From the perspective of migrant workers. Saigon is indeed a place worth living, although there are still problems such as chaotic traffic, robbery, pollution… Most people from unskilled workers to students in the provinces, when they have arrived. After Saigon, they didn’t want to leave. Because Saigon has become their second homeland. The everyday simplicity of Saigon makes it all the more lovely to remember.
As a city that loves innovation
Saigon is home to many administrative agencies, office buildings, commercial areas, restaurants, clubs, bars, and even tourist attractions. This place mostly attracts a lot of multinational corporations from many different regions. Eurasian, Western and Eastern cultures are intermingled with each other without clear limits. Vietnamese youth in general and Saigon youth, in particular, are very easy to access the outside world through the Internet. Therefore, new trends from abroad are imported to Vietnam very quickly and without being forced.
Saigonese or young Saigonese have a fairly objective view of the outside world, they are neutral to new trends. If it fits the culture, it quickly goes into the lives of the people here and vice versa. Without harsh cultural festivals, the movements are enthusiastically received by the people here as enriching this dynamic and friendly city.
A place to receive cultural diversity
Through hundreds of years of ups and downs of history, it can be said that the world’s culture seems to converge in this city . In 1861, the French colonialists occupied Saigon to break the “closed-door” position of the Nguyen court. At that time, Saigon culture was rich in indigenous culture: the culture of the Southern Delta, the culture of the Central Coast, the culture of ethnic communities of Khmer, Chinese, etc., on Saigon’s land, there was a cross-cultural development. cultural exchange with Southeast Asian countries. Today, too, Tan Son Nhat International Airport is the gateway for tourists from all over the world to pass through and stay in Vietnam easily. It is because the Saigon people are friendly and receptive to new things that different cultural diversity is formed.
If West Street, Pham Ngu Lao Street, De Tham Street is a short-term accommodation for tourists, in Nhat Street on Le Thanh Ton Street is a gathering place with many Japanese shops and brands. In addition, Koreans also live quite a lot in Phu My Hung urban area.
Saigon people are so cute
Saigon people are always sociable and happy. They do not distinguish the region but are always friendly to all . If you are a person coming from afar to live in Saigon, you will easily integrate with the people here because they always welcome you in the most natural and enthusiastic way.
The language that Saigon people use is very simple and honest, without frills and formalities. Here are some characteristics of Saigon people:
- Dynamic, vibrant but not noisy, bon chen.
- Calm, respectful of individuals but chivalrous, always helping people when needed.
- Generous, relationships based on mutual trust.
- Working and playing are both hard, enthusiastic with friends, rarely counting.
- No prejudice, easy to accept new things. Do not criticize what is different from you.
(According to Dr. NGUYEN THI HAU (Tuoi Tre on July 3, 2016).)
Don’t worry about the price, just afraid of not eating all the delicious food
Saigon is the convergence of the culinary quintessence of all regions. From savory dishes such as Hanoi noodle soup, Hue beef vermicelli, Quang noodles,… to snacks like mixed rice paper, Khuc Bach tea, fried spring rolls, lemon tea,… are all available here.
Cuisine in Saigon is extremely diverse, ensuring that people from far away will not be surprised by different tastes. Depending on the district will form different food courts. District 5 is famous for Chinese-style dishes, Districts 4 and 7 follow the street style of Southeast Asian countries. If you don’t have money to go to luxury restaurants, the rustic dishes will also make you full every evening.
Because Saigon people are people from all over the world who come to live, they bring their native cuisine here to trade. Therefore, in just one round of the city you can eat all the delicious dishes of different regions without going far.
City of “free” things
Free bread for the poor
Free rice in the hospital
Free iced tea on the sidewalk for pedestrians
Free clothes for children
Free car repair
…
And there are many more “free” that only Saigon people have. Although not necessarily great things, it is what is necessary and practical for the lives of working people. From time to time walking around on Saigon Street, you will always smile when you see the bottles of water or iced tea on the sidewalk, with the words “Free iced tea, welcome!”. Not everywhere is such cute and simple “free” stuff?
