This is the second annual Ho Chi Minh City construction update (here is the 2019 construction update), and what a difference a year makes. At the end of 2019 Vietnam had recorded over 7% GDP annual growth, capping off a record decade of growth. And then COVID-19 struck. With international travel all but closed down, […]
ho chi minh city
Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh Railway: news about the proposed railway between Vietnam and Cambodia
The Ho Chi Minh City – Phnom Penh Railway is a proposed railway connecting the capital of Cambodia with the largest city in Vietnam. It currently takes 7-8 hours to travel by bus between Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh. A train could potentially reduce the trip to under 2 hours. Despite the two […]
Ho Chi Minh City Metro 2020 construction update
Ho Chi Minh City is in the process of building its first metro line in a planned 9-line urban rail transit system of metro, light rail, and monorails. As part of the Future Southeast Asia annual construction report series, this article refers to developments over the past year. Here is the 2020 construction update for […]
Future Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area – Construction and infrastructure projects in Greater HCMC
The Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area comprises of Ho Chi Minh City and seven surrounding provinces. Ho Chi Minh City has been growing so fast that cities in neighbouring provinces have been subsumed into Greater Ho Chi Minh City. The official designated metropolitan area includes all the provinces in the Southeast region and two […]
Sunshine Tower – Proposed 370-metre twin tower in Ho Chi Minh City
Sunshine Tower is a proposed twin-tower development in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City. The tower is named after the developer, Sunshine Group. The property is located on one of the “golden land” sites, one of the parcels of land so named by the city as being in a desirable location that can be […]
Construction projects near Line 1 Ho Chi Minh City Metro
The first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City has been under construction since 2012, and it was scheduled to be completed in 2018. After a number of delays and cost blowouts, Line 1 of the HCMC Metro is tentatively scheduled to open in 2024. Line 1 is 19.7 km long and will have 14 […]
Empire City – The future landmark development of Ho Chi Minh City
Empire City is a major property development in the Thu Thiem New Urban Area of Ho Chi Minh City. The project is located on one of the prime riverfront subdivisions of the Thu Thiem new urban area. The Empire City development covers 14.56 hectares and it will include over 3000 apartments, hotels, retail, food and […]
Ho Chi Minh City Metro Concept Map (if Saigon had a subway like Shanghai)
A concept map of the future Ho Chi Minh City Metro that combines officially proposed and new lines together. If Saigon had a subway like Shanghai, this is what it would look like. If Saigon had a subway like Shanghai In 2012 Ho Chi Minh City began the first of nine planned transit railways (6 […]
A guide to District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
[EDIT: District 2 of Ho Chi Minh City no longer exists. On January 1, 2021, districts 2, 9, and Thu Duc were merged to form Thu Duc City. This article remains as an archive of development that was happening in the District 2 area.] District 2 in Ho Chi Minh City is one of the […]
Ho Chi Minh City construction update – what to expect in 2019
2018 was a mixed bag for development in Saigon. On the one hand, the Vinhomes Central Park project was completed, with Landmark 81 becoming the tallest tower in Vietnam. At 461.5 metres it claimed the title of being the tallest building in Southeast Asia, overtaking the Petronas Twin Towers by 9.5 metres. It was also […]










