Ho Chi Minh City (HCM), commonly known by its previous name, Saigon, is the largest and most populous city in Vietnam, situated in Southern Vietnam. It was the capital of Cochinchine, the southern region of Vietnam during the French colonial period. Today Ho Chi Minh City is the cultural and economic economic capital of Vietnam (the official capital is Hanoi), boasting towering skyscrapers and bustling streets that co-exist in perfect harmony with the charming French colonial houses and traditional Vietamese temples from Saigon's past.
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Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Phố Hồ Chí Minh), commonly known as Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn) or by the abbreviations HCMC or HCM, is the largest city in Vietnam and the former capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). Following the fall of Saigon in 1975, Saigon was "officially" renamed Ho Chi Minh City. However the old Saigon name is still used by both Vietnamese and foreigners, especially when referring to the most central part of the city to which most tourists flock. (Ho Chi Minh City Wikitravel)
