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| Ho chi Minh Square |
Ho Chi
Minh City (HCMC), formerly called Saigon, is a vibrant city with historical
insights and fascinating culture. My husband and I were there for a few days
and we felt the pulse of the city after visits to HCM Square, Mekong
Delta, Cu Chi tunnels, Independence Palace, War Remnants Museum and Ben Thanh
Market.
We stayed
in Palace Hotel: an ideal location, for it was within walking distance to
historical sites, shopping places and tour agencies.
Ho
Chi Minh Square
The Ho
Chi Minh Square was right in front of our hotel. A few policemen were always on
duty and I felt a sense of freedom and calmness every time I walked along the
huge expanse of land, which was devoid of vehicles. We met tourists from many
parts of the world (like Julia and Carla from Germany). Tourists like to
take photos with the iconic statue of Ho Chi Minh.
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| Ho Chi Minh Square, with Julia and Carla from Germany |
Ho Chi
Minh was the soul of the revolution and of Vietnamese struggle for
independence. His qualities of simplicity, integrity and determination were
widely admired. In his honour, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1975.
The other
end of the Square was reserved for a fountain. One night, I was delighted to
see a musical multi-coloured fountain there. This thrilled not only tourists
but the local young people and children.
A musical fountain
Mekong
Delta
We
visited Mekong Delta together with a friend, Elizabeth, from Ivory Coast,
Africa. Our tour leader and guide, Hung, picked all 30 of us from various
agencies and hotels. The journey by bus to the Delta took two hours.
On the
way, we stopped at a Buddhist Temple to view a gigantic Sleeping Buddha (Nam Mo
Bon Su Thich Ca Mau Ni Phat) and a Laughing Buddha (Nam Mo Duong Lai Di Lac Ton
Phat).
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| A Sleeping Buddha |
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| A Laughing Buddha, with Elizabeth |
Our tour
group comprises people from all parts of the globe: Thailand, Malaysia,
Germany, Spain, Africa, England, Puerto Rico, France, Canada, England and
Vietnam too.
On the
bus, Hung briefed us: “River Mekong flows through six countries,
from China, to Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and ending in the
Delta in Vietnam”, he informed. “It is the 12th longest river in the
world and the 7th longest in Asia. You will get a glimpse of the
history and diverse cultures of the region”.
At the
Delta, we boarded a boat which cruised along the Mekong River. Hung pointed out
four islands: Unicorn, Phoenix, Turtle and Dragon in the distance. However, our
one-day trip included visits to only Turtle and Dragon Island.
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| On the boat, with other tourists from other parts of the world |
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| Five types of tropical fruits |
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| One member holding a tray teeming with bees |
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| Marc and his friend (both from Spain) bravely handling the python |
The most enjoyable part of the trip was a cruise on a little boat (sampan) along mangrove vegetation.
Four of us got on to the boat and two local Vietnamese women, one in front and
one behind, did the rowing. With arms of steel, they rowed with dexterity and
speed. We passed other tourists along the shady mangroves with nary a scratch
on each other’s boat. This was a great
experience to see mangrove vegetation at such close range!
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| Our Vietnamese rower with arms of steel |
Life for villagers in the area revolves around the rivers and canals
that make up the delta. People go by river rather than by road for transport.
What a simple life these people live, yet from the smile on our woman rower's face, I
could tell that she was not complaining.
After the
invigorating ride, Hung took us to see how coconut husks were removed by a
spear-like metal rod - a quick and easy method. After watching workers make
coconut candy, some of us bought the candy, flavoured with chocolate, durian
and peanuts.
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| Stalls selling coconut candies |
Our last
stop was on Dragon Island, where we had a simple lunch of rice, meat, fried
spring roll, long beans and a vegetable soup . “If you want more exotic
food, like grilled turkey, fish, eel, worm, chicken or snake, you have to pay
for it,” pointed out Hung.
“You can rent a bike and cycle round the resort, watch crocodiles or just laze around. At 2.45 pm, meet me near the hotel, where our boat will take us back”, Hung nonchalantly told us.
“You can rent a bike and cycle round the resort, watch crocodiles or just laze around. At 2.45 pm, meet me near the hotel, where our boat will take us back”, Hung nonchalantly told us.
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| Hung briefing us |
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| A simple lunch of rice with meat, vegetables and soup |
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| A side dish of fried fish |
Left on our own, the 3 of us walked
around the island. That day happened to be a holiday for school children, and
many of them were frolicking in the landscaped playground, with hedges pruned
like animals. I enjoyed looking at the animal topiary.
