1 78 by Philippos Avramidis

City Narratives is a beautifully made book guiding the reader through the city with a collection of stories, music, photography, maps, smells, graphics, illustrations and people, old and new. It would be composed of unrelated chapters of the narrators findings in the city. City Narratives offers the reader an experience that is impossible to get online

INDEX

CITY NARRATIVES

The Pearl of Far East

MEET THE CITY THROUGH THIS GUIDE

PHILIPPOS AVRAMIDES Beyond the Story

PRINTed CLAYS Ltd ISBN: 978-980-90124 © Saigon publications

The legendary Origin

department 2015

The Giant Fish The Nine-tailed Fox

Saigon Ho chi mihn City Hall

8-19

The Evil Genie

Τ: 80 32 44 589 Ε: info@saigon.vn From Village to City Etymology of Name The Siege of Saigon

concept

The french Colonial a guide to the city visitor through five cultural FIELDS that characterize SAIGONHCM City. ΑΝ EFFORT TO READERS TO MEET THE culture and the heritage of the place . An attempt to support the idea of local development through culture, which is connected with tourism.

20-35

The Fall of Saigon

Learn our Culture War Museum Museum of Arts

36-51

Museum of History The Opera House Saigon Post Office Saigon City Hall Memorial Reunification Palace

Meet our Religions Virgin Mary Notre Dame Pink church

52-63

Quan Am Pagoda The mosque Thien Hau

Join with us Tet Kite Art Festival Mekong Ox Races

64-73

Cu chi Tunnels The Village

Saigon has its -Grand Boulevards, animated and happy: Bonard Boulevard is heralded by the geometry of a green glare from the healthy lawns and hedges trimmed in the French style in Francis Garnier Square, and Charner Boulevard along which is part of the multi-colored kaleidoscope of the flower market where heady scents linger Slowly the dawn and the suburbs: Tandinh, Gladinh, Phumy, Phutos, awaken and empty out. By animated roads, always the same, flow streams of humans that are absorbed by the port and the lower part of the city.

oday, Saigon is the big tourism center in Vietnam, attracting a large of visitors to Vietnam. Saigon has various attractions as Ho Chi Minh Museum, formerly known as Dragon House Wharf, Cu Chi Tunnels, system of museums, theatres, cultural houses... Recently, many tourist areas are invested such as Thanh Da, Binh Quoi Village, Dam Sen Park, Saigon Water Park, Suoi Tien, Ky Hoa..., which draw numerous tourists.

THE PEARL OF FAR EAST

Despite its quite recent past, Saigon nevertheless possesses various beautiful buildings, displaying a characteristic combination of Vietnamese, Chinese and European cultures. These include Nha Rong (Dragon House Wharf), Quoc To Temple (National Ancestors Temple), Xa Tay (Municipal Office), Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theatre as well as many pagodas and churches (Vinh Nghiem, Giac Vien, Giac Lam, Phung Son pagodas...). After more than 300 years of development, Saigon presents many ancient architectural constructions, famous vestiges and renowned sights. It is remarkable for its harmonious blending of traditional national values with northern and western cultural features.

BEYOND THE STORY

housands of years ago in the country of Linh Nam, there lived a clan chief with superhuman strength called Loc Tuc who took the title of King Kinh Duong. Endowed with magical powers, he could walk as easily on water as on land. One day, during a walk on Lake Dong Dinh, he met Long Nu, daughter of King Long Vuong (Dragon). From their union, a son was born who received the name Sung Lam. As he grew up, Sung Lam revealed his herculean strength, lifting a stone block like a piece of straw that two men could not manage to encircle with their arms. Sung Lam also inherited the supernatural gifts of his father, succeeded him as leader of the country under the name Lac Long Quan (Dragon, King of the Country of the Lac).

THE legendary origin

At this time, there was neither order nor peace in Linh Nam and King Lac Long resolved to travel his country from north to south.

hus it was that one day he met a fish of extraordinary size in the southern waters. Measuring

At once, the head turned into a dogfish and Lac Long started tearing up lumps of the shore and made a dike to keep the animal from escaping. Cutting off the head, he threw it onto the mountain that has ever since been called Cau Dau Son (Mountain of the Dogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Head).

THE GIANT FISH

over hundred feet in length, its tail stood up like a huge sail. It could swallow more than ten men in a single mouthful. When it swam, it raised waves sky-high and boats gliding in the vicinity were at risk of being swept away. The fishermen were very afraid of the demon-fish. It lived in a deep cavern leading to the bottom of the sea and an opening on top of a mountain chain that divided the country into two zones. King Lac Long wanted to rid the people of this threatening danger. He made a solid boat and forged a block of iron with sharp, white-hot sides. Then he sailed toward the demonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s abode. Raising the block above his head, he gave the beast the illusion of throwing a man at him as bait. Then he thrust the burning metal into the enormous open mouth of the creature. Mad with pain, the monster rose up, trying to overturn the boat. But quick as lightning, Lac Long sliced the monster into three pieces with his sword.

