As the North Vietnamese marched into Saigon, it was one of their most significant acts of reunification to rename the South Vietnam capital as Ho Chi Minh City. But being honest, I know it as Saigon, you know it as Saigon, and most importantly, all but the most politically correct of Vietnamese know it as Saigon. So Saigon. It's up there with the most evocative of cities. The name implies glamour, war, colonialism and an intense rivalry with its northern cousin, Hanoi. Vietnam is one of the few countries with two dominant cities of similar sizes and influence. Perhaps Sydney and Melbourne, and Madrid and Barcelona can be compared in that respect. What I enjoyed most about Saigon was analysing its differences to Hanoi. There can be no doubt that the cities have distinctly different characters.
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