Ben Thanh Market Ben Thanh market has long been one of Saigon's most famous landmark. The market has been in existencesince the French occupation. The original market was located on the shores of Ben Nghe river by old fort Gia Ding. Its proximity to the fort and the river where merchants and soldiers would land was reasn for its name (Ben meaning pier or port and Thanh meaning fort.) In 1859, when the French invaded Saigon and overtook for Gia Dinh, Ben Thanh Market was destroyed. It was rebuilt shortly thereafter and remained standing until it was moved to its present location in 1899.
	Cathedral of our Lady Proposed to be one of France's most ambitious project in Indochina at the time, Rev. Colombert laid the cornerstone for the cathedral on October 7, 1877. Three years later, in 1880, the cathedral was opened to the public. These two dates are inscribed on a marble placard in the cathedral. The bricks used to build the structure were shipped from Marseilles. Artisans from Lorin Company (Chartres, Frace) were commisioned to create the stained glass windows. The cost of construction was a whopping 2.5 million francs. In 1962, the Catican gave the cathedral the title Basilique.
	A Down Town Street In the 60's and 70's, Saigon was bustling with commerce and business. It was the cultureak cebter abd the captial city of South Vietnam. Already heavily influenced by the French in terms of culture and style, the city had an air of a French provincial town with a Vietnames twist. Saigon was dubbed the "Pearl of the Orient" by the foreign press. The city was alive with activities and cultural diverist that rivaled any Asian city the time