Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, commonly known as Saigon, is the most populous and economically dynamic city in Vietnam. As of 2023 it had an estimated population of around ten million people, making it the nation’s largest urban centre. The city occupies a strategic position in southern Vietnam on a dense network of rivers and canals, dominated by the Saigon River. Administratively, it is one of Vietnam’s five centrally governed municipalities, comprising sixteen urban districts, five rural districts and one municipal sub-city.
A long-standing centre of commerce, culture, education and transportation, Ho Chi Minh City generates the highest gross regional domestic product of all Vietnamese provinces and municipalities. The metropolitan area ranks among the largest urban economies in Southeast Asia, exceeding the output of many national capitals. Since the 1990s, extensive modernisation and expansion have supported the city’s role as an international trade hub, driven in part by the reforms associated with Đổi Mới.

Etymology

The earliest known habitation in the region may have been a Chăm settlement named Baigaur or a Khmer settlement known as Prey Nokor, a fishing village situated amid dense forest. When Vietnamese settlers gradually entered the area from the seventeenth century onwards, it was renamed Gia Định in 1698. This name remained in official use until the mid-nineteenth century when the French consolidated power in Cochinchina and adopted the name Saïgon.
Vietnamese maps written in chữ Hán continued to use the characters for Gia Định until at least 1891. The toponym Sài Gòn appears in historical works such as Miscellaneous Chronicles of the Pacified Frontier (c. 1776) and was likely derived from a Khmer term such as Prey Nokor or Prey Kor, rather than from Chinese characters referring to embankments. Scholarly assessments consider these Vietnamese and Khmer forms cognate rather than direct borrowings.
The current official name, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh (Ho Chi Minh City), was proclaimed in 1945 and formally adopted in 1976 after national reunification. It honours Hồ Chí Minh, the founder of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The name combines the common Vietnamese surname Hồ with Chí Minh, meaning “enlightened will” or “bringer of light” in Sino-Vietnamese. In everyday conversation, Saigon remains widely used, often referring specifically to the central area around District 1 rather than the entire municipality.

Historical Development

Early settlement: A Funan-period temple dating to the fourth century CE existed on the site of the current Phụng Sơn Pagoda, indicating early cultural activity in the region. By the eleventh century the area was the Chăm settlement of Baigaur, later renamed Prey Nokor after its incorporation into the Khmer Empire around 1145. Prey Nokor grew modestly as a fishing village with strategic access to trade routes linking Cambodia, Vietnam and Siam.
Seventeenth-century migration: Vietnamese settlement accelerated after the marriage alliance in 1620 between Princess Nguyễn Phúc Ngọc Vạn and Cambodian King Chey Chettha II, which secured favourable terms for Vietnamese movement into Khmer territories. In 1623 the Nguyễn lords established tax stations in Prey Nokor and Bến Nghé, beginning a period of intensified Vietnamese influence. Additional administrative structures, including the residence of Vice King Ang Non and a palace at Tân Mỹ, helped formalise regional governance.
Nguyễn rule and expansion: In 1698 the Nguyễn court dispatched the noble Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh to organise Vietnamese-style administrative units in the region. This move effectively detached the area from Khmer jurisdiction and is widely regarded as the starting point for the development of Saigon as a major settlement. Later conflicts between Vietnamese and Khmer forces, including unsuccessful attempts by Chey Chettha IV to halt expansion, further entrenched Vietnamese control.
French colonial era: After the fall of the Citadel of Saigon in the 1860s, the city became the capital of French Cochinchina from 1862 to 1949 and intermittently served as the capital of French Indochina between 1887–1902 and 1945–1954. French administrators transformed Saigon into a central colonial outpost with European-style boulevards, administrative buildings and commercial infrastructure, establishing its enduring reputation as a cosmopolitan centre.
State of Vietnam and South Vietnam: Following the 1949–1955 period when Saigon was the capital of the State of Vietnam, the city became the capital of South Vietnam after the 1954 Geneva Conference. It remained so until its capture by North Vietnamese forces in 1975, an event known as the Fall of Saigon. In 1976 the city was formally renamed Ho Chi Minh City as Vietnam unified into a single socialist republic.
Modern era: From the 1990s onward, economic reform and market liberalisation fuelled rapid urban growth, expanding the city’s skyline and re-establishing its role as Vietnam’s principal gateway for international trade and investment. Today, Ho Chi Minh City is the country’s busiest transport hub, home to Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport—handling nearly half of Vietnam’s international arrivals—and one of the region’s busiest container ports.

Economy and Urban Character

Ho Chi Minh City is the financial heart of Vietnam, contributing roughly one quarter of national GDP. Advanced sectors include finance, manufacturing, logistics, telecommunications, technology and real estate. Numerous multinational firms maintain headquarters or regional offices in the city.
Urban landscapes are characterised by a blend of modern skyscrapers and historic colonial-era architecture. Prominent landmarks include:

• Independence Palace
• Bitexco Financial Tower
• Landmark 81
• War Remnants Museum
• Bến Thành Market

A distinctive aspect of the city’s urban fabric is the network of narrow hẻm alleyways, which serve as vibrant micro-neighbourhoods. District 1 features lively nightlife areas such as Phạm Ngũ Lão and Bùi Viện streets, frequented by tourists and locals alike.

Transport

Ho Chi Minh City is the busiest transport node in Vietnam. Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport serves as the main international gateway, while future expansion aims to ease congestion with the planned Long Thành International Airport. The city also operates an extensive bus system and is expanding its urban rail network.

Contemporary Challenges

Despite economic success, Ho Chi Minh City faces several critical challenges:

• Flooding and sea-level rise, due to low-lying topography and heavy rainfall.
• Strain on infrastructure, including transport, drainage and housing.
• Rapid population growth, pressuring urban services and resources.