While many new entertainment and amusement centers have been established in Ho Chi Minh City, Le Thi Rieng Park still stays strong as a favorable playground for generations of Saigon-ers. This article will provide you an insight into the attractions of the Park as well as its significant historical value that most people are not aware of.
1. Why visit Le Thi Rieng Park?
Le Thi Rieng Park, or Tho Trang Park, belongs to District 10, Ho Chi Minh City. Established in 1983, this is the favorite destination for a night hangout or weekend picnics of Saigon-ers. The Park is named after Madam “Lê Thị Riêng”. She was a senior member of the Viet Cong Army (People’s Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam). Her tomb is situated in this park, also.
a. Design and structure of Le Thi Rieng Park
Le Thi Rieng Park covers an area of around 8 hectares. It is surrounded by 3 streets, namely the Cach Mang Thang Tam, Bac Hai, and Truong Son. In the park, there was a lake that was once a canal that links to Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe canal. Furthermore, near the entrance of the park, there are a traditional house and a memorial stele that commemorates The General Offensive and Uprising of Tet Mau Than 1968.
Besides housing the tomb of Ms. Le Thi Rieng, this park also situates a memorial monument to Sir Tran Phu – the very first general secretary of the Indochinese Communist Party, which is the Communist Party of Vietnam nowadays.
About 20% area of the park is used for business activities. It is home to a 1-hectare-wide Tho Trang Kid Playground, book stores, and food stalls.
b. The Park used to be a large cemetery
During the Republic of Vietnam, the area that Le Thi Rieng Park is located today was a cemetery that people called “Do Thanh” or “Chi Hoa”. This cemetery is 30 hectares wide and is situated close to Chi Hoa Prison – one of the highest security prisons in Vietnam.
The Tet Offensive in Lunar New Year 1968 had brought huge loss of lives of both parties, so the Saigon government decided to dig a massive hole amidst the cemetery to bury thousands of corpses at a time. Since then, superstitious rumors have it that the dead soldiers buried in the mass could not reincarnate and they often appear crying all over again. These stories have been chanted by the locals since then.
And that’s why the Saigon Long Hoa Buddhist Association decided to build Ti-Tsang (a Buddhist deity) statue here. The 0.75-meter wide statue is put on a 3-meter-high base and is made of black Italian stone that weighs up to 10 tons. In 1983, a clearance occurred in an attempt to turn this area into a green park. Therefore, the Ti-Tsang statue was unloaded and relocated to Guan Yin Monastery in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province.
2. How to get to Le Thi Rieng Park?
As it is surrounded by large streets, the park is accessible by different means of transportation. You can get there by taxi, motorbike, or bus. If you are staying at any hotel in District 10, Saigon, then you can choose to walk there.
Currently, the Ho Chi Minh City Metro – an urban railway is being constructed. When it is done, tourists can easily travel there by dropping at Le Thi Rieng Station.
3. What to do in Le Thi Rieng Park?
Le Thi Rieng Park seems to be more familiar with the Vietnamese than with foreigners. That said, a visit to this place would offer you an authentic experience of how the locals’ life goes on. Don’t underestimate this destination, as interesting things await your visit.
a. Learn about the history of Vietnam during the American War
As mentioned above, Le Thi Rieng Park is historically significant. It used to be the massive grave of the dead soldiers during the Vietnam War in the 20th century. Therefore, a trip to the park will allow you to learn more about the history of Vietnam during that time.
Throughout these decades, The General Offensive and Uprising of Tet Mau Than 1968 (Tet Offensive) in 1968 is among the largest campaigns. It was run by Viet Cong Army to fight against the South Vietnam Army and the United States Armed Forces. It started in the late hours of the last night of the year 1967 when everyone was about to welcome the New Year. That Offensive brought along huge losses to both parties.
Many revolutionists died in this event. One of the seniors of the Viet Cong, Ms. Le Thi Rieng, was annihilated by the government of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) at that time, too. Her corpse was buried in Le Thi Rieng Park and has become an attractive destination for Vietnam culture tours. Here you could learn about the heroic past of this small Asian country when it had to fight the strongest army troops of the 20th century (United States of America, France).
b. An amusement park for kids
If you travel with your families, Tho Trang Park (White Rabbit Park) inside Le Thi Rieng Park cannot be a better place to spend your weekend on. It is an amazing playground for families to entertain after a hard week. Games vary from the traditional games for kids like carousel horses, bounce houses, and bumper cars to thrilling games like Roller Coaster, the Caribbean, Sky Discovery, and so on. Not only can kids enjoy their time but adults can also find so much fun here.
4. What to eat nearby?
Tired after spending all your energy on the games inside the amusement park? Go for some drinks and food. You don’t need to walk long because there are a lot of food stalls and restaurants in and outside Le Thi Rieng Park. These stores offer different kinds of foods and drinks, from snacks to street foods like grilled pork and mixed rice paper, from coke to beer, from instant noodles to sumptuous hot pot. Besides, the prices are reasonable, so you won’t have to worry about being overcharged.
5. Nearby tourist attractions.
a. Ho Thi Ky Flower Market
Besides a visit to Le Thi Rieng Park, what to do in District 10, Saigon? Ho Thi Ky Flower Market is a famous destination that flower-lovers cannot miss visiting. It has always been one of the largest wholesale flower markets in Saigon ever since its establishment in 1987.
Coming to Ho Thi Ky Flower Market, you will be amazed by the richness of colors from multitude kinds of flowers. The locals collect them from famous flower villages in Dalat, Mekong Delta, and Hanoi. The market is live 24/7, so you can reach there at any time in the day. And don’t forget to buy home some bunches of flowers, also.
b. Cu Chi Tunnel
Located around 40 km from Le Thi Rieng Park, the world-famous Cu Chi Tunnel is a great destination to combine in your Saigon day trip. Consisting of trap doors, living areas, hospitals, command centers, etc., this massive underground system offers you a sneak-peak at the life of the Viet Cong soldiers as well as the locals during the Vietnam War in the 20th century. Nowadays, Cu Chi Tunnel is a must-have in the bucket list of history buff when they visit South Vietnam.
c. Nha Rong Wharf (Ho Chi Minh Museum)
Another worth-visiting place is Nha Rong Wharf by Saigon riverbank, which is only around 10 minutes driving from Le Thi Rieng Park. That French-style building was the departing port of Admiral Latouche Treville ship, in which President Ho Chi Minh started his 30-year journey to liberate the nation. Today, it is a part of the Ho Chi Minh Museum that is dedicated to this great leader.
Here tourists can learn more about the life and revolutionary path of President Ho Chi Minh – a great figure of the 20th century.
6. Related tours.
Do you find it hard to make a travel itinerary that includes all the destinations above? Here are some suggested tours form LuxuryTravel that might suit you:
To sum up, with its historical significance and entertaining attractions, Le Thi Rieng Park is an ideal place to visit in Ho Chi Minh City. Do not hesitate to go, as its appeal will never let you down.
If you want to have your trip designed in advance so that it could be flawless, contact Luxury Travel. Our experienced travel consultants will support you in designing a tailor-made program that would satisfy you!
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