Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, lies between the Mekong Delta and South Vietnam. It is 1,730 km from Hanoi and 50 km from the East Sea. The city is the second most important in Vietnam after Hanoi. The main ethnic groups populating the area are the Kinh and Hoa.

This region is crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers and canals, the largest being the Saigon River. The Port of Saigon, established in 1862, is accessible to ships weighing up to 30,000 tons, a rare advantage for an inland river port.

The climate is generally hot and humid. The annual average temperature is 27oC. The hottest month is April and the coldest is December.

Over the past centuries, Saigon, once praised as the "Pearl of the Far East," was known as an important trading center for Chinese, Japanese, and Western merchants who traveled upstream the Saigon River to Pho Island.