Ho Chi Minh City Historic Centre

The French Colonial Core Of Former Saigon, With Notre Dame Cathedral (1880), The Central Post Office, The Opera House And The Reunification Palace Where The War Ended In 1975. The City Is Vietnam'S Economic Capital And Its Busiest Tourist Gateway, With The Ben Thanh Market And Bui Vien Street At The Centre. · Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City

The historic centre of Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by most residents, sits in District 1 and holds the French colonial core of the south's biggest city. Within a short walk are Notre Dame Cathedral from 1880, built of red brick shipped from Marseille, the Central Post Office with its Eiffel-linked iron hall, the Saigon Opera House, the Reunification Palace where the war ended in 1975, and the War Remnants Museum, which tells the war from the Vietnamese side with graphic photographs. Ben Thanh Market, the Nguyen Hue walking boulevard and the Bui Vien backpacker street give the modern noise. Cholon, the Chinese quarter, lies a short ride west. The centre is hot and humid all year, the traffic is dense, and the pavements are often blocked by parked motorbikes. It rewards a slow two-day visit with early starts, long coffee breaks and a firm grip on your phone. Allow time for food, as the banh mi, pho and iced coffee are as much of the place as the buildings, and bring patience for the heat and the noise.

District 1 of the south's biggest city, around Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, the Reunification Palace and Ben Thanh Market, with the War Remnants Museum a short walk away, Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The streets are open day and night. Museums and the palace keep daytime hours and many close for a midday break, so check before you go. The Post Office works daily and is free. Ben Thanh Market trades from early morning to late afternoon, with a night market in front. Tet (lunar new year) closes many shops for about a week.

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