Best Of Far East Adventure Travel “Live”-Saigon, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, or Saigon a name still used by many of it’s residents is full of history, culture, amazing nightlife, and a city that’s modernizing rapidly. On my most recent visit the skyline was noticeably filled with cranes atop new buildings and an underground subway under construction.

With shopping malls everywhere including a brand new “Saigon Center” and a flagship Japanese department store as it’s main tenant, you might conclude that the city is losing some of it’s historic charm. Not the case at all. There are still plenty of beautiful French colonial buildings, palaces and historic sites to satisfy the fiercest culture vulture.

Cholon in District 5, the largest “Chinatown” in the world is full of atmospheric pagodas, outdoor markets and old streets selling traditional Chinese medicine remedies.

District 1 is where most of the historic and iconic landmarks and buildings that Ho Chi Minh City is famous for, including the General Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Opera House.

In disrict 1 bordering District 3 you’ll find one of the city’s most treasured temples, The Jade Emperor Pagoda. In Taoism, the Jade Emperor is the God of Gods, the King of Heaven, or Ngoc Hoang.

The pagoda is set on some very humble grounds, with a pool filled with carp or koi and a turtle pond.

I made a trip to the Jade Emperor Pagoda on my most recent visit to Ho Chi Minh City and was thoroughly taken in by it’s wonderful interior with sun rays casting beautiful light onto the many dieties worshipped by followers.

Join me for a tour through HCMC’s Jade Emperor Pagoda from a previous Far East Adventure Travel “live” broadcast.

Getting there:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Emperor_Pagoda