Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh ) is the biggest city in Vietnam. Formerly known as Saigon, it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the Vietnamese leader. The city has a metropolitan area with a popultion of over 9 million people. It was the capital of the state of South Vietnam between 1954 to 1975, and before that, it was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina.
Ho Chi Minh City began as a fishing village called Prey Nokor, inhabited mostly by the Khmr people since the time of antiquity until the early 17th century, when ethnic Vietnamese migrated and settled there, elbowing out the Khmers. Under the Khmers, it was an important trading port. Under the Vietnamese, Prey Nokor became known as Sài Gòn.
The modern Ho Chi Minh City is located on the banks of the Saigon River. It is 60 km from the coast of the South China Sea, and 1760 km (1094 mi) from Hanoi.
Hôtel de Ville - the former town hall of Ho Chi Minh City
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:City_Hall_Ho_Chi_Minh_City_Vietnam.jpg Author: Thomas Schoch
Climate of Ho Chi Minh City
The city experiences a tropical climate with an average humidity of 75%. Average daily temperature ranges from 23.7 °C to 32.3 °C, and is fairly uniform throughout the year, with late December being the coldest month. The wettest months are JUne and September, with over 300 mm of rainfall. The driest months are from January to March.
Visiting Ho Chi Minh City
The international gateway to Ho Chi Minh City is Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the biggest airport in Vietnam. It has two terminals. The new terminal handles the international flights while the old one manages the domestic traffic.
Bus No. 152 is an air-conditioned airport bus that go between the airport and downtown Ho Chi Minh City. It only costs 3,000 dong one way. The bus station is located at the domestic terminal.
You can of course also take the taxi downtown. This will set you back 90,000 dongs, for a journey that is just 15 minutes if the traffic is smooth, or over an hour, if you are caught in a jam. The crawling-in-jam ride will be more costly by an additional 30,000 to 60,000 dongs.
You have the option of regular taxis or motorcycle taxis. If you opt for the latter, by all means agree on a price before you climb on board. However, do not expect the motorcycle taxis to be any cheaper than the regular taxis.
The major taxi companies in Ho Chi Minh City are Vinasun and Mai Linh. You should avoid any other companies as they are quite unscrupulous - meaning some of them have meter that can be made to go faster than actual, something prevalent throughout Vietnam and is painting a rather unfortunate picture for its tourism reputation.
Cu Chi Tunnels Two set of tunnels, one at Ben Dinh village used by the Vietcongs, and the other at Ben Duoc village, created for tourist purposes.
Dan Sinh Market Bazaar selling all sorts of war surplus products and memorabilia.
Dong Khoi Main commercial street in Ho Chi Minh City.
Fine Arts Museum Museum housing Vietnamese works of art, from paintings to ceramics, sculptures and lacquerware.
General Post Office One of the most attractive buildings in Ho Chi Minh City, designed by none other than Gustave Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame.
Giac Vien Pagoda Temple on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City established in 1744.
Ho Chi Minh City Museum French-style building that was formerly the French governor general's residence, today showcasing the 300-year history of the city.
Ho Coc Beach An undeveloped, rather secluded beach.
Jade Emperor Pagoda One of the most ornate temples in Ho Chi Minh City, the Jade Emperor Pagoda is dedicated to the King of All Heavens.
Le Van Duyet Temple Temple devoted to General Le Van Duyet (1763-1831), a national hero rather than to a deity.
Nui Ba Den Black Lady Mountain, a forest-clad mountain set amid shimmering lakes.
Notre Dame Cathedral The largest Roman Catholic church ever erected in the French empire.
One Pillar Pagoda of Thu Duc A small pagoda based on the Lien Phai Pagoda of Hanoi, built by a monk after the country split into two in 1954.
People's Committee Building Formerly the Hôtel de Ville or town hall, this is an iconic building in Ho Chi Minh City.
Phung Son Pagoda Pagoda built between 1802 and 1820 on the site of an ancient building.
Quan Am Pagoda Temple dedicated to the goddess of mercy.
Reunification Palace The former Presidential Palace, located on the site of the Norodom Palace in the 19th century.
Rex Hotel Hotel that was the center of social and military activities of the American soldiers during the Vietnam war.
Thien Hau Pagoda Commonly called Chua Ba, or Lady's Pagoda, this temple is dedicated to Thien Hau, the deity of the sea and patronness of sailors.
Vinh Nghiem Pagoda The largest pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, built with funds from the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association.
Vung Tau Popular seaside getaway that is quite crowded and noisy during he weekends.
War Remnants Museum Museum, housed in the former US Information Service building, documents the atrocities of the Americans, Chinese and French soldiers in grim detail.
Xa Loi Pagoda One of the most important pagodas during the communist revolution, this was where three monks immolated themselves as a gesture of protest.
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Disclaimer
Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.
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