Saigon: A History

Saigon (since 1976, H Chi Minh City) is the largest metropolitan area in modern Vietnam and has long been the country's economic engine. This is the city's complete history, from its humble beginnings as a Khmer village in the swampy Mekong delta to its emergence as a major political, economic and cultural hub. Examined in detail are the city's many transitions through the hands of the Chams, Khmers, Vietnamese, Chinese, French, Japanese, Americans, nationalists and communists, as well as the Saigon-led resistance to collectivization and the city's central role in Vietnam's perestroika-like economic reforms.