Saigon: Relishing the Present, Reminiscing the Past

Vietnam is slowly developing, despite the war that had retarded the country for so many years. I simply loved walking about Ho Chi Minh City at night. The city looks mesmerizing during this time, with blinding lights all over the city and shops open until the late of the night. There are many tourists and locals seen mingling and walking around the city, and the number of motorbikes seen on the road is actually rather terrifying!

From my trip to Ho Chi Minh City, I believe that the one thing that has touched me most is to witness the determination and graciousness of the Vietnamese. After going through the terrifying war, they can still find light at the end of the dreary tunnel and work towards a better future. The welcome smiles and sincere help that I received during my visit touched my heart in so many ways.

Poverty is still visible, and it is heartbreaking to see beggars all around the streets asking for money and women and children trailing tourists, begging them to buy their wares. Everywhere I went I saw the same sellers trying to sell their goods. It is heart-wrenching, and imagine, we were only seeing the better side of Vietnam, so it is hard to imagine what is on the other side. This trip to Ho Chi Minh City is a real experience into the lives and situations of the people in this post-war country.

Quick Tips:

It can be a challenge trying to cross the roads here, as there seem to be no traffic laws! Motorbikes can be seen in hordes all over the place; ignoring traffic lights and pedestrians, and I even saw a few going the opposite direction. I was terrified the first time I tried crossing one of the busy roads, but after awhile I just got the hang it and tried not to care either! Praying does help!

Also, be prepared to be hassled by vendors at all the major tourist sights. Most of them sell the same things: postcards, souvenirs, books, and gum. Try to help them perhaps by buying some things, but once you’ve got enough, I think the best way is to just smile, shake your head, and get into the bus or the taxi as fast as you can!

People here use the US dollar more often than they use the dong (Vietnamese currency), so I think it’s advisable to carry more dollars with you than dong. After all, why go through all the hassle of changing currency when it’s easier just using dollars?

Best Way To Get Around:

I think the best way to see the city is by walking. Once you have got the hang of crossing the roads, there’s so much of Saigon you can see by just walking through it. The heat might be a put-off to some, but there is always the prospect of walking around the city at night!

If walking is not for you, there never seem to be a lack of cyclos around the city. These frail-looking pedal rickshaws may seem dangerous, but they are cheap and one of the best ways to experience the city.

And if the destination is the only thing you are looking for, there are always the taxis!

The Cu Chi district is located 65km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City. The historic site of the Cu Chi Tunnels is located here. Upon arriving, a short introduction is given at the tunnel tourist centre, introducing visitors to the tunnel system, and there is a short movie clip of the Vietnam War and the significance of the tunnels during the war. Well, basically, the Cu Chi Tunnels were used by the Vietcong to attack the American troops.

The tunnels are well hidden in the forest, but there are safe pathways for the tourists. All around the forests, small holes in the ground that could only fit one person were dug. These holes were used by the Vietcong to hide from enemies during the times of war. Visitors are given permission to try squeeze into the small hole, which was easy to get in, but hard to get out from!

Along the pathways, visitors can observe many other small holes leading to the tunnels and workshops of self-made weapons, sandals, arms, flour-making, and clothes. Huge bomb craters and a real-life old tank that got bombed during the war can also be found in the vicinity. There is also a gun range in the area for tourists to take turns on an AK47. This area is not for the faint-hearted, as the sounds from the guns are simply awful and horrible, making the place sound like a battlefield.

The highlight here is the famous Cu Chi Tunnel Network, an original architectural monument deep in earth's womb with many stories and a lot of narrow and winding ways like a cobweb. Deep inside the earth, the tunnel has its own meeting rooms, guard rooms, dining rooms, health rooms, and fighting rooms, which were recently dug up and opened for display. Visitors are given the opportunity to crawl through two levels of twisting tunnels. The first tunnel is about 30m long and is deliberately widened so that it is large enough for the larger visitors to enter. The second tunnel is about 50m long and is its original size, which is much narrower than the first. It is harder for the larger-sized tourists to cram into this tunnel. (The tunnel was made to fit the tiny frame of the Vietnamese). Both the tunnels are sandy, with small yellow bulbs along it to light up the path. Visitors had to either crouch or crawl through the tunnels, and sometimes there will be a rather huge step that they will have to climb onto or jump into. Take note that it is extremely dark, hot, and stuffy inside, but a visit through the tunnels will be an unforgettable experience.

The Cu Chi Tunnels represents the undaunted will, revolutionary heroism, and intelligence of the people who created it. A visit to the tunnels will definitely cause tourists to realize and understand the arduous struggle of the Vietnamese people during those times of war.

"On March 8, 1965, for the first time, a unit of US troops landed on Da Nang." This is what was written on the front cover of the brochure that I received when I arrived at the War Remnants Museum, the most popular museum in Ho Chi Minh City. Just above this statement is a picture of the troops marching into Vietnam waving the American flag, and the whole picture brochure does suggest what the Vietnamese are trying to indicate in the most subtle manner.

The War Remnants Museum was previously known as the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, but changed its name to steer clear of controversy and to avoid offending certain tourists. The museum is transparent in all aspects of the Vietnam War, depicting it in gruesome and heart-wrenching pictures not fit for the faint-hearted. Though portraying the enemy in such a way is seemingly biased, the pictures do speak for themselves.

