A Superlative Pearl in the Nucleus of War Memorabilia. Ho Chi Minh City

A Superlative Pearl in the Nucleus of War Memorabilia

Ho Chi Minh City

 

Ho Chi Minh City has three superlatives to its credit .It is the most populous, the most visited and the largest city in Vietnam. It is also the financial capital of Vietnam. It was originally called Saigon and was the capital of French Indochina (1887-1902 and 1945-1954).It later became the capital of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1975.After South Vietnam's reunification with North Vietnam, Saigon was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City after   its President, the tallest leader of Vietnam and the architect of uniting North and South Vietnam into one whole. Saigon is still used in daily speech.

History

The city’s history dates back to the fourth century AD when there was a Funan ( Indianized Southeast Asian states concentrating on the Mekong Delta between the first and fifth century AD) Temple in the area. In the 11^th century a settlement called Baigaur was established there by the Chams. The Cham Empire was invaded by the Khmers who stayed there for centuries, keeping close ties with their brethren in Cambodia. During Khmer rule, Baigaur was renamed Prey Nokor (Forest City) or Preah Reach Nokor (Royal City).Vietnamese colonization started in the 17^th century. Gradually the Vietnamese outnumbered the Khmers, and the Cambodian government could not intervene because it was weakened by war against Thailand. In 1698 the place came under the Nguyen Dynasty and was called Gia Dinh. It became Saigon in the 18^th century. It was colonized by France in the mid-19^th century. It was ceded to France in 1862 by the Treaty of Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh City is very popular among tourists because of its enticing historical and cultural sights. These are among the many notable spots in the city.

Saigon Central Post Office

The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City is a 19th century architecture when Vietnam was part of French Indochina. It was constructed between 1886 and 1891 and designed by Alfred Foulhoux. It is the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia. This two and a half storey, sunflower-hued miniature castle, with its huge bottle-green, shuttered rectangular and arched windows has Gothic, Renaissance and French influence. We entered through the doorway, and came into a massive hall with a Gothic style rib vault .The  Renaissance influence is seen in the huge, arched entrance, the semi-circular arches adorning the hall and the four columns supporting the domed roof. The French influence is demonstrated in its simple and symmetrical outer façade.  In spite of its eclectic design, culturally and historically it is Vietnamese as is evident from the large portrait of President Ho Chi Minh hanging at the far end of the hall, high up on a wall, large enough so that whoever visits the post office cannot miss it. The setting is very interesting. It is a functional post office in spite of being a tourist attraction. There is a stream of international tourists pouring in but the post office employees are doing their regular work in full concentration, undeterred by the chattering of the visitors. In the midst of official work and touristy inflow, there are shops selling souvenirs. On one side  is a series of huge wall clocks of different countries, showing their local time.

Saigon Central Post Office

Inside the Post Office

Notre-Dame Cathedral

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon was constructed by the French colonialists between 1863 and 1880. All building materials were imported from France. Its twin bell towers reach a height of 190 feet. It is located in Paris Square. It is a Roman Catholic Church and is symbolic of the  few remains   of Catholicism in Buddhist Vietnam.

A Silhouette of the Cathedral 

Independence Palace

According to fengshui, the palace is located on a dragon’s head. So it is called the Dragon’s Head Palace.This 120,000 square meters Presidential Palace with four floors changed names with every regime. 

Independence Palace  (courtesy: dreamstime)

After the French conquered South Vietnam (Cochinchina) in 1867, a new palace was built in 1873.   It was called Norodom Palace after the then king of Cambodia, Norodom. From 1871 to 1887 it was used by the French Governor of Cochinchina. So it was called the Governor’s Palace. The palace was used as residence and office by all the Governors–General of French Indochina   from 1887 to 1945.

From 1963 to 1975 the palace housed South Vietnam’s leaders. During the second world war, Norodom Palace became the headquarters of Japanese colonial officials in Vietnam, after Japan defeated France in a coup in March 1945.When Japan surrendered to Allied Forces in September,1945, France reoccupied Norodom Palace. Following the Geneva Agreement in 1954, the French evacuated the palace and left Vietnam.  

