Why is Ho Chi Minh still called Saigon?

Saigon’s Enduring Legacy: Unraveling the City’s Name Conundrum

Amidst the bustling streets of modern-day Ho Chi Minh City, the echo of a bygone era lingers in its enduring unofficial moniker: Saigon. For many locals, this name holds a profound connection to the city’s past, evoking a time when it flourished under French colonial rule.

In 1859, the French conquest of Saigon marked a pivotal moment in the city’s history. Seeking to establish a foothold in Southeast Asia, the French forces captured the strategic port and renamed it Saigon, after the village it replaced.

This official name change, however, met with resistance from the local population. Deeply rooted in their history and culture, the people of Saigon clung to their traditional name, Gia Định, which had been bestowed upon the city by Vietnamese emperors centuries earlier.

In the realm of cartography, the lag in name adoption was particularly evident. Literary Sinitic, the Chinese writing system used in Japan and Korea, continued to employ the older appellation, 嘉定 (Gia Định), for decades after the French renaming. This discrepancy reflects the slow pace at which new names permeated maps and other representations of the region.

The dichotomy between Saigon and Gia Định persisted throughout the French colonial period. Official documents bore the name Saigon, while maps and local usage often retained the traditional Gia Định. This duality mirrored the complex relationship between the colonial authorities and the Vietnamese population, who sought to preserve their cultural identity amidst foreign rule.

After Vietnam gained independence in 1945, the city’s official name was changed to Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the revered communist leader. However, the name Saigon continued to be widely used by locals, both in everyday speech and in cultural references.

Today, Ho Chi Minh City remains a vibrant metropolis where the past and present intertwine. The enduring use of the name Saigon reflects a deep-seated connection to the city’s colonial history and the enduring legacy of its people. As the city continues to grow and evolve, the name Saigon serves as a reminder of its enduring spirit and the multifaceted nature of its identity.