Ho Chi Minh City (AKA Saigon) is home to some interesting museums and buildings. When exploring the highbrow and historical, certain venues are better than others.

The Reunification Palace, unmistakable as it sits in the city’s huge main square, is an interesting site, though perhaps not for its historical value. This is the scene of the famous picture of a tank crashing through the gates to signal the end of the long conflict between Ho Chi Minh’s army and the American supported South Vietnamese regime. Whatever significance the building has to Vietnamese history, it is undeniably a blast from the past. The architecture and even the small details inside the building make for a perfect setting to imagine the 1960s. Some of the older buildings on surrounding streets have a similar effect. Downtown, the city government building remains, a bland, communist era affair. It is surrounded, however, but new buildings. The Rex Hotel and the Continental still remain, though the feel is surely different than it was during the past. Though a newer construction, the Caravelle Hotel’s Saigon Saigon bar offers a view of the downtown areas from a rattan furnished setting. The wide windows and house band make one feel like they are in Vietnam’s colonial past.

The War Remnants Museum is heavy with propaganda, and some of the exhibits are hard to stomach, especially for the squeamish (avoid the agent orange exhibit, if you fall into that category). Still, it is an interesting piece of history, and worth a visit.

Next to the massive post office (also worth a look), is Notre Dame Cathedral, a French era catholic church that is impressive in its design, though seemingly out of place. There are several temples, the biggest being Thien Hau Pagoda in District 5. The ornate sculptures make this an interesting site to visit.

A stroll around district 3 will lead to some colonial style villas, and some of the buildings in which Cholon’s (District 5) markets are located harkens back to the 1950s. These older buildings are scattered around the city, gradually disappearing to make way for newer constructions.

The first sightseeing opportunity, however, takes place when you land at Tan Son Nhat airport. The now overgrown cement hangars seem to be amazingly untouched, real life exhibits of Vietnam’s past conflicts. See them soon. In a few years time, a construction on a new airport will be complete, relegating Tan Son Nhat to a domestic hub.

Vietnam is a unique blend of old and new. While the development of the city means the old is disappearing, its soul remains if you have time to look closely enough.