North Vietnam was under the control of President Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh communists while South Vietnam was under the anti-communist state of Vietnam. In 1954, when Ngo Dinh Diem, a South Vietnamese politician declared himself the President of the newly proclaimed Republic of Vietnam, Norodom Palace became his home. Due to his unpopularity, his own air force made an unsuccessful attempt to kill him by bombing the palace in 1962. The whole left wing was destroyed and it was impossible to renovate the palace. So the President ordered it to be demolished and commissioned a new residence to be built on the same site. But this time he built an ample bomb shelter in the basement. In spite of such precautions, Diem was killed by his own men in 1963 and the renovation work was completed in 1966.This new structure was named Independence Palace.

The palace campus has wide, concrete roads bordering lawns, topiary, gardens and miniature forest-like greenery.    The spectacular top portions of the palace are airy and full of light. The ground floor has meeting rooms while reception rooms are upstairs for welcoming foreign and national dignitaries. The guest chamber can accommodate 800 guests. We got a glimpse of lavish and grand bedrooms, sitting rooms, ladies dinner rooms. There seemed to be a hierarchy among the bedrooms because one looked like a bedroom in a three-star hotel with a double bed, sofa and a dining table. Another was like a bedroom in a five star hotel where the furniture was the same but very plush and decorative.

Art Work in the Palace

Ministers' Cabinet Room

Conference Hall

A View of the Palace Lawns from Inside 

A  Mid-Range Bedroom

A Plush Room to welcome Foreign Dignitaries

An Ordinary Room with an Extraordinary Painting

Helicopter on the Rooftop Helipad

 There are entertainment areas with card-playing room, bar, cinema, night club etc. But the eye-popping space is the President's personal helipad complete with a helicopter. However the most engrossing area is the basement. We went there in a lift though stairs were  also available. The lift was very small (where hardly three could squeeze in) and slow moving. We came down, climbed down a few more steps and reached the basement. It is eerie with bunkers, narrow tunnels which served as corridors where you can only walk in single file. You can just see the person who is ahead of you. There are a series of small rooms with old-fashioned fans which served as bomb shelters,bedroom, a telecommunication center with wireless boxes and ancient radio transmitters etc. The war room is fully functional. It is from here the President monitored enemy attacks. It is fitted with office furniture without any trappings of luxury. The underground tunnel network was capable of withstanding bomb blasts. The warren of tunnels and the rooms are well lighted. The steps to the exit are located near the facilities which lead upstairs to the main lounge of the palace.

President's War Room in the Bunker

President's Bedroom in the Bunker

Telecommunication Room in the Bunker

A View of the Tunneled Corridor Inside the Bunker 

It was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during Vietnam War. On 8^th April 1975, a pilot of the South Vietnam Air Force and an undetected communist spy flew an F-5E aircraft to bomb the palace but was unsuccessful. Independence Palace played a significant role in ending the Vietnam War.  At 10:45 a.m. on 30^th April, 1975, a tank of the North Vietnamese army bulldozed through its main gate. This signified the Fall of Saigon thus ending the Vietnam War. Tank 390 and Tank 843(according to Vietnam's official account) which forcibly entered the palace gate are both in Hanoi's military museum now.  

A Replica of the 390 Army Tank in the Palace Lawn  (Courtesy:dreamstime)

 In November 1975, after the negotiation convention between the communist North Vietnam and their colleagues in South Vietnam was completed, the Provisional Revolutionary Government renamed the palace Reunification Hall. The palace is depicted in the 200 Dong note of the Republic of Vietnam.   

War Remnants Museum

This museum is the most educative, interesting, thought provoking as well disturbing to the senses. It not only contains exhibits about the Vietnam War and exposes the war crimes committed by American army but also by the French colonialists against the Vietnamese. On the upper floor, a symbolic white statue of peace is located in the balcony overlooking the display hall. So the motto of this museum is clear: “the museum appeals to everybody to oppose unjust wars, preserve global peace, promote friendship and solidarity among nations." (Courtesy: booklet).

Statue of Peace

The museum is divided into 12 display centers under different headings; starting from (1) Historical Truth to (12) Imprisonment System During the Vietnam War.

Army Plane Riddled with Bullets

Wreckage of a War Plane

Unused Cartridges

Firearm used in the War

Agent Orange

But the most alarming exhibition is the havoc caused by a chemical weapon, defoliant Agent Orange used by US troops during the Vietnam War, against President Ho Chi Minh’s army of North Vietnam. It was sprayed from airplanes on the jungles and fields of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to defoliate the trees and bushes to flush out enemy soldiers and also to destroy agricultural crops, to cut off food supply to Vietnam army and local civilians. International scientists have discovered that Agent Orange contains one of the most virulent poisons known to man, a strain of dioxin called TCCD. Its effect is so devastating that 46 years after the war it remains in the soil, ground water, human bodies, continuing to destroy the lives of those exposed to it and taking its toll on each new generation. Not only did it kill thousands but its sinister effect has made the second generation severely disabled mentally and physically.

