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Infobox settlement|name = Ho Chi Minh City|alternative_name = Saigon|native_name = Thành ph? H? Chí Minh |nickname = Paris of the Orient, the Pearl of the Far East|settlement_type = Municipalities of Vietnam|Municipality |image_skyline = SaigonCollage.jpg|imagesize = 300px|image_caption = Top : Ho Chi Minh City skyline ; Ho Chi Minh City Hall
Center : Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica ; Saigon Port ; Bitexco Financial Tower
Bottom : Ben Thanh Market|B?n Thành Market ; Municipal Theatre, Ho Chi Minh City|Municipal Theatre |image_flag =|flag_size =|image_seal =|seal_size =|image_shield =|shield_size =|image_blank_emblem =|blank_emblem_size =|image_map =LocationVietnamSaiGon.png|mapsize = 260px|map_caption = Location in Vietnam and Southern Vietnam|pushpin_map = |pushpin_label_position = |pushpin_mapsize=300|coordinates_display = inline,title|coordinates_region = VN|subdivision_type = Country|subdivision_name = |subdivision_type1 = Also Known As|subdivision_name1 = Saigon|subdivision_type2 =|subdivision_name2 =|subdivision_type3 =|subdivision_name3 =|subdivision_type4 =|subdivision_name4 =|leader_title1 = Party Secretary|leader_name1 = Lê Thanh H?i|leader_title2 = People's Committee Chairman:|leader_name2 = Lê Hoàng Quân|leader_title3 = People's Council Chairwoman:|leader_name3 = Nguy?n Th? Quy?t Tâm|established_title = Founded|established_date = 1698|established_title2 = Renamed|established_date2 = 1976|established_title3 = |established_date3 =|area_magnitude =|unit_pref = Imperial |parts_type = Demonym |parts_style=para|p1 = Saigonese|area_footnotes =|area_total_km2 = 2,095|area_land_km2 =|area_water_km2 =|area_total_sq_mi = 809.23|area_land_sq_mi =|area_water_sq_mi =|area_water_percent =|area_urban_km2 =|area_urban_sq_mi =|area_metro_km2 =|area_metro_sq_mi =|population_as_of = 1 April 2010|population_footnotes =|population_note =|population_total = 7,162,864 ( List of cities in Vietnam|1st in Vietnam )|population_total = 7,396,446|population_footnotes = http://www.pso.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/c/document_library/get_file? uuid=5fdc62bc-0523-453a-b596-57ad36af9831& groupId=18|population_density_km2 = 3,531|population_density_sq_mi = 9,141|population_metro =|population_density_metro_km2 =|population_density_metro_sq_mi =|population_urban =|population_density_urban_km2 =|population_density_urban_mi2 =|time_zone = UTC+7 |utc_offset = +7|time_zone_DST = No DST|utc_offset_DST = +7|latd=10 |latm=46 |lats=10 |latNS=N|longd=106 |longm=40 |longs=55 |longEW=E|elevation_footnotes = |elevation_m = 19|elevation_ft = 63|area_code = +84 (8)|website =

Ho Chi Minh City ( Thành ph? H? Chí Minh ; ), formerly named Saigon ( Sài Gòn ; ) is the List of cities in Vietnam|largest city in Vietnam . It was once known as Prey Nokor , an important Khmer Empire|Khmer sea port prior to annexation by the Vietnamese in the 17th century.

Under the name Saigon, it was the capital of the French colony of Cochin-china and later of the independent State (polity)|state of South Vietnam from 1955–75. South Vietnam, as an anti-communist state, fought against the communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong during the Vietnam War , with aid from the United States of America and countries including Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. Fall of Saigon|Saigon fell when it was captured by the communists on 30 April 1975, bringing an end to the War with its enemy's victory. Vietnam was then turned into a communist state with the South overtaken. On 2 July 1976, Saigon merged with the surrounding Gia Ð?nh Province and was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City after Ho Chi Minh|H? Chí Minh (although the name Sài Gòn is still commonly used.) Counterpunch Magazine . Retrieved 19 12 2007.

The city center is situated on the banks of the Saigon River , from the South China Sea and south of Hanoi , the capital of Vietnam.

The metropolitan area , which consists of the Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area, Thu Dau Mot|Th? D?u M?t , Di An District|Di An , Bien Hoa|Biên Hòa and surrounding towns, is populated by more than 9,000,000 people,, , , making it the most populous metropolitan area MyVietnam.info; retrieved 13 08 2009. in Vietnam and the countries of the former French Indochina . The Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area|Greater Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area , a metropolitan area covering most parts of Dong Nam Bao|Ðông Nam Ba? plus Tien Giang|Ti?n Giang and Long An provinces under planning will have an area of 30,000 square kilometers with a population of 20 million inhabitants by 2020. According to the Mercer Human Resource Consulting , Economist Intelligence Unit and ECA International , Ho Chi Minh City is ranked 132 on the List of most expensive cities for expatriate employees|list of world's most expensive cities for expatriate employees.

