Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Ho Chi Minh City, commonly known as Saigon or by the abbreviation HCMC, is the largest city in Vietnam and was the capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). As the throbbing commercial heart of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is always in a hurry, and the heat, noise and crowds can be overwhelming. But don't give up: Ho Chi Minh City rewards patient tourists with a fascinating glimpse of Vietnam--as it was, is, and will be.

Ho Chi Minh City is located in the southeastern region of Vietnam, 1,094 miles south of Hanoi. Just 63 feet above sea level, HCMC has a muggy, tropical climate with an average 75% humidity. Rainy season runs from May to late November, with December to April being the driest, coolest months.

History

Ho Chi Minh City began as a small fishing village called Prey Nokor, inhabited by Khmer people originally from what is now Cambodia. Over time, Vietnamese refugees fleeing civil wars elsewhere in Vietnam filled the region. By the end of the 17th century, under the Nguyen dynasty, Vietnam had completely absorbed Prey Nokor, which was by then known as Saigon.

The French arrived in 1859 and conquered Saigon and, later, the rest of Vietnam. With its wide boulevards and French-inspired architecture, Saigon became known as "the Pearl of the Far East" and "Paris in the Orient."

Resentment against French colonial rule fueled the liberation movements led by Ho Chi Minh and others. In 1954 Ho Chi Minh's communist Viet Minh forces defeated the French at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, causing them to withdraw from Vietnam. Subsequently, Vietnam was partitioned into North and South Vietnam, with the government of the south--the Republic of Vietnam--based in Saigon. It wasn't long before bitter conflict engulfed the country.

On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon, ending the Vietnam War. Following North Vietnam's victory, Vietnam was unified and the capital was moved to Hanoi. Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City to honor "Uncle Ho," the leader who led Vietnam to independence. Many Vietnamese, however, still call the city Saigon.

People

With 10 million inhabitants in the greater Ho Chi Minh City area, 7 million in the city itself, HCMC is the largest city in Vietnam and has about 7% of the total population of Vietnam. HCMC, the economic and financial hub of Vietnam, has attracted increasing numbers of immigrants from other Vietnamese provinces in recent years, and as a result its population is growing rapidly--about 200,000 people per year.

About 90% of the population is ethnic Vietnamese. Another 8% of Ho Chi Minh City's residents are Chinese and they make up the largest Chinatown in Vietnam and perhaps the world. The inhabitants of Ho Chi Minh City are known as "Saigonese" in English, "Saigonnais" in French and "dan Sai Gon" in Vietnamese.

Most residents of Ho Chi Minh City are Buddhist or practice ancestor worship, but about 13% are Roman Catholic or Protestant--a legacy of French missionary work. Adherents of other faiths such as Islam and Hinduism are found in smaller numbers in Ho Chi Minh City.