Superlatives first: at 461 metres (1,513 feet), the skyscraper is the tallest building in Vietnam, the second tallest in SE Asia and the eighteenth tallest in the world. It is the centrepiece of Vinhomes Central Park, a $1.5 billion urban development next to the Saigon River. It was finally completed in July 2018 with the Skyview observation deck opening some ten months later. Needless to say, there was nothing on this site in Binh Thanh District ten years ago, and that is HCMC in a nutshell.

​Like all tall buildings it had to be sampled at least once, and also with similar projects in other countries, it didn’t disappoint. There did seem to be a glass tray, but it was covered with tarpaulin, and the walkabout with harness was not as scary as it might have been. At base level is the obligatory high-end mall, plus cineplex, restaurants, food-court and ice-rink. ‘You can see our house from here,’ echoed amongst the visitors, but in truth you’d have a job picking it out! 

Above Right: inside the meander loop is Thao Dien, District 2; the new metro stations are clearly visible.
Below: At the top in the distance is Tan Son Nhat International Airport.