7th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING IN VIETNAM

HAFT-DAY TOUR

Participants can register to go on a haft-day city tour with our conference volunteers by email bme2018@hcmiu.edu.vn (anytime) or with our volunteers (before the conference) or at the Information desk (during the conference).
Participants may choose from one to three options from the list below.

Option	Places/Activities	Time
Option 1: Historical Buildings; Famous Walking Street	Gather at 23/09 Park, Move to Independent Palace	8:30
	Independent Palace	8:45
	Walk to Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica – Central Post Office	9:15
	Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, Central Post Office and Book street	9:30
	Walk to Nguyen Hue street	10:15
	Lunch, move back to meeting point	10:30
Option 2: Hidden Tourist Destinations	Gather at Liberty Riverside, move to Minh Dang Quang pagoda	8:30	14:30
	Minh Dang Quang pagoda tour	9:00	15:00
	Move to The Factory Contemporary Art	10:00	16:00
	The Factory tour	10:10	16:10
	Move to Xuan Thuy street	10:40	16:40
	Xuan Thuy street	10:45	16:45
	Move to river bus station	12:00	17:15
	Arrived at Bach Dang river bus station, move back to meeting point	13:00	18:00
Option 3: Night Tour; Puppetry Show And Street Food Dinner	Gather at 23/09 Park, move to Water Puppetry Theater Rong Vang	18:00
	Water Puppetry Show	18:30
	Move to Ben Thanh Night Market	19:30
	Dinner with street food and visit Ben Thanh night Market	20:00
	Move back to meeting point	21:00

Ho Chi Minh City Tour Suggestions

If participants want to travel on your own, here are some famous destinations of Saigon and some nearby places.

