Traffic in Frenetic HCMC, Vietnam from Rob Whitworth on Vimeo.

The video above, Traffic in Frenetic HCMC, Vietnam, went viral soon after it was uploaded by photograher Rob Whitworth 2 months ago. We just found it, and we like it!

view from the 46th floor of Bitexco Financial Tower, currently the tallest skyscraper in Ho Chi Minh City by SimulacraofMi on Flickr

In case you, like me, don’t know much about Ho Chi Minh City, here’s a few details:

Ho Chi Min City Facts

  • Location: Southern Vietnam 60 Kilometers from the South China Sea 1760 K south of Hanoi, the capitol of Vietnam
  • Name: The city was formerly known as Saigon, but after the United States left the Vietnam war 1975, it was taken by the North Vietnamese and renamed in 1976.
  • Population: 9,000,000 (including the adjoining metropolitan areas) 7.4 % of the total population of Vietnam
  • Elevation: 10 meters
  • Industry: Mining, Seafood, Agriculture, Construction
  • Saigon River:
    • The river in the video is the Saigon River which is a majoy shipping port as it empties into the South China Sean after it becomes the Nha Be River. It is also the main water supply for the Ho Chi Minh City area. The river rises in southern Cambodia which borders Vietnam to the northwest. The Saigon River is part of the enoumous Mekong Delta which covers about 39,000 square kilometers and is an amazoing habitat foe plants and animals
    • “The Mekong Delta has recently been dubbed as a ‘biological treasure trove’. Over 10,000 new species have been discovered in previously unexplored areas of Mekong Delta, including a species of rat thought to be extinct.” (Wikipedia)
Mekong Delta
Satellite image of southern Vietnam and the Mekong Delta from ESA

 

Thanh Da peninsula & Sai Gon river, easten suburbs, Ho Chi Minh city from the above. by Peter Nguyen on Flickr

Crossing the Street in Ho chi Minh City

As you can see from the video, the streets are pretty hectic. Here’s the advice on the Frommer’s Travel Guides Ho Chi Minh City Fast Facts page:

The biggest threat to your safety in Saigon is likely to be the street traffic. Cross the wildly busy streets at a slow, steady pace. If you’re having a really hard time getting across, find a local who is crossing and stick to his heels! (Frommers)

Map Of Vietnam

Map of Vietnam

-Mike

Sources:

 

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