BackHeritage » Saigon » [Photos] The Amazing Evolution Of Phan Xích Long Street

[Photos] The Amazing Evolution Of Phan Xích Long Street

When we think about the words “new urban area” applied to Ho Chi Minh City, we usually think about Phu My Hung at Saigon South in District 7. Many people do not realize that one of the most successful new urban areas is in the middle of the inner city.

The new urban area focused on Phan Xích Long Street in Phú Nhuận District is now one of the most vibrant areas of the city. But only 20 to 25 years ago, this area was a wetlands along Rạch Miễu, which drained into the Thị Nghè canal between the Phú Nhuận and Bình Thạnh Districts and District 1. 

In 1972, Phan Xích Long Street in Gia Định (now Phú Nhuận district) was only a narrow dirt path, ending at the Rạch Miễu wetlands.

On behalf of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Navy Officer-in-Charge-of-Construction (OICC-RVN) awarded a construction contract to Vietnamese constructor VIHICO to build a 1km-long drainage tunnel under Phan Đăng Lưu Street and the path that would become Phan Xích Long Street. The tunnel connected to an existing tunnel draining Võ Tánh Street (now Huàng Văn Thự Street) at the Phu Nhuan Crossroads and terminated at the Rạch Miễu wetlands.

Sometime prior to 2000, the wetlands were drained and filled, and infrastructure was installed to accommodate the new urban area. The historical imagery on Google Earth indicates that modern Phan Xích Long Street was paved in 2002 or 2003. By 2005, about 45% of the buildings in the master plan had been constructed, and by 2008, almost all of the buildings had been constructed or were under construction.

Related Articles

in Saigon

10 Old Photos Of Carriages In Saigon

Before motorized transportation was the norm in Saigon, horse-drawn carts were used to move both goods and people.

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures (and History) of the Saigon Opera House

The Saigon Opera House (aka the Municipal Theatre) is one of Saigon’s oldest buildings and one of the city’s best examples of classical French architecture. Constructed at the turn of the 20th century...

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures of Advertisements in Saigon

Before 1975, large advertisements were commonplace in Saigon. But after the American War and the fall of capitalism in the South, ads were considered a vestige of the old order and were heavily regula...

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures of Art Deco Buildings in Saigon

Art deco is by far our favorite architectural style, one which luckily, Saigon has in spades. However, with each passing day, these buildings are being torn down to make way for modern structures whic...

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures of Cars in Saigon

Though cars have been present in the country since the turn of the 20th century, decades of war (1941 – 1975) and an economic stagnation (1975 – 1986) drastically reduced the number of automobiles in ...

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures of People in Saigon

We often look to old buildings in order reconnect with the past since they are clear and static reference points. Though useful, another important window into the past is the day-to-day lives of peopl...

Partner Content