Ho Chi Minh City

I

Introduction

Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), city in southern Vietnam, on the Saigon River near the Mekong delta, more than 80 km (50 mi) inland from the South China Sea. It is the country's largest city, a seaport with modern facilities, and a commercial and manufacturing centre. The city is served by major roads and railways, and by an international airport. Population 6,105,800 (2006 estimate).

II

Economy

With the nationalization of businesses in 1975, efforts were made to reduce the city's dependence on foreign imports. New industries and businesses developed, such as furniture and carpet production, with raw materials that could be obtained from within the country. More recently, gradual relaxations of trade barriers and political changes have led to the emergence of a limited market economy. Principal products manufactured in the city include processed food; textiles; glass, plastic, and paper goods; machinery; chemicals; and building materials.

III

Places of Interest

The central district of Ho Chi Minh City contains European-style buildings, broad avenues, and a number of parks. Cholon, an old Chinese community annexed by the city in 1932, has narrow streets and crowded markets and is more typically Asian in appearance. The city is the site of the University of Ho Chi Minh City (1917), a historical and ethnological museum, and a national library. Other points of interest include the former Presidential Palace, the Tao Dan Garden, and the Xa Loi Pagoda. Museums, as well as abandoned tanks and helicopters, serve as reminders of the Vietnam War.

IV

History

A

Colonial Past

The city was occupied by the Annamese (Vietnamese) in the late 17th century and subsequently became an important commercial centre. It was captured by the French in 1859, and under French rule (when it became widely known as Saigon) the city was made first the capital of the colony of Cochin China and later of all French Indochina. During World War II Saigon was controlled by the Japanese. The French re-established authority after the war, and in 1954, after they agreed to withdraw from Vietnam, the country was divided into North and South Vietnam, with Saigon becoming the capital of the latter.