Brief history

In the early 17th century, Ho Chi Minh City began as a small fishing village known as Prey Nokor. The area that the city now occupies was originally swampland, and was inhabited by Khmer people for centuries before the arrival of the Vietnamese.

In 1623, King Chey Chettha II of Cambodia (1618-1628) allowed Vietnamese refugees fleeing the Trinh-Nguyen civil war in Vietnam to settle in the area of Prey Nokor, and to set up a custom house at Prey Nokor.

Unfortunately, The Cambodian kingdom was weakened because of war with Thailand, could not impede the increasing waves of Vietnamese settlers. Slowly, the Vietnamese occupied the area. In time, Prey Nokor became known as Saigon.

In 1698, Nguyen Huu Canh, a Vietnamese noble, was sent by the Nguyen rulers of Hue to establish Vietnamese administrative structures in the area, thus detaching the area from Cambodia, which was not strong enough to intervene. The name Saigon was officially admitted.

After conquering Saigon 1859, the French was building the city with many functions such as administration, military, economy, port… With Geneva Convention, Saigon became the capital of the Republic of Vietnam . The city was influenced by the French during their colonial occupation of Vietnam, and a number of classical Western-style buildings in the city reflect this, so much so that Saigon was called "the Pearl of the Far East" (Hon Ngoc Vien Đong) or "Paris in the Orient" (Paris Phuong Đong).

In 1975, according to the conclusion of the Vietnam War, the city came under the control of the Vietnam People’s Army. In 1976,  Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the late communist leader Ho Chi Minh. However, the name Saigon is still widely used by many Vietnamese.

Ho Chi Minh city is located in the South of the country, lies 1.760 km south of Hanoi (by road). It is situated on the right bank of the Saigon river. Being the biggest city in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh city has 5,2 million people.

Ho Chi Minh City lies in the tropical climate region near the equator. Like southern provinces, it has a high temperature all the year and two distinct seasons, the dry and the rainy. The rainy season lasts from May to November and the dry season from December to April. If you arrive during the wet season, bring a raincoat and umbrella however the rain come suddenly but it is not long.

Saigon Highlights

·   Today, the city’s core is still adorned with wide elegant boulevards and historic French colonial buildings. The most prominent structures in the city centre are Reunification Hall (Dinh Thong Nhat), City Hall (Uy ban Nhan dan Thanh pho), City Theater (Nha hat Thanh pho), City Post Office (Buu dien Thanh pho), Revolutionary Museum (Bao tang Cach mang), State Bank Office (Ngan hang Nha nuoc), City People’s Court (Toa an Nhan dan Thanh pho), and Notre – Dame Cathedral (Nha tho Duc Ba)

·   Ho Chi Minh City is home to a well – established ethnic Chinese population. Cho Lon, now known as District 5 and the parts of Districts 6, 10 and 11, serves as its Chinatown. Ben Thanh market· Thien Hau temple

  List of Saigon- Hochiminh City Attraction Sites:

   + City Hall Saigon, Please click!
+ Cholon Market District 5 in Saigon, Please click!
+ Central Post Office Saigon, Please click!
+ Art Museum Saigon, Please Click!
+ War Remnants Museum in Saigon, Please Click!
+ Thien Hau Pagoda Festival in Saigon, Please Click!
+ Reunification Palace in Saigon, Please Click!
+ Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon, Please Click!
+ Jade Emperor Pagoda in Saigon, Please Click!
+  Saigon Puppet Shows, Please Click!
+ History Museum of Saigon, Please Click!
+ Giac Lam Pagoda in Saigon, Please Click!
+ Former US Embassy in Saigon, Please Click!
+ List of Museums in Saigon, Please Click!

Useful to read:
++ Pre-trip information, Please click here!
++ Things not to miss when travel Vietnam, Please click here!
++ When is the best season? Please click here!
++ Map of Saigon, Please click here!
++ Map of Hanoi, Please click here!
++ Map of Vietnam, Please click here!,

 Travel Guies in 67cities and Provinces of Vietnam:
Hanoi|Hochiminh(Saigon)|Halong|Hue|Hoian|Haiphong|Catba|Hoabinh|Caobang|laocai|Maichau|
Sapa|Sonla|Dienbienphu|Thainguyen|Phutho|Babe-Backan|Hagiang|langson|Bacninh|Hatay|
Haiduong|NinhBinh|Thaibinh|Quangninh|DongHoi|QuangBinh|Quangtri|Phuyen|Phutho|
Thanhhoa|Nghean|Hatinh|Danang|Taynguyen|Kontum|Gialai|Daknong|Daklak|Dalat|BinhDinh|
Nhatrang|PhanThiet|Muine|Vungtau|KienGiang|Phuquoc|Tayninh|Vinhlong|Travinh|Dongthap|
Tiengiang|Angiang|Cantho|Bentre|Camau|