3 Best Performing Arts in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The French-colonial Opera House is one of the icons of downtown Ho Chi Minh City. It was built in 1897 and modeled on the Petit Palais in Paris, which was completed the same year. It was originally as lavish inside as it was out, with a revolving stage and a three-tiered, 800-seat gallery. Some of the more ornate fixtures were removed in the 1940s and from 1956 it was the home of the National Assembly of South Vietnam. It became a theater again in 1975 and is now the permanent headquarters of the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet and Symphony Orchestra. Check the website for details of upcoming ballet, musical, and cultural performances. As there are no tours, catching a performance is the only way to see the gorgeous interior.

Seven screens show local and international movies.

Vietnam's institute of cultural exchange with France regularly hosts performances by local and visiting musicians and theater groups. Look for the hoat dong van hoa (cultural events) tab on the Vietnamese site for details of upcoming shows.