Name

Ho Chi Minh City has gone by several different names during its history, reflecting settlement by different ethnic, cultural and political groups. Originally known as Prey Nokor while part of the Khmer Empire , it came to be dubbed Sài Gòn informally by Vietnamese settlers from the north. In the 1690s, Nguy?n H?u C?nh , a Vietnamese noble, was sent by the Nguy?n rulers of Hu? to establish Vietnamese administrative structures in the Mekong Delta and its surroundings. Control of the city and the area passed to the Vietnamese, who gave the city the official name of ( Ch? Nôm : wikt:?|? wikt:?|? ). This name remained until the time of Cochin-china Campaign|French conquest in the 1860s, when the occupying force adopted the name Saigon for the city, a westernization|westernized form of the traditional name, although the city was still indicated as wikt:?|? wikt:?|? on Chinese maps until at least 1891. Immediately after the communist takeover of South Vietnam in 1975, a provisional government renamed the city after Ho Chi Minh|H? Chí Minh , the pre-eminent but by-then deceased North Vietnam ese leader.

The text of the resolution is as follows:
"By the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 6th tenure, 1st session, for officially renaming Saigon-Gia Dinh City as Ho Chi Minh City.

The National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Considering the boundless love of the people of Saigon-Gia Dinh City for President Ho Chi Minh and their wish for the city to be named after him;

Considering the long and difficult revolutionary struggle launched in Saigon-Gia Dinh City, with several glorious feats, deserves the honor of being named after President Ho Chi Minh;

After discussing the suggestion of the Presidium of the National Assembly's meeting;

Decides to rename Saigon-Gia Dinh City as Ho Chi Minh City." Even today, however, the informal name of Sài Gòn remains in daily speech both domestically and internationally, especially among the overseas Vietnamese|Vietnamese diaspora . In particular, Sài Gòn is still commonly used to refer to District 1, Ho Chi Minh City|District 1 .

Etymology

;Sài Gòn
An etymology of Sài Gòn is that Sài is a Chinese loanword (Chinese: wikt:?|? , pronounced in Standard Mandarin|Mandarin ) meaning “firewood, lops, twigs; palisade”, while Gòn is another Chinese loanword (Chinese: wikt:?|? , pronounced gùn in Mandarin) meaning “stick, pole, bole”, and whose meaning evolved into “cotton” in Vietnamese ( bông gòn , literally “cotton stick”, i.e., “cotton plant”, then shortened to gòn ). This name may refer to the many kapok plants that the Khmer people had planted around Prey Nokor, and which can still be seen at Cây Mai temple and surrounding areas. It may also refer to the dense and tall forest that once existed around the city, a forest to which the Khmer name, Prey Nokor, already referred. Truong Vinh Ky|Truong Vinh Ký , Souvenirs historiques sur Saigon et ses environs , trong Excursions et Reconnaissance X. Saigon, Imprimerie Coloniale 1885

Other proposed etymologies draw parallels from Tai-Ngon ( wikt:?|? wikt:?|? ), the Yue Chinese|Cantonese name of Cholon , which means "embankment" (French: quais ),"Un siècle plus tard (1773), la révolte des TÁYON (sic) tout, d'abord dans les montagnes de la province de Qui-Nhon, et s’étendit repidement dans le sud, chassa de Bien-Hoa le mouvement commercial qu’y avaient attiré les Chinois. Ceux-ci abandonnèrent Cou-lao-pho, remontèrent de fleuve de Tan-Binh, et vinrent choisir la position actuele de CHOLEN. Cette création date d’envinron 1778. Ils appelèrent leur nouvelle résidence TAI-NGON ou TIN-GAN. Le nom transformé par les Annamites en celui de SAIGON fut depuis appliqué à tort, par l'expédition francaise, au SAIGON actuel dont la dénomination locale est BEN-NGHE ou BEN-THANH." Francis Garnier, quoted in: and Vietnamese Sai Côn , a translation of the Khmer Prey Nokor (). :wikt:????|Prey means forest or jungle, and :wikt:???|nokor is a Khmer word of Sanskrit origin meaning city or kingdom—thus, "forest city" or "forest kingdom"."The Khmer name for Saigon, by the way, is Prey Nokor; prey means forest, nokor home or city."

