Tourist Attractions & Monuments Vietnam

In the downtown area, work on the Opera began in 1904 and it was inaugurated in 1912, during the period of French colonization, with materials imported from the metropolis. The design of the building was inspired by the architecture of the Opéra Garnier. The ceiling is decorated with floral frescoes in the rococo style that highlight the names of famous writers and artists. The room can accommodate 400 spectators. The Opera has been recently renovated, it is no longer used for performances, but rather for meetings.

This kalan, a Cham temple-tower, is said to have been built in the ^13th century in honor of an ^11th-century Cham king, Po Klong Garai. According to some theories, it is even older... The temple's saddle-shaped roof and two towers are characteristic of the Thap Mam style. In the sanctuary is a mukha linga dedicated to Shiva, a linga with a face. Yet the Cham venerate it as a statue of Po Klong Garai. The Hindu god is featured in a sculpture above the entrance door.

The agency has Francophone guides and offers trekking and mountain biking.

This temple-tomb is located 3 km from the centre of Saigon, towards the north-east. Restored by the École française d'Extrême-Orient, grandiose in size and in the richness of the objects found there, it is dedicated to General Lê Van Duyêt (1763-1832), a great servant of Emperor Gia Long, founder of the Nguyên dynasty. Appointed governor of Gia Dinh (former name of Saigon), the general worked to develop the wasteland, transformed into rice fields and villages. A friend of the French, the general experienced a period of disgrace after 1975. On entering, one notices a plaque commemorating the restoration carried out by the French in 1937. This temple has often been degraded or looted. Today it is well maintained.

The adventures of General Lê Van Duyêt are very well known and, for the Têt festival, the Vietnamese come to pay homage to the general who rests in the temple next to his wife. In his time, the general helped the future emperor Gia Long in his fight against the Tây-Son. Favorable to the introduction of Western civilization, he refused to apply the royal edict of Minh Mang, successor of Gia Long, aiming at persecuting the missionaries and the Catholics. As the general was condemned posthumously, his tomb was destroyed by order of Emperor Minh Mang. His memory was rehabilitated by Emperor Thieu Tri (who reigned from 1841 to 1847) and the tomb restored in 1937. It is said that those who come to this pagoda on pilgrimage have all their wishes granted.

Mount Tà Cu rises to 649 m in a protected natural area. It is home to several sanctuaries, including the Linh Son Truong Tho pagoda (upper pagoda) and the Long Doan pagoda (lower pagoda), founded in the ^19th century. There is also a monumental Reclining Buddha, built between 1962 and 1966. The summit can be reached by cable car or on foot (arrive early in the morning, be in good physical condition and carry a supply of water). Bands of monkeys are happy to accompany visitors. The summit offers a panoramic view of the sea.

Lac Hong Tours is a travel agency founded in 2010, located in the heart of the tourist district. It offers day or half-day tours of Saigon, such as the discovery of Saigon by night by scooter with a stop in the gargotes and bars, but also the visit of the surroundings: the Cu Chi tunnels, the Mekong delta, the temple of Cao Dai... The website proposes tours everywhere else in Vietnam. The agency also has a reservation service that can provide a car with driver, bus, train or plane tickets.

Very popular with the Vietnamese, this pagoda was founded in 1958 by the monk Tho Da of the Chinese congregation of Chaozhou and rebuilt in 1989. The pagoda consists of three buildings. The main shrine (Minh Quang Palace) is dedicated to the worship of Buddha surrounded by Quan Âm (Goddess of Mercy) and A Di Da. The statue of Buddha and the two bodhisattvas, made of eagle wood, 4 m high, were shipped from Hong Kong in 1958.

Hô Chi Minh's native village. The museum, built in 1955, is a replica of his childhood home. Very simple, it does not differ in any way from the poor straw huts that we saw, until a few years ago in the surrounding rice fields. An impression of fragility and precariousness that contrasts with the massive mausoleum of Hanoi... 2 km from the village of Sen, one can also visit the tomb of Hoang Thi Loan (1868-1901), the mother of Nguyen Sinh Cung, future president Ho Chi Minh.

The village was founded in the 18th century by Huynh Ba Quat, a craftsman from Thanh Hoa province. In 1990, the municipality banned artisans from sourcing raw materials from the Non Nuoc mountains. Manufacturers are now buying stone from other provinces. Some statuettes are carved by hand, others are obtained by moulding, with agglomerated marble powder. Monumental pieces of monumental dimensions, carved from imported marble, constitute an open-air museum in the Vietnamese taste of today.

Of fairly recent construction (1956), Pagoda Xa Loi is the largest pagoda in Saigon. The bell tower rises to a height of 32m. More than the architecture, it is the evocation of the events that took place in the pagoda that attracts attention. In 1963, it was ransacked by the troops of Ngô Dinh Nhu, President Diem's brother. They embarked and raped 400 monks. Several monks set themselves on fire to show their opposition to the Diem regime. Two entrances give access to the pagoda: one for men and one for women.