According to an official announcement released by the Hanoi People’s Committee on April 20, the capital is now home to 12 central urban districts with 153 wards, accounting for over 42% of the city’s population despite covering just 9% of its total area.

Under the restructuring option, Hoan Kiem district will be reduced from 18 wards to just two, with the planned names of Hoan Kiem and Cua Nam, while Ba Dinh district will merge 13 wards into three – Ba Dinh, Ngoc Ha, and Giang Vo.

Dong Da district will shrink from 17 wards to five, Long Bien from 13 to four, Tay Ho from eight to two, Cau Giay from eight to three, Ha Dong from 15 to five, Hoang Mai from 14 to seven, Thanh Xuan from 11 to three, Bac Tu Liem from 13 to five, and Nam Tu Liem from 10 to four.

A new administrative unit, Hong Ha ward, is to be established with an area of 16.61 square kilometres and a population of approximately 126,000. This ward will be formed through the mergence of the entirety of Chuong Duong and Phuc Tan wards (Hoan Kiem); Phuc Xa (Ba Dinh); most of Nhat Tan, Tu Lien, and Yen Phu (Tay Ho); Bach Dang and Thanh Luong (Hai Ba Trung); as well as parts of Phu Thuong and Quang An (Tay Ho), and Ngoc Thuy and Bo De (Long Bien).

Hanoi also has 17 suburban districts and Son Tay township, which collectively span 91% of its area and accommodate nearly 58% of its residents. They comprise 373 wards, communes and commune-level towns. The plan will see Son Tay’s 13 sub-level administrative units cut to just three.

52 provincial-level administrative units to be reorganised: draft resolution

The Ministry of Home Affairs has completed a National Assembly Standing Committee draft resolution on the re-organisation of administrative units to submit to the Ministry of Justice for verification.