Overview

Once romantically referred to by the French as the Pearl of the Orient, Ho Chi Minh City is still called Saigon by almost everyone who lives there. It is a modern city by Asian standards and has only been under firm Vietnamese control for a little more than 200 years. The city's character remains …

Fodors.com

Overview of Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, or, Saigon as it is once again commonly known, is a relatively young city for Asia, founded just in the 18th century. Settled mainly by civil-war refugees from north Vietnam and Chinese merchants, it quickly became a major commercial center. When the French took over a land they …

Frommers.com