Vibrant Vietnam (Part 4): French Influences in Saigon and Xa Loi Pagoda

- December 24, 2024, Tuesday.

- My last full day in Saigon had an unintentional theme: French influences in Saigon. Although this is inevitable in almost every place in Saigon, or even across Vietnam, this was more apparent in the places I went to on this day.

- That morning I decided to visit Cau Mong (Mong Bridge / "Rainbow Bridge"). It was built in 1882 by Gustave Eiffel - yes, the person responsible for the Eiffel Tower. Beside the bridge is the State Bank of Vietnam (Saigon office), built in 1930 when it was still the Bank of Indochina during the French rule, before being the State Bank of Vietnam in the 1950s.

Cau Mong.

I feel like I'm in a Broadway musical (Miss Saigon or Singin' in the Rain?)

Underside of the bridge.

State Bank of Vietnam (and the Bitexco Financial Tower behind.)

- I rode a Grab bike from the bridge and headed north to the Tan Dinh Church. Also called the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, it was built in the 1880s by the French. It has a distinct pink color that gives the city a pop of color! Honestly, I think it gained more attention after tourists felt sad because they couldn't take a photo with/of Saigon's Notre Dame Cathedral due to the current renovations.

I feel like I'm in an amusement park because of the colors.

Unfortunately, like most churches in Vietnam that I have encountered, they're often open only during masses. Else, visitors can only see the facade and yard of the church.

- From there, I felt I needed to slow down and have breakfast. I rode a Grab bike to the Cafe Apartments, which I had only seen from the outside on my first day in Saigon. Now, I was finally able to go inside and try two cafes. Madam Quyen, and Saigon Oi. By the way, each floor of the apartment building has several restaurants and cafes, so I suggest doing a bit of research before going. I was too overwhelmed with the number of choices, but I was happy with these two cafes!

One of the cafes I tried, view from the street.

Went to Madam Nguyen first, customers were allowed to post notes on the walls.

Love this cafe so much. They serve traditional Vietnamese food.

Xin chao!

My com ga (chicken rice) and egg coffee. Can I just say that I didn't know that egg coffee would taste great COLD? I know egg coffee is served hot because they don't want the egg to become custard. But hey I guess I like it this way not! (Especially since I often like cold drinks more than hot ones.)

Second stop: Saigon Oi! The only reason I chose this cafe was because I wanted to try a balcony view. (Madam Nguyen didn't have a balcony, and it wasn't facing a nice side of the city too.)

Durian coffee and chocolate opera cake. Side note: as someone who palpitates after drinking coffee, maybe drinking two glasses of coffee in a morning - especially VIETNAMESE COFFEE (which is stronger than the usual), was not a good decision. I had indigestion the whole day hahahaha. (But this was completely my fault haha. Both Madam Nguyen and Saigon Oi were superb! But for me, maybe just one at a time, not both in a morning haha.) 

Saigon Oi interior. Love it so much!!

- After breakfast (which I guess was already brunch), I headed to the HCMC Museum of History at the western part of the city. However, as it was still closed for lunch (something I always forget Vietnamese museums do), I decided to visit the Saigon Zoo located just beside it. The zoo was built in the 1880s by the French, and has since been a place to educate people and protecting both native and foreign animals.

Zoo!

The first thing I saw in the zoo after entering was a peacock walking around by itself. It was a good sign.

Flamingoes.

Sleeping bear.

Photogenic tiger.

Probably Moodeng's Vietnamese cousin. (Moodeng is the baby pygmy hippo from Thailand that has gone viral online lately.)

Giraffes.

Elephant with a really really really long tusk.

Sleepy rhino.

A lot is going on here.

- After going around the enormous zoo, I found my way back to the Museum of History. Part of it was under renovation but at least I still got to see most of the museum. The museum was established in 1929, also by the French, but gained its current name in 1979. Though the museum was smaller than I expected, the galleries were comprehensive and were able to give a good overview of Vietnam's history from ancient to modern times.

Various Asian Buddhas.

Hall with many blue-and-white ceramics.

Dong Son Drums.

Cham-style Hindu statues.

Nguyen Dynasty royal robe.

Ethnic cultures of Vietnam.

Outside the museum.

- Thinking whether to rest or squeeze in one more place to visit, I thought of going to one more place right at the other side of the city because I thought it was significant (although....it didn't fit in with the "French" theme of the day so far). The Xa Loi Pagoda, built in 1956, was the center for Buddhism in Saigon. This quiet temple was the site of several raids by the South Vietnamese government under then-President Ngo Dinh Diem, who was a devout Catholic and had anti-Buddhist policies and biases. Since the reunification of Vietnam, the temple has been used continuously until today.

Entrance to Xa Loi Temple.

Here is the temple's belltower.

Main hall.

Quan Am (Guanyin) statue at the back.

- For the rest of the afternoon I had to rest because I felt bloated, possibly because of having too much strong coffee for the day. I also took some time to stroll around Ben Thanh Market for one final time for this trip, and had dinner there. I still had to pack my bags for my next destination: Hoi An!  

