Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Th?nh ph? H? Ch? Minh, better known as Saigon (Vietnamese: S?i G?n) is the largest city in Vietnam. It was once known as Prey Nokor, an important Khmer sea port prior to annexation by the Vietnamese in the 17th century. Under the name Saigon, it was the capital of the French colony of Cochin-china and later of the independent state of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. In 1976, Saigon merged with the surrounding Gia ??nh Province and was officially renamed H? Ch? Minh City after H? Ch? Minh, Vietnam's great wartime leader (although the name S?i G?n is still commonly used). The city center is situated on the banks of the Saigon River, 60 kilometers (37 mi) from the South China Sea and 1,760 kilometers (1,090 mi) south of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.