Situated in the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, capital of the former Republic of Vietnam, is the largest city in Vietnam and one of five municipalities directly under the central government of Vietnam. As the city with the most tourist traffic in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has not many newly-built buildings or highways, and so its architectural style is shabby and dilapidated on a whole, which however mirrors the city's hallmarks.

Travel Guide

Alias: Saigon City

Climate: tropical monsoon climate

Language: Vietnamese

Telephone Code: 64(Country Code)

Zip Code: 70000

Currency: VND

Embassy/Consulate：

• Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

Add.：No. 32, Guang Hua Lu, Jian Guo Men Wai

Tel：65327038

• Consulate General of Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Kunming

Add.：Room 507 Hongta Masion,1 -155 Beijing RD., Kunming

Tel：0871－3522669

Fax：0871－3572985

District：Yunnan

• Consulate General of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in Guangzhou

Add.：2/F B Building North, Hotel Landmark Canton Qiaoguang Road, Guangzhou　 510115

Tel：020－83305911，83305910，83306801

Fax：020－83305915

District：Guangdong

• Consulate General of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Shanghai

Add.：Room 304, Huachen Financial Mansion, 900 Pudong Ave, Shanghai

Tel：021-68555871

Fax：021-68555873

District：Shanghai

• Consulate General of Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Nanning

Add.：27F,Yahang Fortune Plaza, 55 Jinhu Road, Nanning, Guangxi

Tel：0771-5510560, 5510562

Fax：0771-5534738

District：Guangxi

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Ho Chi Minh City has a moderate climate, and its average annual temperature is 27℃, with temperature difference between months not greater than 5 ℃. Historical records show that the annual sunshine hours in the city is 2,500h-2,700h, annual precipitation, about 2,000mm, and average humidity, 75%～78%. The city seldom suffers typhoon all year round.

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1. Notre Dame Cathedral

Geographic Location: Located near the Centenary Post Office

Introduction:Built with red bricks, the Notre Dame Cathedral is also called Red Cathedral, and touted as the most famous landmark in Ho Chi Minh City. Red Cathedral's name derives from its red appearance, but Notre Dame Cathedral is the exact name. With an even architectural shape, the cathedral is grand and solemn, and its two 40m-high bell towers are skyscraping. The Notre Dame Cathedral's design style originates from the Notre Dame de Paris.

2. Dalat Summer Resort

Geographic Location: Located in the Lam Dong Plateau, 100km to the northeast of Ho Chi Minh City in Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Due to its high altitude and basin terrain, the Dalat Summer Resort has a cool climate (average annual temperature: 18℃), and accordingly becomes a famous summer resort in Vietnam. In Dalat Summer Resort there are colorful and brilliant flowers and a great many waterfalls, among which, French-style villas are extensively scattered. That lures countless tourists.

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1.Railways

Railways in Vietnam have a total length of 2,652km, and belong to the SE Asia meter gauge railway. As for domestic railway lines in Vietnam, the railway stretch from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, with a total length of 1,730km, serves as the main trunk line and runs though the entire Vietnam.

2. Frequent Traffic Means

In daily life, Vietnamese people mostly take motorcycle, bicycle, rickshaw, bus, and taxi.

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You will have a chance to taste food with three different flavors while sightseeing in Ho Chi Minh. Most restaurants in Saigon district serve traditional ethnic delicacies and European and Asian-style meals. Authentic Chinese cuisine can be found in Cho Lon. Some counties in the suburbs are renowned for game food. Local fresh fruit specialties of the south of Ho Chi Minh are produced throughout the year. There is fruit particular to each season. You will arrive at some famous orchards after traveling 20 km by car from Ho Chi Minh. Coconut shell ice cream is a delicacy that is repeatedly praised. It is also inexpensive.

Vietnamese Rice Vermicelli

Vietnamese rice vermicelli is famous as a dish for the common people in Vietnam. Rice vermicelli with beef can be eaten with either cooked or uncooked beef. Uncooked beef has the appearance of mince, and appears half-cooked after being put into and stirred in hot soup. It tastes delicious. It can be consumed at breakfast, lunch or supper. A bowl of Vietnamese rice vermicelli costs about 12,000 Vietnamese dong, equivalent to less than 4 Chinese yuan.

Recommended restaurant:Pho 2000

Address: 1-3 D Phan Chu Trinh, Hồ Chí Minh.

Vietnamese-Style Crab

Vietnamese cooks take the crab apart and cook it with a kind of local chilli sauce with strong flavor, without spoiling the original flavor of the crab. The seasoning is made by stirring pepper, braised ginger, bay leaves and lemon juice together.

Recommended restaurant:May Restaurant

Address:3/5 Hoang Sa, Ward Dakao, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Vietnamese-Style Spring Rolls

The wrapper is an extremely thin sheet made of dried rice vermicelli with a filling of vegetables, chicken, shelled shrimp, agaric, bean vermicelli, basil and coriander. The rolling method is similar to that of Chinese spring rolls. The spring roll is served with a dip of Vietnamese-style sweet chili sauce and a little lemon juice. A spring roll is priced at about 2000 Vietnamese dong.

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