Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh), formerly (and still commonly) known as Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn), is the most populous city in Vietnam, with a population of around 9.3 million in 2023. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, the largest of which is the eponymously-named Saigon River. As a municipality, Ho Chi Minh City consists of 16 urban districts, six rural districts, and one municipal city (Thủ Đức). As the largest financial centre in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has the highest gross regional domestic product out of all Vietnam provinces and municipalities, contributing around a quarter of the country's total GDP. Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan is ASEAN 6th largest economy, also the biggest outside ASEAN country capital.
Ho Chi Minh City
Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh Saigon (Sài Gòn) | |
|---|---|
|
Seal | |
| Nicknames: Thành phố mang tên Bác (lit. 'The city bearing the name of Uncle Ho') Paris of the Orient (historical) | |
| Motto(s): Paulatim crescam (historical) Meaning: Little by little we grow | |
Interactive map outlining Ho Chi Minh City | |
Ho Chi Minh City Location within Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City Location within Southeast Asia Ho Chi Minh City Location within Asia | |
| Coordinates: 10°46′32″N 106°42′07″E | |
| Country | Vietnam |
| Region | Southeast |
| Founded | 1698 |
| Founded by | Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh |
| Named for | Ho Chi Minh |
| Districts | 16 urban districts, 5 rural districts and 1 sub-city |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Body | Ho Chi Minh City People's Council |
| • Secretary of CPV | Nguyễn Văn Nên |
| • Chairwoman of People's Council | Nguyễn Thị Lệ |
| • Chairman of People's Committee | Phan Văn Mãi |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 2,061.2 km2 (795.83 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 30,595 km2 (11,813 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 19 m (63 ft) |
| Population (2023) | |
| • Municipality | 9,320,866 (1st) |
| • Density | 4,375/km2 (11,330/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 21,281,639 (1st) |
| • Metro density | 697.2/km2 (1,806/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Saigonese |
| GDP | |
| • Municipality | US$ 57.3 billion |
| • Metro | US$ 94.3 billion |
| Time zone | UTC+07:00 (ICT) |
| Postal code | 700000–740000 |
| Area codes | 28 |
| ISO 3166 code | VN-SG |
| License plate | 41, 50–59 |
| HDI (2020) | 0.795 (2nd) |
| International airports | Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) |
| Rapid transit system | Ho Chi Minh City Metro |
| Website | hochiminhcity |
Since the early times, water transport has been heavily used by inhabitants in the area. The area was occupied by Champa from 2nd century AD to around 19th century due to Đại Việt's expanist policy of Nam tiến. After the fall of Citadel of Gia Định, Saigon was the capital of French Indochina from 1887 to 1902, and again from 1945 until its cessation in 1954. Following the partition of French Indochina, it became the capital of South Vietnam until the fall of Saigon in 1975. After the fall of Saigon, the communist government renamed Saigon in honour of Hồ Chí Minh, though the former name is still widely used in informal usages. Beginning in the 1990s, the city underwent rapid expansion and modernization, which contributed to Vietnam's post-war economic recovery and helped revive its international trade hub status.
Ho Chi Minh City has a long tradition of being a productive trading and manufacturing place in Vietnam. As such, the city is also the busiest international transport hub in Vietnam, as Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport accounts for nearly half of all international arrivals to Vietnam and the Port of Saigon is among the busiest container ports in Southeast Asia. Ho Chi Minh City is also a popular tourism destination. Some of the war and historic landmarks in the city include the Independence Palace, Landmark 81 (tallest building in Vietnam), the War Remnants Museum, and Bến Thành Market. The city is also known for its narrow walkable alleys and night life. Currently, Ho Chi Minh City is facing increasing threats of sea level rise and flooding as well as heavy strains on public infrastructures.