International tourists arriving in Ho Chi Minh City by plane land in Tan Binh District, a 'gate' connecting Tan Son Nhat Aiport to the rest of the city. Yet this obvious tourist stop seems to have been left of most travelers’ maps.

Recently, the district’s authorities have been collaborating with local travel agencies to create a tour comprising interesting local destinations which are likely unknown to tourists.

One of the stops on this tour is the Southeastern Armed Forces Museum, where artifacts of historical value relating to the armed forces of the southeast region are carefully preserved.

At the museum, visitors can meet veterans and war correspondents, as well as listen to stories about the heroic struggle of the country.

Visitors can also check out tunnel simulation models which are a miniature recreation of the dozens of tunnels that once existed in the southeast region in wartime.

The tour also stops at the 300-year-old Giac Lam Pagoda, the oldest in the southern region.

The pagoda was recognized at a national architectural and artistic monument in 1988, with its Asian architecture and a flexible and delicate Vietnamese traditional house style.

Next on the tour is the Dip Soul Candle workshop, where visitors can make their own beautiful scented candles.

Le Hoang Ha, secretary of the Tan Binh District Party Committee, said the district wants to design new tourism products to 'brighten up' the locality as well as bring visitors more experiences while visiting Ho Chi Minh City.

The district also plans to create products related to spiritual and cultural tourism, experience tourism, golf tourism, and gastro-tourism.

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