Ho Chi Minh City facts for kids

Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City; Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh; Saigon or Sài Gòn
	Municipality
Ho Chi Minh City
	Clockwise, from top left:; Bến Thành Market, Ho Chi Minh City Hall, Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, Independence Palace, Municipal Theatre, View of central Ho Chi Minh City from District 2
	; Seal
	; Seal
	Nickname(s): Pearl of the Far East
	; Location in Vietnam and Southern Vietnam
Country	Vietnam
Region	Southeast
Settled	1698
Municipality status	2 July 1976
Area
• Municipality	2,061.2 km2 (795.83 sq mi)
• Metro	10,619.4 km2 (4,100.17 sq mi)
Elevation	19 m (63 ft)
Population (1 July 2017)
• Municipality	8,444,600
• Rank	1st
• Density	4,097/km2 (10,610/sq mi)
• Metro	13,542,900
• Metro density	1,275/km2 (3,300/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Saigonese
GDP (PPP) (2018)
• Total	US$ 181.49 billion
• Per capita	US$ 21,167
GDP (nominal) (2018)
• Total	US$ 60.83 billion
• Per capita	US$ 7,089
Time zone	ICT (UTC+07:00)
Area codes	28
Website	hochiminhcity.gov.vn

Bitexco Financial Tower.

Ben Thanh market.

Basilica of Our Lady.

Interior of the basilica.

Central Post Office.

Ho Chi Minh City (Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh) is a city in the south part of Vietnam. It is governed as a municipality and includes a large rural area. It is the biggest city in Vietnam. About 6.2 million people live in the city. The city was formerly called "Saigon", a name still used in casual conversation.

History

It used to be a Khmer port city called Prey Nokor, or “Jungle City”. The city was taken over by the Vietnamese and eventually took the name of(Sài Gòn). It was invaded by the French in 1859. As (French) Saigon it was the capital of French Indochina and became an important city in French colonial trade. After independence(from France), in 1954 to 1975, Saigon became the capital of the Republic of Vietnam. After the end of the US campaign (1973) in the Vietnam War, Saigon was overtaken by the North Vietnamese army on 30 April 1975 and renamed after Hồ Chí Minh. The tradition of naming places in Vietnam after great people is very common. Many streets bear the names of epic heroes. Hai Ba Trung street is named after heroic sisters.

City categorization

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) has expanded with industrialization. It now includes all of the surrounding towns. The city center is old Saigon. Old Saigon has two main districts (One and Three). The new city districts used to be rice fields and fish farms. There are fish all over the city.

Geography

Ho Chi Minh City is as flat as the river plain it sits on. Nearly all roads are built flat. Bicycle riding around the Mekong delta is very easy in dry weather. Because of the flatness, roads and buildings sink into the draining soil. Lying water keeps pollution very close to city homes. The rising tides can flood many districts when the moon is fullest.
Because rainwater can't be kept in valleys or mountains, the city-water is dangerous to drink. Most people drink from large bottles of water - 20 litres (4.4 imp gal; 5.3 US gal). When the streets flood (in rain or tides) the dirt from drains returns back onto the city. This has caused a lot of problems for the health of the people living in the city. Escaping sewer water makes people very sick in the tropical countries. Older people may avoid drinking more than a few drinks a day.

Environment

It's very tropical in the city. The trees in streets are cut down to half every year - but they grow back. Fresh food markets are all over the city. The city has so much rain, that drains and rivers surround every district.

The southeast of the province has the Can Gio Wetlands. It's a 752 square kilometre mangrove area between Ho Chi Minh City and the sea. Inside the wetlands there are birds, deer, fish, frogs, insects, lizards, monkeys, otters, and snakes. The centipedes all around the city are very dangerous (maybe deadly to tiny animals). People catch and consume the snakes.

The wetlands and ecosystem has been designated as a biosphere reserve. Ho Chi Minh people get education on how to look after their biosphere reserve and wetlands.

