“This district wasn’t always a district, you know.” Xã Phú Hữu, here in Ho Chi Minh City, has a longer history than you might expect. Before the arrival of the French, this area was a peaceful village known as Phú Hữu village. It was part of An Bình County in Gia Định Province. Over time, it merged with other villages like An Thạnh, Hồng Thạnh, Tân Điền, and Tuy Thạnh to form a larger community. After 1956, Phú Hữu was designated as a “xã” under the administration of Thủ Đức. Then, in 1975, it became part of Ho Chi Minh City. But the story doesn’t end there. On January 6th, 1997, a government decree led to a major change. Xã Phú Hữu was transferred to the newly established District 9 and officially became Phú Hữu Ward. The ward encompassed an area of 1,073 hectares from the original xã, along with 140 hectares from Bình Trưng xã and 28 hectares from An Phú xã. It had a population of 3,939 people. Today, Xã Phú Hữu continues to thrive as part of Thủ Đức City.
Hàm Luông River
The gentle rocking of a sampan on the water. This is the Hàm Luông River. A vital artery coursing through