5 belongings you thought you’d NEVER do in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis

You’ve discovered Ho Chi Minh Metropolis’s greatest banh mi, greatest pho and greatest egg espresso, so now what?

By Matt Cowan
Chief Editor

The Bureau Asia

So that you’ve been performing some analysis on what to do in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis and it’s turned up loads of data on the place you’ll find one of the best banh mi, one of the best pho and one of the best egg espresso (it’s a Hanoi factor by the way in which).

Nevertheless it’s both not your factor otherwise you’re on the lookout for one thing slightly completely different from the norm.

Effectively, in the event you name pro-wrestling, worshipping whales and eating in a war-era financial institution vault slightly completely different, then this checklist may simply be for you.

Attend a pro-wrestling “combat evening”   

Vietnam’s better-known for extra high-brow cultural occasions for vacationers, just like the Teh Dar Present on the Opera Home or excursions on the again of motorbikes pushed by younger women in ao dai – Vietnam’s nationwide costume – and no, that doesn’t make this checklist!

However pro-wrestling? No approach.

Someplace within the again blocks of District 7, an outer southern suburb of Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, you’ll find pro-wrestling occasions held all year long in a hangar-like construction on the lot of an area movie studio.

It’s darkish, it’s gritty, and it’s sweaty, however better of all, it’s extremely entertaining.

Native stars with names like Rocky Huynh, Sid Nguyen, Venomshank, and The British Horror (amongst others) throw themselves at one another within the ring and out of it, all of the whereas urged on by greater than 300 of their adoring (and equally as sweaty) followers sitting ringside in what’s a pulsating show of guts and stupidity within the identify of leisure.

Tickets to bouts are extremely sought-after with tickets promoting out rapidly after launch.

In case you’re planning on being on the town on Could 4 (2024), get on-line now and safe a ticket for an evening of enjoyable not often skilled by travellers to Vietnam that additionally supplies a possibility to combine with the locals.

However keep in mind – what occurs on combat evening…

Go to a whale temple

This one will take you out of city on a day journey, but it surely’s nonetheless technically in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis regardless that it’s round 50km south of town.

Can Gio is considered one of 24 districts that make up Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, but it surely’s the one one that may lay declare to having a UNESCO listed mangrove forest.

How the mangrove forest got here into being after the struggle is a narrative in itself for one more time, but it surely’s the fairly uncommon whale temple within the district’s largest city that makes this attraction attention-grabbing.

Within the small seaside fishing village of Can Thanh there’s a whale temple that the fisherfolk of the native space frequently come to go to and pray at for good luck and protected passage through the fishing season.

Inside this temple is the intact skeleton of a small whale that washed ashore again within the Seventies.

Fishing communities alongside the southern shoreline of Vietnam worship whales.

Lengthy story quick, legend says {that a} Nguyen Dynasty-era emperor bought caught in a hurricane whereas out crusing in the future and was saved by a whale.

Since then, they’ve been revered.

Throughout mid-autumn annually round September, the individuals of Can Thanh maintain a pageant within the whale’s honour with a road parade and festivities after a flotilla of native fishing boats decked out in vibrant paint, flags and banners have returned from paying their respects to the whales – each actual and legendary – offshore within the East Sea.

Dine in a war-era financial institution vault beneath town

It doesn’t sound overly romantic I do know, however you need to admit this one’s intriguing.

The Nguyen Thai Binh neighbourhood is without doubt one of the oldest and most historic neighbourhoods within the metropolis and it’s additionally what you may name the “high finish of city” owing to it lengthy being the monetary centre of the inside metropolis.

There are banks throughout right here, together with the imposing constructing of the State Financial institution of Vietnam constructed in 1928 on the positioning the place Indochina’s first piastre word was issued approach again in 1891.

Which brings us to The Au My Wine Cellar proper throughout the road from one of many outdated State Financial institution buildings.

In truth, The Au My Wine Cellar occupies one of many State Financial institution’s outdated financial institution vaults from the time earlier than Vietnam’s reunification in 1975.

From the entrance entrance, company descend two flights of stairs after which proceed into a brief tunnel that acts as a cramped (however spacious sufficient) eating space.

The tunnel additionally results in three financial institution vaults (there are 4 in whole) that may seat roughly 20 individuals inside.

See Additionally

In case you’re vulnerable to feeling claustrophobic, then this institution may not be for you. 

And in the event you’re questioning simply how “protected” (wink wink) issues are – particularly provided that Saigon is alleged to be sinking – the partitions have been constructed with metre-thick concrete and bolstered with metal.

For eating with a distinction and what some could name “funding eating” this one is on the cash!

Gorge your self on dumplings in Chinatown

For no matter motive, this road in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis’s “Chinatown” district doesn’t achieve a lot consideration on journey pages and YouTube.

Maybe it’s as a result of you should enterprise off the standard well-beaten vacationer path out of town centre to seek out it.

Ha Ton Quyen Road is solely devoted to sui cao that are dumplings which can be extremely arduous to cease your self from gorging on!

Right here you will get them fried or steamed, in noodle soup or with dry noodles.

Thien Thien might be one of the best recognized joint alongside this strip, however you could possibly in all probability nearly go anyplace alongside right here and discover a winner.

Tour town’s solely gin distillery

That is one other one which’s a day journey outdoors town centre, but it surely’s nonetheless technically in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis.

Cu Chi is without doubt one of the 24 districts that make up town and it’s well-known for the war-era tunnels and taking pictures vary round 50km away.

However now, it’s dwelling to Ho Chi Minh Metropolis’s first and solely gin distillery known as Girl Trieu Gin.

And the cool factor about it’s the crew at Girl Trieu are in a position to organise visits to their distillery by appointment, so in the event you’d prefer to test it out, get involved with them immediately.

The journey consists of a ship experience alongside the Saigon River to and from the distillery (with drinks onboard after all) which provides you an ideal perception into life on the river that you simply may not in any other case expertise, together with a enjoyable tour of the distillery with loads of tastings.

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