ABOUT HO CHI MINH CITY
Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam. Under French colonial rule, the city was referred to as Saigon, a name that is still often used today. The city center is situated on the banks of the Saigon River, 60 kilometers (37 mi) from the South China Sea and 1,760 kilometers (1,094 mi) south of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
The metropolitan area consists of about 9 million people, making it the most populous metropolitan area in Vietnam and Indochina as a whole. The Greater Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area, a metropolitan area covering most part of Dong Nam Bo plus Tien Giang and Long An provinces (30,000km), is expected to have a population of 20 million inhabitants by 2020.
Ho Chi Minh City operates at two speeds: fast and faster. The central business district is rapidly developing, while the old Saigon lives on among wide avenues flanked by elegant colonial buildings. Hectic and electric, traditional and modern, Ho Chi Minh city is a study in contrasts as it leads the change of a young country rapidly opening up to the rest of the world. The central downtown area is in district 1. Sites of interest include the Historical Museum, the Reunification Hall and the War Remnants Museum.
If you are looking for good food, hot Pho (rice noodle soup) or Hu Tieu (southern-style noodle soup) will keep you satisfied 24 hours a day. You can also find everything from Korean hot pot to Japanese sushi and Indian curries to a genuine Texas barbecue or spicy Thai cuisine.
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