Royal Palace – Silver Pagoda (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

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Silver Pagoda (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

Silver Pagoda (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

From the Throne Hall, Osang, Violet, Jandy and I proceeded to south side of the Royal Palace complex.  The beautiful Silver Pagoda, built in honor of the Lord Buddha, is the official temple of the king of Cambodia.  Formerly known as Wat Ubosoth Ratanaram, its official name is Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot (“Temple of the Emerald Buddha”), after the green baccarat crystal Buddha it houses.  Its name is commonly shortened to Wat Preah Keo.

Mandapa of Satra and Tripitaka

Mandapa of Satra and Tripitaka

Constructed in 1962, at Queen Kossamak’s command, by King Norodom Sihanouk, it replaced the wooden pagoda built by his grandfather in 1902,  the original aging structure being too weak to stand. During the Khmer Rouge years, more than half its contents were stolen but the pagoda itself was pretty much unscathed.

King Norodom's Statue

King Norodom’s Statue

The Silver Pagoda, is so named because of its 5,329 silver floor tiles, each around  20 cm. (8 inches) square and each weighing 1.125 kg (2.48 lbs), and having a total weight of more than 6 tons. Some of its outer facade was remodeled with Italian marble. The pagoda’s construction shows the clear influence of Bangkok’s Wat Phra Kaeo, also home to a precious crystal Buddha to which the one in Phnom Penh bears an uncanny resemblance.

King Ang Duong's Stupa

King Ang Duong’s Stupa

After removing our hats and leaving our footwear outside, we were allowed to enter the vihara which houses a rich collection of 1,650 royal gifts received by the Royal family over the years, including artifacts and Buddha images, many of them national treasures.  The pagoda is more a museum than place of homage and no monks stay in permanent residence here. However, on entering the pagoda, we only saw a small area of the temple’s signature  silver tiles as much of the floor was covered by carpets. Photography is also not allowed inside.

Kantha Bopha's Stupa

Kantha Bopha’s Stupa

On display are gold and jeweled Buddha statues, notably a a small 17th century baccarat crystal Buddha (the “Emerald Buddha” of Cambodia) and an impressive, life-sized gold Maitreya Buddha. The latter, housed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, was created in the palace workshops between 1906 and 1907.  It weighs in at 90 kgs., is dressed in royal regalia commissioned by King Sisowath, and is decorated with 9,584 diamonds (the largest of which weighs 25 carats).

Reamker Frescoes

Reamker Frescoes

The main building (vihear) is bounded, to the east, by the statue of King Norodom (sitting on a white horse) and to the north by the Mondapa of Satra and Tripitaka, a library housing Buddhist texts.  At the eastern corner is the bell tower, south of which, near the exit, is a model of Angkor Wat. South of the vihear stands 4 structures, from west to east – the chedi (stupa) of King Suramarit and Queen Kossamak, the Dharmasala, the Chedi of Princess Kantha Bopha and the Phnom Mondop (Mount Mondop, where the statue of Preah Ko is situated). The last mentioned is an artificial hill with a pavilion housing a bronze footprint of the Buddha from Sri Lanka.

Osang, Jandy and Osang at Kantha Bopha's Stupa

Osang, Jandy and Osang at Kantha Bopha’s Stupa

These structures are surrounded by a wall – the oldest part of the palace – covered with 80 m. long, colorful series of frescos depicting episodes from Reamker, the Khmer version of the Indian Ramayana, , one of the great Hindu epics.ainted from 1903 to 1904, its bottom half has faded, throughout the Khmer Rouge years, due to neglect. Some restoration has been done but much of the damage is still clearly visible.

Royal Palace: Samdach Sothearos Blvd., Phnom Penh.  Open daily, 8 to 11 AM and 2 to 5 PM.

Royal Palace – The Throne Hall (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

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Throne Hall (Preah Tineang Tevea Vinichhay)

Throne Hall (Preah Tineang Tevea Vinichhay)

Upon paying the admission fee of US$6.25, Jandy, Osang, Violet and I started our guide-less tour of the Royal Palace grounds.The first major building we passed was the open-sided Preah Tineang Phhochani, the banqueting and dance hall, inaugurated in 1912. The pristine gardens of the palace grounds are dotted with topiaried trees and are planted with tropical flowers and plants such as Allamanda cathartica, Couroupita guianensis and Jatropha integerrima.

Osang, Violet and Jandy at top of grand stairway

Osang, Violet and Jandy at top of grand stairway

We started with the cross-shaped Throne Hall (Preah Thineang Dheva Vinnichay Mohai Moha Prasat, or “Sacred Seat of Judgement”), the most impressive building in the royal compound.  The Throne Hall , crowned with 3 spires, is the second building to be built on this site.  The King’s confidants, generals and royal officials once carried out their duties here and it is still in use today as a place for religious and royal ceremonies (such as coronations and royal weddings) as well as a meeting place for the King’s guests.

