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@snake77

...What's your guess? What will its official name be, let's say, 50 years down the road?

Saigon. The city's locals call it Saigon, the many people I know up North (Hanoi/Thai Nguyen) call it Saigon, all the old folk songs and poetry call it Saigon. The river flowing through it is the Saigon River.

Officially, of course, it is Ho Chi Minh City, but "Miss Ho Chi Minh City" just doesn't sound right😉.

Not that I'd be around to collect in 50 years, but I'd bet hard cash it'll revert back to it's historical name.

Announced in the news today: Ho Chi Minh City to set off fireworks at 16 sites for 50th anniversary of city named after President Ho Chi Minh
I remember how 11 Years ago, on the even of 30 April 2015 I was sitting with a few locals on a sidewalk in Downtown "Ho CHi Minh City" (aka Saigon or Q1, depends who you're talking to).

As the fireworks started, nobody that was sat around our tiny plastic table seemed to take notice, so I went "hey guys, turn around, the fireworks started".

The only response I got was from an elderly guy who made a living as a Xe Om motorbike taxi driver. All he had to say was " that's not our fireworks, that's Hanoi's fireworks". He then added, "even the Soviets finally renamed their town back to Volgograd, so we'll just have to wait, then we'll also celebrate".

What's your guess? What will its official name be, let's say, 50 years down the road?

Well, it's still the Saigon River. And the call letters for the airport are SGN.
- @snake77

@snake77     Vietnamese are masters of ’the waiting game’ they have patience of a rock.   Everyone here in the Delta calls it Saigon………even the Busses show Saigon on the front.

I'd bet hard cash it'll revert back to it's historical name. - @Aidan in HCMC

ever thought about what that actually would mean, or rather, require, in terms of changes, besides street names...

Well, it's still the Saigon River. And the call letters for the airport are SGN.

Bia Sai Gon, not to forget that in Ha Noi Cha Gio is called Nem Sai Gon, but that's not the point.

@snake77  Vietnamese are masters of ’the waiting game’ they have patience of a rock. Everyone here in the Delta calls it Saigon………even the Busses show Saigon on the front. - @PhuNinhTim

Most Saigonese that I know actually don't call the city Saigon, or depending on the circumstances. Normally when a Saigonese would be in the delta and gets asked "where you're from", the answer is more often than not, just "Thanh Pho".

Within the HCM city limits and surrounding areas, when people ask where you're from, the answer is more likely to be something like Quan 11 or Thu Duc.

If someone in Q.11 or Thu Duc would say "let's go to Saigon", they mean let's go to District 1, downtown.

But yes, nobody tends to use the "official" name.

and as we're at it, here a few updates, latest news:

(ahh, what I've been wondering is, why wasn't this historically important date not mentioned way in advance? I don't recall seeing it when they published the annual national holiday lists...)

but anyway, here we go again:

Wow, what a historical find!

As Ho Chi Minh City will mark the 50th anniversary of being named after President Ho Chi Minh on July 2, two new documentary films are expected to shed light on the little-known history behind the city's renaming and the deep public sentiment that inspired it.

According to historical materials featured in A Historic Proposal, Professor, physician and distinguished educator Tran Huu Nghiep proposed renaming Saigon as Ho Chi Minh City during a gathering of southern Vietnamese residents in Hanoi on August 25, 1946.

The proposal was reported in the August 27, 1946 edition of Cuu Quoc newspaper and received the support of 57 southern intellectuals attending the event.

Source:

What better than to:

Ho Chi Minh City will simultaneously break ground on a series of key infrastructure projects on July 1, including Can Gio - Vung Tau sea-crossing road, and Nha Rong (Dragon) Wharf - Khanh Hoi Cultural Park, as part of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the city named after President Ho Chi Minh on July 2.

Source:

And last but not least, to ensure max convenience….:

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Public Security on Monday announced temporary traffic restrictions on several downtown streets to facilitate celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the city named after President Ho Chi Minh on Thursday.

Source:

@snake77

Okay, so back at you.

What's your guess? What will its official name be, let's say, 50 years down the road?