Tao Dan Park is a short walk away from the Independence Palace and being at a slight loose end after looking at Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon and Saigon Central Post Office, I thought I’d take a walk over there as it was almost on the way back to my hotel. I have to say that I spent a very pleasant hour or so there, before heading back to my hotel.
Located in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, in District 1, it is apparently one of the largest parks in the city at 10 hectares. It was developed in the 1860’s, at the same time as Independence Palace, originally being part of the same set of grounds. In 1869, the land that is now Tao Dan Park was separated from the palace by a new road. At the time it became a park, the French called it ‘Jardin de la Ville’, while the Vietnamese called it ‘ONG Thurong’ or ‘Bo-Ro Garden’. In 1954, when the French left, it got its current name of Tao Dan Park. By the 1970’s, the park was considered a ‘lung of the city’, due to the many trees there.
Within the park, there are several structures, including a Buddhist temple and a Cham tower. There is also the Lam tomb within the park, although I didn’t manage to find that for some reason. It was built in 1895 and represents the history of Vietnam.
On my travels through the park, I saw various statues and uniquely (as far as I can tell, but I’m no expert so could very well be wrong) Vietnamese displays, including a fruit bowl above a fountain type area and, some bees and ants. They are the sort of thing that appeals to kids.
It is a very well used park by a wide range of people. Families, teenagers, adults of all age ranges, which is good to see. Vietnamese people are very friendly people and I had a chat with a young school girl whilst there, I think just to practice her English (her parents were with her, and being white with an Acubra hat on my head made me stand out a bit). I enjoyed that because she was telling me a bit about what else I could do while there, as well as a bit of history of Vietnam.
As for plants, there are trees galore that I wont try and name. There are water lilies and lotus plants around too, along with several different bedding displays in reds and pinks. Frangipanis make an appearance too, but these don’t have many flowers on at the moment.
What I loved most about this park is the fact that it was a peaceful and very pleasant place to spend an hour or so. I was hot and bothered when I walked into the park, wanting a break from the chaos that is daily life in Ho Chi Minh City. I got that for sure, along with a surprise conversation and lots of pretty flowers to look at. If you are ever in the area, I’d recommend a visit there.
