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Introduction and Morning Coffee
"So I'm going to show you the way Vietnamese people enjoy coffee in the morning. I live here, and I have to say that I love the... here, which seems like chaos to newcomers, but it's actually an organized chaos. It works. Hello, my name is [Name]. I'm a content creator and a TV host from Vietnam. I think this is one of my favorite spots in the Independence Palace. This is the way of selfie for Gen Z: 0.5. I'm originally from the North Central province of Nghe An, and I've stayed in Ho Chi Minh City for a couple of years now. Ho Chi Minh City has such great energy, and you can feel that when you come here. And I'm so excited to bring you around our largest city in Vietnam. And here's what I do in my downtown. What better way to start the day than a cup of coffee? Not from a chain, but from an indie stall by the road. So, one of the most popular drinks in Vietnam is Cafe Sua Da, which is coffee with condensed milk.
And on the way to work, a lot of people stop by to buy Cafe Sua Da. Vietnam is one of the largest coffee producers in the world, especially Robusta. So, a lot of foreigners, when they try this, they will be energized for the rest of the day because it's too strong. When you get used to it, you will be obsessed with it. This is such a good way to start the day, just with our busy... Okay, let's go."
District 1 and April 30th Park
"Here we are at District 1, which is the central business district of the city. This district is famous for a lot of iconic and popular tourist destinations and buildings. Here we are at April 30th Park. Why April 30th, you might ask? Because April 30th is a very special day for our country. The day marked the unification of Vietnam. And I'm going to show you the way how Vietnamese people enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning. It's not a shop, it's not a coffee store, it's right here: 'cafe bet'. So, 'cafe bet' means 'on the ground'. The weather in Ho Chi Minh City is generally warm and hot. So, having a cup of iced coffee here, having conversations with buddies, it's convenient and it's comfortable as well. Actually, I can easily chug three of these. As a coffee lover, I recommend you try 'cafe bet' when you come here. Amazing and specific. I love it. The city is a bustling city, but in a good way."
Independence Palace
"A stone's throw from 'cafe bet' is the Independence Palace. Here we are, and welcome to the Independence Palace, or another name, Reunification Palace. When visitors pass through the gate, you are immediately drawn to the grass mirror, which creates a calming and refreshing feeling when you first enter here. And this place is very special for Ho Chi Minh City. On April 30th, 1975, the two tanks of the North Vietnamese army crashed through the gates of this Independence Palace, marking the fall of the Republic of Vietnam and reuniting the whole country. There are hundreds of rooms in the Independence Palace, and here we are at the cabinet. The main color is green. I always feel like this color is really suitable for negotiation because it gives people the feeling of peace. You know, just from my perspective, there are many people visiting on a daily basis. One fun fact: if you come here, you will often see young people in Vietnam in traditional costumes like Ao Dai on weekends, on national holidays. They come here to take pictures for their videos, and it's just like a ritual for Vietnamese young people. This place reminds us of the history of our country, to acknowledge the history and be grateful for the older generations so that we can live peacefully as we do today. On the second floor of the Independence Palace, and here you can see a very unique and interesting architecture, a mix of Vietnamese, Eastern, and Western styles. And definitely, when you visit the Independence Palace, you must visit the balcony. I think this is one of my favorite spots in the Independence Palace. Ah, you get to see everything outside of the city in just one place."
Ngoc Hoang Pagoda and Walking Street
"We move away from the bustling commercial city center to find some peace at Ngoc Hoang Pagoda. This is Ngoc Hoang Pagoda, not Juan. This pagoda was built and established in 1909, and this is one of the very first places I went to when I first moved to Ho Chi Minh City. At that time, I didn't know where to go, so my friend, who is also a Buddhist, took me here. I do come here whenever I have time. Barack Obama once came here. He visited the pagoda in 2016. The custom of visiting the pagodas is not only visiting, but also showing all the sincerity to the Buddha and to the gods of the pagodas. And people come here every day, especially at the beginning and at the end of each lunar month, often here to pray for peace and luck in life, especially in the matter of children and love. Inside the pagoda, there is a picture about karma: whatever you give to the world, good or bad, will always come back to you.
Nguyen Hue and Bookstores
This city has such a vibrant, exciting energy, and you can feel that when you come here, to Nguyen Hue Walking Street. I come here to enjoy some food, to have a conversation with my friends, to film as well. It's a perfect place to film. So, you might be wondering about the history of this walking street. Dating back to the 18th century, it used to be a grand canal with the function of carrying water from the Saigon River to Gia Dinh Citadel. And in 2015, this walking street was officially launched, attracting thousands of visitors on a daily basis. This is a good view to take pictures when you're walking straight."
"And I introduce to you 42 Nguyen Hue. All right, this is super popular among the young Vietnamese people. It consists of nine floors with a lot of dining options. You might see trending videos on different social media platforms. This apartment was built in the 19th century, so it has a vintage charm, but also modern elements as well. And on the first floor, it's my favorite spot, the Fahasa bookstore. This is one of the biggest bookstore chains in Vietnam. Whenever I go to a new place, I definitely have to check out two things: one, food; second thing, bookstore. And now we have a lot of different bookstores as well, and on Nguyen Hue Walking Street, the biggest bookstore is this place, Fahasa. I keep coming to the bookstore to relish how the bookstore makes me feel welcome. I'm ready to learn something new. At my hometown where I grew up, there were not a lot of English books. If I wanted to read some English books, I had to borrow. I had to ask my friends who went abroad to find me something. And then I got to major in English when I got to high school. Then I got to college, and I got a lot of opportunities for work, for my life. And that is the reason why I started my YouTube channel in 2018, because I do believe that English changed my life, and proficiency in English opens doors to countless opportunities. And I do hope that I can help someone, even just one person, in their journey of learning English. Read my books, maybe it's the first step, then watch my videos, the second step."
Vietnamese Desserts and Conclusion
"All this walking makes me so hungry, and what better way to recharge with some of the best Vietnamese desserts? Thank you. This is Che Buoi, a Vietnamese dessert. So, we have here coconut milk with pomelo meat and mung beans, and with the ice. I haven't mixed it up like this. My mouth is watering. And for an appetizer, hello, what should I eat? There is Banh Trang Nuong, which is a specialty of Da Lat. This is like grilled rice paper, sausage, dried onions, quail eggs, and a little stuff. This is a very unique way of enabling people to enjoy the day. We'll be sitting on this chair, having some dessert, people watching, enjoying the day. And I think that under this hot weather, having a cup of Che Buoi and also some snacks like Banh Trang Nuong is such a great way to spend the day. Now I'm going to finish my dessert. Thank you very much for hanging out with me during my downtime. Am I right? Yeah."
Source: CNBC International. (2025, February 22). A content creator’s guide to Ho Chi Minh City’s most iconic landmarks [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19PhRIDhmHA