Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City
Thirty years after the end of the war, the incredibly resilientnation of Vietnam, and the Vietnamese people, is beginning toemerge from the shadows – from www.Sticky-Rice.com.
Vietnam is a country deeply scarred by war and yet its outlookis forgiving and forward–looking. Its people believe lastcenturys occupations, battles and political influences haveenriched the nation.
Washed ashore above the Mekong Delta, some 40km north of theSouth China Sea, Ho Chi Minh City, known also as Saigon, is acity on the march, a boom–town where the rule of the dollar isabsolute. It is a testament to its war–torn past. Its historyhas made it resilient, effervescent, charged with initiative androaring with trade.
The centre of Ho Chi Minh is compact and ideal for wanderingaround. It boasts fine restaurants, immaculate hotels and glitzybars amidst its colonial villas and venerable pagodas.
There are many interesting places to visit including themarkets, cathedral, river–port, Presidential Palace (perfectlypreserved for some unknown reason!) and the nearby park whichalso houses a museum of Vietnamese History and Culture and asmall zoo.
Ho Chi Minh City started life as a fishing village known as PreiNokor and during the Angkor period (the 15th century) itflourished as an entrpot for Cambodian boats pushing down theMekong River. Cargo ships still to this day jostle with ricebarges and fragile sampans (an Oriental boat propelled by a sailor oars), whilst porters sweat in the humidity loading the boats.
During the 18th century, the Khmers by now had been ousted, PreiNokor was renamed as Saigon and
was made a temporary capitalbetween 1772 and 1802, after which the Emperor Gia Long used itas his regional administrative centre.
The French seized Saigon in 1861 and set about a huge publicworks programme by building roads and draining marsh land. Thewar against the French lasted thirty years after which Saigonwas finally designated the capital of the Republic of SouthVietnam.
American troops withdrew in 1973 and two years later Saigon hadbeen renamed as Ho Chi Minh City.
This is a port that is steamy hot and searlingly stylish. Thestreets are lined with imaginative one–off boutiques, designstores and busy cafes where you will be able to meet the localpeople on an informal basis. Dong Khoi and Le Thanh Ton streetsare favourites for elegant silk clothing, hand embroideredscarves, and lacquerware. (Many stores will provide a service oforganising a container to ship purchases home) In many ways HoChi Minh City is far more cosmopolitan and hedonistic than thecapital, Hanoi.
Ho Chi Minh is also full to bursting point with people for whomprogress hasnt yet translated into food, lodging andemployment, so begging, stealing and prostitution are very muchin evidence. Petty crime, unfortunately, has increased in thelast few years so much care should be taken when walking thestreets or travelling on bicycles or motorbikes, especiallyafter dark and around tourist nightspots.
For more information on Vietnam, or any South East Asian topic,please visit http://www.Sticky-Rice.com
About the author:
www.Sticky-Rice.com Henry Vacher http://www.sticky-rice.com
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