Tuesday 6 January 2009







FuFu World Tour - Sai Gon, Viet Nam
25th May - 11th June 2007 - Part Three


The Reunification Palace (Presidential Palace).

The Reunification Palace befittingly takes its name from the reunion of the Northern and Southern fractions of the country after a hard fought war that ravaged Vietnam and neighbouring country Laos. The entry fee is 15,000 Dongs (~US$1).


The famed Communist tank.

For starters, you cannot help but notice the famed Communist tank that was shown in the media around the world crashing through the fence that some would say symbolized the free world. Though it is no longer used for state affairs, the palace is still filled with grandeur and awe. Visit the various rooms and you will realise that the past presidents have high taste for furniture and antique. It is really a palace!


The President`s International Reception`s room.


The meeting room.


The conference room.

War Remnants Museum was the next target. In its role as the unique museum in Vietnam to systematically study, collect, preserve and display exhibits on war crimes and aftermaths foreign aggressive forces caused for the people. The museum comprises a series of eight themed rooms in several buildings, with period military equipment located within a walled yard.


M48 Patton tank.



UH-1 Huey helicopter.


F-5A fighter.

This museum is a must see for anyone interested in late 20th century history. The tanks, helicopters, planes and arms on display are not what makes of this such an important visit. What draws most visitors here are the images on display. Visitors can see the effects of the weapons of mass destruction used by the Americans during The Vietnam War. It is now the most popular museum with international tourists.


BLU-82 Daisy Cutter bombs

Lucy had gone to Hongkong for couple of days and Andy had to attend his classes, so i woke up late. After visiting the palace and museum, i explored around the area and surprisingly i bumped into a familiar bank i used to see in Japan. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, the largest bank in Japan. I spontaneously took out my wallet and exchanged some Yen to Dong. The rate there was unexpectedly much higher than the money changer. This might because Japanese dont wanna let their Yen flow into others hands.


Lunch with Vietnamese roasted chicken rice and soup.


Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.


Piece of 10,000Yen note gave me these many 100,000Dong.


Nuoc Mia (sugar cane juice) only for 2000Dongs (US$0.12)

After a half day walking around, i was super thirsty and what i spotted was a stall selling sugar cane juice at a sidewalk. Sugar cane juice is a type of drink commonly found in Vietnam as a refreshing drink during the hot Vietnamese climate. Many places have a couple of plastic tables and chairs where you can sit and drink. Without any hesitation, i ordered one, moisturized my throat while watching the flow of motorcycles and cars at the corner of a sidewalk.


Shoving stalks of sugar cane into the machine to get the juice.


Sugar cane juice with lemon lime. GREAT.


While wandering around, i spotted a girl, woman and bean curd.


I quickly ordered my favourite.


So smooth. Yummicious.


City Hall.


Opera House (facing City Hall).

I met up Andy at City Hall. He had to attend the classes, so we only met up for dinner at Pho 24, a popular restaurant for the beef soup noodles. Later, he drove me to another place for cup of coffee. There we chatted until midnight.


Pho (Beef soup noodle).



Sao Cafe.

The next morning, since Lucy was still in Hong Kong and Andy was having school, i took up the one day tour to Cao Dai temple and Cu Chi tunnels that cost only US$5.



Breakfast, pho (Vietnamese beef noodle).

On the tour route i purchased, which included the tunnels and temple, i stopped by a local handicraft factory where handicapped workers make beautiful artworks of Vietnamese souvenirs such as plates, vases, umbrellas, oil paintings, etc.


The main working place.


Eggshells using for making the plate.


You can see the whole process of oil painting.


The beautiful plates and oil paintings made by the handicapped.


The amazing masterpieces.

I was then brought to Tay Ninh to visit the great Grand (Cao Dai) Temple, a place of pilgrimage for quite a few South Vietnamese people. The Grand Temple at Tay Ninh is an impressive and colourful structure, usually visited as part of day out to the Cu Chi Tunnels. In time for its noontime prayer service, you will enjoy a peculiar solemn ceremony accompanied by special religious hymns with followers attired in livery red, yellow, blue and white. Quite a scene for the eye and as well for snapshots.


The main entrance of Grand Temple.


The side view of the temple.


The south entrance to the compound of the temple.


A pantheon outside the Grand Temple.


The impressive and colourful sculptures.


The window.


Waiting for the noontime ceremony.

Most of you must know nothing about what the heck Cao Daism is. This is an unique religion that you might never expect to encounter. Well, Cao Daism is an attempt to create the perfect synthesis of world religions blending Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Hinduism and Taoism.


The interior is so grand.


The Cao Dai ceremony.


What a gorgeous ceremony i have ever seen.


The ceremony accompanied by special religious hymns.

