Introduction & Location

If you have visited a number of cities in Vietnambut forgot Ho Chi Minh City, you have not known much about Vietnam forreal. It is considered the capital of the Southern area of Vietnam. Itis located near the Mekong delta, about 1,760 kilometers south of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam with the population of7 million in the area of 2095 square kilometers (908 square miles).HoChi Minh City is the second heart and soul of Vietnam, to Hanoi. It's abustling, dynamic and industrious center, the largest city in thecountry, the economic capital and the cultural trendsetter. Yet withinthe teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of anancient culture.

History

Ho Chi MinhCity (abbreviation HCMC), commonly known as Saigon is the largest city in Vietnamand the former capital of the Republic of Vietnam. The city used to bea small fishing village, inhabited by Khmer people, Cambodia beforebecoming a land under Nguyen dynasty rule in 1698, being conqueredby France from 1950 to 1975. Throughout its long history, HCMC appearsto be not only a modern and dynamic city but a cultural and historicalone as well.
Following the Fall of Saigon in 1975, Saigon wasrenamed Ho Chi Minh City. Nevertheless, the old Saigon moniker is stillused by both Vietnamese and foreigners.

Weather

Youare going to visit Sai Gon? The best time to visit weather-wise is thedry season between December and April, when the humidity is moremanageable. The clouds start getting heavy around November and staythrough March. The Tet Festivalin late January or early February is an exciting, if extremely hectic,time to visit. Being only 10.5° above the equator and between 5 and 10m(16-35ft) above sea level, Ho Chi Minh City is almost a template fortropical weather. Temperatures rarely vary from about 30°C (86°F).

People and Culture

Exploringdeeply inside Sai Gon, tourists may be surprised at the diversity ofethnic minorities in the magnificent city and its surroundings. Apartfrom Kinh (or Viet) people, there are a number of others, for example,Chinese, (the largest Chinese community in Vietnam), Khmer, Cham,Nung, and Rhade, etc. Each of them has their own culturalcharacteristics, languages, costumes, lifestyles, and religions suchas: Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Ancestor Worship, Roman Catholic,Protestant, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao, Islam, Hinduism, and Bahá'í Faith. Yet,the vast majority is Kinh people, whose common characteristic is to befriendly, hospitable, open-hearted, and straightforward.

Thesedays, lots of Sai Gon’s youngsters and youths could speak Englishfairly well. They are more and more fond of communicating withforeigners in English for practice. More importantly, they are helpful,which fully reassure first-time foreign visitors to this city.

HCMC,as known, is now growing up to be an industrious, modern and dynamiccity, with a lot of new modern constructions of Western architecture.However, here and there you can still see ancient monuments such asNotre Dame Cathedral, Thien Hau Pagoda, Phung Son Tu Pagoda, etc.,making it a special picture of “an integrated rather than dissolvedcity”. HCMC is called "the Pearl of the Far East" or "Paris in theOrient" thanks to this special fascinating beauty, capable to have mosttravellers lengthen their stay.

Places of Interest

Beinga city embracing both traditional and modern beauty, HCMC is an idealdestination of interest for every generations with differentcharacters.

You are young, active and playful? There are uncountable places of entertainment for you in this fast-growing dynamic city. DamSen WaterParkis worth your try. Opened in 1999 with new water slides added eachyear, this water park offers some truly unique water slide experiences(including the amazing "Space Bowl")! Or you may like to watch films?Galaxy cinema with up-to-date films on big screen would be your premiumchoice. Though not as huge as that in some other countries, it is oneamongst the top places of entertainment in Ho Chi Minh City these days.

If you prefer places of religion and history, here we go! Notre Dame Cathedral (Nhà thờ Đức Bà) is the old architectural monument, which is much enchanting. Incense Thien Hau Pagoda is dedicated to Lady Thien Hau, the sea goddess, who left two giant turtles to keep an eye on things in her absence. A festival is held in her honor on the 23^rd day of the March lunar month. Don't miss the gorgeous sculptures in the walls of the courtyard outside the temple! Quan Am Pagoda, the oldest pagoda in town, and Phung Son Tu Pagoda, which is dedicatedto the God of happiness and virtue. The pagoda itself is dusty anddwarfed by high-rises under construction nearby, but the small,sculpted grounds are a good place for a rest from the hectic city. Besides, you should also visit some premium museums of the city, such as the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, Museum of Vietnamese History, and Revolutionary Museum and the War Remnants Museum.

Furthermore, HCMC is a city that churns, ferments, bubbles and fumes. Thestreets are a jumble of street markets, shops, pavement cafes,stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares spread out on sidewalks.It's impossible not to be infected by its exhilarating vibe.

Dynamic economical outlook

Asmentioned, HCMC is now one of the two most significant economic centreof Vietnam. Around 300,000 enterprises are trading in high-tech,electronics, processing and light industries, in construction, buildingmaterials and agro-products on a whole. Further foreign investment isnow pouring into the city. Month by month, year by year, buildings,construction of entertainment, tourism, and companies come up. Highereducation in Ho Chi Minh City is much concentrated, with about 76universities and colleges and a total of over 380,000 students. Thehealth care system of the city is relatively improved with a chain ofabout 100 public-owned hospitals or medical centers and dozens ofprivate-owned clinics. Transportation is more and more convenient withfour means of transport system: airlines, rail, road and marine. Whatis more, mass media is day by day fast developing. It is also the homeof hundreds cinemas and theatres, parks, and luxury and standardhotels. Well, what can you see from this much-to-say view? I can onlysee rapid growth and great economic as well as tourism potential!