;Thành ph? H? Chí Minh
The current official name, Thành ph? H? Chí Minh , abbreviated Tp. HCM, is translated as Ho Chi Minh City , abbreviated HCMC, and in French as Hô Chi Minh Ville (the circumflex is sometimes omitted), abbreviated HCMV. The name commemorates Ho Chi Minh|H? Chí Minh , the pre-eminent North Vietnam ese leader. This name, though not his given name, was one he favored throughout his later years. It combines a common Vietnamese surname (H?, wikt:?|? ) with a given name meaning "enlightened will" (from Sino-Vietnamese wikt:?|? wikt:?|? ; Chí meaning 'will' (or spirit), and Minh meaning 'light'), in essence, meaning "bringer of light".

History

Early history

Ho Chi Minh City began as a small fishing village known as Prey Nokor. The area that the city now occupies was originally swampland, and was inhabited by Khmer people for centuries before the arrival of the Vietnamese. It should be noted that in Khmer folklore southern Vietnam was given to the Vietnamese government as a dowry for the marriage of a Vietnamese princess to a Khmer prince in order to stop constant invasions and pillaging of Khmer villages.

Khmer territory

Beginning in the early 17th century, colonization of the area by Vietnamese settlers gradually isolated the Khmer of the Mekong Delta from their brethren in Cambodia proper and resulted in their becoming a minority in the delta. In 1623, King Chey Chettha II of Cambodia (1618–1628) allowed Vietnamese refugees fleeing the Tr?nh–Nguy?n War|Tr?nh–Nguy?n civil war in Vietnam to settle in the area of Prey Nokor and to set up a custom house there. Increasing waves of Vietnamese settlers, which the Cambodian kingdom could not impede because it was weakened by war with Thailand, slowly Vietnamized the area. In time, Prey Nokor became known as Saigon. Prey Nokor was the most important commercial seaport to the Khmers. The loss of the city prevented the Cambodians access to the South China Sea. Subsequently, the Khmers' access to the sea was now limited to the Gulf of Thailand.

Nguy?n Dynasty rule

In 1698, Nguy?n H?u C?nh , a Vietnamese noble, was sent by the Nguy?n rulers of Hu? by seaThe first settlers, http://www.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/eng to establish Vietnamese administrative structures in the area, thus detaching the area from Cambodia, which was not strong enough to intervene. He is often credited with the expansion of Saigon into a significant settlement. A large Vauban citadel called Gia Ð?nh was built, which was later destroyed by the French following the Battle of Ky Hoa|Battle of K? Hòa (see Citadel of Saigon ).

Colonial French era

Conquered by France in 1859, the city was influenced by the French during their colonial occupation of Vietnam, and a number of classical Western-style buildings and French villas in the city reflect this. Saigon had, in 1929, a population of 123,890, including 12,100 French."Yearbook of the Encyclopedia Americana (2006)", p. 175.

Capital of South Vietnam

Former Emperor Bao Dai|B?o Ð?i made Saigon the capital of the State of Vietnam in 1949 with himself as head of state. After the Viet Minh|Vi?t Minh gained control of North Vietnam in 1954, it became common to refer to the Saigon government as “South Vietnam.” The government was renamed the Republic of Vietnam when B?o Ð?i was deposed by his Prime Minister Ngo Dinh Diem|Ngô Ðình Di?m in 1955 in a 1955 State of Vietnam referendum|fraudulent referendum . Saigon and Cholon, an adjacent city with many Sino-Vietnamese residents, were combined into an administrative unit known as the Ðô Thành Sài Gòn ( Capital City Saigon ).

Post-Vietnam War and today

At the conclusion of the Vietnam War on 30 April 1975, the city came under the control of the Vietnamese People's Army . Among Vietnamese diaspora communities and particularly the U.S. (which had fought the communists), this event is commonly called the " fall of Saigon ," while the communist Socialist Republic of Vietnam refers to it as the "Liberation of Saigon." In 1976, upon the establishment of the unified communist Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the city of Saigon (including Cholon), the province of Gia Ð?nh and two suburban districts of two other nearby provinces were combined to create Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the late Communist leader H? Chí Minh. The former name Saigon is still widely used by many Vietnamese, especially in informal contexts. Generally, the term Saigon refers only to the urban districts of Ho Chi Minh City.

Geography

Ho Chi Minh City is located at 10°10'- 10°38'N, 106°22'- 106°54'E in the southeastern region of Vietnam, south of Hanoi . The average elevation is above sea level. It borders Tay Ninh|Tây Ninh and Binh Duong|Bình Duong provinces to the north, Dong Nai|Ð?ng Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau|Bà R?a–Vung Tàu provinces to the east, Long An Province to the west and the South China Sea to the south with a coast 15& nbsp;km long. The city covers an area of (0.63% of the surface of Vietnam), extending up to Cu Chi|C? Chi ( from the Cambodian border) and down to Can Gio|C?n Gi? on the Bien Dong coast. The distance from the northernmost point (Phu My Hung Commune, C? Chi District) to the southernmost one (Long Hòa Commune, C?n Gi? District) is , and from the easternmost point ( Long Binh Ward, District Nine) to the westernmost one (Bình Chánh Commune, Bình Chánh District) is .

