Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam, with a population estimated at over 9.3 million people in 2023. Covering an area of approximately 796 square miles, it serves as the economic center of the country, contributing significantly to Vietnam's GDP, particularly in manufacturing, which has flourished due to lower labor costs compared to neighboring countries. This city is characterized by a diverse population, predominantly of the Kinh ethnic group, as well as a significant expatriate community drawn by the booming economy.
Historically, Ho Chi Minh City has evolved from a fishing village under Khmer control to a French colonial stronghold, and eventually a focal point in the Vietnam War. The city was renamed in 1975 after the fall of Saigon, marking the end of the conflict and the reunification of Vietnam. Culturally, Ho Chi Minh City is home to various religious landmarks, including the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica and the Cao Dai temple, reflecting its rich spiritual heritage. The city experiences a tropical monsoon climate, with high temperatures and considerable rainfall throughout the year. Overall, Ho Chi Minh City is a dynamic urban center that blends historical significance with modern development, attracting tourists and businesses alike.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Population: 9,320,866 (2023 estimate)
Area: 796 square miles (2,062 square kilometers)
Founded: 1698
Commonly known by Saigon, its previous name, Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam, covering more than 796 square miles (2,062 square kilometers) of territory and boasting a population of more than nine million. The city is continuously growing and saw an annual growth rate of almost 2.7 percent in 2023.
Most of the city’s residents identify as part of the Kinh ethnic group. However, foreign industry has brought a sizable portion of expatriates to the city. Because labor costs in Vietnam are lower than in China, many foreign companies have moved their factories to Vietnam. For this reason, manufacturing makes up a significant portion of Ho Chi Minh City’s economy.
Ho Chi Minh City traces its history back to the Kingdom of Cambodia, where it existed as a small village. The area was seized by Vietnamese refugees, who renamed the area Saigon. Saigon was colonized by the French, who were later driven out by Vietnamese nationalists. This led to North Vietnam becoming independent, causing a civil war between North and South Vietnam. North Vietnam was aided by other Communist nations, while South Vietnam had the assistance of the United States. The North prevailed, conquering Saigon and renaming it Ho Chi Minh City.
Landscape
Ho Chi Minh City is between the Mekong Delta and Southeast Vietnam. Weather in Southeast Vietnam is humid, hot, and rainy, as is typical for tropical monsoon climates. Temperatures in the city remain hot year-round, with the hottest months being May, April, and June. The average temperature in Ho Chi Minh City is 81.3 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). The average annual rainfall in the region is 73.5 inches (1,868 millimeters). It rains more often in the winter than in the summer.
Ho Chi Minh City is commonly divided into three regions: downtown, lowlands, and uplands. The downtown region includes parts of Thu Duc, a sub-city within Ho Chi Minh City, and the Huc Mon district. The lowlands are in the south, southwest, and southeast regions of the city and have an average elevation of roughly 3 feet (1 meter). The uplands are in the north, northeast, and northwest portions of the city and have an average elevation ranging from 30 feet (10 meters) to 75 feet (25 meters).
The city covers a large surface area, accounting for more than 796 square miles (2,062 square kilometers) of territory. Ho Chi Minh City is densely populated, with approximately ten thousand residents per square mile.
People
Vietnam is home to more than 105 million people, and Ho Chi Minh City is its largest city. Modern estimates place its population at roughly 9,320,866 people in 2023. Hanoi, the next largest Vietnamese city, is the capital of Vietnam. It is home to an estimated 8.6 million people.
The most common faith for the people of Ho Chi Minh City is Buddhism, which is practiced by roughly half the city’s residents. People who practice no particular faith comprise the next largest percentage of the city’s residents, accounting for roughly 34 percent of its population. Twelve percent of Ho Chi Minh citizens identify as Roman Catholic, while 4 percent practice other religions.
Economy
Ho Chi Minh City is commonly referred to as the economic center of Vietnam, and in 2022 the city’s GDP was $59.5 billion, which accounted for 22 percent of the national GDP. As labor costs in China have risen, many Chinese factories have relocated to Vietnam. This has made manufacturing a major industry across the nation, including Ho Chi Minh City. Major manufacturing companies in Vietnam include Foxconn, Intel, and Samsung. Such firms have also drawn a large number of foreign workers and management to Ho Chi Minh City.
