Long before the National Assembly officially named Ho Chi Minh City in 1976, a proposal to rename Saigon after President Ho Chi Minh had already emerged in 1946, reflecting a powerful historical aspiration.
Editor's note: Half a century ago, Vietnam's National Assembly officially designated Saigon–Gia Dinh as Ho Chi Minh City, marking a landmark event in the nation's modern history. Since then, the city bearing President Ho Chi Minh's name has grown into Vietnam's economic engine while repeatedly pioneering new approaches to development and institutional reform.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the city officially receiving the name of President Ho Chi Minh (July 2, 1976 – July 2, 2026), VietNamNet presents this special series tracing the origins of the city's symbolic name and highlighting its development journey, resilience, aspirations and pioneering role as Vietnam enters a new era of growth.
"First to act, last to retreat"
According to Associate Professor Ha Minh Hong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Historical Science Association, the land of Saigon–Gia Dinh is closely linked to two pivotal moments in Vietnam's struggle for independence.
The first came at dawn on February 17, 1859, when French and Spanish forces attacked the Can Gio estuary, launching the colonial conquest of Vietnam. More than 86 years later, on the morning of August 23, 1945, the Southern Regional Party Committee decided at its third Cho Dem Conference to launch the General Uprising in Gia Dinh, Cho Lon and Saigon, bringing power into the hands of the people.
Associate Professor Ha Minh Hong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Historical Science Association, former resistance fighter and former Dean of the Faculty of History at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by Phuoc Sang
The name Gia Dinh dates back to 1698, when Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu established Gia Dinh Prefecture. Under Emperor Minh Mang it became Gia Dinh Province, one of the six provinces of southern Vietnam. The name Saigon has circulated since the 17th century and was recorded by scholar Le Quy Don in 1774. During the French colonial period, Saigon (1877) and Cho Lon (1879) became official administrative names before being merged into the Saigon–Cho Lon municipal area in 1931.
The second historic milestone came on September 2, 1945, when residents of Saigon–Gia Dinh gathered to hear President Ho Chi Minh proclaim Vietnam's independence from Hanoi. Three weeks later, on September 23, the Southern Regional Party Committee launched nationwide armed resistance in southern Vietnam to defend the newly established revolutionary government. Nearly 30 years later, on April 30, 1975, the Ho Chi Minh Campaign concluded in Saigon, ending three decades of war and achieving national reunification.
Between 1945 and 1975, the area carried several official names reflecting changing political circumstances, including Saigon–Cho Lon Municipality, Saigon Municipality, and, on the revolutionary side, Saigon–Gia Dinh Special Zone or Military Region. Following reunification, in May 1975, Gia Dinh Province - excluding Can Gio - along with parts of Long An, Binh Duong and Hau Nghia provinces, was merged with the former Saigon Municipality to form Saigon–Gia Dinh City.
A proposal published in 1946
Between those two historic milestones lies a remarkable story beginning with physician Tran Huu Nghiep.
On August 25, 1946, during a gathering in Hanoi marking the first anniversary of Vietnam's revolutionary government, Dr. Nghiep joined fellow southern officials and residents living in the capital in proposing that Saigon be renamed Ho Chi Minh City in recognition of President Ho Chi Minh's contributions to the nation.
The proposal appeared on the front page of Cuu Quoc newspaper on August 27, 1946.
According to the published account, everyone attending supported a petition asking the National Assembly and Government to rename Saigon as Ho Chi Minh City. The proposal was signed by 57 people, including Dr. Tran Huu Nghiep, lawyer Tran Cong Tuong, physician Nguyen Tan Gi Trong, Do Dinh Thien, Hoang Quoc Viet, and Ton Duc Thang.
At the time, President Ho Chi Minh was in France participating in crucial negotiations. No historical evidence confirms whether he was directly informed of the proposal. Before leaving Vietnam, however, he had urged southern compatriots to remain confident in the country's eventual reunification.
Speaking to overseas Vietnamese and French supporters of Vietnam in Paris on September 2, 1946, Ho Chi Minh again emphasized his deep affection for the people of southern Vietnam and his hope that the country would never be permanently divided. That sentiment inspired generations of soldiers and civilians in the South to follow his path, sacrificing for national reunification while hoping one day to welcome him back.
The proposal to rename Saigon published in Cuu Quoc newspaper.
Parliament's decision after three decades
Throughout the 30 years of resistance - from the nine-year war against French colonial rule to the 21-year conflict that followed - the name Ho Chi Minh City gradually became embedded in the consciousness of both civilians and soldiers.
In 1954, poet To Huu referred to "Ho Chi Minh City, radiant with its golden name" in his poem Ta Di Toi. On May 2, 1975, Nhan Dan newspaper used the name while reporting on the liberation of the Independence Palace. The first edition of Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper on May 5, 1975 also described the city as being honored to bear President Ho Chi Minh's name.
Around the same time, the song Tieng Hat Tu Thanh Pho Mang Ten Nguoi (Song from the City Bearing His Name) was composed.
International recognition also appeared quickly. On May 12, 1975, Time magazine's special issue on the end of the Vietnam War labeled the city as Ho Chi Minh City on its map.
