Ho Chi Minh
Legend has it that Vietnam was born after the children of the union between the beautiful princess, Cochin, and the dragon, Tonkin, finally made peace after years of fighting. It is an apt story for a country that has seen centuries of turmoil and occupation. Human settlement in the region can be dated back half a million years. The Chinese occupied Vietnam for nearly 1,000 years until defeat at the Battle of Bach Dang River in 939. In exchange for independence - effectively the birth of the Vietnamese nation - the country was required to pay tributes to China every three years. Even when the name Viet Nam was adopted in 1802, as a subject nation, permission was needed from the Chinese. The boundaries that define modern-day Vietnam are relatively recent. For centuries Saigon, as Ho Chi Minh City is still called by many, belonged to the Kingdom of Cambodia. Only in the 17th century did it become part of Vietnam. Factionalism prevailed during the 18th century when the French arrived as traders with a Christian message that was fiercely opposed by a pro-Chinese populace. The official colonization of Vietnam by France began in 1858. The city, then located in what was known as Cochin China, was captured in 1859 and officially ceded to the French by Emperor Tu Duc in 1862. The transformation into "Paris of the East" began with the construction of attractive villas, imposing public buildings and wide tree-lined boulevards. A railway to the north and the development of the port provided important communications and transport infrastructure. Despite the French influence, the Chinese district of Cholon maintained a character which endures today.
During the early years of the 20th century a movement to liberate the country from the French was growing in the north under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, a revolutionary trained in Russia. However life in Saigon remained relatively peaceful and even Japanese occupation in World War II made little impact, with the French continuing to govern. The dying days of the war saw internment of the French, and when the Japanese finally surrendered in 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnamese independence. Riots gripped the streets of Saigon; the French once again seized control and the first of the Indochina wars began. A 1954 Geneva agreement led to the division of the country into northern and southern zones. Saigon was reborn as the capital of South Vietnam. Refugees flooded into the city from the north and the United States developed a political interest, fearing that the south would also fall to Communism.
When President Ngo Dinh Diem failed to hold a promised election in 1956, more instability followed. Buddhist monks self-immolated at the Xa Loi Pagoda in protest. Diem was assassinated not long after. Northern combatants, now known as Viet Cong, advanced further south and US involvement in the political situation escalated. By 1966, more than 385,000 combat troops were stationed in Vietnam and Saigon became the heart of the war effort. The Tet Offensive of 1968 hit hard, but the city was held until 1975 when the North Vietnamese army finally infiltrated. A visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels graphically demonstrates the living conditions of the guerillas as they waged relentless warfare against the south and its allies. Key television footage of the 20th century must include the dramatic helicopter evacuation of the last remaining Americans from the roof of the American Embassy on April 30 1975.
Saigon’s fall became the birth of Ho Chi Minh City, as the victors proclaimed reunification of the country and honored “Uncle Ho” in the renaming of the city. The Reunification Palace and the Ho Chi Minh Museum are reminders of this recent history. Economic hardship followed and more than half a million people fled the country seeking refuge abroad. After a long period of political unrest, oppression, agricultural collectivization, purges of intellectuals and anti-capitalist campaigns, today’s Ho Chi Minh City is once more opening up to the West. Trade links and a growing tourism industry ensure that visitors again have the opportunity to discover the beauty of the countryside and the elegance and charm of this vibrant city.
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