Do locals call it Saigon or Ho Chi Minh?

Why is it not called Saigon anymore?

Saigon… It’s just a ghost now. A name whispered on the wind. Late at night, sometimes… I think of it.

The city… gone. Swallowed. Not the buildings, of course. Just the… essence. Something shifted. 1975. A year burned into memory. Not my memory. But I feel it. Echoes.

Ho Chi Minh City. It’s not the same. Never will be. They say it honors a leader. Independence. 1945. Another year. Another ghost.

• 1975: Fall of Saigon, name change to Ho Chi Minh City.
• Ho Chi Minh: Revolutionary leader. North Vietnam.
• Saigon: Capital of South Vietnam. Lost. Renamed.
• Independence: Declared 1945. Vietnam. From French rule.

I remember my grandfather. He… he wouldn’t say the new name. Stubborn. He just called it Saigon. Until he died. Sad. He left a piece of himself there. In that lost city.

It’s more than a name. It’s a… a feeling. A memory. A life… gone. Like smoke.

How do I call Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam?

11. Like escaping Alcatraz, but for your phone.

12. Vietnam’s secret code. Not really secret, though. Everyone knows it.

13. For landlines. Remember those? Like rotary phones and dial-up internet. Sigh. The good old days. (Not really).

Then, the number. Good luck remembering that. I once tried to memorize pi. Let’s just say it didn’t end well. My brain is full of useless trivia and cat videos.

• 011: Out of here! (U.S. and Canada exit code)
• 84: Vietnam’s numerical handshake. (Country Code)
• 8: Ho Chi Minh City’s area code. (Landlines only). Think dinosaurs. Prehistoric.
• Local Number: The final boss. 5-7 digits. May require caffeine.

Pro-tip: My cat, Mittens, once dialed a random number in Vietnam. It was a fish market. Just sayin’. Mobile phones might have different rules. Like my cat, they’re unpredictable. Check with your carrier. They probably know more than Mittens.

My grandma used to collect stamps from Vietnam. Now she collects cat toys. Times change. Phone numbers too. Double-check everything. Don’t want to end up talking to a fishmonger. Unless you really like fish.

Do people in Vietnam still call it Saigon?

Saigon. Still breathes. A ghost name. Officially, Ho Chi Minh City. But Saigon sticks. Like a stubborn stain. Locals? They use both. Tourists? Mostly Saigon. Easier. More romantic. I landed in Tan Son Nhat last week. Customs forms? HCMC. Taxi driver? Saigon. See? It’s complicated.

• Ho Chi Minh City: The official name. Since 1976.
• Saigon: The old name. Still whispered. Still loved. Refers to the city center, District 1.
• Practicality: Saigon is shorter. Simpler.
• Tourism: Saigon evokes a certain era. A mystique.
• My experience (October 2023): Dual usage. Everywhere. Even government offices. Even street signs.

Is it okay to call Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon?

HCMC. Saigon’s a ghost. Use it. Don’t care. Officially, HCMC. Locals? Either. Your call. Don’t sweat it. Writing? HCMC. Always. I landed in Tan Son Nhat last Tuesday. Different vibe. Saigon sticks. Like a stubborn stain.

• Official name: Ho Chi Minh City
• Common usage: Both acceptable (HCMC/Saigon)
• Written documents: HCMC (official)
• Local preference: Varies, often Saigon
• My take: Saigon when speaking. HCMC when writing. Just landed in Tan Son Nhat, 2024.
• Remember this: Context matters. Be adaptable.
• Pro Tip: Calling it Saigon might spark conversation. Older Vietnamese? Appreciate the nostalgia. Younger? Maybe not so much. Observe. Adapt. Survive.

Are Saigon and Ho Chi Minh the same?

Saigon? Ho Chi Minh City? Same place. Different names. Think of it like Constantinople and Istanbul. Ho Chi Minh City is the official name. But Saigon sticks around, especially casually, and with older generations. It’s more evocative, maybe. A ghost of the past. Who doesn’t love a good ghost story?

Saigon resonates. It’s the name many still use. Even in 2024. French colonial vibes. A certain romance. Ho Chi Minh City, more formal, more political. Names hold power, right? They shape how we see a place.

• Saigon: The informal, historic name. Think postcards and old movies.
• Ho Chi Minh City: The official, post-1975 name. Reflects the reunification of Vietnam.

My grandmother, born in 1948, still calls it Saigon. Stubbornly. Like a good banh mi. She lived through the war. Names carry weight. Her memories are tied to Saigon. Not Ho Chi Minh City.

The French were fascinated by the name Saigon. They tried to figure it out. Even back then, nobody really knew. Origins are often murky. Lost in time. Like a sock in the dryer. Vietnamese people still debate the etymology. Multiple theories. No definitive answer. The mystery adds to the charm, I suppose.

• One theory: “Sai” means firewood. “Gon” relates to kapok trees. Plenty of both around the Saigon River. Makes sense geographically.
• Another theory: Derived from Khmer. “Prey Nokor.” “Nokor” meaning kingdom or city. History is a tangled web.

Choosing which name to use is interesting. It’s about more than just geography. It’s about history. Identity. Personal connection. Maybe even politics. It makes you wonder how names influence our understanding of places. And how they stick with us.

What is the area code for Ho Chi Minh City?

Ho Chi Minh City’s area code: 848. 84 is Vietnam’s country code. Think of it like a country’s digital passport. Why do these codes exist, anyway? Helps organize global communication. Interesting.

• Hanoi: 8424 (Capital vibes)
• Da Nang: 84236 (Coastal city)
• Hai Phong: 84225 (Major port)

Calling internationally? Remember the plus sign (+) before the country code. My phone’s contact list includes the +84 prefix. Handy for calling my family back in Nha Trang (84258, by the way). Dialing procedures vary, so checking your specific carrier is key. Fascinating how technology shrinks the world. International calling rates can be confusing, right? Different plans. Different nuances. Compare before you connect. Avoid bill shock. My provider is Viettel. Not an endorsement, just information.