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| School children frolicking in the landscaped garden |
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| Animal topiary |
Nearer the seashore, I was charmed by
other forms of topiary like sheltered huts which were hot favourites for
couples; and dragon topiary which was very realistic and significant as the
island is called Dragon Island.
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| Sheltered huts for couples |
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| Dragon topiary |
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| Huen kissing an elephant-eared fish |
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| Elizabeth with Huen |
At the crocodile enclosure, I was amused to see a boy teasing a crocodile with a prawn - every time the crocodile opened its mouth, he raised the bait higher. Poor crocodile!
Many of
the souvenir shops displayed tropical fruits (like coconut, durian, rambutan,
mangosteen) and clothes like the irresistible Vietnamese ao dai.
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| Children's ao dai |
The trip gave us an enriching insight into the life of the Mekong Delta
people.
Cu Chi tunnels
Our
one-day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels started with a bus ride that took about three
hours from our hotel.
On the
way, we stopped at a factory which made lacquer handicraft as a cottage
industry. Vietnamese lacquerware is sought after by collectors for its beauty
and durability.
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| Vietnamese lacquerware |
A girl in charge elaborated the whole lacquer process. "Lacquer is a natural varnish mined from the rhus tree resin. Some pieces are layered with 10 to 15 coats of lacquer. Before a second coat of lacquer can be applied, the previous coat must dry for one week before it is sanded. Lacquerware are completely made by hand and each is a unique piece" she said.
Starting from a plain block of wood, a lacquer artist applies several layers of varying colours of varnish over inlays that are made of different materials like as egg shells, sea shells or mother-of-pearl.
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| A finished product |
The Cu Chi Tunnels were ranked as a national relic in April 29, 1979.
They have a unique architectural structure: a system of deep underground
tunnels with several floors and alleys and branches like a spider web more than
250 km long, with places for dining, living, meeting and fighting.
Our tour guide, Mr T, was a jovial veteran. He spoke good English which pleased our group of 28 members from different parts of the world. He knew the tunnels like the back of his hands, giving in-depth accounts of the Vietcong's escape strategies in the Vietnam War.
Our tour guide, Mr T, was a jovial veteran. He spoke good English which pleased our group of 28 members from different parts of the world. He knew the tunnels like the back of his hands, giving in-depth accounts of the Vietcong's escape strategies in the Vietnam War.
We
followed Mr T eagerly into the jungle. Our first exposure to the tunnel was at
a site filled with dry leaves. Beneath the pile of dry leaves was a cover that
led to the tunnel beneath. Volunteers lifted the cover, slid into the narrow
tube and closed the cover after them. They discovered that it was an
ingenious camouflage of the entrance.
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| Mr T explaining the camouflage |
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| A volunteer lowers herself in the hole |
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| Volunteer covers the hole with dried leaves |
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| Volunteer climbs out, happy with the new experience |
Another volunteer getting out of the hole
Mr
T then showed us other entrances - bigger, of different shapes and sizes, and
always spicing up each place with intriguing tales.
Other exhibits included booby traps which were filled with sharp spears
or barb wires within. All these gave us glimpses of how soldiers endured pain
and suffering during wartime.
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| A square entrance |
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| Rectangle opening |
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| Round opening |
Booby trap with sharp spears
After seeing all the different traps and
hearing spooky tales, it was a relief when Mr T took us to a resting place for
tea. We tasted the local cassava root (tapioca) that sustained Vietcong guerrilla
fighters for years during the Vietnam War. Imagine eating that every day and
living underground for years - what a melancholy life!
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| Tasting local cassava root |
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| Close up of cassava root |
After
tea, we moved on to an open enclosure where a big tank with a shooting gun was
displayed. Many soldiers were taking photos with the huge war weapon. Mr T dared
volunteers to try their hand at pulling the shooting gun down. He was surprised
that a few of our members (Malaysians) were able to do it. However when I tried
to pull it, it did not even budge!
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| A big tank with my husband and other soldiers |
Aizat, a Malaysian, raising the shooting gun
There were also made-made models showing
how the Vietcong made weapons for warfare.
Other models were female Vietcong in
uniforms. It was photo opportunity time again.
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| Malaysians with Vietcong model |
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| With a female Vietcong model |
The trip would not be complete without
walking inside the tunnel. Mr T explained what we needed to do before we went
for "the walk". "Hold your bags in front of you and bend down so
your head don't touch the top," he advised.
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| The entrance |
All of us braced ourselves for the experience. We walked along a short
tunnel which was about three feet high and two feet wide. We walked in a
"crouched or squat manner", in single file along the tunnel and
although it lasted about 10 minutes, it seemed like 30 minutes to me!
