With the height of 262 meters and lying at the center of the city's business district, Ho Chi Minh City's Bitexco Financial Tower & Sky Deck offers visitors an unparalleled city view from its Sky Deck. 

The renowned American Architect Carlos Zapata has designed this building, and there are 68 stores of apartments, offices, shops, restaurants, and also a helipad. Lately, Bitexco building has been ranked in the list of the world top 20 most iconic skyscrapers by CNNGo.
 

In 2011, from NCSEA (National Council of Structural Engineers Associations), the structure of this magnificent building also received an ‘Excellence in Structural Engineering' award. The Sky Deck is the chief attraction of this tower because this is the place where tourists can set eyes on and enjoy the stunning scenery all around the hustle and bustle city under their standing spot. 

When visitors come to Sky Deck can be help from the English-speaking guides and also enjoy collaborative touch screen fact boxes which can send you information about points of city landmarks being seen from that high.

In spite of the fact that the chief crowd puller here is not shopping, also with the views but six of the Bitexco Financial Tower floors have been given over to retail space. On the 49th floor, there is a public observation deck can use when visitors using one of the tower's 16 elevators which can reach any floor regardless of level with not over 35 seconds.

Another tower is also the well-known location in this attraction is Bitexco Vertical Run where competitors race from the ground floor lobby to the Sky Deck. With 178 meters, the race can cover this area and the latest record about this competition has been held by Germany's Vertical World Circuit Champion Thomas Dold, at 4 minutes and 51 seconds.

The mind blowing 360 degrees view can be seen from the Sky Deck and bring you the scene from across the city to the Saigon River. To have a closer look, visitors can also use one of the binocular stands. Besides, from the 50th and 51st floor, this tower has restaurants, visitors can catch sight of stunning view, especially at night, while enjoy the meals. On the Sky Deck, there is also a local art exhibition where you can buy some lovely souvenirs, or may be textiles and tasty flavor tea that locally produced.
 

Location: 36 Ho Tung Mau Street in District 1

Constructed by the French in the 1880s, Binh Tay Market which is located in the center of Vietnam's largest Chinatown district. This famous market, for the most part, provides the local population with its huge range of fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat and seafood from many provinces all around in Vietnam, so that is the reason why Binh Tay Market is totally different from Ben Thanh Market in District 1.
 

People also called it as Cholon Chinatown Market. Binh Tay Market reside in a two-store building along Thap Muoi Street. Although products in this market are not varied compared to other (more touristy) markets such as some places in downtown of Hanoi, but buyers can find handicrafts and lacquerware. Binh Tay Market is a nice choice for you to experience about the local lifestyle and is also well-known as an example of the unique combination between Vietnamese and also Chinese elegance, along with the fascinating history and also cultural side of Cholon.

Binh Tay Market is a popular breakfast area of local people, because in here have so many of dishes such as pho noodles, goi cuon (spring rolls), and com tam (broken rice) along with Chinese - influenced dainty like banh bao, which are steamed buns filled with pork or chicken, onions, eggs, mushrooms, and vegetables, all of them are inside a large number of food stalls selling Vietnamese staples in the market. The spot you can find a stone altar commemorating Guangdong-born philanthropist Quach Dam is staying in the middle of the marketplace, inside a courtyard. 
 

It is just about 15 minutes by xe om (motorcycle taxi) taking you from downtown of Ho Chi Minh City to access Binh Tay Market. The time when the locals come to have some breakfasts and shop for fresh produce and household supplies is usually in the morning so this will be the best time for visitors to come and take a look at this market.

Location: 57A Thap Muoi, District 6, Ho Chi Minh City

Belonged to District 1, Dong Khoi Street is a fancy central urban district. Start from the cross-board with Nguyen Du Street, this road has 600 meters long.

There are two main commercial centers in the city and one of them is Dong Khoi Street. In this road, there are a huge number of boutiques, shop, coffee, restaurants and also combine with famous French architecture such as The Saigon Opera House, Notre-Dame Cathedral and The Central Post Office. Millions of visitors have been attracted to come to this street every year. The center of many areas in Saigon also Dong Khoi Street. From the south point of Sai Gon river up to the North and come Notre Dame Church is the location of this street. There are a lot of cloth and décor designers' boutiques, handicraft shops, local and international restaurants, huge shopping complex, and also luxury hotels along Dong Khoi Street. 
 

 

In the list of the most bustle and crowded streets of Ho Chi Minh City, we cannot forget Dong Khoi Street. This is also one of the three streets with the highest land price in Ho Chi Minh City, and two other ones are Le Loi Street and Nguyen Hue Street. With a huge number of well-known restaurants, famous hotels, luxurious trade centers and stores, Dong Khoi Street is a great place for you to come for once.

Especially, there are three original French architectural works that located on this road: The Saigon Opera House built in 1897 by French architect Ferret Eugene; Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, constructed between 1863 and 1880, which is a cathedral established by French colonists; and the last one is Saigon Central Post Office – which has been designed and constructed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel. 