The body was carried away by the current and landed in the country of Man Cau. As for the tail, skinned by Lac Long, it still envelops the island of Bach Long Vi (Tail of the White Dragon). Having delivered the area of its monster, King Lac Long pursued his route as far as Long Vien. A task awaited him there.

e had nine tails and he hid himself in an obscure grotto at the foot of a mountain on the west side of the city. This evil spirit often assumed a human form to mingle with the crowd and to carry away young girls whom he kidnapped for his lair.

THE ΝΙΝΕ TAILED FOX

In the region stretching from Long Bien to Tan Vien Mountain, all the families had, alas, paid their “tribute” to this ignoble being. The population lived in a permanent state of terror. Many were those, who abandoning house, fields and gardens, had carried their households elsewhere. King Lac Long was filled with deep pity and decided to get rid of this monster as well. Alone and armed with his sword, he went toward the entrance to the grotto. On seeing him, the enemy attacked. Using his magic power, Lac Long called winds, rain

and storms to his aid. The fight lasted three days and nights. Weakened, the monster

tried to flee. The king pursued it and cut off its head. Then the monster took its original form and only the body of a ninetailed fox remained at Lac Long’s feet. Entering the grotto, the king released the prisoners, then called on the water powers to destroy this cursed place. The river flowed there in cascading torments, raking the mountain. Whirlwinds produced a deep abyss that the people of the time called “Sea of the Fox’s Body” and which is now called Tay Ho (West Lake in Hanoi). The liberated population returned to their homes and replanted their fields. Peace reigned throughout the region and Lac Long returned to the road through the hills and forests. Thus he came one day to Phong Chau.

Evil Genie of the ForestThere was an old tree called Chien don in the region that was two thousand feet tall, but its formerly luxuriant foliage was withered. The old tree had then been changed into an evil genie of the woods. The inhabitants of the area called it the Demon Tree. It was wicked and played diabolical tricks, ceaselessly changing forms and moving its lair to better surprise its prey and devour it. Continued heart-rending cries and complaints were heard in the forest.

THE EVIL GENIE OF THE FOREST

Lac Long left once more to fight against evil. For days and nights, he sneaked in and out of the forest looking from tree to tree for the demon; after much difficulty, he managed to find it. The fight lasted one hundred days and nights. Thousands of trees were uprooted, innumerable rocks split in half and clouds of dust obscured the sky and land without the evil spirit giving up. Finally, Lac Long had a brilliant idea. He made such a huge noise with gongs, tom-toms and other musical instruments that the terrified demon fled toward the southwest where he no doubt lives today!

Au Co lived with Lac Long for some time

Lac Long replied,

and became pregnant. She gave birth to a pouch filled with one hundred eggs,

“I am of the Dragon race, you are of the

each of which produced a baby boy at

Immortals. We cannot live together. We

the end of seven days. These hundred

must separate. I am going to leave for the

boys grew amazingly fast and became

maritime regions with fifty of our children

handsome men surpassing those of the

and you will go with the other fifty to the

same age in physical strength and in-

country of the mountains and the forests.

telligence.

We still divide this country between us to run it as best we can.”

For dozens of years, the couple lived in the most complete harmony. But

And they separated. Thus, the hundred

Lac Long always had nostalgia for the

boys became the ancestors of the Viets.

submarine palace. One day he said

Only the eldest lived in the Phong Chau

goodbye to his wife and children and,

and was proclaimed King as Hung Vuong

transforming himself into a dragon,

(King Hung). He divided the country into

took off toward the sea. Au Co and

fifteen provinces, each being the cradle

her sons wanted to follow him but,

of a tribe. Eighteen Hung kings succeed-

not being able to fly, they sadly took

ed him on the throne.

the mountain road again. Days full of sadness passed without news of him.

The story of Lac Long and Au Co is at

Upset by the memory of her loved one,

the origin of popular beliefs that the Vi-

Au Co stood on the highest summit and

ets are descended from the race of the

turned toward the south. Anguishly, she

Dragons and the Tien.

cried out, “Oh Lac Long, why don’t you return home?” And Lac Long was immediately at her side. Au Co reproached him softly “I am a native of the high mountains and large grottos. I have brought a hundred sons into the world in order to live with you in perfect harmony, but this still has not stopped you from leaving us.”

FROM VILLAGE TO CITY

n etymology of Saigon (or Sài Gòn in Vietnamese) is that Sài is a Sino-Vietnamese meaning “firewood, lops, twigs; palisade”, while Gòn is another Sino-Vietnamese word meaning “stick, pole, bole”, and whose meaning evolved into “cotton” in Vietnamese (bông gòn, literally “cotton stick”, i.e., “cotton plant”, then shortened to gòn). This name may refer to the many kapok plants that the Khmer people had planted around Prey Nokor, and which can still be seen at Cây Mai temple and surrounding areas. It may also refer to the dense and tall forest that once existed around the city, a forest to which the Khmer name, Prey Nokor, already referred.

