Ho Chi Minh City
General information:
Ho Chi Minh City is the second most important city of Vietnam after Hanoi capital, once was considered as the Pearl of the Orient by the French.
Area: 2,098.7 sq. km
Population: 7, 123,340 habitants (4/2009)
Administrative divisions:
- Districts: District 1, District 2, District 3, District 4, District 5, District 6, District 7, District 8, District 9, District 10, District 11, District 12, Tan Binh, Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan, Thu Duc, Go Vap, Binh Tan,Tan Phu.
- Rural districts: Nha Be, Can Gio, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi, Binh Chanh.
Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Hoa, Khmer, Cham, etc.
Location:
Situated in the southern part of Vietnam, also the core of the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City is still called Saigon by many local. It is not only a commercial center but also a scientific, technological, industrial and tourist center. The city is bathed by many rivers, arroyos and canals, the biggest river being the Saigon River where The Port of Saigon located. It borders Tay Ninh and Binh Duong provinces to the north, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces to the east, Long An Province to the west and East Sea to the south with a coast of 15 km in length.
Climate:
The climate of Ho Chi Minh City is generally hot and humid. There are two distinctive seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season starts from May and lasts till late November. Downpour becomes heavy from June to August. The dry season lasts from December to April. The hottest month is April and the lowest is December. The temperature may rise up to 39 degree Celsius around noon during late April. However it may drop below 16 degree Celsius during the morning hours in late December. The annual average temperature is 27ºC. It is warm all year-round.
History:
Many centuries ago, Saigon was already a busy commercial center. Merchants from China, Japan and many European countries would sail upstream the Saigon River to reach the islet of Pho, a trading center. In the year of 1874, Cho Lon merged with Saigon, forming the largest city in the Indochina. It had been many times celebrated as the Pearl of the Far East. After the reunification of the country, the 6th National Assembly in its meeting of the 2nd of July, 1976, has officially rebaptized Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City. The history of city relates closely with the struggle for the independence and freedom of Vietnam.
Transportation:
Ho Chi Minh City is the main junction for trains, roads, water, and air transportation systems for domestic trips and for foreign destination.
- Highways: Ho Chi Minh City is 1,710 km from Hanoi, 99 km from Tay Ninh, 30 km from Bien Hoa (Dong Nai), 70 km from My Tho, 125 km from Vung Tau, 168 km from Can Tho, 308 km from Dalat, and 375km from Buon Ma Thuot. The City has National Highway 13 which connects Vietnam with the rest of Indochina.
- Railways: Thong Nhat express train connects Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, vie many provinces in Vietnam.
- Airways: Tan Son Nhat International Airport, 7km from center of city, is the biggest airport with many domestic and international routes. There are flights to Phu Quoc, Con Dao, Nha Trang, Hanoi and Da Nang ….and flights to many regions as well a lot of countries on over the world.
- Waterways: Saigon Port is the most important port in Ho Chi Minh City. There is no official ferry services for travelers to provinces in the Mekong delta region but with the irrigation channels, tributaries and narrow inlets form a well spread network of waterways within the city, ferry is a great use to the locals, who transport their domestic animals and belongings through the ferries. There are ferries from Saigon to Vung Tau and vice versa for tourists.
Tourism:
Today, Ho Chi Minh City is the big tourism center in Vietnam, attracting a large of visitors to Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City has various attractions as Duc Ba Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theatre, Thong Nhat Conference Hall, Reunification Palace, Cu Chi Tunnels, Ben Duoc Monument, Cho Lon (Lon Market), Ben Thanh Market, Can Gio - a biosphere reserve of the world… and many entertainment centers.
Ho Chi Minh City owns many historical relics and cultural sites such as Giac Lam Pagoda, Giac Vien Pagoda, Phung Son Pagoda, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Xa Loi Pagoda, Thien Hau Pagoda, Van Hanh Monastery, Tran Hung Dao Temple… with a largr number of traditional festivals: Thien Hau Pagoda Festival, Ky Yen Festival at Binh Dong Communal House/ Phu Nhuan Communal House/Truong Tho Communal House, Le Van Duyet Tomb Festival, Ong Bon Pagoda Festival, Ong Dia Temple Festival, Ong Pagoda Festival, Phan Cong Hon Temple Festival and
Welcoming the Lord Whale Festival.
The city also is the place where visitors can learn more about its glorious history and the development with dozens of museums including Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, Nam Bo Women’s Museum, Revolutionary Museum, Ton Duc Thang Museum, Vietnam History Museum, War Remnants Museum…
