20 Interesting Facts About Ho Chi Minh City

Facts About Ho Chi Minh City

Facts About Ho Chi Minh City

  • Ho Chi Minh City, commonly known by its previous name, Saigon, is the largest and most populous city in Vietnam.
  • Ho Chi Minh City is an economic and financial centre and plays an important role in the country’s cultural and scientific developments.
  • Prior to Vietnamese settlement in the 17th century, the city was a scarcely populated area that had been part of historic kingdoms of Funan, Champa, and Khmer successively. With the arrival of the Vietnamese, the area became more prosperous and officials began establishing the city from 1623 to 1698.
  • The city was the capital of South Vietnam until the end of the Vietnam War with North Vietnamese victory in 1975. In 1976, the government of a unified Vietnam renamed Saigon to its current official name in honour of the communist leader Hồ Chí Minh.
  • The average elevation is 19 metres above sea level.
  • Around 1.5 million motorbikes enter Ho Chi Minh City every day. The city has around 25 motorbikes for every car.
  • The city covers an area of 2,095 km2, extending up to Củ Chi District and down to Cần Giờ on the Eastern Sea.
  • The highest temperature recorded was 40.0 °C in April while the lowest temperature recorded was 13.8 °C in January.
  • On average, the city experiences between 2,400 and 2,700 hours of sunshine per year.
  • The area became more prosperous and officials began establishing the city from 1623 to 1698.
  • Ho Chi Minh City has a rapidly expanding education sector, especially in the realm of higher education. Ho Chi Minh City boasted of over 80 universities and colleges.
  • Ho Chi Minh City is twinned with Mexico City, Mexico; Monterrey, Mexico; Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; Manila, Philippines; San Francisco, USA; Osaka, Japan; Busan, South Korea; Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; Lyon, France; Shenyang, People’s Republic of China; Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia; Champasak Province, Laos; Vientiane, Laos; Rhône-Alpes, France; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Moscow, Russia; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Yokohama, Japan; Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan; Minsk, Belarus; Vladivostok, Russia; Seville, Spain; Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa; Yangon, Myanmar & Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
  • The estimated population of Ho Chi Minh City is 8.993 million and over 21 million within its metropolitan area.
  • More than 3 million tourists visit Ho Chi Minh City each year.
  • The largest stadium in the city is the 25,000-seat Thống Nhất Stadium, located on Đào Duy Từ Street, in Ward 6 of District 10.
  • Ho Chi Minh City is Asia’s 50th most expensive city to live in and 201st in the world.
  • A yellow traffic light in Saigon means drive “faster”.
  • The city hosts the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the busiest airport in Vietnam.
  • The Saigon River joins the Dong Nai River 18 miles northeast of Ho Chi Minh City and runs south and southeast for about 140 miles.
  • The three most prevalent religions in Ho Chi Minh City are Mahayana Buddhism with Taoism and Confucianism, which are often celebrated together in the same temple.
Facts About Ho Chi Minh City
Facts About Ho Chi Minh City