11 Best Sights in Vietnam

One of the few remaining examples of 19th-century residences in the Mekong Delta, the ancient house is managed by a sixth generation descendent of the Duong family. The photogenic French colonial exterior has canary walls, blue shutters, and ornate trim, while the interior is filled with a blend of French-Vietnamese decorative art and antiques. The house briefly appeared in the 1992 film The Lover, based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by French author Marguerite Duras, as the ancestral home of her Chinese lover Huynh Thuy Le; his actual home still exists in Sa Dec but at the time of filming it was being used as a government office. Binh Thuy Ancient House is a 10-minute taxi ride from most hotels, and it's worth visiting Binh Thuy Temple, an ornate structure that predates Binh Thuy Ancient House, along the way.

This house is famous for being the family home of Huynh Thuy Le, upon whom French author Marguerite Duras based the title character of The Lover, a 1984 autobiographical novel about a schoolgirl's love affair with an older Chinese man, the son of a wealthy business magnate. The house, built in 1895, was later used as a government building (which meant the 1992 film The Lover was actually shot at Binh Thuy ancient house in Can Tho). It's been restored reasonably faithfully, and maintains the beautiful blend of Chinese, Vietnamese, and French architecture and decoration. Photos of the real family and from the film adds some storytelling, but otherwise, there are no informational signs.

This is one of the more potent symbols of the Vietnam War. On April 30, 1975, a North Vietnamese Army tank smashed through the main gate of what was then known as the Independence Palace, ending one of the bloodiest conflicts in living memory. The current boxy building replaced the elegant French colonial–style Norodom Palace, which was bombed by fighter jets in 1962 in an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate South Vietnam's President Ngo Dinh Diem. The jet, along with the tanks that ended the war, is on display on the grounds. Free guides are available inside the palace, which remains as it was on that fateful day in 1975, albeit slightly more worn. The time-capsule nature of the palace offers a fascinating insight into the high life of 1960s Saigon, when bigwigs would enjoy tea and movie screenings in plush rooms upstairs, while the war effort was directed from the spartan concrete warren in the basement. The gardens cover 44 acres of lush lawn and shady trees, and a large fountain in front of the palace redirects the bad luck that could flow into the palace from the broad boulevard of Le Duan Street, according to the principles of feng shui.

The symbol of the Central Highlands, rong houses are found at the center of Bahnar, Sedang, and Jarai ethnic villages. Traditionally made of wood and bamboo, the windowless longhouse is built on stilts and has a towering, steeply pitched thatch roof that can be up to 100 feet high, visible from great distances. The building is a community gathering place used for meetings, tribal court, and religious ceremonies. Though concrete and metal constructions have started to appear, it's easy to see the traditional buildings in and around Kon Tum. There's a large one beside the suspension bridge.

As part of their cultural tradition, the Chinese built assembly halls as a place for future generations to gather after they migrated to new countries. Once a major Southeast Asian trading port, Hoi An is home to five such halls that date back to the 16th and 17th centuries; however, exact dates for the buildings are unclear from historic records as most have been subjected to newer 18th- and 19th-century improvements. Recognizable by their Chinese architecture, the assembly halls generally feature ornate gates, main halls, altar rooms, and statues and murals in honor of gods and goddesses. Four of Hoi An's assembly halls—Fujian, Hainan, Cantonese, Chinese—are located on Tran Phu Street near the river. The Chaozhou assembly hall is situated in the French Quarter, a short stroll east of Old Town on Nguyen Duy Hieu. Among them, the Fujian Hall, Phuc Kien, is considered the most prominent. Entrance to each assembly hall is one coupon from the five included in the Old Town ticket.

Built in 1741 as a meeting place for Cantonese, Chaozhou, Fujian, Hainan, and Hakka families living in Hoi An, this temple is dedicated to Thien Hau, the Goddess Protector of Seafarers. For budding photographers, this is a great hall to visit as red-lacquered, demonic deities and brightly colored murals sit beside the main temple in a haze of smoky incense coming from the hundreds of coils hanging from the ceiling.

This 170-foot structure, Vietnam's tallest flagpole, is one of the symbols of Hue. It was originally built in 1807 and served as the Imperial Palace's central observation post. Like much of Hue, it has a history of being destroyed. The Flag Tower was toppled during a typhoon in 1904 and rebuilt, then destroyed again in 1947, and rebuilt anew in 1948. When the North Vietnamese occupied the city during the Tet Offensive of 1968, the National Liberation Front flag flew from the Flag Tower. Visit the first tier of the flag tower for a great view of the main gate, Ngo Mon, in the North as well as Phu Van Lau (the Imperial Announcement Pavilion), the Perfume River, and Mount Ngu Binh in the South. The higher tiers are not open to the public.

This psychedelic flight of architectural whimsy will probably be the wackiest thing you see in Vietnam, which is saying something, given the local penchant for kitsch. Free-form stairs and tunnels wend their way through multistory Dr. Seuss–like concrete trees that contain 10 hotel rooms, unexpected sitting areas, and concrete animals. Its owner and designer, Dr. Dang Viet Nga, who studied architecture in Russia, built the structure to remind people of the importance of nature and the environment.

Some of the staircases are very steep and the railings quite low. People who are unsteady on their feet or in charge of small children should be very careful.

Ho Chi Minh (then known as Nguyen That Thanh) taught here in 1910 as he was making his way down to Saigon, from where he would set sail in 1911 for Paris and other foreign shores. History records him as teaching Chinese, Vietnamese, and physical education. The school and its garden are beautifully tended, and photos and little placards bring a 20-year-old Uncle Ho's few months here to life.

The Royal Library, a wooden structure east of the Forbidden Purple City, is one of the few largely intact buildings in the Imperial City. The delicately carved architecture has survived, although there are no books or other library-like objects left. 

This elegantly designed house was built in 1802 by Tran Tu Nhuc, a 19th-century Mandarin and Chinese ambassador, as a place of worship for the Tran family's deceased ancestors. It's packed with interesting antiquities. In the morning, light floods down through a glass tile in the roof, illuminating the family altar that stands behind three sliding doors—the left for men and the right for women. The central door (designed for deceased ancestors to return home) is opened only at Tet and other festivals; it's an architectural touch common for older residential houses throughout the country.

The altar houses a box with pictures and names of dead relatives, a 250-year-old book that records the Tran family history, and a bowl of Chinese coins representing yin and yang—toss one for good luck. Tours are given in English by members of the Tran family.