A 7-headed naga

A 7-headed naga

The first building was constructed of wood in 1869-1870, under King Norodom, then demolished in 1915 and the present 30 x 60 m. building, a  faithful reproduction of Norodom’s wooden palace, was built in 1917 and inaugurated by King Bat Sisowath in 1919. This building, as well as all buildings and structures at the Royal Palace, faces the east (best photographed in the morning). The building’s central, 59 m. high spire is topped with the white, 4-faced head of Brahma.

A garuda appearing to support the roof

A garuda appearing to support the roof

Inside are 3 royal thrones (2 traditional and 1 Western-style) and golden busts of Cambodians kings and queens, starting from the reign King Ang Doung onwards. However, we, as well as all other visitors, weren’t allowed to go inside, much less take pictures of the interiors, even from the outside.  We could only take photographs of its exterior.

Spire topped with the white, 4-faced head of Brahma

Spire topped with the white, 4-faced head of Brahma

The hall’s broad and grand entrance stairway has banisters formed by 7-headed nagas.  Each column of the colonnaded veranda is topped by a garuda with outstretched wings, all seemingly supporting the eaves of the roof.

Hor Samranphirum

Hor Samranphirum

To the right of the Throne Hall is the Hor Samran Phirum, the Royal Rest House, built between 1915 and 1917.  It is not open for public viewing. On coronation day, this small pavilion is used as a royal rest house and waiting area.  Here, the incoming King and Queen wait for their elephants to be bought around. On one side of the building is a door and some posts which are used to harness the elephants while the royals board.  The king no longer keeps elephants and, today, this building is used to house gifts from foreign dignitaries as well as the royal musical instruments and utensils used in royal coronation processions.

Hor Samritvimean

Hor Samrit Vimean

Exhibits at Hor Samritvimean

Exhibits at Hor Samrit Vimean

One small but elaborate pavilion we could photograph, both inside and out, was the Hor Samrit Vimean, also known as the Bronze Palace. The Royal treasury, this tall but narrow building houses regalia vital to the coronation ceremony including the Great Crown of Victory; The Great White umbrella of state; The Sacred Sword; The Victory Spear; The Fan; various procession group figures bearing the national, religious and monarchy flags; and clothing worn during King Sihamoni’s coronation on October 2004. We joined other tourists at the small display room at the lower floor where we observed, and photographed, display cases exhibiting some of the more minor royal regalia and utensils. At the rear, we note the 7 mannequins wearing seven days’ worth of colors.

Preah Tineang Phhochani

Preah Tineang Phhochani

Just north of the Preah Tineang Phhochani, the palace grounds are closed to visitors so we could only observe the other buildings beyond from afar. Getting a much-needed facelift and shielded by a huge tarpaulin (with the actual likeness of the building inside) during our visit was the cast-iron, French-style Pavilion of Napoleon lll, the oldest surviving structure on the palace grounds.  It was presented by French Emperor Napoleon III to King Norodom in 1876 and re-erected here. The pavilion was used by the Empress Eugenie (Napoleon’s wife) during her inauguration of the Suez Canal in in Ismailia, Egypt in 1869. It now serves as a museum of royal memorabilia and a photo exhibit of former Cambodian kings.

The Pavilion of Napoleon III and the Preah Reach Damnak Chan

The Pavilion of Napoleon III and the Preah Reach Damnak Chan

West of the pavilion is the Preah Reach Damnak Chan.  Built in 1953, it’s partly a museum housing a collection of gifts to the royal family while another part is an office for the Ministry of the Royal Palace.  Just past the Pavilion of Napoleon III, a gateway provided us access to the Silver Pagoda.

Royal Palace: Samdach Sothearos Blvd., Phnom Penh.  Open daily, 8 to 11 AM and 2 to 5 PM.

Preah Sothearos Boulevard (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

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Preah Sothearos Boulevard

Preah Sothearos Boulevard

After our short visit to the National Museum, Osang, Violet, Jandy and I proceeded on our way to the nearby Royal Palace. The Royal Palace, a good example of Khmer architecture, covers an area of 174,870 sq. m. (402 m. x 435 m.). Its layout features a defensive wall (kampaeng), throne hall (preah tineang), Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Preah Keo Morakot), stupas (chedei), towering spires (prang prasat) and mural paintings.

Osang feeding the doves

Osang feeding the doves

The complex is divided by walls into four main compounds.  On the south side is the Silver Pagoda, on the north is the Khemarin Palace, on the west is the private sector (or the Inner Court) while the central compound contains the Throne Hall . The buildings of the palace were gradually built over time, some were dismantled and rebuilt as late as the 1960s, but some old buildings date back to the 19th century.

Gamely posing with a sentry at his ost

Gamely posing with a sentry at his post

From Street 184, we turned right to the surprisingly car-free (save for one tourist bus) Preah Sothearos Blvd. On its left is a wide promenade with yellow hexagonal floor tiles.  Here, flocks of black, white and gray doves congregate.  Children enjoy chasing them while adults feed them with corn kernels and peanuts bought from vendors nearby. Beyond the promenade is a small park, Sisowath Quay and the mighty Mekong River.

