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Like many cities in Vietnam, Saigon did not escape the
wrath of war. Since the beginning, Saigon has had quite
a traumatic history. There are many citations to the birth
of Saigon and the origin of its name. In the 15th century,
this area were swamps, marshes and thick forests. By the
early 17th century, a small township was formed. According
to one theory, Saigon or Sai Con has its root in a Khmer
word Prei Kor (Kapok Tree Forest).
The name Saigon was used officially in 1698, when Lord
Nguyen Phuc Chu sent Mr. Nguyen Huu Canh to this region
to create various districts and to form a government for
this southern outpost. Because of its strategic location
for trade and commerce as well as military importance, Saigon
continued to grow and became a bonafide city. By 1772, Mr.
Nguyen Cuu Dam began to fill many of the canals to form
streets.
In the mid 19th century, the French with the aid of the
Spanish invaded this port city and destroyed the fort. This
event was the precursor to the long struggle between the
people of Vietnam and France leading to the historical defeat
of the French in 1954. In the years after the defeat of
the French, Vietnam was divided into two separate countries
and Saigon became the hub of resettlement for many as people
from north and central Vietnam immigrated south.
In the 60's and 70's, Saigon was bustling with commerce
and business. It was the cultural center and the capital
city of South Vietnam. Already heavily influenced by the
French in terms of culture and style, the city had an air
of a French provincial town with a Vietnamese twist. Saigon
was dubbed the "Pearl of the Orient" by the foreign
press. The city was alive with activities and cultural diversity
that rivaled any Asian city at the time.
After the fall of South Vietnam to communism in 1975, the
city and many of its inhabitants were in a state of chaos
and turmoil. In 1976, the new government renamed the city
Ho Chi Minh City and shut its door to the rest of the world.
Although recognized world wide as Ho Chi Minh City, to the
people of Vietnam, the city is still lovingly referred to
as Saigon.
Street
Scenes
With a population of over 5 millions people, Saigon is one
of the densest urban area in the world. On many streets,
it is common to see houses with the ground floor converted
into a business front while several families share living
areas on the upper levels.
Common mode of transportation just a few years ago, the
ubiquitous "cyclos" are becoming rare since they
have been banned from many streets. Replacing them are fleets
of taxis and "Honda ôm" - Japanese motocycles
that you just wave down and jump on the back to be transported
anywhere in the town.
Unlike other cities in Vietnam, Saigon is very active at
night. Music halls often play to sold-out local crowds and
restaurants stay open late into the night. During the summer
months, sidewalks are dotted with colorful fruit stalls.
Ben
Thanh Market
Ben Thanh market has long been one of Saigon's
most famous landmark. The market has been in existence since
the French occupation. The original market was located on
the shores of Ben Nghe river by old fort Gia Dinh. Its proximity
to the fort and the river where merchants and soldiers would
land was reason for its name (Ben meaning pier or port and
Thanh meaning fort). In 1859, when the French invaded Saigon
and overtook fort Gia Dinh, Ben Thanh Market was destroyed.
It was rebuilt shortly thereafter and remained standing
until it was moved to its present location in 1899.
Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh market has long been one of Saigon's most famous
landmark. The market has been in existence since the French
occupation. The original market was located on the shores
of Ben Nghe river by old fort Gia Dinh. Its proximity to
the fort and the river where merchants and soldiers would
land was reason for its name (Ben meaning pier or port and
Thanh meaning fort). In 1859, when the French invaded Saigon
and overtook fort Gia Dinh, Ben Thanh Market was destroyed.
It was rebuilt shortly thereafter and remained standing
until it was moved to its present location in 1899.
Built on a landfill of what was once a swamp named Bo Ret
(Marais Boresse), the new Ben Thanh Market is located in
the center of the city. Under the French government, the
area around Ben Thanh Market was called Cu Nhac circle (Rond
point Cuniac), named after Mr. Cuniac, the person who proposed
filling the swamp to create this area. The area was later
renamed Cong truong Dien Hong.
Nha
Tho Duc Ba
Proposed to be one of France's most ambitious project in
Indochina at the time, Rev. Colombert laid the cornerstone
for the cathedral on October 7, 1877. Three years later,
in 1880, the cathedral was opened to the public. These two
dates are inscribed on a marble placard in the cathedral.The
bricks used to build the structure were shipped from Marseilles.
Artisans from Lorin Company (Chartres, France) were commissioned
to create the stained glass windows. The cost of construction
was a whopping 2.5 million francs. In 1962, the Vatican
gave the cathedral the title Basilique.
Vinh
Nghiem Temple
Located on Cong Ly boulevard (or Nam Ky Khoi Nghia), Vinh
nghiem is south Vietnam's most majestic temple. Construction
of the temple was completed in 1971 after the design was
drawn by Mr. Nguyen Ba Lang and associates. The ground floor
consists of the library, the auditorium, and offices. The
temple is located in a large parcel of land. On the left
of the upper court yard stands a tower or the seven-level
Avalokitesvara Stupa. Next to the tower hangs a large bell
given to the temple by the Japanese Buddhists Sangha.
Hoi
Giao - Islam
A small number of Muslims
exist in Vietnam, and are mainly found in South central
Vietnam, the Mekong Delta, and by the Cambodian border.
Islam was introduced to Vietnam in the 7th century via Arab
traders and later blended with local customs and religion.
Islam is now mostly practiced by the Cham population of
Vietnam, although there is a strong Hindu influence in their
practice. Today, there are several mosques in metropolitan
Saigon.
Bao
Tang Lich Su - Historical Museum
Located in Saigon's Botanical garden and Zoo, the museum
opened its doors to the public in January 1, 1929. Originally,
the museum was named Blanchard de la Brosse. In 1956, the
museum was renamed Bao Tang Quoc Gia - National Museum.
And finally, in 1979, the government renamed it Bao Tang
Lich Su - Historical Museum.
The museum houses many historical artifacts including three
wooden stakes from the battle between Ngo Quyen and the
Han invaders, granite tablets with intricate carvings, and
uniforms of mandarins and kings of yesteryears. A statue
of the Buddha with 1,000 eyes and 1,000 arms is also part
of the museum's collections. According to the curator, many
of the artifacts dated back to the 6th and 7th century.
Dinh
Doc Lap - Independence Palace
President Diem commissioned Mr. Thu to design the new palace
and supervised its construction. Unfortunately, the president
was assassinated shortly after construction started. The
Palace became the home of then President of South Vietnam
Nguyen Van Thieu until the fall of Saigon in 1975. It is
now called the Reunification Hall with all the original
furnishings still kept intact.
Click on the map to enlarge
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