Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City

This article is about a ward and downtown neighborhood of Ho Chi Minh City. For other uses, see Saigon (disambiguation).
Saigon
Phường Sài Gòn
Bến Nghé
Ward
Clockwise from top: Bạch Đằng Quay skyline at night viewed from Ba Son Bridge, Saigon Opera House, Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Ho Chi Minh City Branch of State Bank of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City Hall with Vincom Center Đồng Khởi, Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon at the Paris Commune Square
Interactive map of Saigon
Coordinates: 10°46′50″N 106°41′57″E / 10.78056°N 106.69917°E / 10.78056; 106.69917
Country Vietnam
MunicipalityHo Chi Minh City
EstablishedJune 16, 2025[1]
Area
[2]
 • Total
1.17 sq mi (3.04 km2)
Population
 (2024)[2]
 • Total
47,022
 • Density40,100/sq mi (15,500/km2)
Time zoneUTC+07:00 (Indochina Time)
Administrative code26740[3]
Websitephuongsaigon.gov.vn

Saigon (Vietnamese: Phường Sài Gòn) is a ward of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.[4] It is one of the 168 new wards, communes and special zones of the city following the reorganization in 2025.[5][6]

Saigon ward is the city's de facto downtown, central business district and administrative center. Prior to the ward's establishment, Saigon was the historic and colloquial name for Ho Chi Minh City's central area, roughly corresponding to the former District 1.[7] It was also the official name for the capital city of the State of Vietnam (as Đô thành Sài Gòn-Chợ Lớn), the Republic of Vietnam (as Đô thành Sài Gòn), and the Republic of South Vietnam (as Thành phố Sài Gòn-Gia Định).

Geography

The ward of Saigon is located in the central core of Ho Chi Minh City, bordering:

According to Official Dispatch No. 2896/BNV-CQĐP dated May 27, 2025 of the Ministry of Home Affairs, following the merger, Sài Gòn has a land area of 3.04 km², the population as of December 31, 2024 is 47,022 people, the population density is 15,468 people/km².[2][8]

History

Etymology

The first known human habitation in the area was either a Cham settlement called Baigaur,[nb 1] or a Cambodian city named Prey Nokor,[9] which was a small fishing village.[10][11] Over time, under the control of the Vietnamese, it was officially renamed Gia Định (嘉定) in 1698, a name that was retained until the time of the French conquest in the 1860s, when it adopted the name Sài Gòn, francized as Saïgon,[11] although the city was still indicated as 嘉 定 on Vietnamese maps written in chữ Hán until at least 1891.[12]

Ho Chi Minh City has a history of administrative management of more than 300 years, since 1698 when Lord Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh established Gia Định Province. Over that time, the place has had many different names used to refer to the entire land or a part of the area, such as Saigon, Chợ Lớn, Gia Định, Bến Nghé, Phiên An, Phan Yên. Of which, Saigon is the most popular name in administrative management as well as community and cultural life.[13]

In 1976, the National Assembly officially renamed Saigon–Gia Định (established from the merge of City of Saigon and Province of Gia Định) as Ho Chi Minh City. For almost 50 years since then, Saigon was no longer used in formal contexts, but was still widely recognized as the common name of the city.[14] The area of Saigon ward then was Bến Nghé ward of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City (except the now-extension part in Đa Kao) and matched with the major of the historic town of Bến Nghé.

Establishment

During Vietnam's 2025 administrative reorganization at the commune level, the government of Ho Chi Minh City has advocated naming new wards and communes with letters instead of numbers, with considerations from the history of the neighborhood, familiarity, and cultural values. This policy is widely supported by the people.[15]

To implement the above policy, District 1 proposed to name its central ward Saigon for the following reasons:[16][17][18]

