Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City!
By Christine Draeger
- Badminton Sponsorship
Ho Chi Minh City was named after Ho Chi Minh, a Vietnamese statesman, who served as prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). Ho Chi Minh led the North Vietnamese in the Vietnam American War until it ended in 1975. Ho Chi Minh passed away on the 2nd September 1969. Vietnamese unification followed and the former capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in his honor.
Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam. The city center is situated on the banks of the Saigon River, 37 miles (60 kilometers) from the South China Sea and 1,094 miles (1,760 kilometers) south of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
On January 11, 2007, the country became the 150th member of the World Trade Organization. Ho Chi Minh City is the financial hub of Vietnam with over 300,000 businesses in industries such as technology, electronics and construction. The metropolitan area, which consists of the city center and surrounding towns, is home to more than 9 million people, making it the largest metropolitan area in Vietnam and Indochina. Walking through the streets of Ho Chi Minh, one gets a sense of the modern mixed with traditional Asian ambiance.
The local language is Vietnamese but English is spoken almost everywhere. All foreign restaurants have English-speaking staff and most taxi drivers speak a little English. The street and store signs are in Vietnamese. All foreign visitors are required to get a Visa. A foreigner who comes to live and work in Vietnam usually obtains a visa through his or her sponsoring organization. It is recommended that all visitors register with their local Consulate or Embassy upon arrival in Ho Chi Minh City.
The local currency is Vietnam dong (VND). Smaller local markets only accept cash.
There are many foreign banks in Ho Chi Minh City and accounts are easy to open. There are automatic teller machines (ATMs) available around the clock all around Ho Chi Minh City.
For expats seeking housing in Ho Chi Minh City, proximity to schools and the degree of security are the most important issues. Most expats choose to live in expat communities. Inside Ho Chi Minh City are a mix of older, French-style villas and modern serviced apartments. Expats seeking to live in houses tend to live outside the city, where there are larger villas with elaborate gardens and swimming pools. The international schools are also located in these areas outside of the main city. Expats typically rent their homes. Ho Chi Minh City is not, overall, a dangerous city. A home security system is not very expensive and is recommended.
International schools are very popular with Ho Chi Minh City’s expats. The British International School and International School of Ho Chi Minh City have pre-school programs. Bottled drinking water is delivered to the home or purchased from a store. “Pharmacy” in Vietnamese is “Nha Thuoc Tay” and they can be found throughout the city. The Vietnamese word for “doctor” is “Bac Si.”
Visitors should bring an extra supply of prescription medications as they might be hard to come by in Vietnam. Healthcare facilities in Ho Chi Minh City are limited but are ever improving with the opening of International clinics.
If the scope of care needed is beyond what’s offered at Ho Chi Minh City’s foreign hospitals, visitors can be evacuated to Singapore or Thailand. The rapid growth of the city has created unbearable traffic throughout the city. Typically, expats have their own car and driver. People drive on the right side of the road. Ho Chi Minh City does have buses, but they are very crowded.
There is more choice when shopping in Ho Chi Minh City than there is in other cities. For large-sized clothing or shoes, it is recommended that expats bring enough clothes to last through their stay. The stores of serviced apartments sell foreign items. Local markets are used for fresh dairy and produce where bargaining is the norm. When bargaining, one should make an offer and leave if it’s not accepted. Counterfeit merchandise–from handbags to mineral water–is everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City. For other household items such as cleaning materials and home furnishings, Ben Thanh Market and Diamond Plaza are two places to look for such items in Ho Chi Minh City. For recreation, joining a golf and tennis group is a popular option. Beside expat groups, clubs like the International Ladies of Vietnam, Amicale des Francais (a French association) and various business organizations are very popular.
