Ho Chi Minh City at 50: Colonial and Modern Footprints in the New Vietnam

The ubiquitous street art, depicting portraits of Ho Chi Minh, flying pigeons, and people waving the national flag, reminded me that this year marks the 50th anniversary of Vietnam’s reunification in 1975.

Ho Chi Minh Street art celebrates the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam Photo Teh Chin Liang

Haunting Reminders of the Vietnam War

Outside the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, I stood surrounded by a fleet of decommissioned combat vehicles—American tanks, fighter jets, and a Chinook chopper. Juxtaposed against the surrounding modernity, they seemed to have flown through a time capsule and crash-landed in this scrapyard of old wars.

Through the museum door, black-and-white photos ran across the triangular wall. The Polaroids captured historic moments of people taking to the streets to celebrate reunification and of families reuniting after years of separation.

The mood took a morbid turn as more exhibits unfolded from one room to the next. All eyes were glued to haunting photographs of chemical warfare from Agent Orange, war correspondents killed in the crossfire, and victims deformed by phosphorus bombs.

These long-forgotten images reopened a vanished trail, allowing visitors to walk down a harrowing memory lane and vicariously live through the darkest chapters of humanity.

A real French-era guillotine was anchored to the concrete floor in one corner. The blade hung in the air – ominous and heavy with chilling reminders of how it once came down to slice through the necks of many political prisoners in one clean cut.

A tragic snapshot of the victims of chemical warfare at the War Remnants Museum Photo Teh Chin Liang

A New Era for Vietnam

The visit to the museum was a powerful experience. But soon that feeling gave way to surrealism as I walked out and saw towering skyscrapers dwarfing the giant dipterocarp trees lining the streets. That was when it dawned on me: 50 years had passed. While the past has not been erased, the city has been completely transformed.

Two of the most iconic skyscrapers – Bitexco Financial Tower and Landmark 81 – loomed over the shore of the Saigon River. I walked to the pier and hopped on a sunset river cruise to take in the panorama along the shoreline.

The Bitexco Financial Tower features a graceful curl and tapers to a slender spire at its top. A circular platform juts out from the 52^nd floor as a helicopter landing pad, giving the tower its own unique character.

Landmark 81 is the tallest building in Vietnam and one of the tallest in Southeast Asia. The building looks like a bundle of bamboo tied together, which symbolizes strength and unity. High-rise commercial buildings and condominiums sprout up around these two iconic giants, illuminating the skyline with dizzying luminescence.

A young violin player waltzed down the aisle of the cruise, bowing the strings while twirling to the rhythm of the music. The tune rose and fell with the ripples of the river, hitting a crescendo as if resonating with the grandeur along the shore.

Ho Chi Minh City Skyline Photo Teh Chin Liang

Coffee is a Big Part of Life

Cafes dot the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. In fact, cafes are so omnipresent that there is even an apartment building with almost all the units being cafes. Most cafes offer outdoor seating for people-watching while sipping a cup of coffee. (Thanks to the French colonial influence!).

Deeply rooted in local culture, traditional Vietnamese coffee is strong, dark, and sweetened with condensed milk. The most unique one is egg coffee, made by whipping egg yolks into a frothy cream and mixing it with strong Vietnamese coffee.

Fried scorpions are among the bizarre snacks Photo Teh Chin Liang

An Upgrade to Public Transit

The first metro line of the city opened at the end of 2024. Fourteen stations are currently in operation, connecting Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien Terminal Station. More lines are in the pipeline.

Locals take pride in the new upgrade to their transportation network. They pose for every photo opportunity at the new stations where the scent of fresh varnish remains subtly present. Speaking of transportation, the city was once a moving maze of cyclists, until the early 2000s, when motorcycles started dominating the streets.

Nowadays, you can easily book a Grab ride with your phone. Grab is the equivalent of Uber in Vietnam that offers ride options in both cars and motorbikes. Motorbikes are the best commuting option in heavy traffic. They whisk you across districts and zigzag through congestion for under $3. Don’t forget to return the helmet to the driver once you’ve arrived at your destination.

French Colonial Influence across the City

If urbanization builds the painting frame for Ho Chi Minh City, then the colonial landmarks serve as the brushstrokes that bring its aesthetic to life.

French architecture is still prominently visible throughout the city, the Saigon Opera House, the Saigon Central Post Office, and even the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, now heavily covered in scaffolding, still exudes the classical elegance of French architecture through a peek between the beams.

Ho Chi Minh City is also known as the Little Paris of Asia Photo Teh Chin Liang

The Museum of Fine Arts

My top pick is the Museum of Fine Arts. Originally built in the 1920s as a mansion of a local tycoon, the museum now houses a treasure trove of Vietnamese contemporary paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and more.

From a grand spiral staircase with wrought-iron railings winding elegantly around a stained-glass window, to petite Art Nouveau balconies and a long hallway that runs parallel to the gallery rooms, the colonial opulence is simply awe inspiring.

While walking down the hallway alone, I thought I heard faint footsteps behind me. Click, click. My immediate thought was: Is this place haunted, or was it just an echo from the old building?

Somehow, I was unfazed. Instead, I felt a serene kind of stillness, as if time had stopped. I let my imagination run wild. What if the hallway is a camouflaged time portal where the line between past and present blurs into one? And maybe what I hear are the echoes of past lives that are still audible in the silence?

Whatever it was, it added a beautiful layer of mystery to my visit.

Ho Chi Minh once said, “When the prison doors are opened, the real dragon will fly out.” The city named in his honor feels very much like a dragon with a life of its own. Look closer — the eyelids of the dragon are fluttering, and soon, its eyes will finally open — and it will soar, unstoppable, leaving footprints of colonial remnants and turbulent past, while carving a new skyline for generations to come.

Click Here for Discounted Accommodations in Ho Chi Minh