Climate

The city has a tropical climate, specifically a tropical savanna climate|tropical wet and dry climate , with an average humidity of 75%. The year is divided into two distinct seasons. The rainy season, with an average rainfall of about annually (about 150 rainy days per year), usually begins in May and ends in late November. The dry season lasts from December to April. The average temperature is , the highest temperature sometimes reaches around noon in late April, while the lowest may fall below in the early mornings of late December.

Political and administrative system

Saigon is a municipality at the same level as Provinces of Vietnam|Vietnam's provinces . The city has been divided into twenty-four administrative divisions since December 2003. Five of these {Area: 1,601& nbsp;km²} are designated as rural ( huy?n ). The rural districts are Nhà Bè, C?n Gi?, Hóc Môn, C? Chi, and Bình Chánh. A rural district consists of communes ( Xã ) and townships ( Th? tr?n ). The remaining districts {Area: 494& nbsp;km²} are designated urban or suburban ( qu?n ). This includes districts one to twelve, as well as Tân Bình, Bình Th?nh, Phú Nhu?n, Th? Ð?c, Bình Tân, Tân Phú and Gò V?p. Each district is sub-divided into wards ("Phu?ng"). Since December 2006, the city has had 259 wards, 58 communes and 5 townships (see List of HCMC administrative units below).

People's Committee

The ''' Ho Chi Minh City Hall|Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee ''' is a 13-member executive council for the city. The current chairman is Lê Hoàng Quân. There are several vice chairmen and chairwomen on the committee with responsibility for various city departments. The legislative branch of the city government is called the People's Council and consists of 95 deputies. Both the committee and the council are subordinate to the city's Communist Party, currently led by Party Secretary Lê Thanh H?i. The chairman of the People's Committee is the No. 2 position in the city government while chairman of the People's Council is No. 3.

Demographics

The inhabitants of Ho Chi Minh City are usually known as "Saigonese" in English, "Saigonnais" in French and "dân Sài Gòn" in Vietnamese. The Hoa|Hòa , in addition, speak Cantonese, Teochew dialect|Teochew (Chaozhou), Hokkien dialect|Hokkien , Qiongwen|Hainanese and Hakka Chinese|Hakka dialects of Chinese, with only a few speaking Mandarin Chinese. A varying degree of English is spoken especially in the tourism and commerce sectors where dealing with foreign nationals is a necessity, so English has become a de facto second language for some Saigonese.
According to some researchers the religious makeup of Ho Chi Minh City is as follows: Buddhism (all sects and/or including Taoism , Confucianism ) 80%, Roman Catholic 11%, other groups (ism, Hoa Hao|Hòa H?o , Cao Dai|Cao Ðài , Islam, Hinduism , Bahá'í Faith ) 2%, and no religion/unknown 7%. .

Economy

Ho Chi Minh City is the economic center of Vietnam and accounts for a large proportion of Economy of Vietnam|the economy of Vietnam . Although the city takes up just 0.6% of the country's land area, it contains 8.34% of the population of Vietnam, 20.2% of its GDP, 27.9% of industrial output and 34.9% of the Foreign Direct Investment|FDI projects in the country in 2005. on the city's official website. In 2005, the city had 4,344,000 laborers, of whom 130,000 are over the labor age norm (in Vietnam, 60 for male and 55 for female workers). . In 2009, GDP per capita reached 2,800 US$, compared to the country’s average level of $1042 USD in 2009.

In 2007, the city's GDP was estimated at $14.3& nbsp;billion, or about $2,180 per capita, up 12.6 percent from 2006 and accounting for 20% of the country's GDP. The GDP adjusted to Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) reached $71.5& nbsp;billion, or about $10,870 per capita (approximately three times higher than the country's average). The city's Industrial Product Value was $6.4 & nbsp; billion, equivalent to 30% of the value of the entire nation. Export – Import Turnover through HCMC ports accounted for $36 & nbsp; billion, or 40% of the national total, of which export revenue reached $18.3 & nbsp; billion (40% of Vietnam's total export revenues). In 2007, Ho Chi Minh City's contribution to the annual revenues in the national budget increased by 30 percent, accounting for about 20.5 percent of total revenues. The consumption demand of Ho Chi Minh City is higher than other Provinces of Vietnam|Vietnamese provinces and municipalities and 1.5 times higher than that of Hanoi .Minh Anh, Tu?i Tr?, 20 August 2007.
As of June 2006, the city has been home to three export processing zones and twelve industrial parks. Ho Chi Minh City is the leading receiver of foreign direct investment in Vietnam, with 2,530 FDI projects worth 16.6 $ billion at the end of 2007.Hàn Ni, . Sài Gòn gi?i phóng , 2007. In 2007, the city received over 400 FDI projects worth $US 3,000,000,000., Trung tâm thông tin thuong m?i .
In 2008, it attracted $US 8.5& nbsp;billion in FDI.In 2010, the city's GDP was estimated at $ 20,902& nbsp;billion, or about $2,800 per capita,up to 11.8 percent from 2009.

