Thong Nhat Palace

Thong Nhat Palace is situated at 106 Nguyen Du Street in Ho Chi Minh City. Originally called Norodom Palace and the Palace of the Indochina Governor General, it was built in 1865.Until 1954, Ngo Dinh Diem, South Vietnam’s President, and his family lived and worked in Norodom Palace. In 1963, this palace was heavily destroyed by bombs. President Diem commanded the remains to be destroyed and that a new palace be built called Doc Lap Palace or Independence Palace. The new palace was built on a 120,000 m² area and covered 4,500 m². It included a basement, three main floors, two mezzanines, one terrace, and one upper floor. There is a total of 95 rooms in the Palace; each decorated according to its function. The Palace also features two exhibition rooms, a 33-room guesthouse, and numerous entertainment services, such as tennis courts and stilt houses.On April 30, 1975, the tanks of the liberation army entered the Independence Palace, and the government, including 45 members and president Duong Van Minh, surrendered without condition.After liberation, the Independence Palace became the headquarters of the city’s military administration committee. The political consultation for national unification was held in this palace which was renamed Thong Nhat Conference Hall.Nowadays, Thong Nhat Conference Hall has become a historic and cultural relic attracting domestic, as well as international visitors.

Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels are located approximately 30 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City in Cu Chi district. This district is known nationwide as the base where the Vietnamese mounted their operations of the Tet Offensive in 1968.The Cu Chi Tunnels consist of more than 200 km of underground tunnels. This main axis system has many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters, and entrances to other tunnels. The tunnels are between 0.5 to 1 m wide, just enough space for a person to walk along by bending or dragging. However, parts of the tunnels have been modified to accommodate visitorsThe upper soil layer is between 3 to 4 m thick and can support the weight of a 50-ton tank and the damage of light cannons and bombs. The underground network provided sleeping quarters, meeting rooms, hospitals, and other social rooms. Visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels provides a better understanding of the prolonged resistance war of the Vietnamese people and also of the persistent and clever character of the Vietnamese nation. The Cu Chi Tunnels have been visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world.

The War Remnants

Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum

The Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum was set up as the result of a decision made by the City’s People's Committee in September 1987, but it was not officially opened until 1991.On the first and second floors, there are exhibits of works by Vietnamese and foreign artists. On the third floor are rooms with displays of works from between the 7th and early 20th century, including Champa and Oc Eo art work, Vietnamese antiques (ceramics, red-lacquered and gilded products, mother-of-pearl inlaid wood, etc.), traditional handicrafts of the Vietnamese ethnic groups and Western art.