  • "As the historical, political, economic, and cultural center of Ho Chi Minh City, the ward is home to many symbolic architectural works such as the Ho Chi Minh City Hall, Saigon Opera House, Ho Chi Minh City Museum, etc.
  • It is home to many important historical sites, with structures such as Ba Son Shipyard (associated with the revolutionary activities of Ho Chi Minh and the workers' movement in the early 20th century) and the U.S. Consulate General (U.S. Embassy before 1975).
  • More than 3/4 of the ward's perimeter is bordered by rivers and canals, from the Thị Nghè canal and Bến Nghé canal to the Saigon River, which affirms the characteristic river element in the history and culture of this land.
  • It is a bustling commercial and financial center, with significant streets such as Nguyễn Huệ, Đồng Khởi, Lê Lợi, Hàm Nghi, Hai Bà Trưng, etc.
  • Showing respect for historical values to help preserve local identity in the context of rapid urbanization.
  • The name Saigon is easily recognizable and familiar to both residents and international visitors, convenient for promoting the image, promoting the development of tourism, services, and urban economy.
  • Saigon is not only a place name, but also a symbol of pride, familiar memories, and responsibility to continue the traditional values of a young city, but rich in heritage that knows how to cherish its roots in the city's development journey."

On June 16, 2025, the National Assembly Standing Committee issued Resolution No. 1685/NQ-UBTVQH15 on the arrangement of commune-level administrative units of Ho Chi Minh City in 2025 (effective from June 16, 2025). Accordingly, the entire land area and population of Bến Nghé ward and parts of Đa Kao ward (quarter 4, 5, 6, 8, 10) and Nguyễn Thái Bình ward (quarter 1) of the former District 1 will be integrated into a new ward named Sài Gòn (Clause 1, Article 1).[19]

Division

Saigon ward is divided into 14 quarters, including Ba Son Quarter and numbered quarters from 1 to 13, with 1 to 8 is part of former Bến Nghé ward, 9 is part of former Nguyễn Thái Bình ward and 10 to 13 is part of former Đa Kao.

Education

School

  • April 30 Kindergarten
  • Hoa Lư Kindergaten
  • Sapa Private Kindergarten
  • Hòa Bình Primary School, Branch 2 of the school on Tôn Thất Đạm Street before school year of 1998–1999 was Bến Nghé Primary School
  • Vinschool Golden River Private School at Vinhomes Golden River development (Ba Son)
  • Asian International School, Primary School at 2Bis Thái Văn Lung
  • Võ Trường Toản Secondary School
  • Trưng Vương High School
  • Trần Đại Nghĩa High School for the Gifted

Higher educations

Libraries

Some notable libraries located in the ward:

Consulates

List of Consulate General in Sài Gòn Ward
Nation Address
United Kingdom 25 Lê Duẩn Boulevard
Netherlands 29 Lê Duẩn Boulevard
Germany Level 4, Deutsches Haus, 33 Lê Duẩn Boulevard
United States of America No.4 Lê Duẩn Boulevard
France No.6 Lê Duẩn Blvd & 27 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai St.
Norway Somerset Chancellor Court Ho Chi Minh City, 21 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai Street
Singapore Room 5, Level 11, Saigon Centre Tower 2, 67 Lê Lợi Boulevard
Panama No.7 Lê Thánh Tôn Street
Australia Level 20, Vincom Center Đồng Khởi, 47 Lý Tự Trọng Street
New Zealand Suite 804, Level 8, The Metropolitan, 235 Đồng Khởi Street
Canada Suite 1002, Level 10, The Metropolitan, 235 Đồng Khởi Street
Laos 93 Pasteur Street
Finland Room 501, Sailing Tower, 111A Pasteur Street
Italy Level 10, President Place Building, 93 Nguyễn Du
 Switzerland Level 37, Bitexco Financial Tower, No.2 Hải Triều Street
Indonesia 18 Phùng Khắc Khoan Street (formerly in Đa Kao)
Hungary 22 Phùng Khắc Khoan Street (formerly in Đa Kao)