Sectors

The economy of Ho Chi Minh City consists of industries ranging from mining, seafood processing, agriculture, and construction, to tourism, finance, industry and trade. The state-owned sector makes up 33.3% of the economy, the private sector 4.6%, and the remainder in foreign investment. Concerning its economic structure, the service sector accounts for 51.1%, industry and construction account for 47.7% and forestry, agriculture and others make up just 1.2%., Ho Chi Minh City government website.

Quang Trung Software Park, Ho Chi Minh City|Quang Trung Software Park is a software park situated in District 12. The park is approximately 15& nbsp;km from downtown Ho Chi Minh City and hosts software enterprises as well as dot.com companies. The park also includes a software training school. Dot.com investors here are supplied with other facilities and services such as residences and high-speed access to the internet as well as favorable taxation. Together with the Ho Chi Minh City Hi-tech Park|hi-tech park in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City|District 9 , and the 32 ha. software park inside Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone in District 7 of the city, Ho Chi Minh City aims to become an important hi-tech city in the country and the South-East Asia region. This park helps the city in particular and Vietnam in general to become an outsourcing location for other enterprises in developed countries, as India has done. Some 300,000 businesses, including many large enterprises, are involved in high-tech, electronic, processing and light industries, and also in construction, building materials and agricultural products. Additionally, crude oil is a popular economic base in the city. Investors are still pouring money into the city. Total local private investment was 160,000,000,000 Vietnamese dong|dong (USD $10,000,000,000) with 18,500 newly founded companies. Investment trends to high technology, services and real estate projects.
As of June 2006, the city City had three export processing zones and twelve industrial parks, in addition to Quang Trung Software Park and Ho Chi Minh City hi-tech park. Intel has invested about 1& nbsp;billion dollars in a factory in the city. More than fifty banks with hundreds of branches and about 20 insurance companies are also located inside the city. The Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange|Stock Exchange , the first stock exchange in Vietnam, was opened in 2001. There are 171 medium and large-scale markets as well as several supermarket chains, shopping malls, and fashion and beauty centers.
Some of the larger shopping malls and plazas opened recently include:

Saigon Centre (1997) – 65 Le Loi Blvd, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

Tax Plaza (1998) – 135 Nguyen Hue Blvd, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

Diamond Plaza (1999) – 34 Le Duan Blvd, District 1

Big C (2002)- 138A To Hien Thanh St, 15th Ward, District 10

Crescent Mall

Parkson's (2005–2009) – Multiple locations

Saigon Paragon (2009) – 3 Nguyen Luong Bang St, Tan Phu Ward, District 7

NowZone (2009) – 235 Nguyen Van Cu Ave, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1

Kumho Asiana Plaza (2010) – 39 Le Duan Blvd, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

Vincom Centre (2010) – 70–72 Le Thanh Ton St, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

Bitexco Financial Tower (2010) – H?m s? 2 Hàm Nghi Blvd, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

In 2007, three million foreign tourists, about 70% of the total number of tourists to Vietnam, visited the city. Total cargo transport to Ho Chi Minh City's ports reached 50.5 & nbsp; million metric tonne s, nearly one-third of the total for Vietnam.

New urban areas

With a population now of 7,382,287 (as of Census 2010 on 1 April 2010) (registered residents plus migrant workers as well as a metropolitan population of 10 million), Ho Chi Minh City needs increased public infrastructure. To this end, the city and central governments have embarked on an effort to develop new urban centers. The two most prominent projects are the Thu Thiem city center in District 2 and the Phu My Hung Urban Area, a new city center in District 7 (as part of the Saigon South project) where various international schools such as Saigon South International School and Australia's RMIT International University, Vietnam|Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology . In December 2007, Phu My Hung's new City Center completed the 17.8 & nbsp; km 10–14 lane wide Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard linking the Saigon port areas, Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone to the National Highway 1 and the Mekong Delta area. In November 2008, a brand new trade center, Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center, also opened its doors. Other projects include Grandview, Waterfront, Sky Garden, Riverside and Phu Gia 99. Phu My Hung's new City Center received the first Model New City Award from the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction.