When you arrive at Saigon, we recommend you taking a walk and stopping by a couple fancy cafes shop to enjoy the atmosphere. You can also find many shops that sell a lot of lovely souvenirs for visitors. Be careful because you can lose yourself and spend the whole day for shopping or go down to small little trinkets and buy something to take back home.

Emperor Jade Pagoda, also known with another name - Tortoise Pagoda, is one of the five most special shrines in Ho Chi Minh City.

A community of Cantonese who migrated from Guangzhou – a province in Southwest China has built this pagoda, and now it has become a delicate representation of Mahayanist branch of Buddhism that is custom broadly in Viet Nam.
 

You can see at the Emperor Jade (Chua Ngoc Hoang in Vietnamese) that there are two assistant statues standing in both side who are believed to help the Emperor decide a spirit can enter this higher territory. For the person, who cannot pass, will have to meet the tough "God of Hell" on the left side, who will bring sinners to one of the 10 floors of Hell. Life in purgatory is horrifically represented by the complicated carvings on the temple wall, describe different kinds of punishments that wait for criminals.

In the other hall, Kim Hua - the goddess of fertility has surrounded by many figures of women and small children. This represents blessed childless couples who pray for an offspring here. In a room on the top floor, we can take a look at an altar of Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy, who take a very important part of any Taoist pagoda.

The locals come to the Jade Emperor Pagoda for praying. They can live and work here too. The temple can get busy and little overcrowded by worshippers always come and go. Adding to the charm of this pagoda is glittering light, and the haze coming from the joss sticks that bring to this place a peaceful atmosphere.
 

In front of the temple's ground, there is an overcrowded tortoise pond and visitors can feed these them because this is considered part of the rituals.

Location: 73 Mai Thi Luu, District 3

Notice things: Visitors are free to make donations. There is no entrance fee when you go to the pagoda.

Built in the late 1880s by French colonists, Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the few remaining fortresses of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Stayed in Paris Square, the name Notre Dame is based on the set up if the statue "Peaceful Notre Dame" in 1959.

The Vatican conferred the Cathedral status as a basilica and gave it the official name of Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica in 1962. With almost 60 meters in height, this unique cathedral with Romanesque features include all red brick in the front house (which were imported from Marseille), also with two bell towers, stained glass windows looking out to a peaceful garden in the middle of the Cathedral.
 

 

In front of Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, there placed a Virgin Mary statue. In October 2015, this statue has been claimed by the locals that had shed tears. Although it was disproved by the Catholic Church of Vietnam, thousands of visitors still gather around to Virgin Mary statue hoping to see it.

Around 09:30 every Sunday, it is great time for visitors to come and take a look at this place. Visitors should wear appropriate clothes and try to hold back from distracting the worshippers when you are discovering (and also photographing) 

Opening time: Daily from 8:00 to 17:00

Location: 1 Cong Xa Paris, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

The thing that makes Thien Hau Temple become popular and visitors must come for once is that this place has the most attractive temple in Ho Chi Minh City. The name of this temple based on Thien Hau, also known as the Lady of the Sea. Thien Hau Temple has many worshippers in the maritime provinces of South China as well as in overseas Chinese communities. 
 

Centuries passed, this destination has taken an important part and major role in the religious life of Chinese community. In 1993, Thien Hau temple was listed as a National Architectural Heritage Site.

Constructed in 1760, Thien Hau Temple also have gone through so many upgrades and restoration, but this attraction still can keep the same construction with the magnificent architecture of the Chinese people combine with its original design. When you take a look inside, it is not too difficult to recognize a statue (one meter in height) in the main shrine, and that is Lady Thien Hau. 

Tile, bricks, and ceramic are the main materials used to construct and have been perfectly maintained. The ceramics, which were used to embellish the walls, eaves, roof and alters, can easily win the curious heart of many visitors, especially with many different sizes of ceramic statues on the roof. If you want to have a closer look and get further details about your curious statues during your trip to this historical site, please do not hesitate at all.

Not only local people but also foreigners share the same curiosity in this temple, and that has come from the help of the unique architecture of Thien Hau temple. For anyone who has come to this site for once, they always believe that this trip is a fabulous opportunity to explore the historical beauty of the old religious temple as well as having more knowledge about other regions. 

Visitors put their names on incense coils, and then hang them on the ceiling of the temple. Their prayers and wishes are sent to the god following the smoke from the incense smoke slowly upwards in the air. A lot of incense coils are so big that can be used for many weeks.
 

Because Thien Hau temple is regularly crowded and busy, special at weekend, so we recommend you when coming to this historical site to visit in the early morning, so you can have a great time to dive into and gain more experience about the ancient, solemn, and tranquil atmosphere as well as make unforgettable moments for your trip in the Ho Chi Minh city. Remember to wear politely clothes and keep silent when the monks are praying.