District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
Encyclopedia
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, with the most potential.
In the past, District 2 has been one of the poorest parts of Ho Chi Minh City due to the separation of the Saigon River
Saigon River
The Saigon River is a river located in southern Vietnam that rises near Phum Daung in southeastern Cambodia, flows south and south-southeast for about 140 miles and empties into the Nha Be River, which in its turn empties into the South China Sea some 20 km north-east of the Mekong Delta.The...
. However, it is now the new hope for the government of Ho Chi Minh City. Since the construction of the Thu Thiem Bridge and Thu Thiem Tunnel was announced a couple of years ago, District 2 has seen more change than ever. Thu Thiem Tunnel joins District 2 with District 1 (Central Sài Gòn), the central area of Ho Chi Minh City. The other new connection of District 2 to the central city area is the completed Thu Thiem Bridge which connects District 2 and Binh Thanh District. The tunnel is under construction and will come to fruition soon. The transportation to District 2 will be much more easier when the metro whose route contains District 2 comes in to use. This will be the first metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, and this will help Ho Chi Minh City to catch up with other cities.
The Vietnamese government is seeking to build a completely new district for wealthy citizens as well as a new economic center. Thanh Nien
Thanh Nien
Thanh Nien News is a Ho Chi Minh city-based newspaper in Vietnam. It is one of the most circulated newspapers in Vietnam. Thanh Nien News is released in Vietnamese and English. Thanh Nien News is an official organ of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth League and mainly focuses on social affairs....
and Tuoi Tre
Tuoi Tre
Tuổi Trẻ is a major daily newspaper in Vietnam, publishing in Vietnamese from Hồ Chí Minh City. It was originally a publication of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Organization of Hồ Chí Minh City, and while it is still the official mouthpiece of that organization, it has grown to become the...
, the two most prestigious newspapers in Vietnam, describe that the new District 2 will be as modern as Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Less prosperous agricultural workers of District 2 have been forced to move in slum clearance measures. Thatched houses will be replaced by multi-story house and villas. A few single-family homes will be constructed for those with large incomes. A large number of citizens would go on living in high-grade apartment blocks. Each block contains swimming pools, tennis courts, shopping malls, and other necessary services. There will be kindergartens, elementary schools, and high schools, but there will be no university, as all the universities are being moved to the Thu Duc district to form “The Village of University”, which is another plan of the city government. Beside the residential area will be the economic and trade zone with modern skyscrapers.
The district has 11 phường, or wards:
- An Lợi Đông
- An Khánh
- An Phú
- Bình An
- Bình Khánh
- Bình Trưng Đông
- Bình Trưng Tây
- Cát Lái
- Thảo Điền
- Thủ Thiêm
- Thạnh Mỹ Lợi
As of 2003 the district had a population of 108,610. The district covers an area of 50 km².