Today was all about the history and development of Ho Chi Minh City. It started with a presentation at UEF, where we learned about what happened after the U.S. withdrew. Saigon was destroyed, and needed to be rebuilt as Ho Chi Minh City. After learning some history and current statistics regarding both Vietnam and Saigon, we headed to lunch in a district built by Phu My Hung, the company we were going to visit. The modernized, upscale feel of the area was quickly apparent.

The tour of Phu My Hung started with a multimedia presentation, that had a similar tone to a commercial for Disney World. The whole place had a very utopia feel. The line between Ho Chi Minh City and Saigon South, the place Phu My Hung developed, was incredibly distinct. It was certainly geared toward a more wealthy class of people. In fact, we were told that 38% of the residents that live in Phu My Hung are foreigners. The plan for the city has won several urban planning awards. When we had asked about competition, they expressed that they were a joint venture, and that construction companies from San Francisco, Boston, and Japan helped develop the master plan for Saigon South. Lastly, they briefly spoke about the environmental concerns. For example, the rain during monsoon season it dealt with naturally by the river, and also by the high density of green space.