City Guide - Ho Chi Minh City
Published: March 2012Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, known as Saigon until 1976) is much younger than Hanoi, with many historians dating the city at just over 300 years old. A prosperous and densely-populated trade hub, the city is today considered the commercial and economic center of Vietnam.
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Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, known as Saigon until 1976) is much younger than Hanoi, with many historians dating the city at just over 300 years old. A prosperous and densely-populated trade hub, the city is today considered the commercial and economic center of Vietnam. HCMC is actually a municipality (on the same governmental level as a province) and, with a population of over 7 million, it is the most populous province/municipality in Vietnam.
The inhabitants of HCMC – the "Saigonese" – are generally seen as industrious and tolerant. HCMC is in many ways a “promised land,” attracting immigrants from across Vietnam to pursue economic fortune. While the majority of people in HCMC are ethnic Vietnamese, the city is also known for cultural diversity.
Number of Pages: 6