The open-air Preah Thineang Chan Chhaya ("Moonlight Pavilion")

The open-air Preah Thineang Chan Chhaya (“Moonlight Pavilion”)

On the boulevard’s right are the high, yellow crenelated walls of the Royal Palace. We passed two guardhouses, one of them manned, gamely posing with the guard on duty. The  open-air  Preah Thineang Chan Chhaya (“Moonlight Pavilion”), built alongside a section of the palace walls, dominates the facade.

The Victory Gate

The Victory Gate

One of the most notable buildings of the Royal Palace, it serves as a venue for the Royal Dancers, as a tribune for the King to address the crowds and as a place to hold state and royal banquets. During the 2004 coronation of King Norodom Sihamoni, it was used for a banquet and a tribune for the new king.  It also has a balcony that is used for viewing parades marching along Sothearos Boulevard.

Finally ... the visitor's entrance gate

Finally … the visitor’s entrance gate

Past the pavilion is the Victory Gate which faces the entrance steps leading to the palace’s Throne Hall. Traditionally, this gate was only used by the king and queen though it is now used to admit visiting dignitaries.  As such, this gate was locked.  However, the entrance for tourists wanting to tour the palace was nearby.  Upon entering, we walked along a short corridor to the ticket booth.

 

National Museum of Cambodia (Phnom Penh)

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The National Museum

The National Museum

Jandy and I met up with Osang and Violet while were still having breakfast at our hotel.  Together, we all left for our walking tour of the city’s tourist attractions.  After last night’s rain, the early morning sun was a welcome sight.  Street 184, where our hotel was located, was also bounded by 2 of the city’s prime tourist attractions – the National Museum and the Royal Palace. We first headed out for the latter. Along the route, we met up and had a short chat (he spoke good English) with an orange-robed monk on his way home.

Street 184 (6) - Copy

The National Museum, an excellent repository of many heritage artifacts, murals and paintings that display the talents of the Khmer people, is Cambodia’s largest museum of cultural history and the country’s leading historical and archaeological museum.  The museum, housing one of the world’s largest collections of Khmer art (sculptural, ceramics, bronzes, ethnographic objects, etc.), also has a collection of over 14,000 items from prehistoric times to periods before, during, and after the Khmer Empire including the legendary statue of the “Leper King.”

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Located to the north of the Royal Palace and on the west side of Veal Preah Man Square, the museum is under the authority of Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. On the west side of the museum is the Royal University of Fine Arts.  The museum buildings, designed by French historian, curator and author George Groslier (1887–1945), were constructed between 1917 and 1924.  Though inspired by traditional Khmer temple architecture seen on ancient bas-reliefs, it inevitably portrayed elements of the French style of architecture in its structures to meet the museum-size requirements.

Main entrance

Main entrance

The new museum’s foundation stone was laid on August 15, 1917 and officially inaugurated, during the Khmer New Year, on April 13, 1920 in the presence of King Sisowath, François-Marius Baudoin (Résident-supérieur) and Groslier, the director of Cambodian Arts and conservator of the museum. In 1924, to make the building even more imposing, the original building was altered by adding wings at either end of the eastern façade.  On August 9, 1951, following independence in 1953, the French ceded control of the National Museum and Arts Administration to the Cambodians. In 1966, Chea Thay Seng became the first Cambodian Director of the Museum and Dean of the newly created Department of Archaeology at the Royal University of Fine Arts. The museum was renovated in 1968.

The museum lobby

The museum lobby

During Khmer Rouge regime of 1975-79, the museum, along with the rest of Phnom Penh, was evacuated and abandoned and many of the museum’s employees also lost their lives. When the Khmer Rouge were ousted, the museum was found in disrepair; its roof rotten and home to a vast colony of bats, the garden was overgrown and its collection in disarray, with many objects damaged or stolen. The museum was quickly tidied up and repaired and, on April 13, 1979, was again reopened to the public. In 2000, the Post-Angkorian Buddha,a permanent exhibition supported by UNESCO and a number of individuals and local businesses, was opened to extend the religious function of the museum. 

Violet, Osang, the author and Jandy

Violet, Osang, the author and Jandy

National Museum: Street 13, Preah Ang Eng, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel: +855 23 217 643. The visitor’s entrance to the compound are at the corner of Streets 13 and 178.  Multi-lingual tour guides are available. Photography is limited. Open 8 AM – 5 PM.  Admission: US$5/pax.

Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh Bus Trip

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After our Huyen Sy Church visit, we returned to Elios Hotel to pick up our luggage. The previous day, Violet was able to book all of us on  an airconditioned Sorya 168 Bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh for US$9 each. The travel agency where we booked our bus was along Pham Ngu Lao St. where our hotel was located and it was just a short walk away.  Upon arrival, we were all picked up by a van and brought to our waiting Hyundai bus.

Rural scene along the route

Rural scene along the route

We all occupied a row of reclinable, side-by-side bucket seats with armrests, stored our hand carried bags at overhead racks and our large luggage at the back (though there was a huge baggage storage compartment at the side of the bus, below the passenger deck).