Transportanchor|Transportation

Air

The city is served by Tan Son Nhat International Airport|Tân Son Nh?t International Airport , the largest airport in Vietnam in terms of passengers handled (with an estimated number of over 15.5& nbsp;million passengers per year in 2010, accounting for more than half of Vietnam's air passenger traffic"Expansion of Saigon – Tan Son Nhat International Airport on", Sài Gòn Gi?i Phóng Newspaper , 13 October 2007 Two more Hanoi<>Saigon flights per day for Pacific Airlines on “Vietnamnet.net, accessdate 11 November 2007, ). Long Thanh International Airport|Long Thành International Airport is scheduled to begin operating in 2025. Based in Long Thanh|Long Thành , Dong Nai Province|Ð?ng Nai Province , about 40 & nbsp; km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Long Thành Airport will serve international flights, with a maximum traffic capacity of 100 million passengers per year when fully completed; Tân Son Nh?t Airport will serve domestic flights.

Rail

Ho Chi Minh City is also a terminal for many Vietnam Railways train routes in the country. The North-South Railway, Vietnam|Reunification Express (tàu Th?ng Nh?t) runs from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi from Saigon Railway Station in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City|District 3 , with stops at cities and provinces along the line. Inner the city, the two main station are Sóng Th?n and Sài Gòn. Besides, there are several small station such as Di An, Th? Ð?c, Bình Tri?u, Gò V?p. However, the rail transportation is not developed because it got about 0.6 percent of the number passenger and 6 percent of transporting merchandise.

Water

The city's location on the Saigon River makes it a bustling commercial and passenger port; besides a constant stream of cargo ships, passenger boats operate regularly between Ho Chi Minh City and various destinations in Southern Vietnam and Cambodia, including Vung Tau|Vung Tàu , Can Tho|C?n Tho and the Mekong Delta , and Phnom Penh . Traffic between Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam's southern provinces has steadily increased over the years; the Doi and Te Canals, the main routes to the Mekong Delta, receive 100,000 waterway vehicles every year, representing around 13 million tons of cargo. A project to dredge these routes has been approved to facilitate transport, to be implemented in 2011–14.

Inner city transportation

The main means of transport within the city are motorbikes, buses, taxis, and bicycles. Motorbikes remain the most common way to move around the city. Taxis are plentiful and usually have trip meters, although it is also common to agree on the trip price before taking a long trip, for example, from the airport to the city centre. Public buses run on many routes and fare can be purchased on the bus. For short trips, "xe ôm" (literally, "hug vehicle") motorcycle taxis are available where the passenger sits at the rear of a motorbike. A popular activity for tourists is a tour of the city on Cycle rickshaw|cyclos , which allow for longer trips at a more relaxed pace. For the last few years, cars have become more popular. . There are approximated 340,000 cars and 3.5 million motorcycles in the city, which is almost double compare to Hanoi.

Light rail

The Ho Chi Minh City Metro , a light rail rapid transit network, is currently in the preparation stages, with the first line currently under construction, to be completed by 2014. This first line will connect Ben Thanh Market|B?n Thành to Suoi Tien Amusement Park|Su?i Tiên Park in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City|District 9 , with a depot in Long Binh . Planners expect the route to serve more than 160,000 passengers daily. A line between B?n Thành and Tham Luong in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City|District 12 has been approved by the government, and several more lines are currently the subject of feasibility studies.

Society

Public health

The health care system of the city is relatively developed with a chain of about 100 government owned hospitals or medical centers and dozens of privately owned clinics. The 1,400 bed Ch? R?y Hospital , upgraded by Japanese aid and the French-sponsored Institute of Cardiology, are among the top medical facilities in Indochina. The Hòa H?o Medical Diagnosis Center (Medic) and FV Hospital have recently attracted many clients, including foreigners, because of their good quality of service and modern equipment. Patients come from cities in nearby provinces and Cambodia as well. The Franco-Vietnam Hospital (FVH) is certified to French health standards.

Communications

The city's media are the most developed in the country. At present, there are seven daily newspapers: Sai Gon Giai Phong ( Liberated Saigon ), and its Chinese, investment and finance, sports, evening and weekly editions; Tuoi Tre ( Youth ), the highest circulation newspaper in Vietnam; Thanh Nien ( Young Men ), the second largest circulation in the south of Vietnam; Nguoi Lao Dong ( Labourer ); The Thao ( Sports ); Phap Luat ( Law ) and the Saigon Times Daily , the English-language newspaper as well as more than 30 other newspapers and magazines. The city has hundreds of printing and publishing houses, many bookstores and a widespread network of public and school libraries; the city's General Library houses over 1.5 mìllion books. Locally-based Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) is the second largest television network in the nation, just behind the national Vietnam Television (VTV), broadcasting 24/7 on 7 different channels (using analog and digital technology). Many major international TV channels are provided through two cable networks (SCTV and HTVC), with over one million subscribers. The Voice of Ho Chi Minh City is the largest radio station in southern Vietnam.
Internet coverage, especially through ADSL connections, is rapidly expanding, with over 2,200,000 subscribers and around 5.5& nbsp;million frequent users. Internet service providers (ISPs) operating in Ho Chi Minh City include the Vietnam Data Communication Company (VDC), Corporation for Finance and Promoting Technology (FPT), Netnam Company, Saigon Post and Telecommunications Services Corporation (Saigon Postel Corporation, SPT) and Viettel Company. As in all of Vietnam, Internet access is regulated; websites containing sensitive political or religious content are routinely blocked, and certain websites such as Facebook have been blocked, though government officials deny that this is intentional. The city has more than two million fixed telephones and about fifteen million cellular phones (the latter growing annually by 20%). Mobile phone service is provided by a number of companies, including Viettel Mobile , MobiFone , VinaPhone , and S-Fone .