Although it was dark and eerie inside, little lamps lighted the way at certain
places. Was I glad when we arrived at the other end! Whew! What a dark world
the Vietcong endured!
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| The exit |
All too
soon, it was time to go back. We did not have time to watch a short
introductory documentary, but the Cu Chi Tunnels experience was a great
eye-opener.
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| A short introductory documentary was shown here |
The
Independence Palace
The
Independence Palace (now called Reunification Palace) was designed by architect
Ngo Viet Thu. It is a harmonious combination of wind, water and sunlight and it
reflects the Eastern traditional philosophy and Vietnamese national characters.
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| In front of the Independence Palace |
It was
declared a national, cultural and historical monument in 1976. The design
of the whole building was unique - the architect used symbolic concepts derived
from Eastern philosophy.
Quoted here the symbolic concepts :
"The
building's overall structural plan is a rendering of the ancient ideogram
'ji' meaning
good fortune. The front elevation's opening 'kou' symbolises truthful
speech. The placing of the flagstaf 'zhong' symbolises unswerving
fidelity. Three horizontal strokes illustrated by the roofing, facade and
canopy 'san' symbolises the mystical triad: humanity, wisdom and
firmness of purpose. The three strokes united by a vertical line with the flag
situated above, forms a character 'zhu' signifying the power of
the head of state. The lines along the facade 'xing' signify
prosperity."
I was
impressed by the spaciousness of the rooms and the grand design of the interior
decor. Many important events are held in the Palace, like conferences and
receptions of Vietnamese and foreign enterprises. It has luxurious rooms that
can hold 100-500 people with a first class restaurant that can cater to 1000
guests.
We viewed some of the rooms on the
various floors, communication bunkers in the basement as well as a replica
helicopter on the roof. Outside were some tanks (like 843) which led the final
assault through the Palace gate on 30th April 1975. All these exhibits gave us
glimpses of the War the Vietnamese fought against their enemies.
War
Remnants Museum
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| In front of War Remnants Museum |
Opened
in Sept 4th 1975, the War Remnants Museum is a war museum,
specialized in research, collecting, preserving and exhibiting the remnant
proof of Vietnam War and their consequences. Owned by the Vietnam
Government, it is viewed by about 500,000 visitors per year (2009), attracting
not only foreigners but Vietnamese too.
We walked through the series of themed rooms in some buildings, with period military equipment and viewed some of the artillery and armour collection exhibited outside the Museum.
We walked through the series of themed rooms in some buildings, with period military equipment and viewed some of the artillery and armour collection exhibited outside the Museum.
The
exhibition was compelling, showing the horrors of war. Some photos
portrayed how cruel war can be, especially to children, old folks and pregnant
women. I was sad and aghast at some of the graphic photography, covering the
effects of Agent Orange and other chemical sprays. Tears flowed continuously. I
could not continue watching...it was too depressing.
The exhibits create awareness to the public on the disastrous effects war brings. Hopefully, through these exhibits, we can say "no" to war.
The exhibits create awareness to the public on the disastrous effects war brings. Hopefully, through these exhibits, we can say "no" to war.
Ben Thanh
Market
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| In front of Ben Thanh Market |
Ben Thanh
Market is a shopper’s paradise. Everything under the sun can be bought
there: handicraft, textiles, ao dai, souvenirs and local cuisine. There
were even stalls selling Malaysian clothings (like kebaya, sarong, tudung and telekung). Near the Market, there were
restaurants serving halal food.
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| A shopper's paradise |
Although it was hot
and humid inside, you get good deals if you can bargain. I bought some clothes,
nuts and artichoke tea for family and friends
Food
HCMC has
a wide array of food for tourists. We like the local Pho (Vietnamese
noodles) with its tangy soup, garnished with lime and basil, accompanied by
either beef balls, beef meat, seafood or chicken.
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| Pho, with beef balls |
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| Pho, with seafood |
Spring rolls, fried or with raw salad,
dipped in chilli, salty or sweet dips are great. I like the local dumpling
which has minced meat and dried vegetables as filling. The wide variety of
vegetables (some as salad) were healthy and refreshing too.
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| Vietnamese spring rolls |
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| Vietnamese dumplings |
We found the traditional Vietnamese
Coffee excellent. It is prepared using a silver filter with the coffee dripping
into a cup below.
The city
HCMC is a
city with many interesting places to visit. Traffic is very busy in the
mornings and evenings and transport is mostly by motorcycles.
With the
short time we had in HCMC, we managed to cover some interesting sites, getting
deep insights into the history and culture of the people.
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