Moc Bai Border Gate (Vietnam)

Moc Bai Border Gate (Vietnam)

Our bus left the station by 12 noon.  We were in for a long 285-km. (177 mi.)/6-7-hr. trip.   As soon as we left, the bus steward started collecting our passports as well as of other passengers bound for Phnom Penh. Naturally, I did not like this idea of giving away our passports to a stranger but looking around, I noticed that this was normal and routine. The steward was to hold on to it within the duration of the trip up to the Vietnam-Cambodia border where he will hand these over to the Vietnamese immigration officer for the stamping of the exit date.

Bavet Border Gate (Cambodia)

Bavet Border Gate (Cambodia)

After a 2.5 hour (70 km.) trip along the National Highway 22 (the Vietnam section of the Trans-Asia Highway) through Cu Chi, we reached the Moc Bai border gate in Tây Ninh Province and we all got off from the bus and entered a building where the Vietnam immigration passport checkpoint is located.  Here, our passports were stamped with the exit date. We didn’t wait a long time.

Khai-Nam

Khai-Nam

Caramelized pork and eggs.

Caramelized pork and eggs.

Fried chicken rice

Fried chicken rice

From the Moc Bai border gate, we again boarded our bus and, upon reaching the Cambodian border, alighted again upon reaching the Bavet border gate at  Svay Rieng. Bavet is one of the “special economic zones” (SEZ) of Cambodia, with established textile industries, bicycles factories plus 10 to 12 big and small casinos (Bao Mai Casino,  Roxy Casino, Crown Bavet Casino, Le Macau Casino-Hotel, Titan King Casino, etc.) attended by Vietnamese.

The small Bao Mai Casino & Roxy Casino ,,,,

The small Bao Mai Casino & Roxy Casino ,,,,

....... and the huge Titan King Casino

……. and the huge Titan King Casino

After clearing with Cambodia immigration, we again boarded our bus and traveled 1 or 2 kms. before making a 30-min. stopover for a late lunch at a cafeteria called Khai-nam.  A meal here costs US$2 (yes they accept US dollars as well as the Vietnamese dong and Cambodian riel).  Back at our bus, our passports were finally returned to us by the steward.

Roll-On Roll-Off ferry

Roll-On Roll-Off ferry

Enjoying the ferry crossing

Enjoying the ferry crossing

We still had a long 170-km. drive to get to Phnom Penh and the trip was uneventful save for the occasional downpour and  the roll-on-roll-off ferry crossing at Neak Loeung where our bus crossed the Mekong River. As the traffic was flowing smoothly, our bus got to board the ferry in less than 15 minutes.  We were lucky as there are times when there are many vehicles wanting to cross the river and a traffic jam occurs. The wait can sometimes stretch up to 2 hours. The crossing itself took less than 10 minutes.

Neak Loeung Ferry Terminal

Neak Loeung Ferry Terminal

The unfinished Neak Loeung Bridge

The unfinished Neak Loeung Bridge

Currently, a 2-km.long, Japan-funded bridge, connecting the National Rd. 1, near Neang Lerg, is being built and is slated to be finished by 2015, making it the longest bridge in Cambodia.  We arrived at Phnom Penh’s Central Market by 6 PM.  Here, we hired a tuk tuk (a motorcycle with an open cabin, suspended upon the rear fork, with an in-line seat on each side), at US$1 per pax, to take us to Elite Boutique Hotel where Jandy and I stayed.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Elite Boutique Hotel“

 

Huyen Sy Church (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

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Huyen Sy Church

Huyen Sy Church

Violet, Osang, Jandy and I still had the whole morning free prior to our departure, via aircon bus, from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, so we decided to walk over to nearby Huyen Sy Church, the oldest and one of the four biggest Catholic churches in the city (it is the second largest).  Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful churches in the city, it imitates the style of many European cathedrals and small churches in France and I was looking forward to add this to my Saigon photo collection.

Church interior

Church interior

The church, sometimes known as Nhà thờ Chợ Đũi (Đũi Market Church) because it was located in Chợ Đũi parish, was designed by Fr. Charles Boutier (1845-1927), an architect of considerable merit who had previously designed the Thủ Đức Church and redesigned the Sisters of Saint Paul de Chartres’ École de Sainte-Enfance complex (after its original wooden buildings had been damaged by termites).

The vaulted ceiling of the nave

The vaulted ceiling of the nave

Constructed from 1902 to 1905, it was named after Huyen Sy (1841-1900, real name Philippe Lê Phát Ðạt), the richest man in Saigon at that time and grandfather of Queen Nam Phuong (Marie-Thérèse Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan), first and primary wife of King Bảo Đại, Vietnam’s last king.

Italian stained glass windows

Italian stained glass windows

Funder of the church’s construction (he donated one seventh of his family inheritance to build the church and also contributed the land on which it sits), he also funded the construction of the churches in Chí Hoà and Thủ Đức.  He died before the building was completed. His son Denis Lê Phát An later built the extraordinary Byzantine-style church in Hạnh Thông Tây.

