The following parks and open spaces are scattered around the city. Unless otherwise stated, they’re all open from dawn till dusk and they’re all free. There are many more parks in Saigon than you might think, and they are all great places to escape the heat, noise, and pace of the city. Apart from peace and quiet, these parks offer opportunities to let off some steam: dancing, jogging, hula-hooping, tai chi, badminton, fishing, swimming and much more. Dripping with tropical foliage, these green spaces are a reminder that Vietnam is still one of the most biodiverse places on the planet; where everything and anything can grow, even in the middle of Saigon. All of these parks are best visited in the early mornings and evenings, when locals partake in myriad exercises, temperatures are relatively cool, and the aroma of grilled pork and coffee fills the air. Read more the temple of literature
1. HOÀNG VĂN THỤ PARK
Address: Hoàng Văn Thụ and Phan Đình Giót streets, Tân Bình District
Hoang Van Thu Park, SaigonFilling the triangle formed by the intersection of three of the busiest thoroughfares in the city, Hoàng Văn Thụ Park is an oasis of calm, cool, and quiet in the midst of a tide of traffic and a cloud of exhaust. One of my favourite and most unexpected parks in this list, it underwent renovation a few years back, and they’ve done a marvellous job. The beautifully maintained gardens are bursting with bright foliage, humming with birdsong – there are even squirrels in the trees – and filled with the smells of damp earth and flowers. Straddling either side of Phan Đình Giót Street, the lush grounds are big and well-kept, but not so manicured and neat that they become rigid and ornamental. A great variety of flora is on display here: screw pines, traveller’s palms, coral trees, casuarinas, tamarind, sago palms, copperpods, bamboo, heliconia, African mahogany, and bougainvillea to name but a few.
The pathways are cool and the dense canopy muffles the sound of the surrounding traffic, turning it into a monotonous and almost soothing murmur; a lulling background noise. Huts and gazebos, covered in creepers and epiphytes, dot the park, under which people read, study, and make out. There’s very little of the kitsch ornamentation which blights so many other Saigon parks. Several small mounds of earth provide some height, and there’s a lake which you’re allowed to fish in, but it could do with a clean and some more water. Cool at any time of the day, this is definitely a place to while away some hours with a good book. I love it.
2. THỦ THIÊM TUNNEL PARK
Address: Cây Bàng Street (above Thủ Thiêm Tunnel entrance), District 2
Thu Thiem Tunnel Park, SaigonA fabulous new open space for Saigon, the small park above the east entrance to the Thủ Thiêm Tunnel, in District 2, offers superb views back over the river to the high-rises and colonial hotels of District 1, especially at night. Destined to become like The Bund riverfront walkway in Shanghai, one day the promenade park will extend along the length of the riverbank here. When the tunnel opened in 2011 and people first started to gather above the tunnel entrance at dusk, the police didn’t like it much. However, now that there’s a parking space, trash cans, and public toilets, local authorities seem to leave the groups of picnickers, lovers, and families alone, as they bask in the cool air and river breezes, taking in the views. The large, paved square by the river is an excellent place to lay down a blanket, take out some sandwiches, and watch the lights flickering across the Saigon skyline. Boats ply back and forth along the black river, behind them the old and new icons of Saigon: the Majestic Hotel, the Bitexco Financial Tower, Nhà Rồng Warf. Young couples embrace on their motorbikes under gigantic advertising billboards on the riverbank, street vendors sell candy floss and ice cream to excited children, and teenagers engage in gossip and games between mouthfuls of food and drink. Great atmosphere; great views.
3. TAO ĐÀN PARK
Address: Nguyễn Du, Trương Định, and Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai streets, District 1
Tao Dan Park, SaigonCompeting for the title of most impressive canopy of tropical trees in Saigon, Tao Đàn Park is a vast space in the city centre; the green lungs between the exhaust-stained arteries of downtown. Towering, century-old, African mahogany trees cast a welcome shadow over this park. Their columned trunks rise a hundred feet before exploding in foliage, filtering the heat, noise, and pollution of the city. Far beneath this leafy umbrella, hundreds of locals shake the lethargy of dawn from their bones by joining in communal dance classes, shadow boxing with friends, hula-hooping on the pathways, or swinging like a pendulum on the exercise apparatus. Unlike the rest of Vietnam, the average age here in the mornings is upwards of 50 years old: early morning exertion in the open air is a tradition which seems unlikely to pass down to the younger generation.
Tao Đàn Park also displays some arts and culture: There’s an interesting sculpture garden to the east, a miniature re-creation of a red brick Cham temple at the centre, and a shrine to the Hung Kings, legendary founding royal dynasty of the nation.
4. THE CRESCENT WALK & HỒ BÁN NGUYỆT PARK
Address: Tôn Dật Tiên Street, District 7
Crescent Walk, SaigonNew Saigon’s ultra-modern showpiece, The Crescent Walk is a traffic-free, paved promenade along the arcing bank of one of the city’s many waterways. It’s been developed over the last few years into the perfect package of high-end residences, prime office space, public outdoor recreational areas, and a string of international dining and drinking chains with outside seating overlooking the water. It’s a quiet, clean, and slightly surreal space to unwind at the end of a busy day in Saigon. Why surreal? Well, because this is supposed to be Saigon; steamy, chaotic, noisy, and exotic.
The Crescent is none of the above. The waterside architecture is all glass and curves, and there’s a definite impression that everything is orderly and under control. This is Saigon’s future; this is Singapore. And very nice it is too, even if it does lack a certain ‘Vietnamese-ness’. The Crescent Walk spans a couple of kilometres along Tôn Dật Tiên (Sun Yet Sen) Street, and is a particularly beautiful place to watch the sunset. A sleek and slender bridge connects The Crescent Walk with the green pastures of Hồ Bán Nguyệt Park – great for a weekend picnic.
5. BOTANICAL GARDENS & ZOO
Address: Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm Street, District 1
Botanical Gardens & Zoo, Saigon The only park in this list that requires a fee (50,000vnđ per adult), Saigon Botanical Gardens and Zoo is one of the oldest in the world. Opened in 1865 in the early years of the French colonial period, the gardens were created by Jean-Baptiste Louis-Pierre, who is also responsible for many of Saigon’s other green spaces. A dense enclave of vegetation along the banks of the Thị Nghè Channel, these sprawling tropical gardens are impressive in scale and variety. The giant trees, with gnarled trunks like elephants’ feet, are all labeled in Vietnamese and English. The air is scented with jasmine and other blossoms and natural perfumes. Louis-Pierre is commemorated by a sculpted bust at the gardens’ entrance. The shaded benches along the quiet, meandering pathways are a favourite spot for young lovers. However, there’s a fair amount of tat, including concrete fairytale castles, sorry-looking, miniature amusement park rides, plastic monkeys, and painted brick toadstools, all of which, I’m guessing, weren’t part of Monsieur Louis-Pierre’s original plan.
The zoo receives a lot of negative press, but perhaps it’s not quite as bad as people make out. That’s not to say it isn’t bad – indeed, I’m not sure if a ‘good’ zoo exists, at least ethically. Elephants, giraffes, rhinoceros, tigers, primates, peacocks, porcupines – they’re all here, and you will actually see them. Conditions are cramped, run-down, and in need of maintenance, and animals look bored if not unhealthy. On weekends it belongs to the children, who love the open spaces and the animals. The Saigon Botanical Gardens and Zoo make for a relaxing stroll amongst nature and, even if the zoo is not a showcase for animals or zoo standards, at least it makes you think about the nature of zoos in general, and our place in the animal kingdom.
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