Education

There are such notable high schools in Ho Chi Minh City as the Le Hong Phong High School|Lê H?ng Phong High School for the Gifted , High School for the Gifted|Ph? Thông Nang Khi?u High School for the Gifted , Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted|Tr?n Ð?i Nghia High School for the Gifted , Nguyen Thuong Hien High School|Nguy?n Thu?ng Hi?n High School , Nguy?n Th? Minh Khai High School , Gia Dinh High School|Gia Ð?nh High School , among others. There are two main high school systems in Ho Chi Minh City, public schools and private schools. High school consists of grade 10–12 (sophomore, junior, and senior).
Higher education in Ho Chi Minh City is concentrated over 80 universities and colleges with a total of over 400,000 students in such places as:
Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City|Vietnam National University with 50,000 students, the most important university in the Southern Region, consisting of 6 main member schools: Ho Chi Minh City University of Science|The University of Sciences (formerly Saigon College of Sciences); Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities|The University of Social Sciences and Humanities (formerly Saigon College of Letters); Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology|The University of Technology (formerly Phu Tho National Institute of Technology); Ho Chi Minh City International University|The International University , Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Law|The University of Economics and Law and the newly-established Ho Chi Minh City University of Information Technology|University of Information Technology .

Some other important higher education establishments include: Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogical University|HCMC University of Pedagogy , University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City|University of Economics , Ho Chi Minh City Architecture University|University of Architecture , Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University|University of Medicine and Pharmacy , Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Sylviculture|Nong Lam University (formerly University of Agriculture and Forestry), Ho Chi Minh City University of Law|University of Law , Technical Training University of Ho Chi Minh City|University of Technical Education , Banking University of Ho Chi Minh City|University of Banking , University of Industry , Ho Chi Minh City Open University|Open University , Sports and Physical Gymnastics University II|University of Sports and Physical Education , Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts University|University of Fine Arts , Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture|University of Culture , the Conservatory of Ho Chi Minh City|Conservatory of Music , the Saigon Institute of Technology , Van Lang University , Saigon University and Hoa Sen University .

The RMIT International University, Vietnam|RMIT University with about 6,000 students, the unique foreign-invested higher-education unit in Vietnam at the present, was founded in 2001 by the RMIT University|Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) of Australia. This is one of the best private institutions in Vietnam at the moment and the tuition fee here, with an average of USD $20000 for the whole program which is still lower than the price of studying abroad in Australia or the United States for many Vietnamese students.

Tourism

District 1, Ho Chi Minh City|District 1 .
Today, the city's core is still adorned with wide elegant boulevards and historic French colonial buildings. The most prominent structures in the city center are Reunification Palace ( Dinh Th?ng Nh?t ), City Hall ( ?y ban nhân dân Thành ph? ), the Municipal Theatre, Ho Chi Minh City|Municipal Theatre ( Nhà hát thành ph? , also known as the Opera House), City Post Office ( Buu di?n thành ph? ), State Bank Office ( Ngân hàng nhà nu?c ), City People's Court ( Tòa án nhân dân thành ph? ) and Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica|Notre-Dame Cathedral ( Nhà th? Ð?c Bà ). Some of the historic hotels are the Hotel Majestic , dating from the French colonial era, and the Rex Hotel|Rex and Caravelle hotels are former hangouts for American officers and war correspondents in the 1960s/70s.
It was approximated 4.3 millions tourist visited Vietnam in 2007, and 70 percent, about 3 millions came to visit Ho Chi Minh city.. In 2007, the number tourist came to the city increased up to 12 percent compare to 2006, and the tourism industry got up to 19,500 billion VND, went up to 20 percent.

