In the early 17th century, most of the southern region of Vietnam was nearly uninhabited and in the position of Ho Chi Minh City, there was a small village formed with a few residents. However, thanks to its advantage in location, the town grew both economically and politically. By the 19th century, this had become a cultural hub of the South as well as an important trading center of the country.
You might not know that there was a time Saigon was referred to as the Pearl of the Far East. Sadly, having been through various occurrences and two disastrous wars has stunted the city’s development. Only after the political instabilities had settled, Saigon recovered miraculously and maintained its leading position in terms of both the economics and culture. Officially named as Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon today has 22 districts in total and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists annually.

SEA Games 31, themed "For a Stronger Southeast Asia", will be held in Hanoi and 11 neighbouring provinces and cities from May 12 to 23. Featuring 40 sports with 526 events, it is expected to attract around 10,000 (26) . The biennial event was initially slated for late 2021 but delayed (27) the pandemic's impact.
At the 30th SEA Games in 2019, the Vietnamese sports (28) finished second in the overall medal tally, with 98 golds, 85 silvers and 105 bronzes, just behind the host Philippines.
The host Vietnam has registered 965 athletes, including 534 males and 431 females, who are set to compete at all 40 sports (29) the Games, striving to win 140 gold, 77 silver and 71 bronze medals and secure the top place in the tally.
Hanoi and some provinces have basically completed preparations in terms of facilities and decorations, (30) ready for the important political and sports event.