The high altar

The high altar

This 40 m. long by 18 m. wide, Gothic-style church has Romanesque decorative elements and a vaulted nave flanked by vaulted aisles decorated in pastel green and white.  Off the nave, in the axial Huyện Sỹ memorial chapel immediately behind the chancel, are the tombs of Huyen Sy and his wife Huỳnh Thị Tài (1845-1920). Elaborately carved from the finest marble, the tombs feature full-length effigies of the couple. Busts of Huyện Sỹ and Huỳnh Thị Tài are also installed on the walls.

Chapel dedicated to St. Joseph

Chapel dedicated to St. Joseph

Aside from using brick, this is also one or a few churches that used Bien Hoa granite, a kind of stone that shows wealth but is very hard to carve patterns.  It was used in the façade, base, the main columns and decorative work.The high ceiling, with its vertical emphasis, is defined by an ogival arch that is supported by pillars made from Bien Hoa granite.

Chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary

Chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary

Its Italian stained glass windows, which keeps out as much of the tropical heat as possible, are adorned with images of Bible stories while, along the walls, are statues of Biblical and Vietnamese saints and the 14 Stations of the Cross. On either side of the transept are small chapels dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St Joseph.

Statue of St. Matthieu Le Van Gam

Statue of St. Matthieu Le Van Gam

The chancel features a richly-decorated marble high altar standing on an open platform and featuring ornate gilding work and exquisitely-carved bas-reliefs of Biblical scenes, including the Last Supper and Mary being visited by the Angel Gabriel.

Statue of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus

Statue of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus

The church is dedicated to St. Philip the Apostle (a statue of St Philip stands at the main entrance).  Immediately in front of the church stands a statue of St. Matthêu Lê Văn Gẫm (Lê Văn Bôi, 1813-1847), a Vietnamese priest and merchant from Biên Hòa Province who was captured and beheaded, for his Catholic missionary activities, in the Chợ Đũi area on the orders of the Nguyễn Dynasty court. In 1900, he was beatified by Pope Leo XIII and, every year on May 11, the date of his execution, a festival of remembrance is held at the church.

The popular Ave Maria prayer spot

The popular Ave Maria prayer spot

The grounds also contain numerous other shrines, including a statue to St Joseph and a Mountain of Our Lady, built in 1960. A Chapel of Rest has recently been added. On numerous occasions, the church has been refurbished, most recently from 2007 to 2009. Above the front vestibule is a 57 m. high bell tower which contains 4 bells cast in France in 1905.

The Chapel of Rest

The Chapel of Rest

The two largest bells (diameter 1.05 m.) were presented to the church by Jean Baptiste Lê Phát Thanh, one of Huyện Sỹ’s sons, and his wife Anna Đỗ Thị Thao. To honor their contribution to the Huyện Sỹ Church, their busts are also displayed in the memorial chapel behind the chancel. The donor of the two smaller bells (diameter 0.95 m.) is not known.

The church's 3 spires

The church’s 3 spires

This century-old, grand and imposing church, a tranquil haven with a warm and awe-inspiring interior, is popular among Vietnamese Catholics who come to Huyen Sy to pray and light incense and votive candles.  On the church grounds is a peaceful flower garden. 

Votive offerings

Votive offerings

Huyen Sy Church: 1 Ton That Tung Road (formerly Rue Frère Guilleraut) corner Nguyễn Trãi St. (formerly Rue Frère Louis), , District 1,  Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Tel: 84 (0) 8 3833 0820 and 84 (0) 8 3925 5806. Open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8-11 AM and  2-4:30PM.

Half-Day Cu Chi Tunnel Tour (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

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No visit to Ho Chi Minh City is complete without a visit to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels and, during our walking tour of the French Quarter, Osang, Violet, Jandy and I visited the Saigon Tourist Office to book a half-day afternoon guided tour.  After lunch at the Propaganda Cafe, we promptly returned to the tourist office by 1 PM where we were to be picked up by our tour bus.

The video documentary

The video documentary

This 75-mile (121 km.) long complex of tunnels has been preserved by the Vietnamese government and turned into a war memorial park with two different tunnel display sites open to visitors – Ben Dinh, closer to Saigon, and Ben Duoc (15 kms. further) which contains part of the original tunnel system. We were to visit the former, the site where most group tours go. As such, it can be extremely crowded.

Exhibit of Vietnam-era weapons

Exhibit of Vietnam-era weapons

Our 40-km. trip to Ben Dinh took us 1.5 hours. There are a number of stalls selling food and drinks near the entrance. Our Cu Chi tunnel tour started at a classroom-style hut with a wall chart and a cross-section of the tunnels.  Here, we were shown an introductory black and white, Russian-made video detailing the tunnel’s long 25-year construction as well as live footage of American planes dousing the land with Agent Orange and destroying it with bombs.