Saigon River

Port

The city is a river port on the Saigon River. Several larger terminals operate outside and inside of the city. Many small docks operate around the city. The river system leads out to sea at Vung Tau, or onto the Mekong delta. Delivery of materials for the city can be made by boat. Farm produce distributors can arrive by boat in many districts outside the city.

Education

The use of English is rising in HCMC. Many HCMC people will travel around the world by using English as their international language. Many other languages are studied. French was previously the most popular. Chinese is also very well known to many people.

International

The city has international schools that teach foreign children. All classes (except for languages) are given in the chosen language. Many international schools have chosen English as the primary language. Some of the international schools are named by their country of origin. The schools named after a country use the national language of that country.

National

English is a subject taught in all national schools.

After-school and colleges

Many HCMC parents use cram schools to improve their children's English. HCMC adults attend colleges to learn English.

Going overseas

Some HCMC people will go overseas to get foreign education. It can be through staying with relatives, attending boarding schools, joining programs, or with family.

Universities

English is taught at university in HCMC. It doesn't replace the national language at most universities. International universities might set a requirement for English or another language.

Hobbies

A favorite hobby is fishing. Fish invade grass fields when they flood - locals wade into the fields with good fishing rods to catch them.
Kite flying is a popular hobby in the city. When the wind season starts many fields are full of kite-flyers. At this time, the city skyline is dotted with kites.
Ho Chi Minh City is a very busy city. The traffic makes little sense to foreigners. Motorbikes are the most common vehicle. The motorbikes mostly travel at speeds under 40 km/hr. Cars drivers do their best to never hit motorcycles. Families ride together around the city for fun in the evening.
Street food is as popular in HCMC as it is in all of South-East Asia.

Poverty

Wealthy people live a fantastic life in the city. But, others are very poor. Poor does not always mean without food, clothing, shelter, or work in HCMC. The cost of living in Vietnam helps even the poorest people to survive. Many temples, churches, charities, and government organizations help people that are even more misfortunate than the poor. But still, some ultra-poor people struggle with homelessness, and the tropical weather - they get very dark skin compared to other people.

Entertainment

There is a lot of entertainment for the people in the city. Many discos, bars, and clubs operate all around the city. Food is also a source of entertainment for people in HCMC. Very strange restaurants sell very strange food: scorpions, bats, rats and more. Tourists are amazed by what is eaten in HCMC.

Neighbors

The Mekong River delta is accessible from HCMC. It has a many rice, coconut, fish, and prawn farms. The main city is Can Tho City. The mountain range of Vietnam is accessed via Dalat City. The beaches of Vietnam are accessed via Vung Tau City or Phan Thiet City when leaving HCMC. The border to Cambodia is the closest international exit point for tourists. This exit border takes people to Phnom Penh City. Bien Hoa City is another industrial city to the northeast. Around there, the province of Binh Duong is growing through strong financial investment.

Images for kids

Sài Gòn may refer to the kapok (bông gòn) trees that are common around the city.
Saigon Railway Station retains the traditional name used informally since the 1620s.
Location of the hexagonal Gia Dinh Citadel (r) and Cholon area (tilted square, left) in 1815. Today this forms the area of Ho Chi Minh City.
A French drawing of the French Siege of Saigon in 1859 by joint Franco-Spanish forces
Ho Chi Minh City Hall at night
Night view of the city from Bitexco Financial Tower
Ho Chi Minh statue outside Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee
Tuệ Thành meeting house in Chinatown, Ho Chi Minh City, District 5
Saigon Port
Hi-Tech Park, District 9.
District 1
Bitexco Financial Tower, the third tallest building in Vietnam.
Diamond Plaza
Tan Son Nhat International Airport
Mai Linh Taxi
Saigon Metro Map
The Word Ho Chi Minh City, an English-language magazine.
RMIT South Campus
The headquarters of the National University is in Linh Trung ward, Thu Duc University Village
The Opera House
Rex Hotel
A tour guide demonstrates a secret entrance at the Củ Chi tunnels.