Notre Dame de Saigon is the Catholic church erected by French settlers in the late 1880s in the city with predominantly Buddhist population. It is located in Paris Square. The name “Notre Dame” was assigned after the construction of the statue “Peaceful Notre Dame” in 1959. In 1962, the Catholic Church bestowed the title of basilica on this cathedral; it now officially called Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon. Being about 60 meters tall, the Notre Dame Cathedral has unique neo-Romanesque architecture that is represented in its entirely red brick façade brought from Marseille, stained glass windows, six bronze bells located in two bell towers that continue ringing today, and an oasis-like garden surrounded by the busy downtown district.

Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City is a well-maintained vestige from French colonialism and possibly the most grand post office in all of Southeast Asia. Right beside the Notre Dame Cathedral, tourists may visit both places together, and it will give them a glimpse of what life in Vietnam must have been like back in the days of the Indochinese Empire. The post office was built by Alfred Foulhoux and boasts the same arches and wooden shutters seen during its golden years in the late 19th century.

The Independence Palace has been home to Vietnamese General Ngo Dinh Diem up to the time of his death in 1963. This place earned its fame in the world due to events that happened in 1975. During this year, a tank from the North Vietnamese Army plowed its way through its main gate. This marked the end of the Vietnam war. At present, it has become a tourist attraction site within the Ho Chi Minh city. This palace serves as a time capsule since everything that you see here remains the same as in 1975. There are two of the tanks that have been used during the capture of the palace. This palace has served as the residence and office of the French Governor of Cochin-China.

The War Remnants Museum, which is situated in Ho Chi Minh City, was officially opened to the public in the year 1975. It was formerly called 'Museum of American War Crimes' which is a horrifying testimony to the lengthy and horrific Vietnam war period. There are several horrifying photographs and American military machines. There is a helicopter with rocket launchers, tanks, fighter aircraft, single seat attack aircraft. The conventional bomb weighs 6,800 kilograms. American troops had utilized such weaponry to attack the Vietnamese from 1945 to 1975.

The People’s Committee Building Saigon located in the center of Ho Chi Minh City showcases an intact French colonial-style building complex with a beautiful green garden landscape. Initially built as a hotel by the French architect Gardes in 1898, today, the building acts as a city hall and a landmark of the city. It consists of three buildings with embossed animal and human statues, bas-reliefs on the walls, and a statue of Ho Chi Minh located in front of the primary building. Visiting it during the evening hours would be the best as all these elements will be nicely highlighted with LED lighting.

The Saigon Opera House in Ho Chi Minh is an impressive colonial-style building situated on the crossroads between Le Loi Street and Dong Khoi Street in District 1. This restored theater building is located just opposite from the popular Notre Dame Cathedral and the famous Central Post Office Building. The opera house, which was built in 1897, has a capacity of 800 people and serves not only as a venue for performing opera but also as a place for holding various performances, such as ballet, music concerts, and Vietnamese dance.

Cholon in Ho Chi Minh City is the biggest Chinatown in Vietnam whose origin dates back to 1778. It also possesses rich historical and cultural values. The Chinese minorities took refuge from the Tay Son attacks and they had to rebuild twice after the attacks in which almost 70% of them were killed while escaping on boats. The survivors established themselves there and started selling various types of Chinese goods. In the Vietnam war era, the Cholon was the busiest black market where the US soldiers used to trade the supplies of the American army. It still remains the favourite destination of the tourists and also receives many Taiwanese and Chinese people. This area is an ideal place to explore the classical Chinese architecture with its Chinese restaurants. Binh Tay market located in the center is always packed up with narrow paths offering all kinds of items.

Ba Thien Hau Temple located in Saigon is a Buddhist temple devoted to Mazu, the Chinese sea goddess who, according to the locals, flies around like a butterfly riding either on a mat or cloud for protecting and rescuing ships and humans in the sea. The Mazuist tradition is linked with both Taoist and Buddhist traditions. Mazuism can thus be seen as an integration of various elements and traditions that have combined to create another religion. You will come across this temple in Cholon (Chinatown) located in District 5, about twenty minutes away from downtown.

Ben Thanh Market, situated in the District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, provides an excellent opportunity for purchasing locally made handicraft items, branded products, Vietnamese arts and other mementos. You may also choose to visit the food stalls inside the market where you will have an option to sample Vietnamese hawker food, or just enjoy a cold beverage as you tire from the process of negotiating prices in the market. Despite being very large and difficult to maneuver through, particularly during peak hours, the market is certainly worth your time as long as you don’t visit during the hottest part of the day. The area surrounding the market is alive at night as restaurants serving Chinese style meals open for business, wafting into the air the smell of stir fried noodles, grilled fish and meats.

Jade Emperor Pagoda, otherwise called as Phuoc Hai Tu, is a Taoist-Buddhist-Confucian pagoda situated at 73 Mai Thi Luu Street, Dakao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This pagoda was established by Liu Daoyuan, a Chinese merchant who migrated to Vietnam from Canton. Since 1984, this pagoda came to be known as Phuoc Hai Tu, which is its Buddhist name.

In the midst of the chaotic city of Ho Chi Minh, at 287/70 Nguyen Dinh Chieu street in District 3, there is a home that holds a historical artifact: the secret weapon shelter used by a special force called Biet Dong Sai Gon, which was part of the Vietnam People's Army during the Vietnam War period. In this shelter, there were more than two tons of weapons, which were used to launch the attack on the Independence Palace during the 1968 Tet Offensive.