A modern Saigon
Nguyen Hue Walking Street: This is the most beautiful street in Saigon where there are many high buildings and a lively nightlife. Add: Ben Nghe ward, District 1
Bitexco Financial Tower: Bitexco is the tallest building in Saigon located in the centre of the city. What makes this building so special is the design and the view from the top floor to Saigon river with a luxurious bar. Add: Ngo Duc Ke street, Ben Nghe ward, District 1
Book Street: This street is the place where you can find every imaginable book from new to old from every book publishing brand in Vietnam. On Saturdays, there are usually Vietnamese traditional musical instrument shows. Add: Nguyen Van Binh street, Ben Nghe ward, District 1
War Remnants Museum: The museum that recollects heroical memories of devastation and destruction in the Vietnam War, from 1961 to 1975. Add: 28 Vo Van Tan street, ward 6, District 3
April 30^th Park: This is the place where Saigon citizens gather to have street coffee, which is a special feature of this city. Add: Pasteur street, Ben Nghe ward, District 1
Ban Nguyet Lake - Anh Sao Bridge: The scenery here are spectacular at night Add: Tan Phu ward, District 7
Bach Dang port: Along with a river view park, this is where you can take the river bus to travel around the city. We recommend that you should go to the third station: Thanh Da, because if you go further, it will take a lot of time to get back to your hotel. You can find the schedule right at the port. Add: Ben Nghe ward, District 1
Artinus 3D museum: Artinus 3D museum is an interactive art gallery which gives its visitors a truly wonderful experience in the magic of 3D. Add: 2 No.9 street, Tan Hung ward, District 7
Cho Lon (a.k.a Saigon’s Chinatown):HCM City’s Cho Lon is Vietnam’s largest Chinatown with roots dating back to 1778; it is also a place of great historical and cultural importance. Add: District 5
Aodai museum: Honoring Vietnam's national clothes, this large and private museum is in District 9, which is very a long way from the city center. However, your mind will be blown by its surrounding scenery, which makes you feel like you are now in Mekong Delta, surrounded by water coconut trees and canals. Add: 206/19/30 Long Thuan, Long Phuoc ward, District 9
Tan Dinh market: You can enjoy many kinds of famous Vietnamese traditional sweets. Add: 48 Ma Lo, Tan Dinh ward, District 1
A Religious Saigon
Notre Dame Cathedral: This 130-year-old cathedral is the symbol of Saigon with the signature Gothic architecture. Located in the city downtown, Notre Dame Cathedral is the most attention-worthy location in Saigon. Add: Ben Nghe ward, District 1
Jade Emperor Pagoda: A 100-year-old pagoda with great Eastern architecture, wood-carved masterpiece and altars depicting scenes from Taoist and Buddhist myths are what make this place well-known for tourists. Add: 73 Mai Thi Luu street, Da Kao ward, District 1
The great seminary of St. Joseph: Being one of the first Roman Catholic institutions founded by Bishop Dominique Lefèbvre following the French conquest of 1859, the rarely-visited St Joseph’s Seminary offers a unique oasis of calm in a busy city. Add: 6 Ton Duc Thang street, Ben Nghe ward, District 1
Dang Quang Minh Pagoda: Named after an influential Vietnames monk, this institute would give you instant peacefulness thanks its quiet and calm surrounding. This is a place where people come to do meditation and being mindfulness. Add: Mai Chi Tho street, An Phu ward, District 2
Jamia Al-Musulman: This is where most of Muslim foreigners in Saigon gather everyday for Solah ceremony. The trees and cool stones make this place an ideal visiting destination during in this hot weather. Add: 66 Dong Du street, Ben Nghe ward, District 1
An Ancient Saigon
Ben Thanh market: The market is one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon and an important symbol of Ho Chi Minh City, which is popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles, Aodai and souvenirs, as well as local cuisine. Add: Ben Thanh ward, District 1
Central Post Office: Standing near Notre Dame Cathedral, you may find a French-polished post office sparkling under the delightful sunlight of Saigon. Add: 125 Cong xa Paris, Ben Nghe ward, District 1
Independence Palace: The historic Independence Palace will astonish you with many architectural anecdotes, hottest events and fabulous lifestyle during the Vietnam War. Add: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia street, Ben Thanh ward, District 1
HCM City People’s Committee: The building was built and put into use in 1909 as a hotel whose original name was Hôtel de Ville. It was designed by Gardes, a famous French architect. This building is thus one of the oldest, biggest and most beautiful French style buildings in Ho Chi Minh City, functioning both as a city institution and the city’s most prominent landmark today. Add: 86 Le Thanh Ton street, Ben Nghe ward, District 1
Municipal Theatre: Saigon Opera House was built in 1898 by the French architect – Eugene Ferret, following the “flamboyant” style of the French Third Republic. It was set to be two meters higher than the street surface with two door layers, to prevent traffic noise. Add: 07 Cong Truong Lam Son, Ben Nghe ward, District 1
HCM city Fine Arts Museum: This yellow-white grand colonial-era mansion is a combination of French and Chinese styles which brings about a typical colonial feeling through its marble floors throughout and the spacious, airy rooms. It’s no wonder that the building is considered as a masterpiece itself. Add: 97A Pho Duc Chinh street, Nguyen Thai Binh ward, District 1
Travelling destinations near Saigon
My Tho – Ben Tre: (about 80km to the south from Saigon) Coming to the Mekong Delta area of Vietnam, you can enjoy fresh air and fruits and especially a strange but unforgettable culture. Also, you can enroll for the popular ecotourism, in which you can learn about Vietnamese cuisine and daily activies.
Can Gio: If you want see the beach near Saigon, Can Gio is the best choice. Being famous for its monkey island, Can Gio will bring you a brief look at South-Eastern culture of Vietnam.
Cu Chi Tunnel: This tunnel is where Southern Vietnam soldiers lived and fought during the Vietnam War. It is a sophisticated underground tunnels system designed smartly for fundamentals daily demands. Only when you come to this historical destination, you can feel the greatness of this construction.