Введение Saigon in One Day : From CHỢ LỚN to The SKYLINE

Hello, Good Day and Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City — or as many locals still lovingly call it, Saigon.

First, Let me start with a brief history; Saigon began as a Khmer trading settlement known as Prey Nokor, meaning roughly “forest city” or “forest port,” before Vietnamese settlers expanded into the area from the 17th century. The name “Saigon” has debated origins, but it is often linked to local words connected with cotton trees, firewood, or a western settlement, so there is no single confirmed meaning.

The city was not founded by one person in the modern sense, but Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh is usually credited with formally organizing Vietnamese administration here in 1698, making Saigon part of the Nguyễn realm. In 1859, the French captured Saigon, and it later became the capital of French Cochinchina, leaving behind landmarks such as the Cathedral, Post Office, Opera House, and wide boulevards. In the 20th century, Saigon became the capital of South Vietnam, witnessed the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, and was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1976.

Today, Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s largest urban powerhouse, with more than 14 million people across an enlarged area of about 6,773 square kilometers.

This is a city of movement: motorbikes flowing like rivers, market voices rising through the morning air, incense drifting from old temples, and glass towers catching the tropical sun. Today, we will explore Saigon as a living story in our car tour.

 Our route begins in Chợ Lớn, the city’s historic Chinatown, where Bình Tây Market, old trading streets, and Thiên Hậu Temple reveal the Chinese-Vietnamese roots of Saigon’s commercial life. From there, we move into the spiritual and colonial layers of the city and end our tour at Vinhomes Central Park.

This route is designed to move from old trading Saigon to colonial Saigon, wartime Saigon, everyday Saigon, and finally the confident, vertical city of today. If you are in short of time, visit just the must see stops with 3 stars.

So, Are you ready? Come, let us get going!