Caodaiists believe God was the religion`s founder and that teachings, symbolism and organization were communicated directly from God. Adherents of the sect engage in practices such as prayer, veneration of ancestors, nonviolence, and vegetarianism. The goal is of rejoining God in Heaven and beyond that freedom from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth - in these practices one can see the blend of the constituent religions.




It is definitely one of the most fascinating structure to visit.


Lunch at a local restaurant.

During the Vietnam-America War, the USA used 14 million tons of bombs and shells that seven times times as much as the one used during the second world war. Yet they still couldnt beat the small and poor communist country - Vietnam. Because Vietnamese had the organized tunnels system and a good guerrilla strategy. I still remember what the guide told us on the bus while heading to the tunnels after lunch.


Jungle trekking.

Located some 50km from Saigon the Cu Chi Tunnels spread over many hundreds of square kilometers and are truly one of the south’s must-see attractions. Radiating like a cobweb the tunnels were dug by the Viet Cong (North Vietnamese communist guerillas) to hide close to the capital Saigon. Inside are fighting posts, kitchens, food and ammunition storage caches, hospitals, meeting chambers, command posts as well as living quarters.


The bunker.






The 75 miles long complex of tunnels at Cu Chi have been preserved by the government of Vietnam, and turned into a war memorial park. There is now little evidence to indicate the intense fighting, bombing and destruction that went on in Cu Chi tunnel during the war. These tunnels no doubt helped the north to victory and they remain an impressive reminder of what motivated people can accomplish.


This guy showing how the guerillas got into the tunnels in the past.


Tour guide told us everything he knows about the war.


Sticking trap with spikes.

A trap door on the jungle floor leads down into the Cu Chi tunnels. When closed and camouflaged, it is almost undetectable.


Entering the tunnel.


Obviously, the war time life was damn harsh.


This lady gave up discovering the tunnel.


This lady completed the 200m course.


*Thumbs up*

The tunnels are a popular tourist attraction, and visitors now are allowed to crawl around in the safer parts of the tunnel system. Some tunnels have been made larger to accommodate the larger size of western tourists, while low power lights have been installed in several of them to make traveling through them easier and booby traps have been clearly marked. Cu Chi tunnels is the place that you should not miss a visit to the underground village. Try to experience a short and exciting trip through this labyrinth of interlaced tunnels.


the weapons gallery.


Visitors can fire an assault rifle at the shooting range there.

As usual my buddy, Andy showed up for dinner. That day we went to Quan An Ngon. I tried Hue`s style beef soup noodle. Flavour of the soup was thick and spicy, different with the common beef soup noodle i usually had.



Next, we went to a nice place for drinks. You could only see pretty girls at night, it`s true. Indeed i rarely saw any pretty girl during daytime. Each of the HOT and pretty is sitting or dancing or drinking with foreign guys. Guess their occupations might be Private Entertainer.


Forgot the name of this club. But one word i can tell is COOL.

Vietnam Part One
Vietnam Part Two

74 comments:

Kikey Loo said...

sofa!! :D
very good experience to there :)

- yEng - said...

在槟城,也有一间war museum
里头也是有这么一个地下通道
很窄小,空气又少

真的很难得的经验~

et Shuben™ said...

Do you got Vietnam rose?

Ha ha ha!

海市蜃樓 said...

The Cao Dai ceremony 好大陣仗喔,廟入面好大好莊嚴。地下道就有d窄,幾乎要爬住來行,幾辛苦,腰力少d都唔得。

真係好啦,呢個禮拜有去o左越南啦!哈哈哈

Akira 思胜 said...

哇, 感觉上好像是去了一个"战争"国家呢...

Anonymous said...

我们也是喜欢喝甘蔗水加lime
没想到越南也一样!!

Junson Chuah said...

Hajimemashite.
Dozo yoroshiku.

Chris said...

I like all the weapons..

Mei-Wah said...

wow, the underground tunnel is a great experience! it's must be harsh moments for them to getaway from the war.

even said...

睇得幾篇越南之旅!
發覺越南的確有很多地方睇!
曾經歷多場戰爭!
又充滿宗教色彩!
而食物的種類更認識多了!
可以成為我下一個目標之一!^^

十六 Keaton said...

那個蛋殼做出來的盤子
看起來很不錯哦
充分利用資源!!

Anonymous said...

你去的地方太多了,
遊記一直在更新喔。

我要告訴你啊我的部落格換地方了,
舊的網址有新的連結,
去看看吧!

3ugene said...

沙发!~哇,你用了多久整理照片啊?好羡慕你四处流浪的生活噢..

ernloy said...

hi fufu!
was wondering do u ever log into facebook? coz u haven accepted my invi :P
anyway, same Qn as above, how much time u used to sort out the photos? i used 3 hrs on average man!!! =.=

Anonymous said...