The Saigon River

Other proposed etymologies draw parallels from Tai-Ngon, the Cantonese name of Cholon, which means “embankment” and Vietnamese Sai Côn, a translation of the Khmer Prey Nokor. Prey means forest or jungle, and nokor is a Khmer word of Sanskrit origin meaning city or kingdom, and related to the English word ‘Nation’ thus, “forest city” or “forest kingdom”

kilometres (140

Truong Mealy (former director of King Norodom Sihanouk’s royal Cabinet), says that, according to a Khmer Chronicle, The Collection of the Council of the Kingdom, Prey Nokor’s proper name was Preah Reach Nokor, “Royal City”; later locally corrupted to “Prey kor”, meaning “kapok forest”, from which “Saigon” was derived (“kor” meaning “kapok” in Khmer and Cham, going into Vietnamese as “gòn” )

into the East Sea

ETYMOLOGY OF THE NAME

is a river located in southern Vietnam that rises near Phum Daung in southeastern Cambodia, flows south and south-southeast for about 230

mi) and empties into the Nha Be River, which in its turn empties

some 20 kilometres north-east of the Mekong Delta.

he process of Vietnam’s colonisation began in 1858 when a Franco-Spanish force landed at Da Nang in central Vietnam and attempted to proceed to the capital Hue.[45] After becoming tied down, they sailed to the less defended south, targeting Saigon.[46] The southern offensive started on February 10, 1859 with a naval bombardment of Vũng Tàu. Within six days, the Europeans had levelled 12 Vietnamese fortresses and three river barriers. They then sailed along the Saigon River to the mouth of the Citadel of Saigon and opened fire with naval artillery from close range. The fort was manned by 1,000 soldiers and stored enough rice to feed 10,000 defenders for an entire year.

southeastern corner of the citadel, where most of the Vietnamese artillery had been installed.The Vietnamese artillery commanders had miscalculated and had set up their cannons incorrectly, firing at excessively high angles. The cannons were not easily adjusted and thus the Vietnamese firepower was misdirected and ineffective. At around 10:00, Captain Des Pallieres led 300 French soldiers in an infantry attack. They used bamboo ladders to scale the walls under artillery support from the river. The defenders were caught off guard by this manoevre and many fled in chaos.

THE SIEGE OF SAIGON

On February 17, 1859, the French warships opened fire on the citadel with artillery. This attack focused on the

Most of the Vietnamese defence personnel were concentrated at the eastern gate of the citadel, where they stubbornly fought off the French. Rigault de Genouilly led 500 French troops in hand-to-hand combat for

seven hours, having used explosives to breach the citadel. At 14:00, the French seized control of the citadel. Two hours later, de Genouilly declared the citadel as the new general headquarters of the French forces. The French seized a large arsenal. This included more than 200 cannons, 20,000 hand-held weapons such as firearms, pistols and swords, 100 tons of munitions, 80,000 tons of rice and 130,000 francs in cash.Saltpetre, shot and sulphur were also seized.The Vietnamese material losses were estimated to be around 20 million francs. The citadel commander fled to another village before committing suicide. The Vietnamese attempted to reclaim the citadel by sending reinforcements. Vĩnh Long and MU Tho sent 1,800 and 800 troops respectively, but French shelling prevented them from reaching the scene.This left the 5,800-strong local self-defence militia to combat the French. These militia engaged in ambushing French

patrols near the citadel, as well as evacuating local inhabitants, in order to create an open space close to their target. The local militia were supported by wealthy southern landowners, who supplied them with food and resources. The French soldiers charged with holding the citadel soon became stretched by the guerrilla attacks on the military installation. De Genouilly had decided to withdraw some of his forces back to central Vietnam. In addition, the inland position of the French forces lessened their technological advantage. As a result, the French decided to evacuate and destroy the fort. This was achieved on March 8. Captain Deroulede used 32 chests of explosives. He also razed the citadel by setting the rice granary ablaze, along with the weapons and munitions. The resulting fire was said to have smoldered for a further three years. The French withdrew to the outskirts of the city, before returning to central Vietnam

Saigon was an addicted city, and we were the drug: the corruption of children, the mutilation of young men, the prostitution of women, the humiliation of the old, the division of the family, the division of the country-it had all been done in our name. . . . The French city . . . had represented the opium stage of the addiction. With the Americans had begun the heroin phase. James Fenton

ormally called, Gia ﾄ進nh, Saigon is the western version of the name, given for the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina from 1859. French asserted their administration over the Sino-Vietnamese people by building massive colonial administration buildings, European villas as residences and planning the colony with wide boulevards a la Paris. The Vietnamese people then proclaimed their own independence after the second world war form the combined French and Japanese occupation, in a resistance led by Ho Chi Minh. Saigon was then the Independent Republic of South Vietnam, until losing the American War to North in Vietnam in 1975 and was then officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Many of the administrative buildings and European style villas are still around today, showing a lovely patina created by time in a tropical climate.

THE FRENCH COLONIAL

the heat is on, in sai gon miss sai gon the musical

war is over if you want it love and peace from yoko and john

he Fall of Saigon was the capture

ese troops had occupied the important

of Saigon, the capital of South Viet-

points of the city and raised their flag

nam, by the People’s Army of Vietnam

over the South Vietnamese presidential

and the National Liberation Front of

palace. The South Vietnamese government capitulated shortly

South Vietnam (also known as the Viet Cong) on April 30, 1975. The event marked the end of the Vietnam War and the start of a transition period to the formal reunification of Vietnam under the Socialist Republic.

