"The Pearl of Vietnam" a Ho Chi Minh City Travel Page by MikeAtSea

Ho Chi Minh City, the “Pearl of Vietnam” was formerly known as Saigon, a name that is still applied to the city centre. The official name change took place in 1976, following the reunification of the country. Located in the south of Vietnam on a giant bend in the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh City is the country’s largest city, with a population of nearly seven million people and over one million motorbikes. While Hanoi is the centre of government, Ho Chi Minh
City is the nation’s economic heart and most exciting city.
Long before traffic choked the city centre, Saigon had already been christened the “Paris of Asia” for its wide boulevards lined with stately trees and magnificent French villas. For a moment one may feel transported back to the French era by the smells of coffee and baking bread, and by old Renaults sounding their horns in the bustling streets.
The city is divided into two major sections: the municipal district of Saigon and Cholon (China Town), where the entrepreneurial talent and private funds are concentrated. Cholon appears to be the most populated and, in general, the most vigorous part of Ho Chi Minh City. I am always fascinated by its bustle of activity and its numerous pagodas, reputed to be the finest in the city.
Quiet spectacular for me each time I visit Ho Chi Minh is the journey up the Saigon River from the South China Sea. The highlight is turning the ship around in the narrow part of the Saigon port... !