Ho Chi Minh City went through a lot of naming and renaming through out the history, each

of which witnessed the ups and downs of the "Diamond of the East" City.
Early history of HCM city was started with Khmer people’s inhabitant. At this time, Sa Huynh
culture was famous for its significant effect in their daily life. Lots of artifacts found during
this period have a precious value for archeologists to learn about the ancestors living there.
In 1859, the French troops invaded and got their control over Gia Dinh. Since then, they
concentrated on investing money to build up much more infrastructure serving the colonial
purposes. Within a few years, Saigon – Gia Dinh was the center of commerce and business
of the South East Asia area. The French also built lots of Western style building, such as :
Ben Thanh Market, The Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon Post Office. The French designs
made Saigon a new face. Saigon has known as “The Pearl of the Far East” or “Paris in the
Orient”.
The former Emperor Bao Dai King made Saigon the capital of the country. In 1955, the
Republic of Vietnam was established in the Southern Vietnam. Saigon still remained its role
as a capital city and the center of business and commerce of the new government. From
1960s to 1970s, the American troops conquered the Southern Vietnam and brought
American culture to Saigon people. That’s the reason why Saigon is more modern and
exciting than its current capital, Ha Noi.
In conclusion, Saigon is so densely populated with people from all over the nation and even
the world, I must admit that it is pretty complex. However, this city is still a great and
respectable location to live.