The city has various museums, such as the Ho Chi Minh City Museum , Museum of Vietnamese History , the Revolutionary Museum, the Museum of Southeastern Armed Forces, the War Remnants Museum (Ho Chi Minh City)|War Remnants Museum , the Museum of Southern Women, the Museum of Fine Art, the Nha Rong Memorial House, and the Ben Duoc Relic of Underground Tunnels. The Cu Chi Tunnels|C? Chi tunnels are northwest of the city in C? Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City|C? Chi district . The Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens , in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City|District 1 , dates from 1865. Aside from the Municipal Theatre, there are other places of entertainment such as: the B?n Thành and Hòa Bình theatres and the Lan Anh Music Stage. The Ð?m Sen Tourist and Cultural Park, Suoi Tien Amusement Park|Su?i Tiên Amusement and Culture Park , and C?n Gi?'s Eco beach resort are three recreational sites inside the city which are popular with tourists. Ho Chi Minh City is home to hundreds of cinemas and theatres, with cinema and dramatic ticketing revenue accounting for 60–70% of Vietnam's total revenue in this industry.
Unlike other dramatic teams in Vietnam's provinces and municipalities, residents of Ho Chi Minh City keep their theaters active without being subsidized by the Vietnamese government. The city is home to most of the private movie companies in Vietnam. Like many of Vietnam's smaller cities, the city boasts a multitude of restaurants serving typical Vietnamese dishes such as ph? or rice vermicelli . Backpacking travelers most often frequent the "Western Quarter" on Pham Ngu Lao street (Ho Chi Minh City)|Ph?m Ngu Lão Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City .

Sports and recreation

As of 2005, Ho Chi Minh City was home to 91 football fields, 86 swimming pools, 256 gyms.. PSO Ho Chi Minh City. The largest stadium in the city is the 25,000-seat Thong Nhat Stadium , located on Ðào Duy T? Street, in Ward 6 of District 10, Ho Chi Minh City|District 10 . The next largest is Army Stadium , located near Tan Son Nhat Airport|Tân Son Nh?t Airport in Tân Bình district, Ho Chi Minh City|Tân Bình district . Army Stadium was of the venues for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals. As well as being a sporting venue, it is also the site of a music school. Phú Th? Racecourse , another notable sporting venue established during colonial times, is the only racetrack in Vietnam. The city's Department of Physical Education and Sports also manages a number of clubs, including Phan Dinh Phung Club|Phan Dinh Phung , Thanh Da Club|Thanh Da , and Yet Kieu Club|Yet Kieu .

Ho Chi Minh City is home to a number of association football clubs. One of the city's largest clubs, Ho Chi Minh City F.C. , is based at Thong Nhat Stadium. As C?ng Sài Gòn , they were four-time champions of Vietnam's Vietnamese Super League|V-League (in 1986, 1993–94, 1997, and 2001–02). The team currently plays in Vietnam's Vietnamese First Division|First Division . Navibank Saigon F.C. , founded as Quân Khu 4 , also based at Thong Nhat Stadium, emerged as champions of the First Division in the 2008 season, and were promoted to the V-League in 2009. The city's police department also fielded a football team in the 1990s, Công An Thành Ph?, which won the V-League championship in 1995. Celebrated striker Lê Hu?nh Ð?c , now manager of SHB Ðà N?ng F.C. , played for the Police F.C. from 1995–2000, setting a league record of 25 goals in the 1996 season. In 2011, Ho Chi Minh City was awarded an expansion team for the ASEAN Basketball League .

SSA Saigon Heat is the first ever international professional basketball team to represent Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City hosts a number of international sports events throughout the year, such as the AFF Futsal Championship and the Vietnam Vertical Run . Several other sports are represented by teams in the city, such as volleyball, basketball, chess, athletics, and table tennis.

Sister cities

There are 25 sister cities/regions of Ho Chi Minh City:

City	From
flagicon>PRC Shanghai , People's Republic of China
flagicon>PHI Manila , Philippines
flagicon>USA San Francisco , USA
flagicon>JPN Osaka , Japan
flagicon>ROK Busan , Republic of Korea
flagicon>PRC Guangzhou , People's Republic of China
flagicon>FRA Lyon , France
flagicon>PRC Shenyang , People's Republic of China
flagicon>RUS Sverdlovsk Oblast , Russia
flagicon>LAO Champasak Province , Laos
flagicon>LAO Vientiane , Laos
flagicon>FRA Rhône-Alpes (region), France
flagicon>CAM Phnom Penh , Cambodia
flagicon>RUS Moscow , Russia
flagicon>RUS Saint Peterburg , Russia
flagicon>CAN Toronto , Canada
flagicon>SWI Geneva , Switzerland
flagicon>JPN Yokohama , Japan
flagicon>JPN Hyogo Prefecture , Japan
flagicon>PRC Guangdong , People's Republic of China
flagicon>BLR Minsk , Belarus
flagicon>RUS Vladivostok , Russia
flagicon>ESP Barcelona , Spain
flagicon>ESP Seville , Spain
flagicon>RSA Johannesburg , Republic of South Africa
flagicon>Iran Tabriz , Islamic Republic of Iran

Notes

Copyright Citations

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