Exploring Hồ Chí Minh City

Most visitors to Việt Nam spend just one or at most two days in Hồ Chí Minh City, perhaps simply using it as a base to explore the Củ Chi Tunnels before heading off to see the myriad other attractions this fascinating country has to offer. Invariably depicted as the country’s “dynamic economic powerhouse,” it is rarely considered as a cultural centre in its own right, a shortcoming no doubt reinforced by the frightening rate at which the city’s remaining old buildings continue to be demolished and replaced by gleaming new tower blocks.

Yet there is another side to the southern capital. If you look hard enough you can still find what’s left of the elegant architectural heritage which once won the city the title “Pearl of the Orient.” This new book seeks to identify that heritage and enable visitors to experience it through a series of walking tours which take in District 1 (including the CBD, Tân Định and Đa Kao), Districts 3 and 10, Phú Nhuận, Gia Định, the Tân Sơn Nhất Airport area, Chợ Quán and Chợ Lớn (Districts 5 and 6).

The book also contains essential details of other key attractions located in Districts 4, 8, 9, 11 and 12, Tân Phú, Thủ Đức, Gò Vấp, Hóc Môn, Củ Chi and Cần Giờ, which can only be reached by motorised transport.

(From Tim Doling's blog, "Historic Vietnam")