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(Reunification Palace , War Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, HCM Central Post Office. Municipal Theatre, City Hall, China town- Thien Hau temple)
( Reunification Palace) : April 30 in Vietnam is known as Liberation Day or Reunification Day. On this day, many people, especially veterans, like to go to places that help rekindle their memory of the war. Reunification Palace, in the heart of downtown Ho Chi Minh City, was the headquarters of the Saigon regime and it has been kept as a remnant of the war.The palace, used by the presidents of South Vietnam, has Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street in the front, Huyen Tran Cong Chua at the back, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai on the right and Nguyen Du on the left. Surrounded by a big area of lawn and high trees in its gardens, the main building is of an architectural style typical of the 1960s.
The first thought many visitors have is the memory of photos of a tank crashing through the palace's high iron gate on the morning of April 30, 1975, marking the end the Southern regime.
Guides take tourists through the palace, even down to the command bunker and tunnels that the regime's leaders used to escape.
( Notre Dame Cathedral ): is a quintessential remnant from the French colonial period. Built between 1877 and 1880, the church was approved by the Vatican to use the name ‘Notre Dame’ in 1959.
Decked with stained glass windows, the red brick Catholic church has a neo-Romanesque structure with 40-metre iron spire towers that once dominated Saigon’s skylines. There is a marble statue of Virgin Mary in front of the church. It is a popular spot where young local brides and grooms take pictures before the wedding ceremony.
The church is located in the heart of the city, north of Dong Khoi road, near the city’s main post office and the botanical garden. It is full during the Sunday mass that starts at 930 am - the mass is performed in English.
(History Museum)
Designed by French architect Delaval and established in 1927 under the auspices of the Société des études Indochinoises as the Musée Blanchard de la Brosse, this museum became the Sài Gòn National Museum in 1956. In 1975, after some renovation, it was expanded to become the Hồ Chí Minh City Historical Museum. Through its various exhibits of of cultural and ethnological artefacts the museum recounts the history of the Vietnamese people from the earliest times up to the 1930s, when the Việt Nam Communist Party was founded.
Operated by the Vietnamese government, the museum was opened in September 1975 as the "The House for Displaying War Crimes of American Imperialism and the Puppet Government [of South Vietnam]." Later it was known as the Museum of American War Crimes, then as the War Crimes Museum until as recently as 1993. Its current name follows liberalization in Vietnam and the normalization of relations with the United States, but the museum does not attempt to be politically balanced.
The museum comprises a series of eight themed rooms in several buildings, with period military equipment located within a walled yard. The military equipment include a UH-1 "Huey" helicopter, an F-5A fighter, a BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter" bomb, M48 Patton tank, and an A-1 attack bomber
 
(Central Post Office)
Located in city centre, it is the place where locals and tourists get in touch with the outside world since Internet access is limited to business enterprises and hotels. There are big maps of Vietnam on both sides of the main hall and displays of stamps
( Municipal Theatre ): (The Saigon Opera House) an opera house in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is an example of French Colonial architecture in Vietnam.Built in 1897 by French architect Ferret Eugene, the 800 seat building was used as the home of the Lower House assembly of South Vietnam after 1956. It was not until 1975 that it was again used as a theatre, and restored in 1995.
( City Hall ):Hotel de Ville de Saigon was built in 1902-1908 in a French colonial style for the then city of Saigon. It was renamed after 1975 as Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. Illuminated at night, the building is not opened to the public or for tourists. A statute of the namesake is found in park next to the building.
( Ben Thanh Market ): Ben Thanh market has long been one of Saigon's most famous landmark. The market has been in existence since the French occupation. The original market was located on the shores of Ben Nghe river by old fort Gia Dinh. Its proximity to the fort and the river where merchants and soldiers would land was reason for its name (Ben meaning pier or port and Thanh meaning fort). In 1859, when the French invaded Saigon and overtook fort Gia Dinh, Ben Thanh Market was destroyed. It was rebuilt shortly thereafter and remained standing until it was moved to its present location in 1899.
Designed by French architect Delaval and established in 1927 under the auspices of the Société des études Indochinoises as the Musée Blanchard de la Brosse, this museum became the Sài Gòn National Museum in 1956. In 1975, after some renovation, it was expanded to become the Hồ Chí Minh City Historical Museum. Through its various exhibits of of cultural and ethnological artefacts the museum recounts the history of the Vietnamese people from the earliest times up to the 1930s, when the Việt Nam Communist Party was founded.
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HCM CITY