Job opportunities are not difficult
It is easy to find a temporary job with a not too large amount of money, most said that the income is about 6 – 8 million VND/month, but it is enough to wander around for snacks and live comfortably to “travel” to explore other new lands. in Vietnam is one of many reasons why many foreign young people choose Ho Chi Minh City to travel, live and work.
Students have many professions to choose from and opportunities to work in Saigon are also plentiful. The working environment in Saigon is also professional, modern, and friendly, causing many young people from other provinces to come to Saigon to set up a career.
81% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the cost of living in HCMC, nearly double the 82-city average of 43%. In particular, Ho Chi Minh City ranked first in terms of employment and career criteria, and 6th in terms of life and work balance. The economic outlook score here is also highly rated at 81% compared to the average of 82 cities with only 61%.
Cute city from small things
In this city, everything seems to have its own story: the story of a bunch of sticky rice that has existed for more than half a century, the story of the children who go to school in the morning to sell lottery tickets, pick vegetables, and the stories of the trees. stood on that road hundreds of years ago, or simply the story of old signs.
Young people living and working in Saigon have run past such signs at least once. Has anyone glanced at the barbershop sign, the grocery sign, or the sign of some roadside tailor?
Hand-painted signs used to be a unique feature many years ago, creating a very strange and poetic Saigon. That’s what Saigon is, no matter how modern it is, how civilized the people are, the residents of this city still know how to reconcile, not discard everything, develop but do not lose themselves. Although there are millions of twinkling light bulbs, Saigon people still keep the lovely signs meticulously painted by the hands of the workers in the past.
The rows of green trees
The hundreds of years old trees are associated with generations of Saigon people and have become a cultural heritage like famous landmarks. There are rows of oil trees, mother of pearl, stars… all over the streets in the city. And if there is a certain tree species chosen as a symbol for Saigon, the tamarind tree could be an option. The image of the road with flying tamarind leaves has entered poems and songs inspired by the authors’ inspiration from the streets full of tamarind leaves in Saigon such as Nguyen Du, Phung Khac Khoan, Pasteur, Dong Khoi, and Ly Tu streets. Weight…
The greenest area in the city is the large 30/4 park area located between Notre Dame Cathedral and Reunification Palace. Under the shade of trees, regardless of early morning, midsummer, or evening, people still come to sit and talk and sing. This green space is visited by many tourists near and far, sipping coffee to feel the rhythm of Saigon life.
City that doesn’t sleep
Saigon is known as the city that never sleeps. There are streets like Bui Vien, Pham Ngu Lao, both foreign tourists, domestic and local people can gather to exchange all night and all morning. Those are the streets that are always lit. Bars, pubs, curbside drafts, or well-decorated cafes with affordable prices are many, satisfying the needs of young people to chat and take pictures. Saigon has many nightclubs, 24-hour shops that can serve pedestrians at any time with all kinds of goods, food, drink, medicine, etc.
At night, Saigon becomes cool and the landscape is shimmering with lights. Life is less stuffy but has the appearance of bustle, serene people on the streets or bustling in cafes. Saigon at night becomes more charming and fanciful by the shimmering, brilliant lights that are lit.
The city makes you not alone
Saigon is crowded with people, so you never feel lonely. Even walking in the middle of a crowd of strangers, but crowded, each person will have the effect of attracting attention, distracting you from worries and loneliness. Although no one said a word to anyone, everyone was walking, but you always find someone beside you and not alone. You can blend in with the crowd when driving on the road, walking in the park, walking on the sidewalk, shopping …
There is no concept of original Saigon people because Saigon is a place where people from many places gather to study and work. Therefore, there is almost no regional distinction in Saigon, so people living in Saigon are usually friendly and approachable.
Life in Saigon is quite full and comfortable. You can find anything in Saigon, from books to entertainment venues to courses, just Google it and you’ll find it.
Every city has its good and bad habits. However, looking at the optimistic side, we still see the best things in Saigon.
