The Thanh Da Peninsula (also known as the Binh Quoi Peninsula in Binh Thanh District) is a strategically located area in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, surrounded by the Saigon River and the Thanh Da Canal. The peninsula has a unique and eye-catching shape after 30 years of “hanging” planning, this place has been almost forgotten and has not been developed to its full potential. To “revive” this place, Ho Chi Minh City is organizing an international competition to find planning and architectural ideas for the Binh Quoi – Thanh Da Peninsula, from November 2023 to March this year. The prize for this competition is expected to reach millions of USD, to attract high-level specialized units in the fields of consulting and international urban planning, to achieve the best results. There are currently no publicly available designs for the competition and the city has not yet prepared detailed drawings and descriptions for each area. Below is an imaginative image of the modern development of Thanh Da Peninsula, based on the criteria of green urban areas, convenient transportation, and many amenities…which was created by AI ChatGPT.
The Thanh Da Peninsula (Ward 28, Binh Thanh District) is located in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, surrounded by the Saigon River and the Thanh Da Canal. The peninsula is planned to become the “super urban area” of Binh Quoi – Thanh Da (Ward 27, 28, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City).
The approved plan since 1992, with an area of about 426 ha, the new urban area is expected to have full functions according to modern ecological urban criteria, serving a population of 41,000 – 50,000 people. However, the planning has been “suspended” for 30 years, and the area is still a rural area in the heart of the city.
Therefore, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Architecture organized an international competition to find planning and architectural ideas for the Binh Quoi – Thanh Da Peninsula, Binh Thanh District, from November 2023 to March this year. The scope of the study is the entire peninsula, with a total area of nearly 427 ha, along with some areas facing the Saigon River, especially Truong Tho Urban Area, Thu Duc City and Binh Thanh District.
The general requirement set by the city is for the peninsula to become a sustainable and modern ecological urban area, contributing to the development of the economy and society.
Thanh Da is almost an island, surrounded by a river, with only one bridge leading in, so there is not much traffic. The fresh air from the river gives this place a cooler climate, less hot than many other areas of Ho Chi Minh City.
Thanh Da has been under the river water level for more than ten years. To urbanize Thanh Da, a large part of the island will need to be filled, which will destroy the entire natural landscape. Therefore, Ho Chi Minh City wants to transform this place into an ecological urban area. In the design image, there is a pedestrian square area on the peninsula, along the Saigon River.
In the future, Thanh Da must be preserved as a natural area for Ho Chi Minh City residents to enjoy, a place for relaxation, with restaurants, cafes, walking and cycling paths, places to rest, enjoy music, festivals…
Parks, sports fields along the river will be the highlight of the ecological urban area in a city with the fastest urbanization rate in the country like Ho Chi Minh City.
Thanh Da will develop green transportation such as bicycles, electric vehicles, waterways with canoes, kayaks,…
Boat docks departing from this island will serve the needs of people and tourists to visit the Saigon River.
The Thanh Da ecological urban area will have small boutique hotels, houses for artists, writers, poets, art galleries, handicrafts, art museums…
Thanh Da in the future will have many small restaurants, cafes on the lake or along the river for relaxation or even parties. This will be a place that domestic and foreign tourists like to explore because of its uniqueness and strong Vietnamese identity.
Outdoor playgrounds arranged in parks along the Saigon River and children’s playgrounds are an indispensable part of the Thanh Da ecological urban area.
According to the design created by AI, the Thanh Da Peninsula urban area has a transportation system connecting modern central areas by both road, waterway, and urban railway…
The tree-lined roads in the Thanh Da ecological urban area are truly a remedy for residents.
Thanh Da will be a special and unique area that exists in the most bustling city of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City.
Thanh Da will be a wonderful part in the symphony of the Saigon River project.