The National Assembly resolution adopted on July 2, 1976 stated that "the people of Saigon–Gia Dinh have always expressed boundless affection for President Ho Chi Minh and earnestly wished for the city to bear his name." It further recognized that the city had "consistently upheld the nation's tradition of resilience and heroism throughout the long revolutionary struggle," making it worthy of carrying the name of President Ho Chi Minh.
During its first session from June 24 to July 3, 1976, Vietnam's Sixth National Assembly officially resolved that Saigon–Gia Dinh would be named Ho Chi Minh City.
According to Associate Professor Ha Minh Hong, Parliament was not simply "renaming" the city but formally bestowing the name, acknowledging Saigon–Gia Dinh's unique historical significance as the place where Ho Chi Minh departed Vietnam in search of a path to national liberation and where southern Vietnam consistently stood at the forefront of the country's struggle for independence.
Fifty years of pride
Ho Chi Minh City continues expanding through major modern infrastructure projects. Photo: N.H
In his view, the city's adoption of Ho Chi Minh's name was a process spanning three decades - from an individual initiative by Dr. Tran Huu Nghiep to a widely shared aspiration among intellectuals and patriots. It reflected a growing recognition of Saigon's central role both in the struggle for national independence and later in Vietnam's reconstruction and reform.
Looking back over the past 50 years, he described the city's name as a source of legitimate pride rooted firmly in history. It was from this city that the young Nguyen Tat Thanh, later known as President Ho Chi Minh, departed in 1911 on the journey that would eventually lead Vietnam toward independence and reunification.
The city also symbolizes the courage, sacrifice and patriotism of generations of residents who have consistently embraced the spirit of "for the nation, together with the nation," while serving as a lasting tribute to President Ho Chi Minh - Vietnam's great leader, national liberation hero and distinguished cultural figure.
Living up to the name
Speaking further with VietNamNet, Associate Professor Ha Minh Hong said the mutual affection between President Ho Chi Minh and the people of southern Vietnam has become a lasting source of motivation through both war and more than half a century of peace.
Following reunification, that aspiration evolved into a practical question: how could the city bearing President Ho Chi Minh's name truly live up to it?
He believes this ambition has driven continuous transformation, particularly in infrastructure, which strengthens social connectivity. During wartime, cities were tightly controlled and urbanization often occurred under coercive conditions. After April 30, 1975, improved infrastructure enabled people to travel, build careers, return to their hometowns and reconnect with the city more freely.
He pointed to bridges and roads as clear examples. Saigon Bridge has expanded to roughly three times its original width. Tan Thuan Bridge has been joined by Tan Thuan 2 Bridge. Dirt roads have become wide boulevards, ring roads and metro lines.
He also cited the transformation of the Nhieu Loc–Thi Nghe Canal, once notorious for polluted waterways and informal settlements, into a restored urban landscape supporting tourism and public recreation.
A spirit forged through hardship
Reflecting on Ho Chi Minh City's reputation for pioneering reform, Ha Minh Hong said its defining characteristic has always been the willingness to think boldly, act decisively and accept responsibility - a mindset shaped during years of hardship and conflict.
"Being first does not mean taking reckless risks. It means being bold and creative in ways that genuinely benefit the people, rather than seeking recognition," he said, recalling President Ho Chi Minh's well-known principle: "Whatever benefits the people, we must do our utmost to achieve; whatever harms the people, we must avoid."
He argued that such a spirit depends on mutual trust - leaders trusting citizens, citizens trusting leaders, and the central government trusting the city. That confidence has repeatedly led Ho Chi Minh City to pilot new institutional reforms, including today's two-tier local government model.
He also explained that the principle of "Ho Chi Minh City for the nation, and the nation for Ho Chi Minh City" emerged from historical necessity after the August Revolution, when the city became the frontline of resistance while receiving nationwide support - from the volunteer forces heading south in 1945 to decades of solidarity throughout the wars.
Today, the Ben Duoc Memorial Temple in Cu Chi, dedicated to people from across Vietnam who sacrificed for national liberation and reunification, stands as a lasting symbol of that shared commitment.
The same spirit continues through the city's efforts to pioneer institutional reforms benefiting not only itself but the entire country. It has since become an official guiding principle under Resolution No. 09, evolving into part of Ho Chi Minh City's identity as a compassionate metropolis that welcomes people from every region of Vietnam.
Having personally experienced the war years, Ha Minh Hong described the city's transformation since 1975 as extraordinary - from the headquarters of a wartime administration to Vietnam's leading economic, cultural and social center in the south. Within a decade after reunification, former devastated suburban "white belts" had become productive "green belts," gradually erasing the scars of war.
Looking ahead, he believes Parliament chose the city's name because it deserved the honor, and that over the past 50 years it has continued to justify that decision. To remain worthy of the name, however, the city must preserve the values that have defined it: pioneering spirit, innovation, compassion and the determination to solve challenges not only for itself but for the nation.
In the years ahead, he hopes the principle of "Ho Chi Minh City for the nation, and the nation for Ho Chi Minh City" will continue guiding its development, helping position the metropolis as one of Southeast Asia's leading mega-cities and a globally competitive symbol of Vietnam in the 21st century.
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