Vietnam church among 8 prettiest pink destinations to fulfil Barbie lovers’ fantasies

The Tan Dinh Church in Ho Chi Minh City is ranked fourth in a global list of 8 prettiest pink destinations that can "fulfil every Barbie lover's fantasy."

The listing is carried by an article in the Hindustan Times, a prominent Indian English daily.

"Tan Dinh Church, located in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a stunning architectural marvel and an iconic pink landmark," the article says.

It notes that Tan Dinh is "the oldest Catholic church in Ho Chi Minh City…founded in 1864. The pink exterior paint job was applied in 1957. The interior, which is painted an even more bright pink, is the real surprise. For those who adore pink, it will be an amazing joy since it is like standing inside a wedding cake.”

The article calls the church a “captivating pink landmark.”

The other destinations mentioned in the list in order are: Lake Hillier in Australia; Jaipur (known as the Pink City) in India; Pink Sands Beach in the Bahamas; Hitachi Seaside Park in Japan; The Laguna Salada de Torrevieja in Spain; Craigievar Castle in Scotland; and Las Coloradas in Mexico.

The pink church is the latest of international praise that HCMC has garnered this year. HCMC was ranked second in the list of Asia's 10 best cities for street food lovers by leading Australian travel site Traveller.

"A misconception about Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon's street vendors is that they come from a place of poverty and depend on selling food out of mobile carts for sustenance. On the contrary, street food is a way of life in Vietnam," it wrote.

Vietnam welcomed nearly 1.04 million international arrivals in July, the highest monthly figure recorded since the country reopened from the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2022.

The figure was up 6.5% from June and three times higher than July last year, but equivalent to 79% of the pre-pandemic period in 2019, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). July is peak time for domestic tourism every year.

In the first seven months of this year, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam reached 6.6 million, up 5.9 times year-on-year and equal to 83% of the country's year target.

On June 24, Vietnam’s National Assembly approved a government proposal to extend the validity of tourist e-visas to 90 days with multiple entry, starting August 15.

Since the country reopened to tourism after a prolonged hiatus courtesy of the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam has only been granting 30-day, single entry visas.

Under the new policy, foreigners with valid visas will be able to enter and exit Vietnam multiple times without having to apply for new visas each time. The National Assembly also agreed to extend the stay of visitors from countries that are unilaterally exempt from visas from 15 to 45 days. This adjustment will also take effect on August 15.

Travel firms have said that they are organizing longer tours to take advantage of opportunities that the new 90-day visa policy is likely to bring when it takes effect.