A B-52 bomb crater

A B-52 bomb crater

Then, Mr. Do Thanh Ngan, our local English-speaking guide took us on a fascinating tour of the Cu Chi tunnels along a well defined walking track, with lots of interesting things to see spaced at regular intervals, that loops around the area. Along the way, we walked past huge, mind-boggling hollow basins of earth, actually bomb craters that are evidence of the heavy B-52 bombing campaigns in the region during the Vietnam War.

Entrance to the Ham Hoi Truong (meeting room)

Entrance to the Ham Hoi Truong (meeting room)

During the Vietnam War, the tunnel system was a safe haven for thousands of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians and it was virtually an underground city with dwelling houses, schools, hospitals and factories. Through lots of compelling photos and personal effects left behind, we learned more about the conditions these people lived in, the hardships they faced, and the amazing ingenuity employed to maintain life in the tunnels.  We also saw examples of how people lived and what they ate.

Jandy trying out the hidden tunnel entrance

Jandy trying out the hidden tunnel entrance

At one seemingly empty area, our guide pointed to us a small, hidden tunnel entrance just beneath our feet.  A Vietnamese soldier first demonstrated to us how to enter and exit the tunnel, closing the entrance with a 2 x 1.5-ft. manhole cover.  A tourist also successfully tried her hand in doing so, followed by Jandy.

An array of terrifying but lethal booby traps

An array of terrifying but lethal booby traps

Chong bo (door trap)

Chong bo (door trap): heavily spiked wooden cross sections suspended above a door or opening via a trip wire.  When the wire is tripped, the trap swings down and impales the victim

A see-saw trap

A see-saw trap with sharp punji sticks at the bottom of the pit

Also on display were the different types of lethally terrifying but clever booby traps using punji sticks, ironically made from the scrap metal of the American’s artillery, bomb and rocket shells, which were used on American soldiers – chong bat (swinging up trap), chong can coi (see-saw trap), chong canh cua (window trap), chong ghe xep (folding chair trap), chong tru quay (rolling trap), chong-hom (fish trap), chong bo (door trap) and hong tho (sticking trap).

Chimneys

Tiny chimneys that disperses smoke from the kitchen

Tiny ventilation shafts

Tiny ventilation shafts

We also wandered past tiny little chimneys in the ground that dispersed smoke from the underground hoang cam kitchens, tiny ventilation shafts and climbed up what remained of a U.S. army M-41 tank destroyed by a delay mine in 1970.  Underground conference rooms (ham hoi truong), where campaigns such as the Tet Offensive were planned in 1968, have also been restored.   There were also some mannequins re-enacting soldiers in different settings (an army camp, military workshop, etc.).

The destroyed American M-41 tank

The destroyed American M-41 light tank

Jandy and I, as well as other guests, were given the opportunity to do a tough crawl through a 100 m. long section of the “touristed” tunnels, never part of the real network, which have been specially created and enlarged (around 50%) and widened so that the larger Western tourists can now fit through.  Though low powered lights have been installed to make traveling through them easier, it is still not recommended for the claustrophobic.

The tunnel entrance

The tunnel entrance

The tunnel we entered

The tunnel we entered

Violet tried but gave up while Osang remained above ground.  The crawl space was so small and tight that I found it impossible to believe that anyone ever survived here before the tunnel was enlarged. For those who may not want to, or may not be able to continue, exit points were located at the 20 m., 40m., 60m. and 80 m. marks. Jandy and I exited after 20 m.  This was the highlight of our tour

Cong binh xuong (military workshop)

Cong binh xuong (military workshop)

A sandal-making factory

A sandal-making factory

Other above-ground attractions include numerous souvenir shops, at the end of the walking track, some focusing on war memorabilia as well as the traditional Vietnamese souvenirs which could be found elsewhere.  Nearby is a shooting range where visitors can play real war games by firing a variety of authentic Vietnam-era assault weapons such as the K-54 pistol, the M-16 rifle, AK-47, M1 carbine, M1 Garand, Russian SKS and the M-30 and M-60 light machine guns.

Jandy at one of the souvenir shops

Jandy at one of the souvenir shops

Firing range rates

Firing range rates

Sounds like great fun but I cannot help but put off from my mind what these “toys” were really designed for – killing. Besides firing a weapon costs 20,000 VND/bullet (US$0.95) for the K-54 pistol all the way up to 40,000 VND/bullet (US$1.88) for AK-47 and M-60 machine gun, and you have to buy at least 10 bullets (you can, however, share these with someone else).

Jandy, Violet and Osang posing with some manikins

Jandy, Violet and Osang posing with a pair of mannequins

Cu Chi Tunnels (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

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The Cu Chi Tunnels, in the Cu Chi District, were the improvised response of the poorly-equipped Viet Minh peasant army to the American’s high-tech ordnance, helicopters, artillery, bombers and chemical weapons.  Started sometime in the late 1940s during the war against the French (used mostly for communication between villages and to evade French army sweeps of the area), these dugouts and tunnels were built in the hard, red earth of Cu Chi (ideal for their construction) over a period of 25 years.