The museum consists of the outdoor exhibitions displaying war utilities, like tanks, planes, cannons, jets, helicopters and bomb craters; six rooms consisting mainly of photographs and history boards; and the tiger cages and guillotines. For those who have little knowledge of the chronicles of the Vietnam War, it is advisable to visit the sections according to the number orders. Each room tells the grisly and dreadful war story from the beginning to the end.

The photographs depict the war in a way that one can never imagine. It can be rather traumatizing scanning through such compelling reality; planes dropping tons of bombs from the air, villages under attack, soldiers shooting at random, torture, mass killings, piles of mangled bodies on the roadside, the affects of agent orange on the Vietnamese children, and so many other despicable events. There is no need to read the picture descriptions or history cards to feel the chill running up your spine. The war is right in front of your eyes.

There is more light towards the end of the exhibitions, of the Vietnamese building a new life from the aftermath of the war, with the promise of peace and a better life. Drawings of little Vietnamese children give the museum a sense of balance by bringing in more color, and clear the mind of the dreary black-and-white sepia photographs throughout the museum.

The introduction to the War Remnants Museum brochure ends with, "In retrospect, the Vietnam War is not for inciting hatred, but just for learning lessons from history: human beings will not tolerate such a disaster from happening again, neither in Vietnam nor anywhere on our planet."

Let’s all pray to that.

If you want to experience typical French classical architecture without actually going to France, drop by the Le Duan Boulevard, where the Ho Chi Minh City Notre Dame Cathedral stands. This magnificent twin-towered, neo-Romanesque structure was built by the French during their colonial occupation in Saigon in the late 19th century. It is an exact duplicate of the Notre Dame Cathedral found in Paris, France, though a much smaller version.

The Notre Dame Cathedral was built with the original in mind, and attractive red bricks, as well as the original stained-glass windows, were brought all the way from France to Vietnam. Nevertheless, you will notice that there are no more stained-glass windows in the cathedral; they were destroyed during World War II and only replaced with plain glass.

This Catholic structure is only open to the public during certain hours of the day, but during Sundays, there are services held in both Vietnamese and English attended by people from diverse nationalities.

Right in front of the cathedral is a small square, where a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary stands. Locals and young children can be seen hanging about the square selling their goods and wares. Note that you may be horded by these persistent vendors.

Facing the square, adjacent to the cathedral, is the Central Post Office. It was built about the same time as the cathedral and is also influenced by French designs and architecture. There is a gigantic clock at the entrance, and a huge picture of Ho Chi Minh hangs right at the end of the spacious interior of the post office.

Both the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office in downtown Ho Chi Minh City represent the influence of the French during their colonial rule over Vietnam and Catholicism in southern Vietnam.

The district of Vung Tau is approximately 120k and a 2-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City. It is popular beach town for visitors who want a nice getaway from the traffic of the city.

It was dark when my family and I arrived in Vung Tau, and we checked into our hotel for the night, The Beautiful Hotel (My Le Hotel). The beach town is not very lively during the night, perhaps except for the few bars along the street that were open for business. It is a peaceful and quiet town, especially during the night, and a stroll across the street was rather refreshing, with the sound of the waves audible from a distance.

Early in the morning, we visited Jesus Hill, which is located somewhere in the middle of the town. On the very top of the hill stands an enormous statue of Jesus Christ with his arms opened wide, representing a cross. The statue is clearly visible throughout the town, as it is right at the tip of the hill and stands proud at 32m tall and 18m wide. The statue was built in 1972 and has secret windows in between the open arms, with the purpose of watching over the town and the sea. In order to reach the statue, we had to walk up a few hundred steps, but well, it was worth it, as the view from the top of the hill was simply breathtaking! We were able to overlook the town of Vung Tau, the coastline, and out into the open sea. We also climbed up onto the ‘shoulders’ of the statue. It was a long climb up the long, winding, and narrow staircase leading to the top! Other than the large statue of Christ, there are also other smaller statues of baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and saints and angels scattered around the hill.

Our next stop for the day was The Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin) Temple. The exceptional thing about this temple is the enormous statue of Guan Yin at the entrance of the temple. The statue is 80m tall and is placed in such a way that it is facing the South China Sea. Both the temple and the statue were built in 1968 with money donated by the Chinese society of Vietnam. Inside the temple, there were monks and nuns chanting on both sides of a large Buddha statue placed in the middle of the temple.

Our last stop was at The Whale Temple. The 'whale religion' is one of the unique religions in Vietnam and was formed when, a long time ago, a whale was believed to have rescued the villagers of this small town from a monster that was terrorizing the village. Due to the whale's heroic act, the ancestors of the village people here started this religion by worshipping the whale, using whale carcasses and bones as symbols. The temple is decorated with colourful pictures and carvings on the ceilings, walls, and the altars. Behind the temple, there is a small exhibition of the bones of a few whales and baby whales that are preserved in glass cases and fridges.

After that, we took a short stroll along one of the pretty beaches and a drive around the small town of Vung Tau. The town has many large statues all over the place, like a large cross on top of another hill, the Virgin Mary, Buddha, and two other statues we visited, Jesus and Guan Yin. There is also a lighthouse on top of a third hill in the town. The town of Vung Tau is a popular tourist attraction, mainly because of its long coastline along the town and the beautiful beaches.