Karl WP Beyer The industrial port of Phu Mŷ is located in the south of the socialist Republic of Vietnam. During the Asian cruise season, large cruise ships dock at the container terminals so that their passengers can get to know the metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City. Smaller cruise ships travel up the winding Saigon River and dock in the city center at Nha Rong Wharf.
Phu Mŷ Port - waiting buses
Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Rong Wharf
Phu Mŷ – the gateway to Ho Chi Minh City
Phu Mŷ and its harbor are devoid of any charm. A visit to Ho Chi Minh City, on the other hand, is attractive and a special experience. The metropolis on the Saigon River is not the capital of Vietnam; the capital is Hanoi. However, Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam. Until April 1976 it was called Saigon. At the end of the Vietnam War, which ended with the defeat of South Vietnam, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City by the North Vietnamese rulers.
Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam’s largest city
Phu Mŷ Port and the metropolis are connected by modern expressways. The distance is less than 70 kilometers. According to the census from April 2019, the population of the city province is almost nine million. What is striking is that, with the exception of the center, Ho Chi Minh City does not have a coherent urban area.
The transfer to Ho Chi Minh City is varied. First, visitors pass wide river landscapes with agricultural areas. As you approach the metropolis, you will notice districts with modern skyscrapers and highly dense buildings. In between there are unspectacular zones with low-rise buildings. The core city was built on the right bank of the Saigon River. This is where urban life takes place.
Rice crops in the Saigon River Delta
Satellite city in front of Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City – history in a nutshell
The colonial power France occupied Saigon in 1859. The city was subsequently developed with the help of a master plan. The surrounding swamps were drained and used as agricultural land. The export of rubber and rice made the French colonists wealthy.
France had long been history when, in 1954, Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel into communist-ruled North Vietnam and the military dictatorship of South Vietnam. As a result of the division, the Vietnam War broke out, in which South Vietnam received massive support from the USA. After its end in April 1975 and the reunification of North and South Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City developed into the largest city in the country.
Ho Chi Minh City - Ben Thanh Market Hall below
Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam’s universal center
The city is currently an outstanding commercial, economic and financial center, with branches of internationally operating corporations. It is also a transport hub and an important cultural center. Ho Chi Minh City has universities, colleges, museums and theaters.
Vincom Center in the city center
Boomtown Ho Chi Minh City
The former colonial power France shaped the cityscape of the former Saigon. Many buildings from that time still fit well into the cityscape. The city has been booming since Vietnam opened up economically in the 1980s. About 40 percent of Vietnam's exports come from the Ho Chi Minh City region. The landmark of the metropolis is the 265 meter high Bitexco Financial Tower. It is located in District 1, close to the Saigon River.
Hotel Majestic on the Saigon River
Ho Chi Minh City – the lively metropolis
Ho Chi Minh City is a lively, young and international city. The friendly and helpful residents are very open to foreigners. Only we Europeans find the city of millions to be an unimaginable and constant traffic chaos. More than a million motorcycles and scooters fill the streets. Families of four or two people and two large dogs on a scooter are not uncommon. By the way, status symbols include western-made scooters. Chinese vehicles are less well regarded. No matter where the vehicles come from: For us pedestrians, it is often an adventure and a great challenge to cross one of the six-lane main streets in the city center without traffic lights.
Scooters wherever you look
Conclusion of the cruise destination Phu Mŷ
We already said it, Phu Mŷ has no appeal for us. In contrast, the center of the metropolis Ho Chi Minh City is one of the tourist destinations that you should definitely get to know. The city is clean and very safe; The main sights can be explored in just a few hours, even for short stays.
Only the road traffic causes us some problems. Compared to Ho Chi Minh City, traffic in our megacities of Berlin, Hamburg and Munich is slow. For us Europeans it is a special adventure and a challenge to face the constant flow of buses, cars and scooters. Since there are hardly any pedestrian traffic lights, visitors have no choice but to slowly make their way through the flow of traffic flowing around them, like the Vietnamese. This also works on eight-lane roads! The easiest way is to follow a Vietnamese person across the street. Our article contains details about the inner-city attractions Ho Chi Minh City attractions.
Update March 2024