THE FALL OF SAIGON

afterward. The city was renamed Ho Chí Minh City, after the Democratic Republic’s late President Ho Chí Minh. The capture of the city was

preceded

the

North Vietnamese forces, under the

evacuation of almost all the American

command of General Văn Tien Dũng,

civilian and military personnel in Saigon,

began their final attack on Saigon, with

along with tens of thousands of South

South Vietnamese forces commanded

Vietnamese civilians associated with the

by General Nguyen Văn Toàn, on April

southern regime. The evacuation culmi-

29, suffering heavy artillery bombard-

nated in Operation Frequent Wind, the

ment. This bombardment at the Tân Sơn

largest helicopter evacuation in history.

Nhat Airport killed the last two American

In addition to the flight of refugees, the

servicemen to die in Vietnam, Charles

end of the war and institution of new

McMahon and Darwin Judge. By the af-

rules by the communists contributed to

ternoon of the next day, North Vietnam-

a decline in the city’s population

"No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now." Richard M. Nixon us president

Vietnam was what we had instead of happy childhoods. Michael Herr, 1977

learn our culture

VIETNAM WAR MUSEUM

he War Remnants Museum is a war museum at 28 Vo Van Tan, in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. It primarily contains exhibits relating to the Vietnam War, but also includes many exhibits relating to the first Indochina War involving the French colonialists. The museum comprises a series of themed rooms in several buildings, with period military equipment placed within a walled yard. The military equipment includes a UH-1 “Huey” helicopter, an F-5A fighter, a BLU-82 “Daisy Cutter” bomb, M48 Patton tank, an A-1 Skyraider attack bomber, and an A-37 Dragonfly attack bomber

ernment kept political prisoners. Other exhibits include graphic photography, accompanied by a short text in English, Vietnamese and Japanese, covering the effects of Agent Orange and other chemical defoliant sprays, the use of napalm and phosphorus bombs, and war atrocities such as the My Lai massacre. The photographic display includes work by Vietnam War photojournalist Bunyo Ishikawa that he donated to the museum in 1998. Curiosities include a guillotine used by the French and South Vietnamese to execute prisoners, the last time being in 1960, and three jars of preserved human fetuses allegedly deformed by exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds, contained in the defoliant Agent Orange.

THE war museum

One building reproduces the “tiger cages” in which the South Vietnamese gov-

The Dragon House is an old customs house dating back to 1863, and is located on the water front at 1 Nguyen Tat Thanh, about a five to ten minute walk across the Ben Nghi Channel from where the Vung Tau ferries leave from on Ton Duc Thang Street.This location gives the museum a good view up and down the Saigon River. The link between the building and Ho Chi Minh himself is pretty tenuous. nThe link being that, as a youthful twenty-one year-old, this building is where Ho Chi Minh left Vietnam from in 1911 after signing on as a stoker and galley boy on the French freighter the ‘Admiral Latouche-Treville’.The museum contains a number of his personal affects, including clothes, sandals, radio and

so on.However, be warned, that the explanatory signs for all the exhibits are in Vietnamese. So don’t go to the museum expecting to learn a lot. However it is still an interesting and insightful place to visit, and you can still work out the basic outline of Ho Chi Minh’s life from the pictures.For example, you can work out that his travels to countries such as France, England, Soviet Union and China were important in his political and personal development.And that he was a man on many names. Born Nguyen Sinh Cung, Ho Chi Minh was also known as Nguyen Tat Thanh, Nguyen Van Ba and Nguyen Ai Quoc amongst many other names at various times throughout his life.

THE DRAGON HOUSE

eing one of the largest fine arts centers of Vietnam, Fine Arts Museum is conveniently located near the Ben Thanh Market, at 97A Pho Duc Chinh Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. The building that houses the museum was originally a mansion of a Chinese during colonial time and after - Mr. Hoa, the wealthiest man of Saigon at the time, who also owned other famous buildings in the city such as Majestic Hotel and Tu Du Hospital.

sidered as a masterpiece itself by most people. As Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City and the country reunited, the building was reformed into a museum in 1987 as the result of a decision of the City’s People’s Committee, though it was not officially opened until 1991.The Fine Arts Museum is indispensable for those who are keen on Vietnam arts and culture. Although the museum itself is not big and modern enough, its abundant collections can make up for these mistakes. The museum focuses on collecting, keeping, preserving and displaying fine artworks typical of Vietnamese people, especially Ho Chi Minh City and the South. It comprises three floors of exhibition space.

THE FINE ART museum

This yellow-white grand colonial-era mansion is a combination of French and Chinese styles which brings about a typical colonial feeling through its marble floors throughout and the spacious, airy rooms. It’s no wonder that the building is con-

Prehistoric Period Metal Age Chinese Dominationi Stone and bronze sculptures sculptures of Cambodia Dinh, Anterior Le Ly Dynasties Tran and Ho Dynasties Le to the NguyEn Tay Dynasty Nguyen Dynasty

stablished in the 1920s as the Musée Louis Finot, the Saigon National History Museum is in a building that typifies Indochinese architecture. One of many museums in Ho Chi Minh City.

ten in Vietnamese, English and French. Check out displays of stone tools, Roman coins, cannons and items from Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. The National History Museum is housed at the end of Le Duan, close to the tourist strip. The museum as it stands today opened its doors in 1979. When the building was built in 1929 it mainly exhibited ancient Asian art collections until after 1956, when it was renamed the Saigon National Museum. Expanded in 1975, the museum became the haven for Vietnamese history that we see today.

