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People's Committee Building
HCMC's gingerbread Hôtel de Ville, one of the city's most prominent landmarks, is now somewhat incongruously the home of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. Built between 1901 and 1908, the Hôtel de Ville is situated at the northwestern end of ÐL Nguyen Hue, facing the river. The former hotel is notable for its gardens, ornate façade and elegant interior lit with crystal chandeliers. It's easily the most photographed building in Vietnam.
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Phung Son Pagoda
The Phung Son Pagoda is extremely rich in statuary made of bronze, wood, ceramic and hammered copper. It's peopled with a mix of gilded and beautifully carved statues (some painted). This Vietnamese Buddhist pagoda was built between 1802 and 1820 on the site of structures from the Oc-Eo (Funan) period, dating back at least to the early centuries of Christianity. The foundations of Funanese buildings have been discovered here.
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Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda
Built in 1902 by the Fujian Congregation, Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda is one of the most beautifully ornamented pagodas in HCMC. Of special interest are the many small porcelain figures, the elaborate brass ritual objects and the fine woodcarvings on the altars, walls, columns and hanging lanterns. From outside the building you can see the ceramic scenes, each containing innumerable small figurines, which decorate the roof.
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Presidential Receiving Room
The ground-floor room with the boat-shaped table was often used for conferences. Upstairs in the Presidential Receiving Room - the one with the red chairs in it - the South Vietnamese president received foreign delegations. He sat behind the desk; the chairs with dragons carved into the arms were used by his assistants. The chair facing the desk was reserved for foreign ambassadors. The room with gold-coloured chairs and curtains was used by the vice president.
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Quan Am Pagoda
Cholon has a wealth of wonderful Chinese temples including Quan Am Pagoda, founded in 1816 by the Fujian Chinese congregation. The roof is decorated with fantastic scenes rendered in ceramic from traditional Chinese plays and stories. The tableaux include ships, people and several ferocious dragons. The doors are decorated with old gold-and-lacquer panels.
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Reunification Palace
This is one of the most fascinating sights in HCMC, because of its striking modern architecture and the eerie feeling you get as you walk through the deserted halls. The building is preserved almost as it was on the last day of the Republic of Vietnam in 1975. A statue of Ho Chi Minh and a viewing room are the latest additions.
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Saigon Central Mosque
Built by South Indian Muslims in 1935 on the site of an earlier mosque, the Saigon Central Mosque is an immaculately clean and well-kept island of calm in the middle of the bustling Dong Khoi area. In front of the sparkling white-and-blue structure, with its four nonfunctional minarets, is a pool for the ritual ablutions required by Islamic law before prayers. Take off your shoes before entering the sanctuary.
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Tam Son Hoi Quan Pagoda
Built by the Fujian Congregation in the 19th century, Tam Son Hoi Quan Pagoda retains most of its original rich ornamentation. The pagoda is dedicated to Me Sanh, the Goddess of Fertility. It's particularly popular among local women who come here to pray for children.
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Temple of King Hung Vuong
Across from the entrance to the museum you'll see the elaborate Temple of King Hung Vuong. The Hung kings are said to have been the first rulers of the Vietnamese nation, having established their rule in the Red River region before it was invaded by the Chinese.
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The Sacred Horse of Quan Cong
To the left of the entrance of the Phuoc An Hoi Quan Pagoda is a life-size figure of The Sacred Horse of Quan Cong. Before leaving on a journey, people make offerings to the horse, then stroke its mane and ring the bell around its neck.
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Thien Hau Pagoda
Built by the Cantonese Congregation in the early 19th century, the large Thien Hau Pagoda is dedicated to Thien Hau and always has a mix of worshippers and visitors, mingling beneath large coils of incense suspended overhead.
Thien Hau (also known as Tuc Goi La Ba) can travel over the oceans on a mat and ride the clouds to wherever she pleases. The Goddess is very popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan, which might explain why this pagoda is included on so many tour-group agendas.
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Ton Duc Thang Museum
The small, seldom-visited Ton Duc Thang Museum is dedicated to Ton Duc Thang, Ho Chi Minh's successor as president of Vietnam, who was born in Long Xuyen, An Giang province, in 1888. He died in office in 1980. Photos and displays illustrate his role in the Vietnamese Revolution, including a couple of very lifelike exhibits representing the time he spent imprisoned on Con Son Island.
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Tran Hung Dao Temple
The small Tran Hung Dao Temple is dedicated to Tran Hung Dao, a national hero who in 1287 vanquished an invasion force, said to have numbered 300,000 men, that had been dispatched by the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan. The temple is a block northeast of the telecommunication dishes that are between Ð Dien Bien Phu and Ð Vo Thi Sau.
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War Remnants Museum
Once known as the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, the War Remnants Museum is now the most popular museum in HCMC with Western tourists. Many of the atrocities documented here were well publicised in the West, but rarely do Westerners have the opportunity to hear the victims of US military action tell their own stories.
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Water Puppetry
Although it originates in the north, the art of water puppetry has migrated to HCMC in the last decade - in part because of its popularity with tourists. There are two venues to see water puppets in HCMC: On the grounds of the War Remnants Museum and at the History Museum. Schedules vary, but shows tend to start when a group of five or more customers has assembled. Expect a 20-minute show, performed by truly skilled and imaginative puppeteers.
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Xa Loi Pagoda
Famed as the repository of a sacred relic of the Buddha, Xa Loi Pagoda was built in 1956. In August 1963 truckloads of armed men under the command of President Ngo Dinh Diem's brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, attacked Xa Loi Pagoda, which had become a centre of opposition to the Diem government. The pagoda was ransacked and 400 monks and nuns, including the country's 80-year-old Buddhist patriarch, were arrested.
