Previously on the ground of the present structure was Norodome Palace built in 1873 as a residence of the French Governor General of Indochina . After 1954, President Ngo Dinh Diem of the Saigon administration and his family lived and worked in Norodome Palace . In February 1963, a dissident of the Diem regime launched an air bombardment of the palace and heavily damaged it. After that Diem decided to demolish the damaged structure and build a new one which was later replaced by the Independence Palace . The present Hoi Truong Thong Nhat was the former Independence Palace .

Notre Dame Cathedral or Grand Cathedral is a magnificent building in the heart of the city. The cathedral was built between October 1877 and April 1880 in a French style at a cost of 2.5 million French francs. With the approval of the Vatican the cathedral was named Notre Dame during ceremonies held on December 7-8, 1959. Its neo-Romanesque architecture with two -40m square bell towers crown the Paris Commune Square where it is located.

It is a suburban district about 30km northwest of the city. The district lies between the Saigon and Vam Co Dong rivers. Located at the threshold of Saigon and adjacent to the revolutionary base, Cu Chi plays an important role in the two wars of resistance against the old and new colonial powers. Cu Chi was an "underground village" with its labyrinth of interlaced tunnels having a combined length of more than 200km . The main tunnel is 60cm -70cm wide and 80cm -90cm high. The structure has either a delta-shaped or vaulted ceiling. Above the tunnel is a layer of earth about 3m -4m thick, enough to sustain the weight of 50-tonne tanks or heavy artillery as well as the destruction of bombs up to 100kg . Although it is an underground communication network, the runnel is enlarged here and there into rooms large enough to hold large meetings, a medical station or art performances. The Cu Chi tunnels are open to local and foreign visitors. Some have called it a wonder of the 20th century.