**** Check out my other adventures from this Vietnam trip:

Part 1 - Icons of Saigon: here

Part 2 - Cu Chi Tunnels and Evening Food Tour: here

Part 3 - Mekong Delta: here

Part 5 - Hoi An Must Sees: here

Part 6 - Hoi An Coconut Boat and Hoi An Impression: here

Part 7 - Da Nang: here

Part 8 - Hue: here

Part 9 - Bana Hills: here

Part 10 - Marble Mountains and My Son: here

Vibrant Vietnam (Part 1): Icons of Saigon

- December 20-21, 2024, Friday to Saturday.

- Ah Vietnam! One of the Philippines' neighbors that I had longed to re-visit, especially after its recent tourism boom due to the now-available direct flights to central Vietnam (via Danang) from Manila. Known for its cheap-but-good food and shopping, rich cultural heritage (a blend of native, Chinese, and French cultures), and for those interested - its breathtaking natural wonders, what is not to like about Vietnam?

- Since this Christmas break the first one in a while when I could honestly breathe and rest a little, I decided to go ahead of my family by a couple of days and went back to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), also known by its former name, Saigon. The last time (and my first time) in HCMC was in 2012. I was there for a few days, and because my family was part of a tour, we didn't get to explore the city too much. That's why I wanted to experience the city by myself.

- After I arrived Friday evening, I went to my hotel (Adventure Hotel), which has an amazing location as it is beside the Ben Thanh Market. It's located inside an alley, but a well-lit residential one (with a few stores and another hotel too), so no worries. I didn't get to do much after checking in, apart from buying some necessities at the nearby 7-Eleven, so I called it a day and rested for my fully-packed adventure the next day.

The Heat is on in.... (if you get this reference we can be friends. If you sing along with me we can be super friends.)

Saigon's Tan Son Nhat International Airport reminds me so much of Manila's own NAIA.

My room. I love how cozy it is!

- Armed with excitement and a luggage full of aodais (the Vietnamese traditional clothing), I woke up really early and took photos with the city hall, completed in 1908. It's not often open to visitors as it is a government building. It does have a square in front with the statue of Ho Chi Minh, who was the first president of North Vietnam (when Vietnam was separated into two during the Vietnam War). Saigon was renamed to "Ho Chi Minh City" after the war ended in 1979 to honor Ho Chi Minh, who is seen as the father of the nation.

In front of the City Hall with my white and blue aodai.

Look at its (obviously) French influence.

Closer this time.

- In front of the city hall the long Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Plaza. It acts as a park of sorts, where people can stroll or do recreational activities. Apart from the City Hall, one of the most well-known buildings along the plaza is the Cafe Apartments. The Cafe Apartments, as the name says, used to be a residential building built in the 1960s, but now the all units have been converted to cafes and restaurants. For this day, I just took a photo in front of it (more about the Cafe Apartments in a future blog).

Cafe Apartments.

It looks nice at night too, but I didn't go to the plaza at night.

Interesting sight at the plaza: Left: uncles and aunties doing zumba, right: the youth doing some dance for Tiktok. 

- From the Cafe Apartments, I walked north, passing by 22 Ly Tu Truong Street (formerly known as the Pittman Apartments), was the residence and CIA office of US government officials during the Vietnam War. There was a famous photo taken by photographer Hubert van Es showing American officials lining up to board a helicopter at the roof to evacuate Saigon. (The building in the photo has often been mislabeled as the US Embassy, which it never was.)

Passed by the Pittman Apartments. This big label at the roofdeck makes it easier to identify. I wasn't able to check if the rooftop cafe was open, I could've had breakfast there.

- A couple of blocks further north are two of the buildings that Saigon is most known for: the Saigon Central Post Office, and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Both buildings, located right in front of each other, were built in the late 1800s with European influences. The cathedral is currently under restoration works, and will be having its much needed facelift for a couple of years. Fortunately, the post office is is still open so at least I was able to go around it. Apart from a functioning post office, it also has a number of souvenir stores inside. There were also cafes around the post office (where I had breakfast).

Outside the post office with another aodai.

There were many Santas that day I don't know why. (But yes I do realize that it was Christmas season, though not sure if they had an event or something.)

Inside the post office.

The side transept of the Notre Dame Cathedral, since the cathedral's facade was covered.

See I told you.

- Though unintentional, I found out that the Nguyen Van Binh Book Street was located right beside the post office. Named as such since 2000, this small street is lined with bookstores and cafes. Though mostly Vietnamese books, there are also many English books available. The stores may also sell some unique souvenirs as well.

I love how these quaint bookstores look.

I actually did end up buying a book!

I bought the Ayurveda book. Almost bought the Hanuman cardboard book but didn't as it was pretty much a book for toddlers.

