Relax - Paris of the Orient

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The Paris of the Orient, AirAsia’s latest destination, appears to be suffering from an identity crisis.

Roughly half of the city’s nine million inhabitants refer to it by its modern name of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) while the other 50 per cent and the Vietnamese diaspora, who number in the millions, fondly call it Saigon.

Those referring to the city by its old name, say some residents, are rural folk who associate the city with Saigon River, nostalgic city dwellers and overseas Vietnamese who remember its French colonial and South Vietnam roots.

The city was renamed HCMC after the end of the Vietnam War when the communist North routed the US-backed South Vietnamese government and reunified the country.

However, true to the adage that a rose by any other name still smells the same, the Paris of the Orient has not lost any of its charm or allure.

As one travels around the old city, one cannot but be fascinated by the French architecture and lifestyles still evident in the streets.

For example, the sight of locals sitting along sidewalks sipping their favourite coffee.

Or the Gothic-styled Central Post Office which can easily be mistaken for an old European railway station.

For starters there’s that huge clock that the building sports on the outside!

The interior comprises steel archways designed by no less an arichitect than Gustave Eiffel, the man who built Paris’ iconic tower.

There are huge maps of Vietnam on both sides of the building’s main entrance and a portrait of the late Ho Chi Minh – the freedom fighter who became Vietnam’s most revered national hero.

Another colonial-era building is the Notre Dame Cathedral.

It was constructed in 1880 with all the building materials imported from France.

The mini park outside, one of the many green lungs in the city that provide shade from the searing heat, is a popular place to hang out, especially for newlyweds posing for photos with the cathedral in the backgroound.

As the “old France” fades, HCMC increasingly displays a more modern facade with skyscrapers dotting the skyline.

And, as in any bustling city, there is always the traffic.

However, during rush hour, it is not the cars that dominate but two-wheelers like scooters, motorcycles and bicycles.

Tourists are told that to cross a street one has to take a deep breath, put faith in the motorists and just walk across at a steady pace. It works! But only because the Vietnamese are a disciplined lot and everyone actually keeps to the speed limit and travels in an orderly manner.

The new part of HCMC boasts several must-visit sites such as City Hall, Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum.

It is at the museum that those brought up on a diet of movies and documentaries or who only read stories from the American viewpoint finally get a fuller picture of what the Vietnam War was all about.

The museum exhibits war relics and US military hardware on its grounds but it’s what’s inside that tells the real story of the war.

The disturbing photographs of civilian casualties resulting from the US military’s use of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange and napalm provide an insight into the meaning of the oft-used expression “collateral damage” in modern arenas of war, including Afghanistan and Iraq.

In the case of Vietnam, the collateral damage were innocent women and children killed mercilessly by a superior military force that was frustrated that it could not counter the hit-and-run, guerilla tactics of poorly equipped Vietcong soldiers.

The Vietnam War history lesson does not end at the museum but continues at the Cu Chi tunnels northwest of the city.

Here, you can see how the Vietcong guerillas escaped detection from the scores of US bombing sorties via a series of underground tunnels.

These range from very narrow passages to large man-made caverns stocked with ample food, medical facilities and beds.

There are around 200km of these tunnels but tourists are obly allowed to enter a narrow stretch that leads windingly to an exit about 30m from the entry point.

The tunnel is dark, and only a small-sized person (like me) can travel through it – albeit by bowing all the way!

Breathing can be a wee bit difficult, and the trick in negotiating the tunnel is to make sure you don’t lose sight of the person in front of you.

It is at the tunnels that the Vietcong version of the war – including the heroism of ordinary villagers (who became anti-US because of the indiscriminate killing of innocent women and children) – is proudly narrated. Working models of gruesome traps used to kill and maim US troops are also on display, as is a US tank that was disabled by landmines.

Having taken in the horrors of war, you might want to relax back in HCMC with the must-see water puppet show.

Watch puppet masters working behind the scenes to animate “people” and “animals” from traditional Vietnamese folklore backed by a live ensemble.

The movements are so intricate that it is hard to believe that these are puppets, not people, performing.

The show, organised by the Water Puppet Theatre, takes place in a pool of waist-deep water and the puppets are controlled from below.

Speaking of Vietnamese “aqua-culture”, I must point out that HCMC is situated in the Mekong Delta, which produces about half of the country’s food production.

It is worthwhile to take a tour of the delta, travelling by bus from the city to a ferry terminal.

From here, you can take a boat to one of several islands on the Mekong river.

The island selected by AirAsia on this trip was Unicorn Island, where we were treated to traditional honey tea (rather tasty) and bites while being entertained with folk songs by the villagers.

We also took a ride along the backwaters in the Vietnamese version of a sampan.

HCMC is said to be a budget shopper’s paradise of sorts. Bargain hunters usually head for the Ben Thanh Market (the city’s central market).

There are spices, clothing and souvenirs galore but the trick is to haggle your way to a good buy.

Alternatively, there’s the Binh Tay market which sells foodstuff, Chinese medicine and silk.

International travellers and the city’s youth usually make for Saigon Square which offers fashion products, mostly China-made, at cheap prices.

HCMC has a large variety of Vietnamese and international food.

The local fare shows influence from French colonial times but if you are looking for a real spicy local meal, forget it.

Fortunately, over the years, several halal-certified restaurants serving Malaysian cuisine have sprung up to cater to Muslims in the city, as well as the increasing number of visitors from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei.

These include the D’Nonya Penang Restaurant, Four Season Restaurant, Halal @ Saigon, Vn.Halal and Lion City Cafe & Restaurant.

Some of the restaurants actually serve authentic Malaysian food. I, for one, can vouch that the roti canai at the D’Nonya was the real thing.

And if you want to have a fun night out, please remember to start out early because most nightspots in the city close by midnight.

It doesn’t really matter what the Paris of the Orient is called nowadays, whether Saigon or HCMC.

Even if the Vietnamese should compromise and call it “Ho Chi Gon” city, it would still be a great place to visit.

A final tip: The Vietnamese people, just like Malaysians, are a friendly lot, so flashing a smile will help you get a better price when you bargain for something!

Paris of the Orient

By Priyadev Aravind , The Star,ANN | Tue, Jul 26 2011

Call it Saigon or call it Ho Chi Minh City, the Paris of the Orient is still a charming place to visit.