THE national museum

Occupying an area of more than 2,000 square meters, the museum traces the history of the Vietnamese people. Displays are in two parts, the first part being an exhibition of Vietnamese history from its first settlement until 1930, when the Vietnamese Communist Party was established. The second part houses displays of cultural and ethnological significance, including aspects of the ancient Mekong Delta, Cham art and the cultural history of Vietnam’s many ethnic minority groups. Display text is writ-

Note that photos are allowed but you must purchase a VND 30,000 camera ticket in conjunction with your VND 15,000 admission ticket. The museum is open daily

f all the stones of empire thrown up in Vietnam by the French, few are more eye-catching than the former Gia Long Palace, built a block west of the Hotel de Ville in 1886 as a splendid residence for the governor of Cochinchina. Homeless after the air attack that smashed his own palace, Diem decamped here in 1962, and it was in the tunnels beneath the building that he spent his last hours of office, before fleeing to Cha Tam Church in Cho Lon where he finally surrendered. Ironically, it now houses the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, which makes use of photographs, documents and artefacts to trace the struggle of the Vietnamese people against France and America. Even if you’re not desperate to learn more about the coun-

try’s war-torn past, you’re likely to be enchanted by the grandeur of the building, and you might even witness couples posing for wedding photographs, as the regal structure and well-tended gardens are a favourite backdrop for photographs.

THE HISTORY museum

Highlights include valuable relics taken from Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, a fine collection of Buddha statues, the perfectly preserved mummy of a local woman who died in 1869, excavated from Xom Cai in District 5, and some exquisite stylised mother of pearl Chinese characters inlaid into panels. Also housing a branch of the shop Nguyen Freres , the museum is just inside the main gate to the city’s botanic gardens and zoo.

Standing magnificently at the heart of saigon-hcm City

fter the invasion of Cochinchina, in 1863 French colonists invited a theatre company to Saigon to perform for the French legion in the villa of the French admiral at the Clock Square (Place de l’Horloge) (presently the corner of Nguyen Du and Dong Khoi streets). After a short time, a temporary theatre was built at the site of what is now the Caravelle Hotel. In 1898, the construction of the new theatre commenced on the site of the old one, and it was completed by 1 January 1900.

THE SAIGON OPERA HOUSE

Between World War I and World War II, all costs of mobilization and demobilization as well as other costs for the theatre companies from France to Saigon were paid by the municipal government. Despite the fact that the theatre was planned as an entertainment venue for the growing middle class, its audience declined as more and more night clubs and dance halls boomed in the city. During this period, performances were presented only occasionally, some being concerts and others cai luong programs. Following criticisms of the theatre’s façade and the high costs of organizing performances, the municipal government intended to turn the theatre into a concert hall (Salle de Concert), but this was never carried out. Instead, decorations, engravings and statues were removed from the theatre façade in 1943 to make the theatre look more

youthful. In 1944, the theatre was damaged by the Allied aerial attacks against Japanese Imperial Army, and the theatre stopped functioning. As Japan surrendered to the Allied forces, France returned to Cochinchina. In 1954, the French army surrendered to Viet Minh during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu which led to the Geneva Accords in the same year. The theatre was then used as a temporary shelter for French civilians arriving from North Vietnam. 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.

aigon Central Post Office (Vietnamese: Bưu đion 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 now a tourist attraction. It was designed by Auguste Henri Vildieu and Alfred Foulhoux, as well as Gustave Eiffel.

SAIGON POST OFFICE

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 translating to “Sai Gon and its environment 1892”

Even if you dont have a bundle of postcards to send to the relatives back home, you should still drop into Saigon Central Post Office to admire its interior. Check the working phone booths, and the beautiful, handpainted maps on either side of the interior walls that depict Saigon and the surrounding area in 1892, and the former telegraph lines of Cochin China. Souvenirs stalls off either side of the entrance sell the usual memorabilia, including a large selection of fictional Tintin in Vietnam covers.

Beautiful by day, stunning by night, Saigon City Hall is another excellent example of French colonial architecture in Ho Chi Minh City. Since 1975, the building has been the headquarters of the Peoples Committee in Ho Chi Minh City and is unfortunately not open to the general public. Only civil servants and cleaners are allowed.

n the centre of HCMC, at the end of Nguyen Hue, sits the magnificent office of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee. Completed in 1908 by the French, the former Hotel de Ville’s design is based on the Paris original. It remains as one of the most stunning colonial monuments especially when floodlit at night. Make sure to visit the statue of Ho Chi Minh on the median strip outside.

