Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam – A Historical Tour Of The City – Conquering the world one step at a time.

Ho Chi Minh – A city extremely understated and filled with so much history. Our last visit to the city brought us back in time as we stepped into the past and saw the blend of influences from its past colonial master in its architecture.

Here’s a list of places you may wish to consider if Ho Chi Minh’s up on your list next:

War Remnants Museum

The War Remnants Museum features several artifacts and exhibits detailing the Vietnam War. The museum explains the war from the Vietnamese point of view and it is hugely popular among tourists.

Admission fees: 15,000 VND

Opening hours: Daily from 7:30 am – 12 pm and 1:30 pm – 5pm.

I’ve read alot about the Guillotine that was used frequently in the French Revolution in my World Civilizations class but it was a different feeling seeing it in real life. The guillotine is a tool used to behead criminals as the sharp blade drops and ends life in an instant. However, I also remember reading somewhere that the blade may not be sharpened and the criminal may need to be beheaded several times as the knife may not cut through entirely.

Independence Palace

Alternatively known as Reunification Palace, the compound was was built on the site of the former Norodom Palace. It was designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu and the President of South Vietnam stayed in it during the Vietnam War. It was also the site of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its gates.

Unfortunately, it was already closed when we visited that day.

Opening hours: 7:30 – 11 am and 1 – 4:30 pm daily

Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica

Located in the downtown of Ho Chi Minh city, the cathedral was established by French colonists and constructed between 1863 and 1880. It has two bell towers, reaching a height of 58 meters.

Saigon Central Post Office

Just a short walk from Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, 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 now a tourist attraction.