//
Photo: Steffen Schmitz (more photos), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Built as the Hôtel de Ville, it's a striking cream and yellow French colonial building beautifully floodlit at night. No entry, but the statue of Uncle Ho in front is a very popular place for photos.
Ho Chi Minh City Hall, officially called the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council and People's Committee Head Office, is a city hall and the seat of the government of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is located in downtown Ho Chi Minh City's Saigon ward, between Pasteur, Lý Tự Trọng, Đồng Khởi, and Lê Thánh Tôn Street, with its front facade facing Nguyễn Huệ Boulevard. The building houses the office of the city's Chairman of the People's Committee, People's Council and various other government departments, such as Transportation, Natural Resources & Environment, Industry & Trade and Home Affairs.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
The museum, housed in a French colonial-era building, narrates the history of Ho Chi Minh City from pre-history to the present and also has exhibits on local culture and traditions. Outside, on the museum grounds, you will find cars and military vehicles of historical significance. The museum also relates the life of the modern-day father of Vietnam. The exhibits include various personal possessions of Ho Chi Minh but are mainly photographs. You may find it a little jingoistic.
Nhà hát Thành phố or Opéra de Saïgon
An opera house built by the French during the colonial period, and without a doubt one of the finest performance venues in Southeast Asia. In modern times it is home to the critically acclaimed AO show, an acrobatic show that fuses Vietnamese traditions with modern Cirque Nouveau performances. Occasionally hosts classical music performances when the AO show is not being performed.
One of 12 mosques in Ho Chi Minh City, the Central Mosque was built in 1935. It was constructed for worshipers from southern India then resident in Saigon, but now Muslims from as far as Pakistan and Indonesia come to pray. Friday has the biggest congregations. The shaded veranda and cool stone floors make it an ideal place to sit, read, or even nap in the heat of the day. As with most mosques, remember to take your shoes off before entering and dress conservatively if you wish to enter.
Nhà thờ Đức Bà or Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame
A French-built Catholic cathedral in the city center.
Beautiful assortment of flowers during Tet (Lunar New Year) along the popular boulevard in District 1.
A museum detailing the life and achievements of politician Ton Duc Thang, known for his role as president. The first floor has a special exhibit (as of February 2018 about his time on the infamous prison island of Con Dao) and the second floor has a biographical display featuring artifacts, dioramas, and photographs telling the story of his life; there is also a painting gallery.