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The Tunnels of Cu Chi
The tunnel complex of Cu Chi, some 22 miles outside Saigon, was used by the Vietcong during the Vietnam War. The tunnels cover an amazing 125 miles in length and many of them are so narrow, that is almost impossible for European men to crawl through them. As the tunnels no longer serve as guerrilla hideouts, but as a tourist attraction instead, some passages have been enlarged to enable Western tourists to enter. The tunnel system features numerous rooms, which at the time of the Vietnam War served as dormitories, conference rooms, ammunition depots and even as hospitals and schools.
Reunification Palace
The former presidential palace is now called the Reunification Palace. Originally built in 1868 it was the palace of the French Governor. Later the building became the official residence of the South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem. In February 1962 the palace was bombed by two South Vietnamese fighter planes in an attempt to assassinate Diem. The president and his family hid in the cellar and remained unscathed. However, during the attempted assassination the palace was destroyed. The original building was replaced by the current structure and everything inside has been left the way it was found on 30 April 1975, when North Vietnamese forces took Saigon.
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Jade Emperor Pagoda
A richly ornamented pagoda and one of the finest examples in the city, it was built in 1909 by the Cantonese and is a popular place for prayer.
Cathedral Notre Dame
The Catholic Cathedral of Notre Dame was built between 1877 and 1880, allegedly on the site of an old Pagoda. Mass is held several times every day of the year.
City Hall
Few French colonial buildings in Ho Chi Minh City are as well preserved as the City Hall.
Municipal Theatre
The Municipal Theatre is another example of well preserved, or well restored, French colonial architecture. The theatre is still very much in use as the venue for a large number of cultural presentations.
Cholon
Cholon is Ho Chi Minh's Chinatown. Although tens of thousands of Chinese citizens have fled Vietnam both before and after the Communist victory of 1975, Cholon still is the most densely populated part of the city. There are a number of interesting pagodas worth seeing in Cholon.
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Tay Ninh
The town of Tay Ninh, some 60 miles northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, is the centre of the Cao Dai religion, which includes and unifies elements of Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam and possibly a number of other religions! The religion worships, as saints, such different characters as the Hindu deity Brahma, Sir Winston Churchill, Moses and the French author Victor Hugo. The Great Cao Dai Temple is a striking building mixing oriental and European styles.
History Museum
The History Museum (formerly the National Museum) was built in 1928 in pagoda style. Exhibited are findings from prehistoric times, art objects from different Vietnamese dynasties and kingdoms, as well as memorabilia of the Communist Party and from the struggle for independence.
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