哇~我去越南玩的時候
一定要把你寫的東西print了帶去

真是太好了,yeah

Anonymous said...

I can feel of the "smoothness" of tau fu hua even though just looking at the picture... =)

Wonderful trip anyhow~

小东 said...

这一站到越南了哦!
越南感觉好像没什么和好玩将!

candygan said...

好羡慕!!我几时能去越南???

~珊姑娘~ said...

comment later^^
give me your hone address 1st,
email to :
Shanshan5933@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

this post is very educational from the photos.

life at war is hard. i cannot imagine the life of the palestinians at this moment.

did u get to eat any exotic animals in vietnam? :D

Anonymous said...

OMG... the tunnel is so scary... I wun go in there even if I'm paid to do so.

動 Orson said...

你的旅遊史可以結集出書啦

我喜歡那張坐著兜售食物的感覺
有種親切感
哈…

Anonymous said...

07年4天越南行我只留在胡志明市(西贡),你的西贡篇勾起了我所有的回忆!

迷迭香 said...

did u try the fried spider ? >.<"
my dad said not bad wor...:P

fufu said...

Kikey Loo : it`s absolutely a great experience there ya... my second country of my world trip =)


yeng : 越南的地下通道 真的是個很难得的经验
打戰時代真的很慘 很辛苦的 希望世界和平


et™ : yeah i had that tea...very nice ya!

fufu said...

海市蜃樓 : 那個地下通道真的少點腰力都不行 =)
希望你喜歡這個禮拜的越南旅遊記


Akira 思胜 : 那都是以前的事了
希望再沒有戰爭吧 和平~~


sock peng : 哈哈哈 越南人都很喜歡
有時他們還會加一點盧柑汁

fufu said...

Jos~h Chuah : はじめまして よろしくね
よく来てくださいよ~


chris : me too... just simply hooked with all those aircrafts and weapons


meiwah : hopefully there is no more war ya...we all need a harmony and peaceful lives =)

fufu said...

even : 其實每一個國家都有它的特別
香港澳門臺灣跟中國大陸也不是有很大的分別嗎?
我真的希望可以到每一個國家去看看~~


十六夜真人 : 他們還會廢物利用!
某些地方 那些先進國家還比不上落後國家


swordman : 真的太多了 不夠時間來更新呢
希望你們不會厭棄我遲放上的旅遊記
已經知道你的新家了

fufu said...

3ugene : 真的很用心更新 希望你們會喜歡
我很享受每一個旅程 很想再飛哦


ernloy : well it depends what i write, anyway average i would say is more than 3hrs =) because i gotta edit pictures, upload them up here and the content =)


小妖精 : 不用print out
知道你要去什麽景點玩已經很足夠了
喜歡讀我的旅遊日記 一定要多來哦

fufu said...

choyyin : yeah... i heart vietnamese tao fu fa!! =)


小东 : 你要玩什麽?
要玩就請你去遊樂場


candygan : 你一定有機會的
到時就看你自己要去那裏罷了

fufu said...

珊姑娘 : you ask it for what purpose?


renaye : how i wish there is no war on this lovely planet, but... anyway hope for the best =) animal? erm not!!


cleffairy : erm, well i suggest you to try it, you could definitely come up half way ya... dont worry, it is safe =p

fufu said...

默 : 我希望有人可以找我出書咯
可以賺一筆錢 然後又再飛~~


toto : 哈哈哈 醬好?
可以回憶一下你當時自己的旅遊記~~


迷迭香 : spider? nope!! my friends didnt bring me for those insects or animals... anyway would like to try next time =)

Shin said...

那个tunnels很有趣!
我看如果我进去,应该会和那个小姐一样,提早放弃咯!哈哈!

fufu said...

Shin : 你一定要進去哦 半途放棄也可以
一定要嘗試一下哦

Anonymous said...

Wow you have very nice pictures and some very creative ones too...
Especially the ones in Hong Kong

Anonymous said...

Dear your blog is very beautiful and thanks for sharing your experience with us.

fufu said...

Funnygirl : =) thanks, finally some of you like my photos =D i am so happy to hear that, will certainly take more of that kind of pictures in the near future, do come here more often ok? ops, by the way i couldnt leave comment on your blog, like you blog ya...wish to hear from you soon @_<


Pakistan travel : its my pleasure to share my travelogues with my friends here, wish you would come here more often ya my friend from pakistan =)

*.. 伊 ..* said...

Im too late to read this page..bcoz i just bec from Saigon..I shld read this before I go..because many place that you state in your blog..but I didn't go...sad~~

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