SAIGON CITY HALL

Keep in mind that because Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee is a working government building, the public is not allowed inside. However, don’t let that stop you from taking a bazillion photos of the photogenic cream and yellow architecture from outside the building. On the roof is a bell tower placed on a pyramid-shaped podium. Pose outside the building and snap some memorable shots of one of Saigon’s most famous landmarks.

he Ben Dưoc Memorial Temple (Đen tưong niem Ben Doc - Cu Chi) is a cultural history project of the Communist Party Committee and people of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was built to memorialize the significant contributions of the soldiers and people who were killed in the Saigon-Gia Đonh region during the anti-American and anti-French fighting. The temple is sited at the Ben Dưoc hamlet, Phú Me Hưng village, end of the Cu Chi tunnels.On December 19, 1975, the first stage of the Memorial Monument was inaugurated to welcome

many groups of people from inside and outside Vietnam to come to remember, burn incense and meditate. The City Committee of the Party, the People’s Council, and the Vietnamese Fatherland Front chose the date of December 19 as the annual memorial day to recall and be grateful to the dead. Construction of the temple was started on May 19, 1993 on the 103rd birthday of President Ho Chi Minh. It is located on a 7-hectare plot in the historical heritage compound around the Cu Chi tunnels.

THE memorial museum

ependence Palace, also known as Reunification Palace (, built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, is a landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was designed by architect Ngô Viet Thu and was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It was 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. The construction of the new Independence Palace started on 1 July 1962. Meanwhile, Diem and his ruling family moved to Gia Long Palace (today the Ho Chi Minh City Museum). However, Diem did not see the completed hall as he and his brother and chief adviser Ngô Đình Nhu were assassinated after a coup d’état led by General Dương Văn Minh in November 1963. The completed hall was inaugurated on 31 October 1966 by the chairman of the National Leadership Com-

mittee, General Nguyen Văn Thieu, who was then the head of a military junta. The Independence Hall served as Thieu’s home and office from October 1967 to 21 April 1975, when he fled the country as communist North Vietnamese forces swept southwards in the decisive Ho Chi Minh Campaign. On 8 April 1975, Nguyen Thanh Trung, a pilot of the Vietnam Air Force and an undetected communist spy, flew an F-5E aircraft from Biên Hòa Air Base to bomb the palace, but caused no significant damage. At 10:45 on 30 April 1975, a tank of the North Vietnamese Army bulldozed through the main gate, ending the Vietnam War.

THE reunification palace

In November 1975, after the negotiation convention between the communist North Vietnam and their colleagues in South Vietnam was completed, the Provisional Revolutionary Government renamed the palace Reunification Hall.

MEET our RELIGIONS

Long-established religions in Vietnam include the Vietnamese folk religion, which has been historically structured by the doctrines of Confucianism and Taoism from China, as well as a strong tradition of Buddhism (called the three teachings or tam giรกo). Vietnam is one of the least religious countries in the world. According to official statistics from the government, as of 2014 there are 24 million people identified with one of the recognised organised religions, out of a population of 90 million. Of these, 11 million are Buddhists (12.2%), 6.2 million are Catholics (6.8%), 4.4 million are Caodaists (4.8%), 1.4 million are Protestants (1.6%), 1.3 million are Hoahaoists (1.4%), and there are 75,000 Muslims, 7,000 Bahais, 1,500 Hindus and other smaller groups (<1%).[1] Tra-

Non-religious or folk belief (73.2%) Buddhism (12.2%) Catholicism (6.8%) Caodaism (4.8%) Protestantism

ditional folk religions (worship of gods, goddesses and ancestors) have experienced a rebirth since the 1980s. According to estimates by the Pew Research Center, in 2010 most Vietnamese people practice folk religions (45.3%), Buddhists constitute 16.4% of the population, around 8.2% of the Vietnamese are Christians (mostly Catholics), and around 30% are unaffiliated to any religion. Officially, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is an atheist state as declared by its communist government

(1.5%) Hoahaoism (1.4%) Others (0.1%)

ollowing the French conquest of Co-

chinchina and Saigon, the Roman Catholic Church established a community and religious services for French colonialists. The first church was built on today’s Ngo Duc Ke Street. There had been a Vietnamese pagoda, which had been abandoned during the war. Bishop Lefevre decided to make this pagoda a church. The last church was too small. Thus, in 1863, Admiral Bonard decided to build a wooden church on the bank of Charner canal. Lefevre put the first stone for construction of the church on 28 March 1863. The construction was completed two years later and was called “Saigon Church”. When the wooden church was damaged by termites, all church services were held in the guest-chamber of the French Governor’s Palace. This palace would later be turned into a seminary until the Notre-Dame Cathedral was completed.

