The Beijing Olympic torch relay will start in the biggest city of Vietnam on Tuesday afternoon, passing a number of major attractions in the city.
The torch relay will start from the Opera House in the city center and end at the Military Zone 7 Competition Hall near the Tan Son Nhat International airport, covering more than 10 kilometers.
-- Opera House, designed by French architect Ferre, was built from 1898 to early 1900. Located on Dong Khoi Road. The front has many decorative statues.
-- Reunification Palace, the landmark building in the city, was built on a block of 12 hectares, bordering four streets. Surrounded by immense lawns and high trees in its gardens, the main building of the palace is modern architecture, typical of the 1960's.
-- The building of the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) People's Committee was built from 1898 to 1909 with design by architect named Gardes. It is located at the head of Nguyen Hue boulevard, and is one of most beautiful buildings in the city.
-- Central Post Office was built by the French with Gothic style from 1886 to 1891. It is near the city's Cathedral and shopping center named Diamond Plaza.
-- Cathedral is the biggest church in the city and can hold up to 1,200 people. It was built within 3 years starting in October 1877 and opened in April 1880. All materials were imported from France.
The torch relay in Ho Chi Minh is the last stop of the Olympic flame's global journey outside China. After Ho Chi Minh, the Flame will head to Hong Kong, China.
(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2008)