History of Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City has a tragic story in 20th century history. Ruled over by Chinese and Khmer settlers in the past, it became the capital of South Vietnam following the country’s division in the wake of the defeat of French colonialists, Saigon was the focus of much attention during America’s fight with Communist North Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s. Vietnam has been united since the conclusion of Vietnam War. The following year, Saigon’s name was changed to Ho Chi Minh City, named after the famed leader of the north, its status as capital city lost to Hanoi.The name Saigon, however, continues to be used by many Vietnamese to refer to the city.

Following the Vietnamese government’s 1986 policy of  doi moi  which saw the economy opened up over ten years after the end of the war, Ho Chi Minh City began to boom. With locals able to run their own businesses and Chinese money flowing into the city, Saigon has become one of South East Asia’s most vibrant metropolises, its skyscrapers and bustling streets a sign of this city’s will to overcome the worst adversity.

Lifestyle in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City may not be the country's capital but it certainly is Vietnam’s entertainment capital. To this day, locals in Ho Chi Minh City tend to be more business-minded and less ideological than those in Hanoi in the north. In addition, Southerners also tend to be more hospitable towards Western visitors than Northerners.

Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City has a number of shopping districts and is a fun place to shop, especially for bargain hunters. District 1 and the markets are the best places for those wanting variety and bargaining power. Anh Dong market and Ben Thanh market are great places to hone bargaining prowess. Each

has an assortment of products ranging from kitchen spices to silk scarves.

Nightlife and entertainment in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is packed full of clubs and bars which range from small, dark bars to very upmarket music lounges. The dress code at bars and nightclubs in Ho Chi Minh City is generally pretty relaxed with no restrictions on jeans or trainers.

For those that enjoy cultural activities Ho Chi Minh City is steeped in

history. The city is home to a number of fascinating museums which document various elements of the country’s history and diverse culture.  

Eating out in Ho Chi Minh City

Expats in Ho Chi Minh City tend to head to Pham Ngu Lao Road for nightclubs,restaurants and bars. Ly Tu Trong Street in District 1 is another popular late night spot. HCMC has a wide range of restaurants catering to all palates. For authentic street food it's best to hit the markets and ask Vietnamese friends what their favourites are as word of mouth always wins. Some dishes to try include pho bo (beef noodle soup), Saigon nem (fresh spring rolls) and bun cha (barbecued pork with noodle soup).

 

Coffee culture in Ho Chi Minh City

Last but not least, Vietnamese coffee is potent and particularly tasty. Coffee shops abound and it is easy see where the Vietnamese get their zing from. The best way to have your coffee, according to the locals, is served with condensed milk over ice.

Black Area

In Ho Chi Minh City, street crime is a quite serious problem and the crime rate is in steady increase. The street

crime in Ho Chi Minh City is mainly by pickpocketing or snatch-and-grab incidents.

Compared to violent crimes, such as murders, armed robbery, and kidnapping, pick-pocketing, snatch and

grabs, and petty thefts are the most frequent types of crime reported in Ho Chi Minh City， most common in

the areas frequented by foreigners, such as major hotels, tourist sites, and public parks. 

The most common modus operandi is for criminals to utilize motorbikes during their assaults. The

motorcyclists, mostly carrying passengers, frequently grab bags, cameras, and other valuables from the

pedestrians.

The night clubs and massage parlour also serve as a spot for illegal service such as sexual services and drug

traffickers to gather and carry out their job.

Black Area

Accident Zone

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CLIMATE AND WEATHER

WIND

Statistics based on observations taken between 12/2013 - 07/2015 daily from 7am to 7pm local time. You can order the raw wind and weather data in Excel format from our historical weather data request page.

Weather

The months November and December have a nice average temperature. On average, the temperatures are always high. A lot of rain (rainy season) falls in the months: May, June, July, August, September,

October and November. Ho Chi Minh city has dry periods in January, February and March. On average, the warmest month is April. On average, the coolest month is December. September is the wettest month. February is the driest month.

N NNE NE ENE E ESE SE SSE S SSW SW WSW0

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Wind direction distribution in %

Series 1

AVERAGE MONTHLY RAINY DAYS OVER THE YEAR

This is the number of days each month with rain, snow, hail etc.

AVERAGE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OVER THE YEAR

The monthly mean minimum and maximum daily temperature.

AVERAGE MONTHLY HOURS OF SUNSHINE OVER THE YEAR

This is the monthly total of sun hours

AVERAGE HUMIDITY OVER THE YEARWIND

This is the mean monthly relative humidity

Traffic

Vietnam’s roads are amongst the most dangerous in the world with more than 14,000 deaths per year caused by

traffic accidents. According to the World Health Organisation, road-traffic accidents are the leading cause of

death amongst young people aged 15 to 29 years in Vietnam.

In response to increasing road fatality rates, the Vietnamese government enacted compulsory helmet laws in

2007.Since this change, the rate of motorcycle helmet use has increased from below 30 per cent to more than 95

per cent.Motorcycles and scooters are the most popular means of transport in Vietnam, accounting for 95 per

cent of registered vehicles.

Accident rate

Motorbikes are the major transportation in Vietnam .There are over two million scooters teeming through the streets of Vietnam’s largest City, and they are an attraction in their own right.

