Indochina & MyanmarThe Indochina region and Myanmar are rich in cultural heritage and just one step away from Thailand. From Angkor Wat to Yangon, the Annamites to the Plain of Jars, find out about destinations and keep abreast on events with our guides and news articles.
On landing aboard a Bangkok Airways’ flight at the city’s Tan Son Nhat Airport, I say Xin Chào (pronounced ‘sin chow’, and meaning ‘hello’), to Ho Chi Minh City and its residents.
Although the city was renamed after the communist revolutionary, statesman, and arguably father of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh Cityis still referred to as ‘Saigon’, its official name during its days as a French colony, by many of its inhabitants. Rest and rehabilitation After the punishing Vietnam War, the country finally achieved reunification in 1975. The people joined hands during the period of rehabilitation under a slogan that can be roughly translated as “don’t forget the past, but don’t look back – look ahead”.
All credit goes to the people of Vietnamsince the country has recently become something of an economic powerhouse within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) grouping. Indeed, such is its competitiveness and the confidence it is inspiring among foreign investors are having some saying that the country may soon overtake Thailand.
While it isn’t my responsibility to try and predict the future, having spent some time in the country, I quickly grew to learn that Ho Chi Minh Cityis forging ahead in social, economic, and technological development. Sino-ties Boontern Ruengsawasdi, a professor of history at VietnamNationalUniversity, was our tour guide for a trip to Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinatownarea.
Cholon is an important commercial area, boasting many large stores and little stalls. It is a hive of activity day and night and has much in common with Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown. The locals pay the 287-year-old Thien Hau temple great respect. The building, its statues and decorative items were thought to have been moved to Ho Chi Minh Cityfrom Guangdongprovince in Chinaduring Cantonese migration.
Boontern said the importance of the temple could be compared with the importance of the Chao Mae Tabtim shrines in Thailand, which are paid great respect by sailors and fisherfolk. Indeed, the building has a great example of a statue of Thien Hau Thanh Mau – the “Goddess of the Sea”, along with other deities. The atmosphere inside the temple is alluring as people light candles and burn incense sticks. The temple’s ceiling is adorned with intricately-patterned tiles, featuring Chinese-style portraits of gods, warriors and demons. Brisk trade Having gained an insight into the history and life of the city’s Chinese population, it’s now time to take a look at a traditional Vietnamese market. We opted to visit Benh Than Market in the heart of the city.
Built in 1914, Benh Than is the city’s best known market. A large clock tower stands proudly at the entrance to the market, and this is used to symbolize the market.
A wealth of goods can be purchased at the market, including bags, clothes, food, shoes, and souvenirs. It is possible to haggle for the best possible prices. Elsewhere in the market, there are several more specialist offerings, including arts-related stores, as well as beauty salons. In many ways it is similar to Bangkok’s Chatuchak, although it is a fair bit smaller in comparison. I was delighted to find that many stallholders and storekeepers was able to speak fluent Thai, and will even accept baht should you not have time to change up enough money.
After the market closes, at about 9-10 pm, a small road close to the market transforms into a street market where lots of merchandise and food is on sale.
Changing ways Those hoping to catch Vietnamese women in the city wearing the famous local Ao Dai dress could be severely disappointed since women these days seem to prefer more modern, Western-style outfits. Ao Dai only seem to be worn on special occasions, or when attending major events.
One of the somewhat negative sides of Ho Chi Minh Cityis the traffic and driving styles employed. At one major roundabout at the monumentof Tran Nguyen Han, motorcycles zip past with little consideration for pedestrians. At intersections, they tend to take no notice of traffic lights, instead following an unspoken rule of, “the courageous go first, the cowards second”. The things I noticed most since visiting the city four years ago are: an increase in the number of cars; a slight fall in the number of motorcycles; and a sharp fall in the number of cyclo-trishaws plying the streets. The residents of the city are very proud of the fact their hometown is the most important city in the South of the country. Once dubbed the “Parisof the East”, we will point out some more charms from this fascinating city in the next article in this series. –Translated into English from an article first published in Thai by Leng Hu Chong. Republished with the kind permission of Manager Daily.
Indochina & Myanmar 
Indochina & Myanmar
The Indochina region and Myanmar are rich in cultural heritage and just one step away from Thailand. From Angkor Wat to Yangon, the Annamites to the Plain of Jars, find out about destinations and keep abreast on events with our guides and news articles.
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