Playing or watching sports, traveling to local beaches and riding in go carts are also among the city’s favorite diversions for kids. Clubs and sporting activities are very very popular. Chris Draeger, Group Vice President of Marketing Crown Relocations
Crown Relocations has been providing international moving and relocation services since 1965. Crown provides a range of services to help Expats and their families move and settle into their new home ranging from Orientation Tours, Home finding, School Search and more. Crown also organizes Expat Clubs with regular events to help people meet and socialize with other Expats.
Services include expense management, program development, policy counseling, customized online reporting and full departure and destination services for the employees.
China: Explore & Discover, Travel Info & Tips
China is compiled of a vast variety of extremely different landscapes, using mostly plateaus and mountains in the west, & lower lands on the east. As a effect, principal rivers flow From west to east, including the Yangtze (central), the Huang He (central-east), and the Amur (northeast), and every now and again toward the south (admitting the Pearl River, Mekong River, & Brahmaputra), by using most Chinese rivers emptying into the Pacific Ocean.
In the east, by the shores of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea there are extended and densely populated alluvial plains;. Southern China is dominated by hills & low mountain ranges. In the central-east are the deltas of China’s two major rivers, the Huang He & Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). to the highest degree of China’s arable lands lie by those rivers; they were the centers of China’s major ancient civilizations. Extra large rivers include the Pearl River, Mekong, Brahmaputra & Amur.
During many dynasties, the southwestern border of China has been the high mounts and deep valleys of Yunnan, which one split modern China since Burma, Laos & Vietnam.
Groupings of volcanic cones occur in the awesome Plain of northerly China. The climate of China varies greatly. The northern zone (containing Beijing) has winters of Arctic severity. The central zone (containing Shanghai) has a temperate clime. Dust has blown to southern China & Taiwan, and has even reached the West Coast of the United States. Water, erosion, & pollution control keep close at hand get crucial issues in China’s dealings by owning Other areas.
Confucianism was the official philosophy throughout virtually of Imperial China’s history, & mastery of Confucian texts was the main criterion for entry into the majestic bureaucracy. China’s traditional measures were derived Derived from various versions of Confucianism and conservatism. Examinations & a culture of merit stay greatly valued in China today. Using the rise of Western economic and military power beginning in the mid-19th century, non-Chinese systems of social and political organization gained adherents in China. Some of those would-be reformers totally rejected China’s cultural legacy, whilst others sought to combine the strengths of Chinese & Western cultures. numbers of observers think that the period following 1949 is a continuation of traditional Chinese dynastic history, while others say that the CPC’s rule has damaged the foundations of Chinese culture, especially through political movements such as the Cultural Revolution, where Several aspects of traditional culture were labeled “regressive & harmful” or “vestiges of feudalism” by the regime.
They further argue that Many crucial aspects of traditional Chinese morals and culture, like Confucianism, Chinese art, literature, & playing arts like Beijing opera house, were altered to conform to regime policies and communist propaganda. The institution of the Simplified Chinese orthography reform is controversial too. Today, the PRC authorities has accepted much of traditional Chinese culture as an integral part of Chinese society, lauding it as an crucial accomplishment of the Chinese civilization and emphasizing it as existence vital to the formation of a Chinese interior identity.
Fine art, scholarship, and literature
Chinese characters have had Many variants & styles throughout Chinese history. Calligraphy is a major art variety in China, further extremely regarded than painting & music. Manuscripts of the Classics and religious texts (mainly Confucian, Taoist, & Buddhist) were handwritten by ink brush. For centuries, economic & social advancement in China could be supplied by high up performance on the majestic examinations. Chinese philosophers, writers, and poets were extremely respected, and played key roles in preserving & advancing the culture of the empire. Sports and recreation
There are also Several traditional sports. Chinese dragon boat racing occurs during the Duan Wu festival. In Inner Mongolia, Mongolian-style grappling & horse racing are popular. In Tibet, archery & equestrian athleticses are part of traditional festivals.
China has turn into a athleticses power in the Asian region & around the world. The 2008 Summer Olympics, formally acknowledge as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be carried in Beijing, China.