Combat tunnels and trenches

Constructing combat tunnels and trenches

Around 1960, the Viet Cong’s National Liberation Front (NLF) insurgency began in earnest and the old Viet Minh tunnel system assumed enormous strategic importance.  Most of Cu Chi district and the nearby area were brought under firm Viet Cong control and, within a few years, the tunnels were repaired and new extensions excavated.  It was used as a base for infiltrating intelligence agents and sabotage teams into Saigon and, during the 1968 Tet Offensive, the stunning attacks in Saigon were planned and launched from Cu Chi.

A primitive weapon factory (1962)

A primitive weapon factory (1962)

In early 1963, the Ngo Dinh Diem government implemented the Strategic Hamlets Program. Fortified encampments, built to house people who had been ‘relocated’ from communist-controlled areas, were surrounded by many rows of sharp bamboo spikes. The program was carried out with incredible incompetence, alienating the peasantry.  The Viet Cong also launched a major effort to defeat it, tunneling into the hamlets and controlling them from within and, by the end of the year, the first showpiece hamlet (in the Ben Cat district, next to Cu Chi) had been overrun.

Captured American weapons (1966)

Captured American weapons (1966)

By the end of 1965, a complete Viet Cong victory became a distinct possibility after the series of setbacks and defeats suffered by the South Vietnamese forces in the Cu Chi area. In the early months of that year, the guerrillas boldly held a victory parade in the middle of Cu Chi town and their strength in and around Cu Chi was one of the reasons the Lyndon B. Johnson administration decided to involve U.S. troops in the war.

Children sawing the barrel of a cannon for use in an underground shelter (1968)

Children sawing the barrel of a cannon for use in an underground shelter (1968)

To deal with the threat posed by VC control of an area so near the South Vietnamese capital, one of the U.S.A.’s first actions was to establish a large base camp in Cu Chi district. Unknowingly, they built it right on top of an existing tunnel network. It took months for the 25th Division to figure out why they kept getting shot at in their tents at night.

American tunnel rat creeping out of a tunnel

American tunnel rat creeping out of a tunnel

The US and Australian troops tried a variety of methods to ‘pacify’ the area around Cu Chi, which came to be known as the Iron Triangle. They launched large-scale ground operations involving tens of thousands of troops but failed to locate the tunnels. To deny the VC cover and supplies, rice paddies were defoliated, huge swathes of jungle bulldozed, and villages evacuated and razed. The Americans also sprayed chemical defoliants on the area aerially and a few months later ignited the tinder-dry vegetation with gasoline and napalm. But the intense heat interacted with the wet tropical air in such a way as to create cloudbursts that extinguished the fires. The VC remained safe and sound in their tunnels. Unable to win this battle with chemicals, the US army began sending men down into the tunnels. These ‘tunnel rats’, who were often involved in underground fire fights, sustained appallingly high casualty rates.

American soldiers using dogs to discover tunnels

American soldiers using dogs to discover tunnels

When the Americans began using German shepherd dogs, trained to use their keen sense of smell to locate trapdoors and guerrillas, the VC began washing with American soap, which gave off a scent the canines identified as friendly. Captured US uniforms were put out to confuse the dogs further. Most importantly, the dogs were not able to spot booby traps. So many dogs were killed or maimed that their horrified handlers then refused to send them into the tunnels.

Getting ready for battle to protect base (1966)

Guerillas getting ready for battle to protect their base (1966)

The U.S.A. declared Cu Chi a free-strike zone: little authorization was needed to shoot at anything in the area, random artillery was fired into the area at night, and pilots were told to drop unused bombs and napalm there before returning to base. But the VC stayed put. Finally, in the late 1960s, American B-52s carpet-bombed the whole area, destroying most of the tunnels along with everything else around. The gesture was militarily useless by then because the U.S.A. was already on its way out of the war. The tunnels had served their purpose.

Guerillas of Nguan Duc village on the wreck of an American helicopter (1965)

Guerillas of Nguan Duc village inspect the wreck of an American helicopter (1965)

The VC guerrillas serving in the tunnels lived in extremely difficult conditions and suffered horrific casualties. Only about 6,000 of the 16, 000 cadres who fought in the tunnels survived the war. Thousands of civilians in the area were killed. Their tenacity was extraordinary considering the bombings, the pressures of living underground for weeks or months at a time and the deaths of countless friends and comrades.

Surgery inside the tunnels

Surgery performed inside the tunnels

The villages of Cu Chi have since been presented with numerous honorific awards, decorations and citations by the government, and many have been declared ‘heroic villages’. Since 1975 new hamlets have been established and the population of the area has more than doubled; however, chemical defoliants remain in the soil and water, and crop yields are still poor.

Saigon Central Post Office (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

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The largest and busiest central post office in Vietnam, this Neo-Classical-style building, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city and a fine example of French colonial architecture, is a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and French influences.  This big, airy and spacious building  was designed and constructed, between 1886 and 1891, by the famous French civil engineer and architect Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame).

