District 1 – Ho Chi Minh City

District 1 is the financial and commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City. On a visit to Saigon you could spend all your time in District 1 only. There are many interesting things to discover, you surely will spend the majority of your time here.
Besides the buildings built by Vietnamese people, there are some famous building in District 1 was designed by French architects during their rule. Some others were built by many other ethnics. Those buildings create the unique as well as the rich scenes for here. Notable attractions in Saigon's District 1 include Saigon Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office, Independence Palace, National History Museum, Jamia Al Muslimin Mosque, Mariamman Hindu Temple and the tallest building in Vietnam, Bitexco Tower. Conveniently, almost all of HCMC's five star hotels are in District 1: New World Hotel, Rex Hotel, Caravelle Hotel. This easy for you to see the sights and indulge in comforting surroundings when it all gets too overwhelming.
Some famous places:
+ Ben Thanh market:
Built in 1870 by the French, the market was initially called Les Halles Centrales before being renamed Ben Thanh in 1912. In the morning, you can find almost everything from dry food, raw food to clothes; however, you have to bid for a reasonable price. In most of time, the market is always crowded so its atmosphere is a real hustle and bustle. From late afternoon until late night, the shops inside the market are closed, but several shops are open outside on the surrounding streets which called “The night market”. This night market can offer you a variety of choices: seafood, grills, teas, coffees, and also clothes and shoes, etc.
+ Independence Palace
In 1868, Independence Palace was placed the first stone by French to mark the ground-breaking of the construction of Norodom Palace. After the Geneva Treaty was signed, the Palace was handed over to PM Ngo Dinh Diem, who changed its named to Doc Lap Palace (Independence Palace). Now, it’s also called Thong Nhat Hall. Nearly 150 years have passed, Thong Nhat Hall is an agency managed by the Government Office. It serves sightseers and hosts both domestic and international conferences.

+ Notre-Dame Cathedral
The Cathedral is located at the Paris Square, right in the heart of HCM City downtown, attracting not only Catholics but also most tourists for its style architecture. Apart from the religious meaning, the even more special point of Notre-Dame Cathedral is its special style of architecture. Established by French colonists, the cathedral was built between 1863 and 1880. In front of the cathedral is a statue of the Virgin Mary. It has two bell towers, reaching a height of over 58 meters. During its construction, all its red bricks were imported from Marseilles and colored glass windows made in France’s Chartres Province, France.

+ Saigon Central Post Office
Saigon Central Post Office is a post office in the downtown Ho Chi Minh City, near Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral. Saigon Central Post Office was designed and constructed began in 1886 and was completed in 1891. It has a neoclassical architectural style in harmony with the surrounding area. If you are interested in sending a postcard, the center counter has plenty of postcard packs at fairly good prices.

There are many other famous and beautiful places in district 1. Those places are located nearby each other so it’s suitable for sightseeing, travelling, and teambuilding.

 Team Building Asiaphoenix