Saigon was already a busy commercial center

  Looking at Ho Chi Minh right now, those who are not aware of its history might find it hard to believe that this city has been through turmoil. Formerly known as Saigon, the city was originally a small fishing village called Prey Nokor before it became a French colony of Cochin-china and the capital of South Vietnam. These days, Ho Chi Minh is a favourite with tourists.

  It is a good idea to head to the Notre Dame Cathedral for some sightseeing and perhaps a coffee on one of the side streets or in the park. There are many museums, galleries and pagodas around town. The most popular attractions are probably the War Remnants Museum, V?nh Nghiêm Pagoda and the C? Chi Tunnels.

  Many centuries ago, Saigon was already a busy commercial center. Merchants from China, Japan and many European countries would sail upstream the Saigon River to reach the islet of Pho, a trading center. In the year of 1874, Cho Lon merged with Saigon, forming the largest city in the Indochina. It had been many times celebrated as the Pearl of the Far East. After the reunification of the country, the 6th National Assembly in its meeting of the 2nd of July, 1976, has officially rebaptized Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City. The history of city relates closely with the struggle for the independence and freedom of Vietnam.

The Shwedagon Pagoda is a 99 metres gilded pagoda and stupa located in Yangon

  The Shwedagon Pagoda, also known in English as the Great Dagon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda, is a 99 metres gilded pagoda and stupa located in Yangon, Burma. The pagoda lies to the west of Kandawgyi Lake, on Singuttara Hill, thus dominating the skyline of the city. It is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda for the Burmese with relics of the past four Buddhas enshrined within: the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Ko?āgamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa and eight strands of hair from Gautama, the historical Buddha. Uppatasanti Pagoda is an exact replica of Shwedagon Pagoda in Naypyidaw, the new capital of Burma.

  
  The reason why the Shwedagon is so special because its Spire is made up of a thick quote of gold and has lots and lots of diamonds, rubies and precious gems embedded in it. The lighting effect in the Shwedagon Stupa gives it a different feel altogether, the entire place lilts as of it is the aura of Lord Buddha still prevailing in the place.

  The perimeter of the base of the Pagoda is 1.420 fee and its height 326 feet above the platform. The base is surrounded by 64 small pagodas with four larger. one in the center of each side. There also are 4 sphinxes. one at each corner with 6 leogryphs. 3 on each side of them. Projecting beyond the base of the Pagoda. one on the center of each side are Tazaungs in which are images of the Buddha and where offerings are made.

Siem Reap is still a little charmer

  Siem Reap province is located in northwest Cambodia. It is the major tourist hub in Cambodia, as it is the closest city to the world famous temples of Angkor (the Angkor temple complex is north of the city). The provincial capital is also called Siem Reap and is located in the South of the province on the shores of the Tonle Sap Lake, the greatest sweet water reserve in whole Southeast Asia. The name of the city literally means Siamese defeated, referring to the victory of the Khmer Empire over the army of the Thai kingdom in the 17th century.

  At its heart, Siem Reap is still a little charmer, with old French shop-houses, shady tree-lined boulevards and a slow-flowing river. But it is expanding at breakneck speed with new houses and apartments, hotels and resorts sprouting like mushrooms in the surrounding countryside. The tourist tide has arrived and locals are riding the wave. Not only is this great news for the long-suffering Khmers, but it has transformed the town into a pulsating place for visitors. Forget the naysayers who mutter into their beers about Siem Reap in the ‘old days’, now is the time to be here, although you may curse your luck when stuck behind a jam of tour buses on the way back from the temples.
  Siem Reap was little more than a village when the first French explorers re-discovered Angkor in the 19th century. With the acquisition of Angkor by the French in 1907 due to the Franco-Siamese agreement, Siem Reap began to grow, absorbing the first wave of tourists. The Grand Hotel d'Angkor opened its doors in 1929 and the temples of Angkor remained one of Asia's leading draws until the late 1960s, luring visitors like Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Kennedy. In 1975, the population of Siem Reap, along with that of the rest of the cities and towns in Cambodia, was evacuated by the communist Khmer Rouge and driven into the countryside.