Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City, a city of driving force for socio-economic development

Abstract

Gia Dinh - Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City is a historical and cultural sub-region which has played a very important role in the formation and development of the Southern region, particularly continuing to affirm its leading position of a nationwide economic and technical center during the current process of industrialization and modernization. In 1698 when Nguyen Huu Canh – a renowned General of Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu; bestowed with the title “Le Thanh Hau” – arrived in Dong Nai, he decided to worked out the first Vietnamese land strategy and set up administrative establishments in this land, Gia Dinh - Sai Gon - Ho Chi Minh City got born in Vietrnam. Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City with its just over 300 years of formation, construction and development has witnessed all the big and significant turning points and historical events during the pre-modern and modern history of the country, strengthened its advantages and become the important economic, political and cultural center of the South of Vietnam in particular and of the whole country in general. Nowadays, with the favorable geographic location, the abundant potentiality and the creative and dynamic communities, Ho Chi Minh City continues to affirm the role and position of a dynamic, economic and political center nationwide. This paper is to look over and generalize the developmental stages with the historical experience of Ho Chi Minh City as an economic engine and a dynamic city of the country over the last three centuries.