Entertainment in Ho Chi Minh City

Wartime Saigon was always known for its riotous nightlife. Liberation in 1975 put a real dampener on evening activities, but the pubs and discos have recently staged a comeback, However, periodic 'crack-down, cleanup' campaigns allegedly to control drugs, prostitution and excessive noise continue to keep Saigon's nightlife on the quiet side.

Cinemas
Many Saigon maps have cinemas (rap) marked with a special symbol. There are several cinemas in the city centre, including Rap Mang Non, on D Dong Khoi 100m from the Municipal Theatre. There is also Rap Dong Khoi (163 D Dong Khoi) and Cong Nhan Cinema (30 DL Tran Hung Dao, District 1).

Conservatory of Music
Both traditional Vietnamese and Western classical music are performed at the Conservatory of Music (Nhac Vien Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh; 112 D Nguyen Du), near Reunification Palace. Concerts are held at 7.30 pm each Monday and Friday during the two concert seasons (March-May and October-December).

Students aged seven to 16 attend the conservatory, which performs all the functions of a public school in addition to providing instruction in music. The music teachers here were trained in France, Britain and the USA, as well as the former Eastern Bloc. The school is free, but most of the students come from well-off families who can afford the prerequisite musical instruments.

Nightclubs
Tropical Rainforest (5-15 D Ho Huan Nghiep) called Mua Rung in Vietnamese is done up in Amazonian rainforest-theme decor. It is one of the hottest dance spots in the city centre, and the US$4 cover charge entitles you to one free drink; the cocktail list features choices like 'Envy', 'Seduction' and 'Orgasm'. (You'll find it in the Dong Khoi map area, on the south side of D Ho Huan Nghiep, half-way between D Dong Khoi and Me Linh Square). Planet Europe (A43 Truong Son) is a flashy place out in the Saigon Superb owl (near the airport). Happy hour lasts from 6.30 to 9 pm. The New World Hotel at 76 D Le Lai chips in with Catwalk. The disco is particularly big with Hong Kongers. The Saxophone Lounge is also here.

Theatre
The Municipal Theatre (Nha Hat Thanh Pho) is on D Dong Khoi between the Continental and Caravelle hotels. Each week, it offers a different program, which may be Eastern European-style gymnastics, nightclub music or traditional Vietnamese theatre. There is typically some kind of performance at 8 pm Refreshments are sold during intermission; public toilets are in the basement.

Water Puppets
This art really comes from the north, but in recent years has been introduced to the south, as it has been a relative hit with tourists. The venues to see water puppets in Saigon are the War Remnants Museum (28 D Vo Van Tan) and History Museum. Schedules change frequently, but shows tend to go on when a group of five or more customers has assembled.

Sunday Night Live
Central Saigon is the place to be on Sunday and holiday nights (and lately Saturday nights as well). The streets are jam-packed with young Saigonese going di troi (cruising) on bicycles and motorbikes. Everyone is dressed in their fashionable best (often with the price tag still attached). The mass of slowly moving humanity is so thick on D Dong Khoi that you may have to wait until dawn to get across the street. It is utter chaos at intersections, where eight, 10 or more lanes of two-wheeled vehicles intersect without the benefit of traffic lights, safety helmets or sanity.