“Binh Chieu Ward sounds like a place lost in time” someone murmured as we approached. But is Binh Chieu Ward really a relic, or is it a vibrant part of a city on the move? Today, we explore Binh Chieu Ward in Ho Chi Minh City. It is one of the 34 wards within Thu Duc City.
To understand Binh Chieu Ward, we must first understand Thu Duc City. This isn’t just any district. Thu Duc City is a city within Ho Chi Minh City. It was founded on December 9, 2020. It combined Districts 2, 9, and Thu Duc District.
Thu Duc City spans 211.56 square kilometers. In 2019, it had a population of over one million people. The goal was to boost economic growth in the Southern Key Economic Zone. Think of it like London’s Canary Wharf, or Silicon Valley. The idea is to give it autonomy. This helps innovation and competitiveness. It is similar to what China did with Shenzhen.
Now, where does Binh Chieu Ward fit into all this? Binh Chieu is one of the subdivisions that make up this new city. After some administrative shuffling, Ho Chi Minh City has 22 district-level areas. These comprise 1 city, 16 urban districts, and 5 rural districts. There are 312 commune-level subdivisions including 249 wards. Binh Chieu is one of these wards.
Thu Duc City aims to be an innovation hub. There are eight innovation centers planned. These range from Fintech to EcoTech hubs. Binh Chieu Ward contributes to this larger picture. It is part of a modernizing region. Thu Duc City is expected to contribute significantly to Ho Chi Minh City’s economy. It aims to account for 7 percent of Vietnam’s total GDP. That’s a substantial amount. It is second only to Hanoi in economic scale.
So, while Binh Chieu Ward might sound like just another place, it’s actually part of something bigger. It is part of Thu Duc City. It is part of Vietnam’s economic future. As we continue our tour, consider how places like Binh Chieu Ward contribute to the larger story of Ho Chi Minh City.