During the eighteenth century, the Cambodian settlement of Prey Nokor became the Vietnamese port of Saigon which in turn emerged as one of the largest settlements in the Vietnamese Empire. Captured by the French in 1861, it developed into the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina. An increasingly wealthy port, its population became increasingly politicised and in 1955, Saigon became the capital of the Republic of Vietnam. In 1976, Hanoi became the capital of the new Socialist Republic of Vietnam, with Saigon being renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Now a popular tourist destination, many of the sites dating from the French period and the Vietnam War survive with the city authorities taking an increasing interest in architectural heritage. This book is wholly updated and considerably expanded from the Historical Dictionary of Ho Chi Minh City, including more than 550 illustrations and photographs, many in colour, and city maps. With entries on the major places, institutions and people who had an important role in the history and the cultural life of the city, it remains an indispensable guide to scholars and researchers.

Saigon (since 1976, officially Hồ Chi Minh City but widely still referred to as Saigon) 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. The city's many transitions through the hands of the Chams, Khmers, Vietnamese, Chinese, French, Japanese, Americans, nationalists and communists are examined in detail, as well as the Saigon-led resistance to collectivization and the city's central role in Vietnam's perestroika-like economic reforms.

Saigon is the city of the yellow anguish, a languidness that possessed the > Europeans that lived in Vietnam. At night, in front of a drink, the memories of flowery young girls in their traditional costumes surrounded by the thick smells of the ngoc man cooking, the feverish sounds of the city's motion piercing through the humid heat of the Asian nights hauntingly reappear.A city of contrasts, Saigon has lived through dramatic changes: the turbulence of the South for which it was renowned was replaced by the terrible coldness of the North and the joyfulness of the city was imposed a rigid doctrine. Saigon became Ho Chi Minh and a new city was created. But although appearances may change, people remain the same. So what came of those changes? A few red flags... and a number of Japanese motorbikes.

First Published in 2017. This encyclopedia, in A-Z format, has as its subject those cities that are the most important to the world in terms of their cultural, historic, economic, demographic or political significance: some 150 world cities are included. City profiles focus on areas such as economy, demographics, labour, culture, crime, education, health, housing, land and environment etc., as well as incorporating data that ranks each city on the basis of more than 75 indicators. This enables researchers to make direct comparisons between cities in different parts of the world.

Experience real Saigon: My Saigon 2024 Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) offers bustling streets, amazing walks, too-hip-for-you cafes, rocking music clubs, luxurious salons, explosively delicious restaurants, and indoor cat zoos. Saigon is Vietnam. It’s young, practical, crowded, and a little bit brash. Most visitors to Saigon see the same boring “attractions”: boring restaurants, tourist-trap markets, and War propaganda. Saigon has so much more to experience than tourists see. My Saigon gives you the insider track: the most amazing experiences, the cultural backstories, the practical go-to tips, the best coffee, the best food (far beyond pho and banh mi), the best hangouts, the coolest stuff, and hipsters, hipsters everywhere. Details about 90-day and multi-entry electronic visas to Vietnam (new as of August, 2023). Big-picture navigation. History your tour guides aren't allowed to mention. Good hotels for cheap, without hostels, bedbugs, and weird smells. Get mobile data up and running without being scammed. The best pho in Saigon: no, it's not the one in the backpacker district. Awesome, authentic, cheap restaurants where my friends and I eat -- and Tripadvisor has no clue about. Coffee. Did someone say coffee? 1930s coffee, street coffee, "specialty" coffee, all kinds of coffee: I'll tell you where. Hang out with Vietnamese people, munch on dried squid, listen to Viet Pop (if you dare). Make cool friends, date guys or girls, whatever flag you might fly. Bust out with Saigonese slang to make your new friends laugh. Watch out for Saigon's mafia: they run the streets, and they don't announce themselves. Don't unintentionally offend people by wearing a popular tourist souvenir t-shirt. You definitely shouldn't give money to beggars and street kids. Avoiding taxi scams in Saigon is so easy, but most tourists refuse to learn. My Saigon is a guide, a love confessional, an instruction manual, and an ode to the city.

A guide to the religions of the world and to the concepts, movements, people, and events that have shaped them. It includes features such as: entries on religious movements and concepts, historical and legendary figures, divinities, religious sites and ceremonies; images that show sacred places, vestments, rituals, objects, and texts; and more.