Tolin's 2024 World Cruise blog posts, Day 59 Mar 8, 2024, Saigon, Viet Nam, Scenic Ho Chi Minh City

- March 09, 2024

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), commonly known as Saigon, is the most populous city in Vietnam, with a population of around 9.3 million in 2023. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, the largest of which is the eponymously-named Saigon River. As a municipality, Ho Chi Minh City consists of 16 urban districts, five rural districts, and one municipal city (sub-city). As the largest financial center in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has the highest gross regional domestic product out of all Vietnam provinces and municipalities, contributing around a quarter of the country's total GDP. Ho Chi Minh City's metropolitan area is ASEAN's 6th largest economy, also the biggest outside an ASEAN country capital.

Since the early times, water transport has been heavily used by inhabitants in the area.

New car storage after unload from transport ship

Busses waiting for us to go on excursions; Saigon, an hour ride away.

Shopping area right out our ship's door!

The area was occupied by Champa from 2nd century AD to around the 19th century, due to Đại Việt's expansionist policy of Nam tiến. After the fall of Citadel of Gia Định, Saigon was the capital of French Indochina from 1887 to 1902, and again from 1945 until its cessation in 1954. Following the partition of French Indochina, it became the capital of South Vietnam until it was captured by North Vietnam, who renamed the city after their former leader Hồ Chí Minh, though the former name is still widely used in informal usages. Beginning in the 1990s, the city underwent rapid expansion and modernization, which contributed to Vietnam's post-war economic recovery and helped revive its international trade hub status.

Ho Chi Minh City has a long tradition of being a productive trading and manufacturing place in Vietnam. As such, the city is also the busiest international transport hub in Vietnam, as Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport accounts for nearly half of all international arrivals to Vietnam and the Port of Saigon is among the busiest container ports in Southeast Asia.

Independence Palace

Ho Chi Minh City is also a popular tourism destination. Some of the war and historic landmarks in the city include the Independence Palace, Landmark 81 (tallest building in Vietnam), the War Remnants Monuments, and Bến Thành Market. The city is also known for its narrow walkable alleys and night life. Currently, Ho Chi Minh City is facing increasing threats of sea level rise and flooding as well as heavy strains on public infrastructures.

The War Remnants Museum is a war museum at 28 Vo Van Tan, in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. It contains exhibits relating to the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War.

The museum comprises a series of themed rooms in several buildings, with period military equipment placed within a walled yard. The military equipment includes a UH-1 "Huey" helicopter, an F-5A fighter, a BLU-82 "Daisy Cutter" bomb, M48 Patton tank, an A-1 Skyraider attack bomber, and an A-37 Dragonfly attack bomber. There are a number of pieces of unexploded ordnance stored in the corner of the yard, with their charges and/or fuses removed.

More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Remnants_Museum

Bến Thành Market

City Hall

1880 Notre Dame Cathedral

Now under renovation; all materials must come from France, the original builder.

Thống Nhất Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium for Ho Chi Minh City FC of the V.League 1. The stadium has a capacity of 14,400.

More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%E1%BB%91ng_Nh%E1%BA%A5t_Stadium