There was a souvenir shop in one corner of the museum where the shopkeepers had the bodies of a six year old but mature faces of a thirty year old man. They were the sons and daughters of war veterans and born to parents who lived on the contaminated area .They were moving about in wheel chairs and were selling their handmade items. The scene was very sad but their inspiring courage teaches us that in spite of unjust hate there is hope.

American Soldier in the Vietnam War

Firearm Ammunition

Three exhibition centers are dedicated to Agent Orange in the museum: Agent Orange During The Vietnam War; Agent Orange Effects; Agent Orange Consequences Through Children’s paintings.

Within the walled campus of War Remnants Museum there is a display of period military equipment used during the Vietnamese war. The military equipment includes ‘Huey Helicopter’, an F-5A fighter, M48 Patton Tank etc.

Skyscrapers of Ho Chi Minh City seen from the Yard of  War Remnants Museum

Military Equipment used during Vietnam War

Near the exit, on the ground floor,there are shops selling a variety of items:from books to bags and handicrafts.It is the one of the most popular museums in Vietnam among foreign tourists. It was founded on September 4, 1975.It is a member of the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP)

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Saigon

Subhas Chandra Bose launched his armed struggle against the British in an enormous mansion in Saigon’s posh white area, 76, Rue Paul Blanchy (now Hai Ba Trung Road).It was rented out free to him by its owner, a Tamilian from Puducherry, Leon Prouchandy .The house was converted into a secretariat of Bose’ movement, IIL (Indian Independence League) which had encompassed the INA (Indian National Army). Bose last visited the house on August 17^th 1945, before disappearing the next day. Now that house is in rack and ruin. According to newspaper reports, the owner’s grandson wants the house to be preserved by the Indian Government as a symbol of Netaji’s launch of fight against the British.

                                                          Conclusion
Ho Chi Minh City is beautiful in the morning with its slim skyscrapers, its wide tree-lined boulevards, French architecture, its numerous, bustling restaurants, its Kapok trees locally called Bong gon from where probably Saigon got its name and its educative and enticing cultural centers. Ben Thanh Market, Vietnam’s largest and oldest market will consume most of your afternoon. The market is situated inside a large building and it is stacked with shops. You have to squeeze through narrow lanes and get lost in a maze of shops selling everything under the sun: from touristy handicrafts to wooden puzzles and chopsticks; from food, grocery to jewellery; from clothing to shoes; from luggage to tea sets; from electronics to fancy decorative items. But the prices are steep for tourists and there is a bit of bargaining to do. Some lessen the price and some don’t, pointing solemnly at the Fixed Price signboard hanging in their shops.

After feeling fatigued with the crowd and the shopping,you come out and walk through lanes lined with shops selling dried fish, Vietnamese food, until you come to the main road, jam-packed with vehicles. You negotiate your way through the crazy, evening traffic, walk past roads lined with shops offering arms and feet massage until you  reach a massage parlor. Then it is pure heaven. For one hour, in the dimly-lighted cubicle, with soft oriental music playing in the background, the masseuse gives you a massage with essential oils, speaking gently in whispers, hands with a definite,therapeutic, professional touch.

Then the night descends. We reach the rooftop dining area of the 16 storeyed Bay Hotel and watch the illuminated Saigon River shimmering with the lighted tall buildings on its shore. Everywhere there is beauty, history and style.

Bejewelled Saigon River at Night

The resilience and bravery of Vietnamese people is summed up by President Ho Chi Minh’s message at the entrance hall of War Remnant’s Museum: "Vietnam has the right to enjoy freedom and independence and has really become a free and independent country.The entire Vietnamese people are determined to mobilize all their physical and mental strength,to sacrifice their lives and property in order to safeguard their liberty and independence."

President Ho Chi Minh's  Message in War Remnants Museum

 

In spite of exploitation by French colonialists and twenty years of crippling Vietnam War in which innocent civilians were massacred or turned into cripples or vegetables, the never-say-die attitude of the Vietnamese made them recreate a gorgeous and historical Ho Chi Minh City from the ashes of devastation. It is indeed the ‘Pearl of the Far East,’ brimming with prosperity, rich culture and vibrant entertainment.

 Photographs : Bulbul Sur