While Hanoi has 1,000 years of history, Ho Chi Minh City is a relatively new settlement.
The name of Saigon was registered for the first time in documents dating back to
1698. Due to its favorable geographical location, topography and climate, this area
rapidly became a converging point for traders from all over the world. Saigon Port
was built in 1862 and foreign traders quickly became familiar with the Ong Lanh
Market, Ray Market, Ben Thanh Market and Saigon Market. Hochiminh City is where
the heroic resistance against aggressors and the struggling process for independence
of the Vietnamese Nation began. It was also where the Ho Chi Minh Campaign triumphantly
finished on 30 April 1975. At the first session of the 6th National Assembly of
the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, in July 1976, the name of the city was officially
changed to Ho Chi Minh City.
This city is the heart and soul of Vietnam. Not only the largest city of the country,
it is also the most bustling, dynamic and industrious centre of commerce, economy,
science, technology and tourism, as well as a cultural trendsetter. Yet within the
teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient culture
with shaded boulevards, pavement cafes and French-styled buildings helping it to
by the French as the Pearl of the Orient, the city possesses various beautiful buildings,
displaying a characteristic combination of Vietnamese, Chinese and European cultures.
The country is granted a tropical monsoon climate with diversified characteristics
varied significantly from North to South, from frosty winters to the year-round
subequatorial warmth. At sea level, the mean annual temperature is about 27°C in
the south, falling to about 21°C in the far north. In South Vietnam, the rainy season
lasts from May to November, but the showers are usually limited to brief bursts
in the late afternoons. Along Vietnam’s central coast, the driest season runs from
June to October. Visitors to North Vietnam are often surprised by the sregion's
distinct seasons; summers are hot and humid while winters are invigoratingly cool.
As a result, each region has its best time for visiting: Hanoi from September to
May with a pleasant winter, Hue from March to August with a sunny summer and Ho
Chi Minh City with warm weather the whole year round.
In the north (Hanoi & its vicinities), winter is from November to April and
is characterized by cool damp weather (15 – 20oC), and summer lasts from May to
October and is hot with periods of heavy rain (25 – 28oC).
Southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City & its vicinities) has a more tropical climate
all year round (25 – 30oC) with a dry hot season from December to April and a rainy
season from May to November.
Northern central Vietnam (from Thanh Hoa to Danang) may have heavy rain from September
to February and occasional typhoons along the coast from September to October.
Southern central Vietnam (from Quy Nhon to Phan Thiet) is endowed with a long dry
season from December to September and a short rainy season from October to November.
The highlands have a temperate climate but it is cooler and temperatures can be
freezing in winter from December to February. Temperatures may range anywhere from
15-18°C in the central highlands to 7-10°C in the northern highlands with heavy
rain from May to November.