- Capping my eventual morning was a visit to the Independence Palace. Built in the 1960s as the residence, office, and function halls for the president of South Vietnam. After the North Vietnamese forces destroyed its gates in 1975 that ended the Vietnam War, the building gradually ceased being used as a government building and now functions as a museum. It shows various rooms such as function halls, living quarters, entertainment rooms, and my personal favorite - the underground bunkers (which I didn't get to photograph due to the crowds.)

At the Independence Palace.

Banquet Chamber.

Conference Hall.

President's Office.

Thank you random tourists for taking amazing photos of me.

This was from their other camera. Hoping there are more tourists like them: very nice, and can take amazing photos. HAHA.

Car used by the president.

- I went back to my hotel after going around the Independence Palace, freshened up, changed, and had a less-than-desirable banh mi for lunch. Afterwards, I headed to the War Remnants Museum to understand the effects of the Vietnam War more. The museum, opened right after the war in 1975, presents how war affects not just the political level, but also the civilian level. This museum was probably the one that really made me lose all motivation to sing all the Miss Saigon songs in Saigon (which, if you don't know much about it, shows a romanticized and western-leaning view of the Vietnam War - as catchy as the songs might be.) I actually have been to this museum in 2012 when I first visited Saigon, but I guess visiting it again was a good reminder of how things were like during the war.

Forgot to mention that I had a quick stopover at the Mariamman Temple near my hotel before lunch. It was built in the late 1800s, making it one of the oldest modern Hindu temples in Vietnam.

How the temple looks inside. As the name suggests, the temple's main goddess is called Sri Mariamman.

A few blocks later is the War Remnants Museum, just a block north of the Independence Palace.

The front yard has a grand display of old planes and tanks.

Bombs.

Prison.

Guillotine.

Inside the museum.

- Related to the war, I decided to visit Ca Phe Do Phu, in District 3. I realized upon that I visited the wrong branch of Ca Phe Do Phu: I visited Ca Phe Do Phu - Dai Han (District 3, but to the north of District 1, along Dang Dung Street) instead of Ca Phe Do Phu - Bao Tang Biet Dong Sai Gon (District 3, to the west of District 1, along Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street). However, Ca Phe Do Phu - Dai Han was a good "accidental" discovery. Built in the 1940s, this house eventually became a base of Saigon's secret forces during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Today, the house/cafe seems to preserve its old-time look. However, it felt very eerie as I was the cafe's only customer when I was there.

The "wrong" Ca Phe Do Phu.

I had coffee and some biscuits as a snack. I didn't want to leave the cafe immediately. I'm glad I stayed.

Brings me back to the Vietnam War.

This "cute" house was a hideout!

Ground level.

- The cafe staff told me that I should find time to visit the other Ca Phe Do Phu, which offers a more immersive experience on how secret forces operated before. (I had to take a Grab bike because there is some distance between the two cafes.) Now this confused me because beside Ca Phe Do Phu is an actual historical house with a secret underground bunker. This one is free of charge. However, to go to the Ca Phe Do Phu bunker, one must pay a small entrance fee. I tried both anyway, because why not?  

Here is the secret weapon bunker beside Ca Phe Do Phu. Can fit in the hole on the floor omg.

That's the caretaker of the bunker.

So many weapons!

A diorama of the house + all the secret rooms.

Weapon stash that can be folded and used (disguised) as a table.

Left: Ca Phe Do Phu house. Right: secret weapon bunker.

Here are the Ca Phe Do Phu bunker.

From the basement level I had to climb this ladder to....

....the second floor sink! Yes I had to crawl out of that omg.

Looks like an ordinary house.

A cabinet that has a narrow passageway to the second floor.

- After a day of so much history, I asked another Grab bike to drop me off at the Ben Thanh Market for some shopping. The market was built in the 1800s, though the area as a marketplace has its roots in the 1600s. If shopping for souvenirs and clothing (especially traditional clothing), I highly encourage going to the outer ring where the government-run stores are (you'll notice that the area looks cleaner, and the staff wear uniforms). These stalls are all fixed price (no haggling!) BUT their prices are way lower than the main market area. However, the main market will definitely have more options. The market also has a dining area, just make sure to eat there during the earlier timers of the day as some of them close or will have limited food available around 6pm. (I found out the hard way, so I ended up having dinner in a restaurant outside the market).

Ben Thanh Market.

This is the main market area. See how crowded it is!

- I never thought my first full day in Vietnam would be a jampacked one since I thought I wanted to ease myself in the city. However, I'm glad I was able to see and do a lot at this point so I could have more time to take it easy or explore other areas of Saigon not originally in my plan - who knows? For sure, this was an amazing start to spending the holidays in Vietnam!  

**** Check out my other adventures from this Vietnam trip:

Part 2 - Cu Chi Tunnels and Evening Food Tour: here

Part 3 - Mekong Delta: here

Part 4 - French Influences in Saigon: here

Part 5 - Hoi An Must Sees: here

Part 6 - Hoi An Coconut Boat and Hoi An Impression: here

Part 7 - Da Nang: here

Part 8 - Hue: here

Part 9 - Bana Hills: here

Part 10 - Marble Mountains and My Son: here