Where to spend national holidays in southern Vietnam

With the national holidays almost upon us, residents in the south of Vietnam are spoilt for choice about where to celebrate Reunification Day (April 30) and Labor Day (May 1).

The top options include a tour of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee headquarters, the Cu Chi Tunnels, a mango festival in Dong Thap provine, a hot air balloon festival in Can Tho city, and paragliding and kite-flying in An Giang province.

The office of the People’s Committee in HCMC will be opening its doors to visitors for the first time. To visit the 114-year-old building, visitors are required to register in advance with the municipal Department of Tourism from April 22 to 26. Guests can select tours from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. or from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on April 29 and 30.

On display will be the main hall and international guest room on the ground floor, the second floor, meeting room No.5, and the balcony. Audio guides will also be available to provide commentary on the building’s history, architectural highlights, and the functions of each room.

The building, located at 86 Le Thanh Ton street in District 1, was designed by French architecture Femand Gardes. Its exterior decor was sculpted by Louis - Lucien Ruffier.

Work on the building began in 1889 and was finished in 1909. The national architectural relic has been the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City since 1975.

Don’t miss the Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels in HCMC’s Cu Chi district are a well-known historical relic from Vietnam’s national liberation wars from 1945-1975. They consists of a network spanning more than 200 kilometers underground.

Visitors can explore the tunnels that feature branches connected to hideouts, an underground kitchen named Hoang Cam, and a weapons factory.

Also on offer is a space depicting Vietnamese countryside life featuring farming activities, fishing, and rice pounding, or guests can learn to make rice paper with locals.

Moreover, visitors can take in a theatrical performance of how locals lived during wartime, and sample some of the local cuisine.

Mango festival in Dong Thap Province

The festival will take place between April 28 and May 1 in Cao Lanh city in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.

It will include a wide range of exhibitions showcasing different kinds of mangos and mango products, seminars, and food contests.

Besides, the 14 mango farms in Cao Lanh district and Cao Lanh town, which are the two biggest mango plantations in the province, will welcome visitors.

Hot air balloon festival in Can Tho city

There will be 30 colorful hot air balloons flying in the skies above Can Tho city from April 30 to May 3

During the festival, visitors can enjoy lantern nights at Can Tho Stadium, Ninh Kieu Wharf walking street, and Song Hau street.

They can also experience hot air balloon trips lasting four to six minutes to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city at an altitude of 50-300 meters.

The city hosts a traditional cake festival highlighting around 100 kinds of cakes in Binh Thuy district.

Paragliding and kite-flying showcase in An Giang province

The showcase will take place on April 30 and May 1 in Thai Quoc Hung square, Tri Ton district, An Giang province.

Local artisans perform with 30 huge kites up to 10 meters wide and 70 smaller kites of different shapes and sizes. Artisan Pham Van Tam will perform a snake-shaped kite with a total length of 120 meters, which is a Vietnamese record.

Kids can learn to make their own kites and write their wishes on them. Their kites will be flown along with the giant kites.

If the weather is fine, visitors who love paragliding can pay VND1.5 million ($64) per person to fly with pilots. Each flight lasts 15 minutes.