Ho Chi Minh City paper plane game
Fly along the Saigon River at sunset, over the rivers of motorbikes.
Old shophouses, then the riverfront. Get past the courier, then the cyclo racer.
A port on the river
Ho Chi Minh City grew up as a trading port on the Saigon River more than 300 years ago, where boats brought rice, fruit and fish to market. It took its present name in 1976, but many people still call it Saigon. Today it is the biggest city in Vietnam, home to about nine million people.
“I'd count the boats on the river from above.”
The landmarkBến Thành Market
Bến Thành Market opened in 1914, and the clock tower over its south gate became a symbol of the city. Under its roof, more than a thousand stalls sell fabric, fruit, coffee and hot noodle soup. In the evening, food stalls fill the streets around it.
Neighbourhoods
The old centre, long known as District 1, holds many buildings from the time of French rule. The red-brick Notre-Dame Cathedral was built from 1877 to 1880. Next to it, the Central Post Office, built from 1886 to 1891, still works as a post office. Nearby, the wide Nguyễn Huệ boulevard became a walking street on 29 April 2015. To the west, Chợ Lớn is the largest Chinese quarter in Vietnam. On 1 July 2025 the city merged with two neighbouring provinces and replaced its districts with wards.
The river
The Saigon River is about 251 km long, and about 80 km of it flows through the city. Thủ Thiêm lies across the water from the old centre. The Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge, opened on 28 April 2022, links the two banks. A river bus started in November 2017. It runs about 10.8 km upriver from Bạch Đằng pier.
The skyline
Landmark 81, 461.2 metres tall, is the tallest building in Vietnam. It opened on 26 July 2018, and its shape was inspired by a bundle of bamboo. Its SkyView deck, on floors 79 to 81, is the highest viewing deck in the country. The older Bitexco Financial Tower, 262 metres tall, is shaped like a lotus bud.
When to see it
Come in the dry season, from December to April. From May to November, showers are heavy but often pass within a couple of hours. Go up a tower at dusk and watch the lights come on along the river.
Who keeps the wish in Ho Chi Minh City.
An Elite wakes first; the Boss guards the wish itself. Hit their weak points for a BONK!, land the last blow for a KO!, and each one grins and takes a bow.
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The Elite
The Courier
Carries the whole market on one seat · Keeper of the motorbike rivers
Ho Chi Minh City is famous for its motorbikes. People carry everything on them: crates of fruit, flower pots, a fridge, a whole family. In rush hour they flow through the streets like a river, swerving round each other but hardly ever stopping.
The courier tips back her hat and revs her scooter. The duck on top wakes up too. Her tower of crates leans one way, and she leans the other to hold it up. The courier puts a hand on her heart, holds out a little gift and waves. The duck flaps along.
“I'd ride on the back and hold the duck.”
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The Boss
The Cyclo Racer
Pedals faster than the traffic · Keeper of the Saigon riverfront
The xích lô, or cyclo, is a pedal taxi with the passenger's seat in front and the rider pedalling behind. Cyclos came to Saigon in the 1930s and for decades carried people and shopping all over the city. Only a few are left today, giving slow, breezy rides past the old market and the river.
The cyclo racer stands up on his pedals, grins and rings his brass bell. The cyclo wobbles, and he rings the bell in surprise. The racer tips his hat and pats the front seat for the plane.
“I'd sit in front with the wind in my face.”
Ho Chi Minh City cleared. The river turned gold, and the scooters never stopped.
- The courier never dropped a thing. The duck didn't even get off.
- The cyclo racer rang his bell at me all the way down the river. I think it meant hello.
The plane reaches Ho Chi Minh City from Bangkok.