Because of the city’s large size and steady growth, the real estate industry has become increasingly prominent there. As young people continue to move to Ho Chi Minh City and enter the workforce, the need for affordable housing continues to grow. Many foreign investors have purchased property throughout the city, hoping to profit from the growing real estate industry. Other prominent industries include dining and entertainment.
Landmarks
Ho Chi Minh City is home to a variety of notable religious landmarks, including temples of worship from various faiths. The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is commonly regarded as the most impressive cathedral in Vietnam and serves as a religious center for Vietnam’s large population of Roman Catholics. The structure was built between 1863 and 1880 from materials imported from France and modeled after the famed Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral.
The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is home to Our Lady of Peace, a statue of the Virgin Mary constructed in 1959 and imported from Rome. In October 2005, many witnesses claimed to have seen the statue shed a tear, reporting that a miracle had occurred. Though the Catholic Church stated that it was unable to confirm whether the statue cried, many people continued to travel to the site.
Ho Chi Minh City is home to the Cao Dai temple, the primary place of worship for the Cao Dai religion. The temple was built in 1955 by the Cao Dai Army soon after Japan invaded and occupied Indochina. According to the tenets of the Cao Dai religion, because all religions are fundamentally the same, many deities are worshipped at the temple, including Jesus Christ, Buddha, and Muhammad.
The Jade Emperor Pagoda is a historic temple in Ho Chi Minh City. Built at the beginning of the twentieth century, the shrine features depictions of multiple Buddhist and Taoist deities.
Roughly one hour outside the city, tourists can visit the historic Ben Dinh Tunnels. They are a preserved section of the Chu Chi Tunnels, a large network of tunnels that were used by Viet Cong fighters during the Vietnam War. The Ben Dinh Tunnels include sleeping quarters, a nursery, and meeting rooms. The tunnels feature examples of booby traps and military weapons. Many of the passageways have been widened to allow tourists easier passage.
History
The area surrounding Ho Chi Minh City was first settled in the eleventh century by the Khmer Krom people, who belong to the Angkor state. Over time, the region came under the control of the Kingdom of Cambodia. A fishing village, Prey Nokor, was founded in the location that would eventually become Ho Chi Minh City.
During the seventeenth century, following the Trinh-Nguyen Civil War, Vietnamese refugees began to enter the region. The King of Cambodia, Chey Chettha II, allowed them to settle in the region surrounding Prey Nokor. By the end of the seventeenth century, the Khmer Krom people had become minorities in the region, and the Vietnamese took formal control of Prey Nokor, renaming the city Saigon.
Saigon remained an important Vietnamese port city for more than a century. However, in the mid-nineteenth century, France invaded a large portion of Mainland Southeast Asia, including Saigon, and formally colonized what became known as French Indochina. France maintained control of its colonies for more than a century.
In 1945, fighting between French colonial forces and Vietnamese nationalists broke out in the region. The Vietnamese nationalists were led by the famed Ho Chi Minh, who served as prime minister of Vietnam from 1945 to 1969. During the first several years of the war, the Vietnamese nationalists fought using guerilla tactics. However, in the later years, with weapons shipped in from the United States, the Soviet Union, and China, the conflict escalated into a traditional war. When the French were decisively defeated at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, Ho Chi Minh’s forces took control of Saigon. Now controlling the entirety of North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh’s Communist forces declared independence. The conflict escalated into a civil war, and the United States entered the conflict to fight the Communist North.
The war was long and costly. North Vietnamese fighters could not openly match the strength and size of the American military. However, they were experienced in fighting more powerful enemies through guerilla tactics. Both sides took heavy casualties during the prolonged conflict, and the United States military eventually withdrew without subduing the North Vietnamese. In April 1975, the North Vietnamese military conquered the Independence Palace, forcing South Vietnam to surrender. In the following months, the two countries were reunified under North Vietnamese rule. On the day of its capture, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the national hero.
After the city was renamed, the reunified Vietnamese government modified its structure. It expanded the city, continuously adding more land over time. It also worked to rebuild the significant portions of the city that were damaged or destroyed during the war. While the city was under Communist control, the government worked to reduce the port city’s dependence on foreign goods, nationalizing many of its industries. It also encouraged the development of new businesses in the region, increasing the city’s self-sufficiency. By the early twenty-first century, Ho Chi Minh City had become a popular destination for many international tourists.
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