History
The origins of HCMC date back to before the 16th century, when it was a Khmer fishing village called Prey Nokor lactated in a swampy area. Then in the early 17th century the population was swelled by Vietnamese refugees fleeing fighting in the north. Around the end of the 17th century, there were more Vietnamese than Khmer in the city, and when Cambodia became weak, the region was annexed by Vietnam. Through the years the village of Prey Nokor slowly grew to become Saigon.
When the French colonized the region in the mid 1800s, Saigon became the capital of what they called Cochinchina which included Vietnam, Laos, and parts of present-day Cambodia.
The French quickly began to transform the city in their own image with grand French Colonial 
buildings along wide boulevards and in time Saigon became known as the Paris of the Orient. Even today these buildings are some of the best hotels in Saigon.
For the next 100 years or so, the French took as much as they could from the area, and much of what they took went through the port of Saigon. Except for the period of World War II, the French continued to rule over Cochinchina until they were defeated at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954, and pulled out of Vietnam.
During that time Vietnam was governed by the Emperor Bao Dai who had made Saigon his capital in 1950. And when Vietnam was formally partitioned, the South Vietnamese regime of Ngo Dinh Diem retained Saigon as the capital of the south. Saigon remained the capital through the tumultuous and bloody Vietnam War, and during this time Saigon was once again swelled with refugees fleeing the fighting to the north, just they had fled to Prey Nokor in the 17th century.
When South Vietnam was finally defeated in 1975, Saigon was not destroyed, but it was not what it once was in its glory days. The next year the city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of the late 
leader, Ho Chi Minh. However, many people still call it Saigon to this day.
After their victory, the North Vietnamese government was heavy-handed in its “re-education” of the south, and there was repression of Saigon's elite. In addition, the economy did not do well under
the heavy hand of central planning, and during this time many people tried to flee the country. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the plight of the Vietnamese "boat people" gained worldwide media attention.
However, in the late 1980s and early 1990s the policy of “doi moi” was instituted. This policy freed up the economy, and encouraged entrepreneurship. The economy was let loose, and Saigon took off.
With a young and well-educated population, the economy thrived. Today some citizens glide through heaving traffic in shiny, chauffeur-driven Mercedes, and the up-and-coming Vietnamese middle class, chatting on mobile phones, swarm the streets on imported motorcycles. Giant neon billboards welcome you to Ho Chi Minh City, the largest and most exciting city in Vietnam. 
How things have changed since the days of Prey Nokor.
What To See & Do
It might be more appropriate to ask, what is there NOT to see and do in Saigon. It seems that most anything is possible here. But for the regular tourist, there are the usual tourist sites such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the old Post Office, the Reunification Palace, the former Presidential Palace of the president of the South Vietnam, and the War Remnant Museum with countless artifacts and photographs documenting the Vietnam War.
However, high-rise developments now dominate the once very low-level skyline. Five-star hotels have replaced dreary government-run guesthouses, and gleaming international shopping centers have replaced small neighborhood shops. These changes are for better, or for worse, depending on your point of view.
It is said that Saigon has some of the best food in the country, and this includes eating cheap street food to dining on haute-cuisine in luxury restaurants. There is also a revival of sorts of the 
arts, and there is a lively art scene with many galleries and museums springing up. As stated above, there is no shortage of things to see and do in Saigon.
Outside The City
When you have seen and done all you want to in HCMC, you can head out and explore places like the Chu Chi Tunnels, or the Cao Dai temple at Tay Ninh. There is also the vast and unique water-world of the Mekong Delta for you to explore, or fly to beautiful Con Dao Island.
Cambodia
