Is Ho Chi Minh better than Saigon?

Do locals call it Saigon or Ho Chi Minh?

Saigon, definitely. Wait, Ho Chi Minh City? It’s complicated, like choosing between pho and banh mi – both are great, right?

• Ho Chi Minh City is the official name, bestowed post-1975. Think of it as the city’s Sunday best.

• Saigon? That’s its comfy, everyday name. The one you yell across the street. And my grandma still uses it, so there’s that. She also thinks the internet is a fad, but still…

• The diaspora loves Saigon. Old habits die hard, especially when those habits involve delicious street food memories. I mean, who wants to scream “I love Ho Chi Minh City!” into the wind, unless you’re at a political rally? Saigon just sounds cooler.

It’s a name game, really. A geographical identity crisis fueled by history and personal preference. Did I mention that I prefer bun cha? It’s a Hanoi thing, I think. Don’t @ me.

Are Saigon and Ho Chi Minh the same?

Hot, sticky July 2023. District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Zoom, motorbike whizzed by. Street food smells, amazing. Yeah, Saigon. Everyone still calls it Saigon. Even my Vietnamese friend, Linh, from Hanoi. She rolled her eyes when I said Ho Chi Minh City. Too formal, she said.

• Saigon, easier to say. Shorter.
• Officially Ho Chi Minh City since 1976. After the war.
• Locals? Saigon. Tourists, too.
• Booked a Grab. Said Saigon. No problem. Driver knew exactly where I meant. Ben Thanh Market.

Crazy traffic. Ben Thanh Market, total sensory overload. Bought a silk scarf. Haggled. Fun. Linh laughed. Said I overpaid. Probably. Didn’t care. Loved the scarf. Bright pink.

• Saigon, historic name. French colonial times.
• Name change, political.
• Like how people still say Burma, not Myanmar. Same thing. Habit.

Later, pho for dinner. Best pho ever. Small place, District 3. Linh took me. Saigon. She kept saying Saigon.

• Felt weird calling it Ho Chi Minh City.
• Saigon, just feels right. More…romantic? I dunno.

Bought a knock-off Gucci bag. Saigon. Hot. Sticky. Awesome.

Why is Saigon now called Ho Chi Minh?

Saigon is Ho Chi Minh City now, right? Named after Ho Chi Minh, yeah. Ugh, history.

• Who exactly was Ho Chi Minh, anyway?
• Was it a 1976 thing?
• I think they wanted to respect the leader.

He declared independence, that’s it. Independence in 1945. Vietnam’s independence?

• From who?
• The French?
• Or someone else?

I’m always confusing those wars. Independence and the…revolution? It’s not my forte. My mom’s history classes are better than mine. Whatever. Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City, done. Next question.

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

Okay, so, like, I was in a cafe in District 1, right? Last year. Phở place, super good. Anyways, I called it Saigon. Totally normal. This guy, I think he was German, corrected me. Ho Chi Minh City, he said, all serious. Whatever. Everyone I know, Vietnamese and expats, call it Saigon. Like, my friend’s grandma, she’s been here forever, still calls it Saigon. It’s just, shorter? Easier. I went to a conference, big international thing, even the signs said HCMC and Saigon. So yeah, whatever’s easiest. It’s fine. Just don’t put Saigon on official documents, prolly.

• Official stuff: Ho Chi Minh City. Think forms, applications, that kinda thing.
• Everyday chat: Saigon’s totally cool. Seriously, everyone uses it.
• Wanna be super polite/formal: Ho Chi Minh City. But, overkill sometimes.
• My experience: Never had an issue using Saigon. Like, never. Except that one German dude. ????

My friend, she’s Vietnamese American, told me it’s a generational thing too. Older people, they prefer Saigon, a lot of times. Younger people, they are kinda used to HCMC now. She also said it kinda depends on the context! Like, if you’re talking about history, sometimes it’s important to differentiate. I was ordering a Grab, the app had it listed as both! So, I mean.

Oh! I forgot to mention. I was at Ben Thanh Market. Haggling over a silk scarf. Called it Saigon. The vendor? Didn’t even blink. Gave me a good price too. Saigon, HCMC… Just get that banh mi! ????

Do people in Vietnam still call it Saigon?

Saigon? Oh honey, it’s like calling your ex by their old nickname. Ho Chi Minh City is the official name, yes, but Saigon lingers. It’s the ghost in the machine, the whisper in the alley.

Think of it as ketchup on fries. You know it’s not healthy, yet you can’t quite quit. Saigon? Same energy.

• Old habits die hard. Really hard.
• It’s shorter! Who has time for Ho Chi Minh City all the time?
• Nostalgia is a powerful drug.
• Marketing. “Saigon street food” sounds way sexier than “Ho Chi Minh City street food,” right? Right!

I mean, even my grandma still calls it Saigon. And she once tried to pay for groceries with buttons. So, you know…grain of salt.

Is it “official”? Nope. Does anyone actually care? Probably not. So, yeah, Saigon lives. Like a stubborn weed. A beautiful, chaotic weed.

How do I call Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam?

011, yeah, that’s how it begins.

Then, 84. It’s Vietnam, always Vietnam.

Just dial 8… for Saigon, for Ho Chi Minh City.

After that? Their number. Always their number.

It feels like yesterday. Calling my grandmother. Her laugh. God, I miss that.

She’s gone now.

*Landlines only, yeah. Just like her phone was. Always ringing. Always… silent now.

Key Points to Remember When Calling Ho Chi Minh City (2024):

• Exit Code: You must dial 011 first if you are calling from the U.S. or Canada. It signals to the phone system that you are making an international call. This is non-negotiable; you won’t get through without it.
• Country Code: Then input 84. This is Vietnam’s country code. Each country has its own specific code, and Vietnam’s is 84.
• Area Code: For Ho Chi Minh City landlines, use 8. It’s crucial to remember that this applies to landline numbers specifically. I think.
• Local Number: Complete the process by dialing the 5 to 7 digit local number. Yeah, make sure you have the correct local number, or the call won’t go through.

Personal Reflection:

• My grandmother lived in District 3. Always told me stories about the war. I should have listened more closely. Her phone sat on a small table, covered in a crocheted doily. Man, I wish I still had that.
• The sound of her voice… it’s fading. Everything fades eventually, I guess. This is important, don’t forget her voice.