Historical architectures
One of the most interesting places to visit is the former Presidential Palace, now renamed the Reunification Hall. Built in the early 1960s, it was designed by famous Vietnamese architect Ngo Viet Thu, who had won the First Grand Prize of Rome (Grand Prix de Rome) in 1955.
This magnificent five-story building was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975.
The complex covered an area of 12 hectares, including a palace with an 80-meter-wide facade, a guest chamber, with a spacious garden and a lawn. Most of the building materials were imported from France.
Not far from the palace, you will find the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame. The cathedral in the center of the city was established by French colonists between 1863 and 1880.
It has two bell towers, reaching a height of 58 meters and worshippers and other visitors can admire the beautiful structure of the building.
Standing adjacent to the cathedral is the Saigon Central Post Office, which was built between 1886 and 1891. It's a very pretty French colonial building from the outside, while inside filled with old-fashioned charm - including phone boxes, ceiling fans and an antique clock.
The arched windows of the post office are adorned with decorative capstones, while the main entrance is decorated with intricate ironwork. Huge maps of Vietnam of the both sides of the entrance also draw attention.
This busiest post office of Vietnam provides the usual mail services and also has phones and fax machines for public use. Stamps and souvenirs are sold from the counters.
The Mekong Delta tour
The Mekong Delta at the southernmost end of Vietnam is not only the location of Ho Chi Minh City, but the country's main rice basket and fruit garden.
The Mekong Delta is where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the South China Sea through a network of tributaries. As the world's 12th-longest river and the seventh-longest in Asia, the river drains an area of 795,000 kilometers. It runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Characterized by lowlands and earth-laden brown water, the river separates into several branches. Beyond its banks, rice paddies extend to the horizon.
A river tour of the Mekong River is a must as the river runs through Ho Chi Minh City.
The fresh smell of the river greeted us when we approached the harbor where rows of boats were moored.
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