"Ho Chi Minh City" a Ho Chi Minh City Travel Page by xiquinho

Knowing Vietnam’s difficult history, many visitors are surprised by Ho Chi Minh City's vibrancy. As Vietnam's financial and commercial hub with a population of around 8 million, it is growing and modernizing at an astonishing rate, attracting entrepreneurial spirits from everywhere. Today the city is an urban metropolis where traditional Chinese, colonial French, Buddhist, Indian, Muslim and 60's American influences mix with modern day architecture and culture to create a place that is uniquely Ho Chi Minh City.

In 1975, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) but today they are both used interchangeably by foreigners and locals alike, most preferring the former. Technically speaking, Saigon is actually downtown District 1 of the larger HCMC (which has 12 urban and 6 rural districts.)

Downtown Saigon is the most popular tourist destination in Vietnam. In the past it was referred to as the "Pearl of the Orient" and "Paris of the East" because of its wide boulevards, colonial-style villas and lively café society. Today, it is a curious mix of the past and present. The streets bustle with pedestrians, cyclos, bicycles, motorbikes, taxis and SUVs all vying for right-of-way. Foreign businessmen and tourists share the walkways with noodle soup vendors and pajama-clad Vietnamese women balancing their weight's worth of seasonal fruit on their shoulders. Modern skyscrapers loom beside elegant, dilapidated villas. Bars, cafes and hotels for every budget and taste and restaurants for every cuisine line the streets. Shop in multiple-storied, upscale malls or haggle for bargains on the street. Get a manicure, facial, shampoo or foot massage for under US$5 with a cup of tea or be fitted for a suit or gown in a boutique. Saigon has it all within an area no more than a 15 minute walk from end to end.