References

  1. ^ "QUỐC HỘI THÔNG QUA NGHỊ QUYẾT SẮP XẾP ĐƠN VỊ HÀNH CHÍNH CẤP TỈNH". xaydungchinhsach.chinhphu.vn (in Vietnamese). Chính phủ Việt Nam. June 18, 2025. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Danh mục đơn vị hành chính cấp xã sau sắp xếp cấp tỉnh, cấp xã năm 2025" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Quyết định số 19/2025/QĐ-TTg của Thủ tướng Chính phủ: Ban hành Bảng danh mục và mã số các đơn vị hành chính Việt Nam" (PDF). Viet Nam Government Portal.
  4. ^ "Ho Chi Minh City creates Con Dao special district, new Saigon ward". VietNamNet (in Vietnamese). June 17, 2025. Archived from the original on June 17, 2025. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  5. ^ ONLINE, TUOI TRE (June 16, 2025). "Chi tiết mới nhất về 168 phường, xã của TP.HCM sau sáp nhập". TUOI TRE ONLINE (in Vietnamese). Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  6. ^ Báo Pháp Luật TP. Hồ Chí Minh (June 25, 2025). "Tra cứu chi tiết 3.321 phường, xã, đặc khu của 34 tỉnh, Thành phố sau sắp xếp lại bộ máy". Báo Pháp Luật TP. Hồ Chí Minh (in Vietnamese). Archived from the original on October 9, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  7. ^ Lê, Tuyết (April 16, 2025). "Tên gọi Sài Gòn, Chợ Lớn, Gia Định qua trăm năm". VnExpress (in Vietnamese). Archived from the original on April 28, 2025. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  8. ^ Báo, Nhân Dân điện tử (May 7, 2025). "[Interactive] Các đơn vị hành chính cấp xã của TP Hồ Chí Minh được sắp xếp ra sao". Báo Nhân Dân điện tử (in Vietnamese). Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  9. ^ www.reseau-asie.com https://web.archive.org/web/20110715174952/http://www.reseau-asie.com/cgi-bin/prog/gateway.cgi?langue=fr&password=&email=&dir=myfile_colloque&type=jhg54gfd98gfd4fgd4gfdg&id=430&telecharge_now=1&file=a09dolinski_michel.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2025. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ Vo, Nghia M. (2011). Saigon: A History. McFarland. pp. 7–8. ISBN 978-0-7864-6466-1.
  11. ^ a b Salkin, Robert M.; Ring, Trudy (1996). Schellinger, Paul E.; Salkin, Robert M. (eds.). Asia and Oceania. International Dictionary of Historic Places. Vol. 5. Taylor & Francis. pp. 353–354. ISBN 1-884964-04-4.
  12. ^ "Comprehensive Map of Vietnam's Provinces". World Digital Library. UNESCO. 1890. Archived from the original on June 30, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  13. ^ "Ba lý giải về tên gọi Sài Gòn". VnExpress (in Vietnamese). Archived from the original on May 3, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  14. ^ "Sài Gòn, bạn nghe quen, nhưng đã biết mang ý nghĩa như thế nào chưa?". Báo điện tử Dân Trí (in Vietnamese). December 12, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  15. ^ "Tên phường xã mới sáp nhập ở TP.HCM: Phường Sài Gòn có gì đặc biệt?". Thanh Niên (in Vietnamese). May 29, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  16. ^ "Quận 1 dự kiến còn 4 phường là Tân Định, Sài Gòn, Bến Thành, Cầu Ông Lãnh". Báo Pháp Luật TP. Hồ Chí Minh (in Vietnamese). April 14, 2025. Archived from the original on June 19, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  17. ^ "Quận trung tâm TP.HCM lý giải việc đặt tên phường Sài Gòn". Thanh Niên (in Vietnamese). April 18, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  18. ^ "Lý do tên Sài Gòn được đặt cho một phường trung tâm TPHCM". Lao động. April 18, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  19. ^ "Toàn văn Nghị quyết số 1685/NQ-UBTVQH15 sắp xếp các ĐVHC cấp xã của Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh năm 2025". Viet Nam Government Portal.

Further reading

  1. ^ Vo, Nghia M., ed. (2009). The Viet Kieu in America: Personal Accounts of Postwar Immigrants from Vietnam. McFarland. p. 218. ISBN 978-0-7864-5490-7. Saigon began as the Cham village of Baigaur, then became the Khmer Prey Nôkôr before being taken over by the Vietnamese and renamed Gia Dinh Thanh and then Saigon.

See also

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