Ho Chi Minh City - a snapshot of Vietnam's largest city

Independence Palace, aka Reunification Palace, was the workplace of the president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War; it was also the site of the end of the war during the fall of Saigon in April 1975

The Ben Thanh Market is one of the earliest surviving structures in Ho Chi Minh City and an important symbol of the city; the market is popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles and souvenirs

The post office was supposedly built by Gustave Eiffel between 1886 and 1891; painted on the walls of its grand concourse are fascinating historic maps of South Vietnam

With more than 10 million people, Ho Chi Minh is Vietnam's largest city; everyone seems to have a motorcycle or scooter making it difficult for pedestrians to get around safely

A statue of Ho Chi Minh with city hall in the background; the beautiful structure was built in 1902-1908 in a French colonial style for the then city of Saigon

The opera house, built in 1897, is one of the city's most recognizable buildings; it captures the flamboyance of France's belle epoque with a grand colonial edifice and sweeping staircase

The Jade Emperor Pagoda was built by the Chinese in 1909; President Obama visited the pagoda when he came to Ho Chi Minh City in May 2016

Built between 1877 and 1883, the brick, neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral has 40 meter high square towers tipped with iron spires; scaffolding covered both sides of the church although I saw no work underway

I just loved Book Street which is a pedestrianized, tree-lined street next to the post office; it's lined with bookstores but most sold books only in Vietnamese

The state banqueting hall at Independence Palace; the last state dinner held here was on April 1, 1975

Our group stopped here for lunch; you could choose which food stall to order from and then we all sat together to enjoy our different dishes

The post office had an impressive tiled floor and copious green-painted wrought iron; it still serves as the main post office of the city

The Jade Emperor Pagoda is one of the most atmospheric temples in the city; the exquisite woodcarvings and the pungent smell of incense made the pagoda feel very authentic