Sài Gòn (ward)
Saigon
Phường Sài Gòn | |
|---|---|
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 | |
Saigon | |
| Coordinates: 10°46′50″N 106°41′57″E / 10.78056°N 106.69917°E | |
| Country | Vietnam |
| Centrally governed city | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Seat | 45–47 Lê Duẩn Boulevard |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.04 km2 (1.17 sq mi) |
| Population (2018) | |
• Total | 47,022 |
| • Density | 15,000/km2 (40,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Saigonese |
| Time zone | UTC+07 (ICT) |
Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn) is one of the 168 Wards of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is the city's practical administrative center, being the seat of the Ho Chi Minh City Hall. Saigon Ward was established in 2025 by merging wards of Bến Nghé with Quarter 1 of Nguyễn Thái Bình ward, quarters 5, 6, 8 and parts of quarters 4, 10 of Đa Kao from the former District 1, which was dissolved following Vietnam's 2025 administrative reforms.[1][2][3]
Saigon was the official name of Ho Chi Minh City before 1976 and is still a common name for the city.
Geography
Saigon Ward is located in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, bordering:
- Bến Thành Ward (south, separated by Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa St.);
- Tân Định Ward (west, separated by Nguyễn Đình Chiểu St.);
- Xuân Hoà Ward (southwest, separated by Hai Bà Trưng and Nguyễn Thi Minh Khai streets);
- Gia Định Ward (northwest, separated by Thị Nghè canal);
- Thạnh Mỹ Tây Ward (north, separated by Thị Nghe canal);
- Xóm Chiếu Ward (southeast, separated by Ben Nghe canal );
- An Khánh Ward (east, with the boundary being the Saigon River).
According to Official Dispatch No. 2896/BNV-CQDP dated May 27, 2025, of the Ministry of Home Affairs, following administrative reorganization, the newly established Saigon Ward will have an area of 3.04 km², a population of 47,022 people (2024), and a population density of 15,468 people/km² (2024). Saigon Ward was established according to the provisions of Article 6 of Resolution No. 76/2025/UBTVQH15 dated April 14, 2025, of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.
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,[4] which was a small fishing village.[5][6] 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,[6] although the city was still indicated as 嘉 定 on Vietnamese maps written in chữ Hán until at least 1891.[7]
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, Phan Yên, Phiên An. Of which, Saigon is the most popular name in administrative management as well as community and cultural life.[8]
In 1976, the National Assembly officially renamed Saigon-Gia Dinh as Ho Chi Minh City. Prior to the establishment of Saigon Ward in 2025, the name Saigon was no longer used in an official capacity, but is still widely used as a common name for the city.[9]
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 land, familiarity, and cultural values. This policy is widely supported by the people.[10]
To implement the above policy, District 1 proposed to name its central ward Saigon for the following reasons:[11][12]
- "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 Tàu Hủ 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 iconic streets such as Nguyễn Huệ, Đồng Khởi, Lê Lợi, Hàm Nghi, Hai Ba 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 Standing Committee of the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 1685/NQ-UBTVQH15 on the arrangement of commune-level administrative units of Ho Chi Minh City in 2025. Accordingly, the entire Bến Nghé ward and parts of the Đa Kao and Nguyễn Thái Bình wards will be reorganized into a new ward called Saigon Ward (Clause 1, Article 1).[10]
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Trụ sở làm việc của 4 phường Sài Gòn, Tân Định, Bến Thành, Cầu Ông Lãnh từ 1-7 ở đâu?". Tuổi Trẻ (in Vietnamese). June 17, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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) - ^ Vo, Nghia M. (2011). Saigon: A History. McFarland. pp. 7–8. ISBN 978-0-7864-6466-1.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Comprehensive Map of Vietnam's Provinces". World Digital Library. UNESCO. 1890. Archived from the original on June 30, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
- ^ "Ba lý giải về tên gọi Sài Gòn". VnExpress (in Vietnamese). Archived from the original on May 3, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ "Quận trung tâm TP.HCM lý giải việc đặt tên phường Sài Gòn". Thanh Niên (in Vietnamese). April 18, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
- ^ "Lý do tên Sài Gòn được đặt cho một phường trung tâm TPHCM". Lao động. April 18, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
Further reading
- ^ 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.