Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, lies in southern Vietnam along the Siagon River and north of the Mekong River. During the 1800s when the French controlled Vietnam, the city became a major port city and metropolitan center. When the Viet Minh group declared independence for Vietnam under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh in the north, a riot broke out in the city of Saigon. French troops regained control, beginning the first French Indochina War.
A Prayer for Ho Chi Minh City
Rich and Poor
Vietnam's Invisible Children
All over Vietnam’s major cities, people often overlook the thousands of children who live and work on the busy, urban streets.
Some children live on the streets with their parents. Some leave their families in rural areas to come to the city and make extra money. Others are orphans, often finding family through gangs and other orphaned street children.