SAIGON - HO CHI MINH CITY

Saigon is the name of a fantastic river flowing across this city. This river gave birth to Saigon-Cho Lon Port and the most lively riverside city in Southeast Asia as early as the eighteenth century.

Today Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), with a population of about 7 million is the largest city in the Viet Nam and one of the three biggest municipalities in the country (the others being Ha Noi and Hai Phong).
The average density in the centre of the city is about 20 000 per sq.km. The large number of people and their obvious industriousness gives Ho Chi Minh City its bustling, dynamic, and vibrant atmosphere. Ho Chi Minh City encompasses the former separate districts of Saigon, Cho Lon, Gia Dinh, and Cu Chi. It lies about 1,760km (about 1,100 miles) south of Ha Noi by road.

SIGHT SEEING

Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), has been referred to as the "Pearl of the Far East " to "Paris of the Orient ". The names for this city hints at the variety of sights and sounds that characterize its environment. From the ancient pagoda, mosques, and cathedrals to the former Presidential Palace and the War Museum; from the bustling Chinatown called Cho Lon (Big Market) to the peaceful Binh Quoi Complex (on the Thanh Da Peninsula); from high atop hotel balconies that overlook the city to the deep caverns within the Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City is all yours to discover! The streets, where much of the city’s life takes place, are lined with stores, shops, stalls, and vendors with their products spread out on the sidewalk, selling everything from soup to sophisticated electronics.

HIGHLIGHTS

- HCM City Fine Art Museum
- Ho Chi Minh Museum
- Ho Chi Minh Campeign Museum
- Municipal Revolationary Museum
- Nam Bo Women's Museum
- Ton Duc Thang Mudeum
- Viet Nam History Museum
- War Remantas Museum
- Vinh Nghiem Pagoda
- Ky Hoa Tourist Area
- Zoo and Botanical Garden
- Suoi Tien Tourist Area
- Van Thanh Park
- Dam Sen Park
- Thong Nhat Palace
- Cu Chi Tunnels
- Notre Dame Cathedral
- Giac Vien Pagoda