호찌민시
Also known as Ho Chi Minh, Sài Gòn, Saïgon, HCMC, Sai Gon, Saigon, Thành-Phô Hồ Chí Minh, Hôchiminh Ville
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AI overview
Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is Vietnam's largest and most populous city with over 14 million residents, serving as the country's primary financial and economic hub that contributes about a quarter of Vietnam's total GDP. The city is a major international gateway, home to Vietnam's busiest airport and one of Southeast Asia's leading container ports, and features both historic landmarks and modern attractions alongside a reputation for its vibrant nightlife and street culture.
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Place details
- Locality
- Thủ Đức
- Region
- Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)
- Country
- Việt Nam
- Population
- 14,002,598
Travel guide
Understand
Following the fall of Saigon in 1975, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. However the old name Saigon is still widely used by both Vietnamese and foreigners, especially when referring to the most central part of the city to which most tourists flock. Although the capital of a united Vietnam is Hanoi in the north, Ho Chi Minh City remains Vietnam's main economic and financial centre. While it does not have the long history that cities like Hanoi and Hue have, it is Vietnam's most modern and cosmopolitan city, with influences from the French former colonial rulers and the ethnic Chinese community in Cholon deeply embedded in the local culture, perhaps most visible in its cuisine.
Though Vietnam has been united since the conclusion of the Vietnam War, cultural differences arising from the division of Vietnam can be seen to this day. To this day, locals in Ho Chi Minh City tend to be more business-minded and less ideological than those in Hanoi in the north. In addition, Southerners also tend to be more hospitable towards Western visitors than Northerners. The Vietnam War — called the "American War" in Vietnam — remains a sensitive topic, and it is advisable not to bring it up in discussions with locals. Do not assume that all Vietnamese think alike, as many Southerners are still bitter about having lost to the North.
Get around
Getting around HCMC can be a challenge: traffic slows to a crawl for most of the day, the heat and chaotic streets make walking long distances impractical, and the public transport system has not kept up with the city's explosive growth.
Eat
thumb|Typical Vietnamese Pho You're spoiled for choice in Saigon, which offers the country's largest variety of Vietnamese and international food. Bargains are getting harder to find, however, and restaurant prices have been rising at up to 30% per year due to a combination of higher food prices, rising wages, and soaring real estate costs. Land in the city centre now sells for around US$16,000/m2, so even a modest-sized restaurant sits on real estate worth more than US$1 million. Authentic local food at bargain prices is one of the glories of Vietnam, but it's getting harder to find in Saigon as the city becomes ever more upscale and cosmopolitan.
The local food shows influences from French colonial times. Bakeries have fresh and excellent baguettes, which they will fill with cheese (typically of the "La Vache Qui Rit" or "Laughing Cow" brand), potted meat, ham, and onions, or any combination thereof, cheaply. Beef is used in various dishes - whether in any of the many variations of pho, or in a regional specialty such as "bun bo hue" or Hue beef soup. Be sure to try, aside from pho, dishes such as the above-mentioned Hue beef soup, or "banh xeo". Vietnamese savory crepes, consisting of a delicious filling of your choice (various options included bamboo shoots and enoki mushrooms, along with meat, prawns, or both) in a crispy outer crepe-like casing.