THE SAIGON NOTRE DAME

After the design competition, bids were accepted for construction. Again, J. Bourard was the successful bidder and became supervisor of constructions. All building materials were imported from France. The outside wall of the cathedral was built with bricks from Marseille. Although the contractor did not use coated concrete, these bricks have retained their bright red color until today. On 7 October 1877,

Bishop Isidore Colombert laid the first stone in an inaugural ceremony. The construction of the cathedral took three years. On Easter Day, 11 April 1880, a blessing ceremony and ceremony of completion were solemnly organized in presence of the Governor of Cochinchina Charles Le Myre de Vilers. One can see the granite plate inside the main entry gate commemorating the start and completion dates and designer. The total cost was 2,500,000 French francs (at that time price). At the beginning, the cathedral was called State Cathedral due to the source of the construction funds. In 1895, two bell towers were added to the cathedral, each 57.6 m high with six bronze bells with the total weight of 28.85 metric tonnes. The crosses were installed on the top of each tower of 3.5 m high, 2 m wide, 600 kg in weight. The total height of the cathedral to the top of the Cross is 60.5 m.

s is customary, the Vietnamese telecom wires were also present

at the main gate of the church. On the facade of the church, a huge clock, this time in black, stands out greatly. The access door to the church

THE PINK CHURCH

is guarded by a metal fence painted in gold and in the outdoor,

street

stall

where you can buy drinks and some ice cream.The small gardens surrounding

the Church, have a few few poplars, which although it is not a tree of great beauty, is rare to see this country. The images are not fully appreciated the size of this building. Its height can supuerar to a 7 or 8 plants, and plant the church can have easily 60 meters.

uilt in 1818, Quan Am Pagoda is one of the most famous and frequented pagodas in the city, attracting scores of both Vietnamese and Chinese worshippers on a daily basis. As with most temples of its kind, meticulous attention to detail was displayed in its creation, with numerous intricate carvings depicting icons of the Buddhist faith covering just about every available inch of the temple.

QUAN AM PAGODA

A combination of Buddhist and Taoist symbolism, the pagoda is dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Quan Am, whose statue dominates the inner chamber. Visitors can also pay their respects to numerous other deities such as Thien Hau or The Lady of the Sea, the Jade Emperor and Amitabha, who is said to offer salvation through faith. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free to visit the pagoda, and for those who wish to fully understand the depictions within the pagoda, it would serve well to do a little background research before visiting.

aigon Central Mosque is one of the 12 mosques in Ho Chi Minh City. The Central Mosque was built in 1935. It was originally constructed for worshipers from southern India then resident in Saigon, but now Muslims from all over the world would come here to worship. This mosque is usually crowded on Fridays. This a very peaceful place to go to understand the Muslim culture in Vietnam. The shaded verandah and cool stone floors make it an ideal place to sit, read or even nap in the heat of the day.

THE MOSQUE

As with most mosques, an important tip here is to remember to take your shoes off before entering the mosque and dress conservatively and decently if you wish to enter.Furthermore you can also eat halal food that is readily available right outside the mosque. Just outside the mosque there are people selling halal food like bread and biscuits. Just across the road there is a halal restaurant that serves Vietnamese halal food as well.

hùa Bà Thiên Hau (The Pagoda of the Lady Thien Hau) is a Chinese style temple located on Nguyen Trãi Street in the Cho Lon (Chinatown) district of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is dedicated to Thiên Hau, the Lady of the Sea (“Tian Hou” as transcribed from the Chinese), who is also known as “Mazu”. Thiên Hau is a deity of traditional Chinese religion, who is revered in the southern maritime provinces of China and in overseas Chinese communities. Thiên Hau is worshipped in the seafaring Chinese communities of Fujian, Guangzhou, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. She is not specifically a deity of Taoism or Buddhism, though she has been brought into connection with figures and themes from Taoism and Buddhism. For example, at Quan Âm Pagoda, also in Cho Lon, Ho Chi Minh City, the two major altars are dedicated respectively to Thiên Hau and to Quan Âm (the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara).

thien hau

THE thien hau rooftop

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et, or Vietnamese New Year, is the most important celebration in Vietnamese culture. The word is a shortened form of Tet Nguyên Đán which is Sino-Vietnamese for “Feast of the First Morning of the First Day”. Tet celebrates the arrival of spring based on the Vietnamese variation of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which usually has the date falling in January or February. Tet is generally celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year, except when the one-hour time difference between Vietnam and China results in new moon occurring on different days. It takes place from the first day of the first month of the Vietnamese calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the third day. Many Vietnamese prepare for Tet by cooking special holiday foods and cleaning the house. These foods include bánh chưng, bánh dày, dried young bamboo soup (canh măng), giò, and sticky rice. Many

customs are practiced during Tet, such as visiting a person’s house on the first day of the new year (xông nhà), ancestor worship, wishing New Year’s greetings, giving lucky money to children and elderly people, and opening a shop. Tet is also an occasion for pilgrims and family reunions. During Tet, Vietnamese visit their relatives and templeorgetting about the troubles of the past year and hoping for a better upcoming year. They consider Tet to be the first day of spring and the festival is often called Hoi xuân (spring festival) Vietnamese people usually return to their families during Tet. Some return to worship at the family altar or visit the graves of their ancestors in their homeland. They also clean the graves of their family as a sign of respect. Although Tet is a national holiday among all Vietnamese, each region and religion has its own customs.

Tet

d into three periods, known as Tet Niên (penultimate New Year’s Eve), Giao Thua (New Year’s Eve), and Tân Niên (the New Year), representing the preparation before Tet, the eve of Tet, and the days of and following Tet, respectively..

