Nam Thien Nhat Tru pagoda

Having visited Hanoi a couple of days ago and still missing the special architecture of that “One Pillar Pagoda” whilst standing in the middle of Saigon for the time being? No worries! Let our Saigonese show you the Southern version of it!

Best known for its structure created in the exact same way as the original “One Pillar Pagoda” or “Chua Mot Cot” in Hanoi, “Nam Thien Nhat Tru pagoda” was built in 1959. The name given is literally defined as “the one and only pillar in the Northern sky”. Being designed in compliance with Mahayana, one of the two schools in Buddhism classified based on their difference in scheme, concept, and tradition, a small lotus-shaped temple is placed in the middle of a lake with 625 square meters named “Dragon’s eyes”. One can plainly recognize all of the vivid sculptures displayed inside out of the main hall such as Goddess of mercy, or Happy Buddha and Shakya Muni.

Every single element seen at the small temple is simulated identically to the one in Hanoi regarding of tiles, patterns, and decoration. The only factors that individualize this Northern version are material (concrete) and size (smaller), while the original temple was made of ironwood and bigger in size.

Address: 100 Dang Van Bi street, Binh Tho Ward, Thu Duc Dist., HCMC
Tel: (+84)88 972 143.

Thu Duc stork park

Getting fed up with the blustering atmosphere with tons of honking sounds chasing you all over the city center? Already heard of a peaceful and quiet Mekong Delta but still have no time for a visit?Relax, we are here to help!

During the peak season from September to April, a huge number of storks are all clustering to this enormous forest considered as a natural ecotourism site in the suburbia of Saigon. Integrating with fresh green lines of bamboo, a massive natural lake, rustic earthy trails and footpaths, the whole big area is waiting to turn your hectic daily life into a tranquil childhood.

The most magnificent moment for bird-watching is probably at dawn when flocks of storks move out of their branches, spread out their wings wide and spot out some preys near the lake or shoal ponds. If you want to catch the best angle for your shot or just simply look for an eye-catching view, do not hesitate to hire a ten-seat boat to the middle of the river with only VND 80.000/per.

In case of excessive hunger and fatigue after spending the whole morning in the park, visitors are able to take a short nap on hammocks hung from trees and enjoy the finest Vietnamese home cooked cuisine offered by Mr. Tu De such as deep-fried crunchy elephant-eared fish, frogs stir-fried with coconut milk, etc.

Address: 124/31 Nguyễn Xiển street, Dist. 9, HCMC
Tel: (+84)8 38 931 305
Opening hours: 8:00 – 20:00

College town – Làng Đại Học

Intriguing as it seems, Ho Chi Minh City College town will not drive any of you to despair by its uniqueness and vivid nightlife. Granted with charming scenery, the town is not just known as a far-off land where national universities of the state are located, but also as a gorgeous background for wedding photoshoot.

Especially when darkness comes and the whole area is lit up, innumerable youngsters, mostly students, round up at every single corner of the street for shopping, chatting, wandering off, eating, drinking and even singing. Food and beverage of all kinds can be found here, from beer to milk tea, from low-cost noodles to pricey hotpot.

If you ever wonder yourself about where to get nice-looking dresses with a very reasonable price, come explore the town. Night market is definitely the most prominent spot. Bags, shoes, thongs, hats, dresses, glasses in a vast range of colors and designs are all displayed along the street.

This college town is a smart choice for those who are looking for a truly local life of students in the city. For the sake of its convenience when everything from electronic devices to beautiful landscapes, no student in the city has not heard of the town before. Hence, if you want to learn how to become a true Saigonese, pay a visit to the area. You will not be disappointed! But you have to be very careful if you plan to visit Hồ Đá (the Stone Lake) because this lake is crappy, some spots too deep some too shallow next to each.

The post Where to visit in Thu Duc District, Saigon? appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

If you ever intend to live in the area for a little while or just pay a short visit, feel free to take a look at some of the most selected spots by Vietnamese locals.

Cơm Tấm Mầm Đá – Broken rice

Cơm tấm, or “broken rice”, is an iconically age-old and habitual breakfast for South Vietnamese. It is usually seen with a large grilled piece of pork and small sliced pork skin on the top, sometimes served with eggs or grilled chopped meat and used with sweet fish sauce, along with pickled carrots.

“It was over my expectation! I first thought it was pretty normal when I saw it cost only 25.000 for one. But the grilled pork itself was absolutely fantastic. I think I’m gonna come back here again if possible” – said Nguyen Hai.

Address: 778 Phạm Văn Đồng street, Thủ Đức Dist., HCMC
Opening hours: 6:00 – 22:00
Price range: VND ~10.000 – 30.000

Biển Đông – Seafood

Situated on a street named Einstein, an eminent German-born scientist and theoretical physicist, a seafood restaurant called Biển Đông is highly recommended by not only locals but also expat like Paul Blake, an American teacher in Dist. 9.

Saying Dist. 1 is somehow too identical to a Western city, Blake suggested others should try something like beer, seafood, and BBQ in Thu Duc for a new taste. “It is absolutely amazing. Excellent beer can be found here. And I pretty like some coffee shops in the area though!” – Blake stated. If you are still wondering yourself whether or not it can be expensive, let me just say “Absolutely NOT!”.

A group of six may have been charged just more than VND 340.000 with a receipt saying only grilled squid, snails, fish and beer.

Address: 8 Einstein Street, Binh Tho Ward, Thu Duc Dist., HCMC
Opening hours: 10:00 – 22:00
Price range: VND ~60.000 – 220.000

The post What and where to eat in Thu Duc District, Saigon? appeared first on Maze Vietnam.