Ho Chi Minh City,
formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam. It was once
known as Prey Nokor, an important Khmer sea port prior to
annexation by the Vietnamese in the 17th century. It was the
capital of the French colony of Cochin-china and later of the
independent republic of South Vietnam from 1955–75. South
Vietnam, as an anti-communist republic, fought against the
communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.
Saigon fell when it was captured by the communists on 30 April
1975, bringing an end to the War with its enemy's victory.
Vietnam was then turned into a communist state with the South
overtaken. On 2 July 1976 Saigon was officially renamed Ho Chi
Minh City after H? Chí Minh. The city center is situated on the
banks of the Saigon River. The metropolitan area is populated by
more than 9,000,000 people, making it the most populous
metropolitan area in Vietnam.
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