Children receive a red envelope containing money from their elders. This tradition is called mung tuoi (happy new age) in the north and lì xi in the south. Usually, children wear their new clothes and give their elders the traditional Tet greetings before receiving the money. Since the Vietnamese believe that the first visitor a family receives in the year determines their fortune for the entire year, people never enter any house on the first day without being invited first. The act of being the first person to enter a house on Tet is called xông đot, xông nhà or đop đot, which is one of the most important rituals during Tet. According to Vietnamese tradition, if good things come to the family on the first day of the lunar New Year, the entire following year will also be full of blessings. Usually, a person of good temper, morality, and success will be the lucky sign for the host family and be invited first into the house. However,

just to be safe, the owner of the house will leave the house a few minutes before midnight and come back just as the clock strikes midnight to prevent anyone else entering the house first who might potentially bring any unfortunate events in the new year to the household. Sweeping during Tet is taboo or xui (unlucky), since it symbolizes sweeping the luck away; that is why they clean before the new year. It is also taboo for anyone who experienced a recent loss of a family member to visit anyone else during Tet. During subsequent days, people visit relatives and friends. Traditionally but not strictly, the second day of Tet is usually reserved for friends, while the third day is for teachers, who command respect in Vietnam. Local Buddhist temples are popular spots as people like to give donations and to get their fortunes told during Tet. Children are free to spend their new money on toys or on gambling games such as buu cua cá cop, which can be found in the streets. Prosperous families can pay for dragon dancers to perform at their house. Also, public performances are given for everyone to watch.

t the festival, the organization board presented more than 500 kites to visitors who felt excited when they themselves participated in flying kites. Furthermore, they were also instructed by artisans how to make a kite, fly the kite and technique on Japanese Rokkaku flying and fighting. Rokkaku is a traditional six-sided Japanese fighter kite which, traditionally, is made with bamboo spars and “washi” paper. During the festival, artisans showed the viewers wonderful performances with hundreds of kites in diverse sizes and unique shapes of fish, phoenix, dragon and octopus. They also made kites under the theme of landscapes, islands and sea that conveys a message of “Vietnam, a peace loving nation and on the way of international integration”. In the evening, the kites which were attached with LED lights created a sparkling space, fascinating the locals and visitors. Dzung, a kite artisan from Nam Dinh Province said: “When seeing my kite hovering in the sky, I feel very happy.”

THE ART KITE FEST

The image of kites is very familiar to Vietnamese people and it is closely attached to their childhood and peaceful countryside landscape. Therefore, participating in the festival tourists seemed to back to their childhood’s sweet memories.

early 30,000 people attended the 21st traditional ox race on October 14, a tradition among the Khmer ethnic minority. In total, 64 pairs of ox, mostly from several local districts, with the exception of two from Kirivong and Takeo districts in Cambodia, competed at the event, which is held annually on occasion of the Khmer Dolta ceremony.

THE MEKONG OX RACES

Pairs of oxen competed in qualifying rounds, with the winners proceeding to the next. Not only must the oxen be in excellent shape to win, but their handlers must be skilled and be able to conform to specific regulations of the contest.

The first prize, of VND30-million (USD1,428), was presented to team No. 13, handled by Tran Van Cac, of Vinh Trung Commune. The second prize was awarded to team No. 44, whose handler was Nguyen Van Bup, from Luong Phi Commune. Mr. Chau Kim Song was given â&#x20AC;&#x153;best controllerâ&#x20AC;? prize, worth VND500,000. The organiser also granted four consolation prizes for teams that performed exceptionally.

go there in the evening. a taste of Vietnamese Life. There is a Vietnamese food buffet where you can sample the various types of authentic Vietnamese dishes. A great day to spend the day with the family.

he Binh Quoi Village (Làng Du Lich Bình Quoi in Vietnamese) is a tourist attraction in the Bình Thunh District of Ho Chi Minh City, in southern Vietnam. The Village comprises the two parts of the Bình Quoi Tourist Area. The Bình Quoi Tourist Area I was established by the Vietnamese government in 1975 and 1976, while the Bình Quoi Tourist Area II was built from 1979 to 1980, and the Tourist Village was established in 1994. The Tourist Village is located on the Thanh Da peninsula on the Saigon River approximately 8 km (a 20- to 30-minute drive depending on traffic) from the city center.

THE binh quoi village

The Tourist Village is set on lush garden-like grounds with lawns, coconut trees, creeks, and thatched cottages, presenting a view of days gone by in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region. Rich traditional southern Vietnamese cuisine is served there, and the area features a three-level, 700-seat floating restaurant in Bach Đang Harbor. Entertainment includes a cultural show featuring a traditional Vietnamese wedding, complete with water-borne bridal procession, rituals, and dances. www.binhquoiresort.com.vn

The tunnels of Cu Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Cu Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Congâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s base of operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968.

THE cu chi tunnels

The tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous North Vietnamese fighters. The tunnel systems were of great importance to the Viet Cong in their resistance to American forces, and helped to counter the growing American military effort.

"The Cu Chi tunnels are a must see in Vietnam and give some idea behind the Vietnam war"

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