
Besides, there are also many international schools that provide
more opportunities for students to join either locally or abroad.
As for medical care system, Vietnam has a nationwide network of
health care from the central and provincial to commune levels.
Those who are employed by any economic organization rather than
self-employed can enjoy medical insurance which can cover partly
or all the hospitalizing cost. The rest can pay for medical insurance
on their own to get the same benefits or go to private hospitals or
clinics.
7. City planning and well-known architectures:
Saigon was designed during the French colonial time and built up a
lot more during the American time and recently during the doi
moi period, but quite a few French colonial-style public buildings
are still there. At the intersection of Le Loi and Nguyen Hue
Boulevard is the most famous Hotel de Ville (City Hall). Along Dong
Khoi Street in District 1 stand such famous buildings as Notre Dame
Cathedral, General Post Office, Opera House, Continental Hotel. At
the waterfront, the banks, the customs houses line up looking out
to the river. To preserve the old structures, the city has been
planned and expanded with new modern urban areas in district 2
and district 7 to meet with the development and to house growing
inhabitants.
8. The formation and development of Chinese community in the
city:
The name Cholon literally means big market and refers to District
5 where Chinese immigrants traditionally settled down. Today, half
a million Chinese-Vietnamese citizens here play essential role in
most of the citys business and industry.
9. Famous Chinese temples Life, culture, customs and beliefs
of Chinese people:
Traditionally, Chinese people tend to live into congregations and
gather around their own communal houses to help each other. In
Ho Chi Minh City, there are more than half a million Chinese of
different congregations such as Cantonese, Fujian, Chaozhou,

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Ho Chi Minh City Tour
Hainanese and Hakka. They all build temples to worship their gods
or goddesses such as Thien Hau (the goddess of the sea), Guan
Gong (the deified Chinese general well-known for his bravery and
loyalty), Ong Bon (the guardian spirit of happiness and virtue).
Some famous Chinese temples here include Thien Hau Temple
(Chua Ba), Nghia An Hoi Quan (Chua Ong), Ong Bon Temple
10. Along-the-road commentaries: port, market, bus station,
movie houses, hospitals, schools, traffic, entrepreneurs,
vehicles, etc.:
* Saigon port is one of the biggest river ports in Vietnam where
ships of 50,000 tons can call in for business and tourism. The port
has become busy in the late 17th century when the city was first
established.
* Besides the two biggest markets (Ben Thanh and Binh Tay
markets), there are many other markets throughout the city. Here
the markets usually start every day from early in the morning until
late in the afternoon. Products range from vegetables, fruit, fish
and meat to clothes, shoes and consumers goods.
* Public transport has been recently improved for people to use.
However, the majority still prefers using their own vehicles, mostly
motor-bicycles to get to work.
11. Tourist attractions: Reunification Palace, National History
Museum, Water Puppet show, War Remnants Museum, Thien
Hau Temple, Binh Tay Market, Lacquer ware workshop, etc.:
* Reunification Palace
Located in downtown Saigon, the building was formerly the
Norodom Palace where Indochinese French Governor-General
resided during the mid 19th and early 20th centuries. The original,
first built in 1868, was handed over to Saigon Authorities headed by
President Ngo Dinh Diem after the 1954 Geneve Convention and
served as his official residence. In 1962, two pilots of South
Vietnamese Air Force who were much disaffected by the Ngo family
regime bombed and partially destroyed the building. A new palace
was designed and rebuilt on the same site, and the construction
was finished in 1966. Its main gates were torn down on April 30th,
1975. The building was then renamed the Reunification Palace and
is now reserved for governmental receptions, international seminars
and exhibitions and tourist site alike.
* National History Museum
Built in 1929 by the Societe des Etudes Indochinoises, it was once
known as the Saigon National Museum. Located just within the
entrance of the Botanical and Zoological Gardens, the History
Museum now contains an excellent collection of artifacts illustrating
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the physical and chronological evolution of Vietnamese cultures
from Prehistoric to Feudal Vietnam.
* Water Puppet show
The water puppetry or Mua Roi Nuoc is one of the oldest
Vietnamese traditional art forms, which was originated in the 11th
century in Northern Vietnam. The stage of this unique puppet
theater is made over the surface of the water while the puppeteers
stand chest deep in the water behind a bamboo screen,
manipulating the wooden puppets by means of long bamboo rods.
Some popular pieces of this water puppetry include Dragon Dance,
Lion Dance, Fishing, Chasing the fox and Saving the ducks.
* War Remnants Museum
Recently rebuilt on the same site of the original Buddhist pagoda
and later French outpost, the museum now displays photographs of
war atrocities committed during the Vietnam war, tanks, airplanes,
infantry weapons and even a copy of tiger cage prison first
introduced since the French colonial period.
* Thien Hau Temple
This oldest richly decorated Chinese temple was built by Cantonese
Congregation at the end of the 18th century and dedicated to the
Heavenly Lady (locally called Thien Hau), who was supposed to be
the protector of the fishermen and seafarers. Among the other
altars is one (locally called Long Mau) dedicated to the protection of
women and newborns and yet another (locally called Kim Hue) to
sterile women and mothers who have no sons. Incense coils,
ceramic figurines, richly attired statues, and a model boat
commemorating the arrival of the first Chinese from Canton are
among the items of interest here.
* Binh Tay Market
Binh Tay, with a wonderful array of noises, smells and colors, is one
of the most colorful and exciting markets in Cholon. First built in
1928 by a Chinese merchant Quach Dam, this is now the
marketplace for wholesalers throughout the city.
* Lacquer-ware workshop
Vietnamese lacquer-ware has long enjoyed world fame for its high
quality and exquisite craftsmanship. Here in this workshop, an
elaborate explanation of manufacturing process made by salesmen
and saleswomen will certainly make your visit a memorable
experience. A variety of mother-of-pearl inlaid and eggshell inlaid
lacquer-ware articles and furniture are on display and ready for
your choice.

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