Dong Khoi Street — formerly Rue Catinat under the French, then Tu Do (Freedom Street) under South Vietnam — is the central axis of District 1, running from Notre-Dame Cathedral down to the Saigon River. It has been the city's most fashionable street since the colonial era, when it was lined with cafés, jewellers, and the offices of foreign correspondents covering the war.
Today it retains much of that character: the Continental Hotel, the Caravelle Hotel, and the Opera House cluster around Lam Son Square at its northern end; lacquerware shops, art galleries, and boutiques line its length. It is not cheap, but walking its length from the Cathedral to the riverside is one of the essential Saigon experiences.