On the morning of April 29, Ho Chi Minh City simultaneously broke ground on four major projects: the Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem metro line, a new administrative centre, the Nha Rong - Khanh Hoi Port and the International University Urban Area. The event was held to mark the 51st anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975-April 30, 2026), underscoring the city’s determination to develop synchronised, modern infrastructure (Photo: Nam Anh).
At the central venue, located at the Nguyen Co Thach - Mai Chi Tho junction in An Khanh Ward, the city launched two major schemes at the same time: Metro Line 2, linking Ben Thanh and Thu Thiem, and Component Project 4, the central square, part of the central square and new administrative centre complex (Photo: Nam Anh).
Speaking at the ceremony, Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Van Duoc stressed General Secretary and State President To Lam’s instruction that the city must lead the way in turning strategic resolutions into reality and follow the principle of matching words with action, seeing things through and acting for the people.
"These projects will help create a modern and transparent governance space that serves residents better, build a connected and guiding public transport infrastructure system, and establish cultural institutions that harmonise contemporary development with the preservation of historical and cultural values," the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee chairman said (Photo: Nam Anh).
The Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem metro line, invested under a public-private partnership model through a build-transfer contract, will run for about 6 kilometres. The entire route will be underground from Ben Thanh, passing beneath the Saigon River to Thu Thiem before continuing along Mai Chi Tho Road to Thu Thiem station. It is the third urban railway project to break ground in Ho Chi Minh City, after the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien and Ben Thanh - Tham Luong lines.
Notably, the ceremony marks the first time Vietnam has begun construction of a fully underground metro project, including a section running beneath a riverbed, highlighting a major advance in transport infrastructure construction technology (Photo: Nam Anh).
The central square and new administrative centre project covers about 46.72 hectares and is being developed under a build-transfer contract, with completion expected in 2028. The administrative centre, spanning 7.84 hectares, will be designed as a 30-storey complex, meeting the working needs of about 8,000 officials and civil servants and serving 1,500-2,000 residents and businesses each day under a modern one-stop model (Photo: Nam Anh).
The central square is designed to hold about 268,000 people and can be expanded to as many as 500,000 during major events. The project also includes a conference and performance centre with about 2,000 seats, integrated with landscaped parks and a central lake to create green space and a range of amenities (Photo: Nam Anh).
At Nha Rong Wharf in Xom Chieu Ward, the city held a groundbreaking ceremony for the renovation and upgrading of the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Ho Chi Minh City branch, helping preserve and promote its historical value (Photo: Khoa Nguyen).
At the same venue, Ho Chi Minh City handed over the decision approving the investor for the Can Gio international transshipment port project, opening up opportunities for the city’s marine economy (Photo: Khoa Nguyen).
Delegates pressed the ceremonial button to launch the project at the Nha Rong Wharf venue, marking the start of strategically significant works (Photo: Khoa Nguyen).
The Ho Chi Minh Museum site will be expanded to about 11 hectares, nearly 10 times its current size. At the same time, the city will widen Nguyen Tat Thanh Road towards the port to at least eight lanes and build a new Tan Thuan 1 Bridge, significantly improving transport infrastructure in the area (Photo: Nam Anh).
The remaining area of the Nha Rong - Khanh Hoi Port site will be planned as a landscaped park, riverside public space and passenger port, creating an urban landmark and serving residents’ leisure and tourism needs. This project is also being implemented under a build-transfer contract (Photo: Nam Anh).
The launch of these large-scale and significant projects is intended to build momentum and demonstrate the determination and coordinated engagement of Ho Chi Minh City’s entire political system in implementing the resolution of the 14th National Party Congress and the city Party Congress resolution. (Photo: Nam Anh).