Several famous location names in Saigon are believed to be misspellings of their original monikers.
Across the southern hub, names like Binh Thanh District's Hang Xanh, Chi Hoa (as in the maximum-security prison, among other locations), Cat Lai and Luong Nhu Hoc are fairly well-known. However, all of these names are the result of spelling errors that have now become too common to change, reports VnExpress.
The large, bustling Hang Xanh roundabout bears the same name as several landmarks in its surrounding area; nearby, there is also a Hang Xanh Market. But according to Nguyen Thanh Loi, author of Saigon – Dat va Nguoi (Land and People), the place was originally called Hang Sanh after the trees which used to exist along the road.
Chi Hoa has a similar story. The name belongs not only to a military-based village in Gia Dinh during the French colonial period but also several buildings around Saigon today. However author Tran Trong Kim, who penned Vietnam Su Luoc (History of Vietnam), believes “Ky Hoa” is the original name, while “Chi Hoa” is a French mispronunciation of the moniker. This is only a theory: others, such as writer Son Nam, the man behind Dia danh TPHCM (Locations of HCMC), insist Chi Hoa is the correct name, as there are no place names in southern Vietnam with the prefix Ky.
District 2's Cat Lai Port, too, is misspelled. Instead of Cat Lai, researchers say, the area was once a gathering point for many traders coming from central Vietnam to ply their wares in the southern hub. As a result, the area's original name was Cac Lai – meaning các lái, or “many vendors” in Vietnamese – but later turned into Cat Lai.
In addition to place names, historical figures have also had their names misspelled. Kha Van Can Street, named after a brilliant engineer who took part in defeating the French and became the first Minister of Light Industry, is an error; the man's name was actually Kha Vang Can. The same goes for District 5's famous lantern street, Luong Nhu Hoc: somewhere along the way, the former ambassador and printing expert had his name changed from Lương Như Hộc to Lương Nhữ Học.
These errors are well-known by many of Saigon's long-time residents. Although many people have agreed to keep the landmark names as is, some want the government to make adjustments in an effort to correct the spelling of notable names.
[Photo via Yeunhiepanh]
