Hô-Chi Minh-City

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Hô-Chi Minh-City

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Saigon or Ho Chi Minh Vietnam's economic capital, this city is full of contrasts with typical, colonial, and modern neighborhoods. © Igor Lubinetsky

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Ho Chi Minh City, "Pearl of the Far East", previously called Saigon, remains the country's major economic centre and continues to inspire dreams. The clichés of the colonial era are not unfamiliar: in the city centre, it is a pleasure to walk the length of Dong Khoi street (formerly Catinat St), starting at the Cathedral. On Saturday evening, the beautiful Saigonese women move along it, on the backs of mopeds driven by their fiancés. To really perfect the nostalgic feeling, head for Ton Duc Thang quay, where there are still beautiful colonial buildings. In the city centre, take the time to discover the pagodas lost within the gardens: the Jade Emperor pagoda, the Giac Lam pagoda, and the Vinh Nghiem pagoda. When you get hungry, visit the Chinese quater Cholon that also contains interesting temples and pagodas. Nearby, don't miss the Cu Chi tunnels - a vast underground city dug by the Viet-Cong, and My Tho (in the Mekong delta) with its garden islands.