Saigon

[sahy-gon] /saɪˈgɒn/
noun
1.
former name of Ho Chi Minh City: capital of former South Vietnam 1954–76.

South Vietnam

noun
1.
a former country in SE Asia that comprised Vietnam S of about 17° N latitude; a separate state 1954–75; now part of reunified Vietnam.
Capital: Saigon.
Compare North Vietnam, Vietnam.
British Dictionary definitions for Saigon

Saigon

/saɪˈɡɒn/
noun
1.
the former name (until 1976) of Ho Chi Minh City

South Vietnam

noun
1.
a former republic (1955–76) occupying the S of present-day Vietnam on the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand
Word Origin and History for Saigon

southern Vietnamese city, capital of former South Vietnam, named for its river, which bears a name of uncertain origin.

Saigon in Culture
Saigon [(seye-gon)]

City in southern Vietnam; capital of South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975.

Note: A commercial, industrial, and transportation hub of Southeast Asia, Saigon enjoyed rapid growth and cultural prestige as the capital of French Indochina.
Note: American and South Vietnamese forces were headquartered in Saigon during the Vietnam War.
Note: Renamed Ho Chi Minh City by the victorious Vietnamese communists in 1976.