Saigon Central Post Office

Saigon Central Post Office

Its vaulted roof, massively high arched ceiling (carried by the two rows of steel pillars), numerous wickets, wooden counters (that seem like ticket counters), ornate furnishings, green window shutters and creatively designed arched windows (with engaged piers) are reminiscent of old European railway stations.

Clock above the main entrance

Clock above the main entrance

Above the main entrance, with its intricate ironwork, is its original and still working giant clock. The gorgeous, patterned floor tiles inside represent antique maps.

The post office's massive interior

The post office’s massive interior

Though still a completely functional post office housing a useful office center with phones and fax lines, the building administration have also added souvenir shops (ref magnets, post cards, T-shirts, wallets, coin and stamp collector sets, etc.), currency exchange offices (though their rates was pretty high they are better than rates at the airport), wooden benches for tired tourists, and the still original phone booths (above which are clocks with times of select Asian cities) to make international calls (others are now ATM booths).

Phone and ATM booths

Phone and ATM booths

Inside this never too crowded but never really empty post office, on the upper part of both walls flanking the main entrance, are two large, eighteenth century maps that were painted on the walls just after the post office was built.

Map of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia

Map of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia

Map of Greater Saigon

Map of Greater Saigon

On the left side is a map of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia entitled Lignes telegraphiques du Sud Vietnam et Cambodge 1892 (“Telegraphic lines of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia 1892”) while on the right side is a map of Greater Saigon entitled Saigon et ses environs 1892 (“Saigon and its environment 1892’). At the end of the expansive hall is a huge portrait of Ho Chi Minh. 

Osang, Jandy, Violet, the author and Australian friend Gerald Hosiah

Osang, Jandy, Violet, the author and Australian friend Gerald Hosiah

Saigon Central Post Office: 2 Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, tp. (opposite Notre Dame Cathedral), Ho Chi Minh City.  Open 8 AM – 5 PM. Tel: +84 8 3822 1677.   

Notre Dame Cathedral (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

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The Neo-Romanesque-style and French-inspired Notre Dame Cathedral, officially the Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception, is a modest replica of its namesake in Paris.  It faces Ð Dong Khoi and is set in the heart of HCMC’s government quarter.  When we arrived, its front gates as well as the heavy timber doors on the side of the building that faces Reunification Palace were locked so we never got to see its interior.  Sunday masses here are held in both Vietnamese and English.  The cathedral is also a favorite for pre-nuptial photo shoots.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral

The granite plate inside the main entry gate commemorates the start and completion dates and designer. It states that, on October 7, 1877, Bishop Isidore Colombert laid its first stone in an inaugural ceremony. The construction of the cathedral construction work, managed by a French engineer named Baurad, took three years and, on April 11, 1880, Easter Sunday, a blessing and ceremony of completion was solemnly organized in the presence of Cochinchina  Gov. Charles Le Myre de Vilers.

Bell tower detail

Bell tower detail

The total construction cost, at that time, was 2,500,000 French francs. Its foundation was designed to bear ten times the weight of the cathedral. All its original building materials were imported from France and the bricks of exterior walls, which still retained their bright red color until today, came from Marseille. Most of the tiles are  carved with the words “Guichard Carvin, Marseille St André France” (perhaps stating the locality where the tiles were manufactured) while others are carved with the words “Wang-Tai Saigon.” Many tiles damaged during the war have since been replaced by tiles made in Ho Chi Minh City. Its 56 stained glass squares were supplied by the Lorin firm of Chartres province in France and installed by famous French artisans. These were destroyed during World War II and have since been replaced with plain glass

Rose window

Rose window

At the beginning, the cathedral was called State Cathedral due to the source of the construction funds. On February 17, 1959, during the closing ceremony of the Marian Congress, the cathedral was then-on called Notre-Dame Cathedral. In 1960, the cathedral was titled Saigon Chief Cathedral and, in 1962, Pope John XXIII conferred on it the status of a basilica. From this time, this cathedral was called Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica.

Side elevation

Side elevation

The cathedral has two main central bays and two sidereal corridors, with tall pillars and light coming in through sets of high windows. Its two 57.6 m. (190 ft.) high square bell towers, added to the cathedral in 1895, dominate the scenic Le Place Pigneau de Behaine (with its beautiful flower garden) which is bounded by the main post office.  Tipped with iron spires, they have six bronze bells (with a total weight of 28.85 metric tons). On the top of each tower are 3.5 m. high and 2 m. wide crosses weighing 600 kgs.

Another view of the side

Another view of the side

The total height of the cathedral, from ground to the top of the cross, is 60.5 m. In front of the cathedral and in the center of the square is a granite statue, made in Rome and installed on February 16, 1959, of the Our Lady of Peace (which was given the title of Regina Pacis). During October 2005, the statue was said to have shed tears, which flowed down the right cheek of the face of the statue.  It attracted thousands of people and forced authorities to stop traffic around the cathedral.

Violet and Osang

Violet and Osang

Notre Dame Cathedral:  Bến Nghé, tp., District 1, Hồ Chí Minh City.