Traffic accidents killed nearly three people a day in Ho Chi Minh City last year, with 940 people counted dead in the city's 1,123 road wrecks, along with another 495 injured.

Motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City caused 783 accidents, killing 649 and injuring 365 in total 2014, accounting for most of the traffic accidents and related casualties recorded in the southern hub.

The city's Traffic Safety Agency's latest report showed that motorbike-caused accidents made up 69.7 percent of traffic accidents in the city, while the deaths and injuries accounted for 69.6 and 75.1 percent of the city's total figures, respectively.

Ho Chi Minh City currently has some four million motorbikes out of nearly 4.9 million registered vehicles.

The city has set up objective to cut down on the number of motorbikes for years, yet latest statistics showed that nearly 1,000 motorbikes are registered every day, increasing more than 10 percent year-on-year.

The peak hour for traffic in District 1:

Period Time LengthMorning 07:00-8:30Evening 16:30-18:00

There is no fixed rule for the time the traffic jams to happen but it is worst during the rush hour when everyone is in a hurry to get to work or come back home.  Apart from peak hours, the time between 9 am to 10 am and between 3 pm to 4 pm also witnesses long lines of vehicles, mainly motorbikes, struggling to get out of narrow streets.

Human pedestrian is connected by front part of each shoplots that made up a jointed pathway that will share and expand to the roadside.

Landuse

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is 1730 kilometres from the capital Hanoi City by land and is 50 kilometres from the East Sea. With the largest port system and airport in Vietnam it is a transport hub of the southern region and a gateway to the world. The city covers an area of 2094 square kilometres.

Land Use in HCMC

Below shows the percentage of land still used for agriculture. Agricultural land includes aquaculture, forest land and salt production land. Urbanisation is reducing the available agriculture land and some of land has become saline or flooded and eroded by tides.

Type of Buildings

Touted as the most modern and exciting district in Ho Chi Minh City, first reason attracting people to live in District 1 is its strategic

position. Most foreign embassy offices or governmental offices are located in District 1 and these offices are within walking

distances of 5 to 10 minutes drive.

Secondly, because it is the center district, there concentrate lots of recreational activities, such as shopping malls,movie theaters,

bars, restaurants, etc.

Thirdly, there are numbers of historical buildings left over during the colonized era of Vietnam as now had become tourist attraction.

The last major building in this city is the tube house which is the Vietnam major residential building that scatter around each row of shop and corner of the city.

1) Historical Buildings in HCMC

Ben Thanh Market

A signature of Ho Chi Minh, with a legacy almost as old as the city itself. First established by French colonial powers in 1859 and originally known as Les Halles Centrales, destroyed in a fire, and later rebuilt in its current location, the market is a thriving hub filled with silk, lacquer, and bamboo souvenirs. Explore the inviting smells of the market, and taste the authentic local cuisine from one of the many food stalls.

Saigon Opera House

A marvellous tribute to French architecture, designed by French architect Ferret Eugene, and it is a fine example of the French colonial style. The design of Saigon Opera House main entrance were inspired by the Little Palace of Paris (Petit Palais), following the guidelines of the III Republic. The classical opera house seats 800 people, with Sunday brass concerts and bi-monthly performances.

Saigon Notre Dame Basilica

An architectural wonder built by the French, the Cathedral is marked by two parallel bell towers that seem to graze the sky. Step inside, where you can see the fine details of the structure, which was made from materials from France. Visit the famed Virgin Mary statue, rumoured to have shed real tears and the reason for the long lines of traffic outside the Cathedral’s doors.

2) Residential building in HCMC

These three houses are typical of the "tube houses" that predominate all over Vietnam. The lots are very narrow and long, presumably because the lots used are taxed on the width of the lot at the street. Others say that the term "tube" applies to the long corridor connecting the rooms and courtyards along the length of the house at each level. This style of house is not new. In fact, it dates back to the Le Dynasty (15-18th Centuries AD) where the idea was to pack as many shops and stores on a street as possible, and merchants would use the back or upstairs area as their living quarters.

3) Recreational and commercial building in HCMC

The Bitexco Financial Tower

The Bitexco Financial Tower defines Ho Chi Minh City’s skyline. Designed to represent Vietnam’s national flower, the lotus, this 262-meter skyscraper is meant to characterize the beauty and growth of the city below. There's an observation deck on the 47th floor, where visitors get a 360-degree view of HCMC, and a helipad on the 50th level, creating one of the structures most salient features.

Diamond Plaza

Diamond Plaza is a luxurious shopping center in downtown District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. The complex includes a 22-story building and a 15-story building which serves as shopping center, 6 cinema lounges, restaurants, café and hospital. The complex was completed and opens for business in 1999. There is a helicopter pad on the roof of the building. By this building is located Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica and Saigon Central Post Office. 

4) Governmental building in HCMC

Reunification Palace

The "Reunification Palace" in HCMC was formerly known as the "Independence Palace." It’s a quiet witness to two wars and now a powerful symbol of peace and unity. The Reunification Palace has a modern post-colonial look which sets it apart from the Francophone architecture of the old Norodom Palace and other colonial-era buildings still standing in Vietnam. 

Saigon Central Post Office

Explore the stunning gothic architecture of the old French colonial post office, designed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel and still in use to this day. Marvel at the immense ceilings and intricate designs, or examine old stamp collections and coins up close.