Prey Nokor

Prey Nokor stood in the low country near the Saigon River, where waterways connect the Mekong delta with the sea. Originally a Khmer settlement, it drew Vietnamese and Chinese migrants and merchants as the southern frontier changed. The river gave access to the interior as well as to ships arriving from the coast, helping the settlement grow into the city known as Saigon.

In 1623 the Nguyễn rulers sought permission from the Cambodian king Chey Chettha II to establish customs posts at Prey Nokor and nearby Bến Nghé. In 1698 Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh organised the southern territories as Gia Định under the Nguyễn lord. The city later became a prize in the struggle between the Nguyễn and Tây Sơn. Nguyễn Ánh recovered Gia Định in 1788 and established a fortified base from which he pursued the reunification of Vietnam.