Ho Chi Minh City travel guide The largest city in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has something for everyone. The city’s eight million residents still call it by its old name, Saigon, and for many, that name still carries with it the exotic charm of its long and fascinating history. Growing and stretching at a furious pace, the city is never still. The noise of construction on dozens of new office buildings and hotels mingles with the cries of street vendors. And the honk of motorbikes and buses. Elegant restaurants, educational museums, ancient pagodas, and quiet botanical gardens are steps away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life of Ho Chi Minh City’s citizens. A fascinating conglomeration of cultures has been woven into the tapestry of this increasingly popular tourist destination. The History of Ho Chi Minh City While the centuries-old history of Ho Chi Minh City is often murky due to lack of written records. As we know that a once sleepy fishing village called Prei Nokor. It's located in a strategic spot along the Saigon River, slowly developed into a vastly important port of trade in the South China Sea. This trading port was later named Saigon after the Viets swept down from the north to conquer the kingdom of Champa in the 18th century. In 1861, the French military seized control of Saigon in retaliation for the mistreatment of French missionaries. And in 1862, the Treaty of Saigon named Saigon as the capital of French Cochinchina. Which covered the southernmost one-third portion of what is modern-day Vietnam. The French influence during their nearly 100 years of rule shaped the form and character of the growing seaport. And modern visitors can see this influence in the architecture, street design, cuisine, fashion, and European-style hospitality. "Sai Gon"
Ho Chi Minh City travel guide The largest city in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has something for everyone. The city’s eight million residents still call it by its old name, Saigon, and for many, that name still carries with it the exotic charm of its long and fascinating history. Growing and stretching at
