Naming streets requires a historical and cultural "identity".

VHO - Ho Chi Minh City is currently seeking feedback on the draft regulations for naming and renaming streets and public works in the city. This is an important step towards standardizing the naming process, ensuring scientific accuracy, historical relevance, and suitability to urban development realities.

The People's Committee of Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, will hold a ceremony to announce the decision to name the street Pham Khac in February 2026. The name Pham Khac will be given to the road connecting the two main traffic arteries, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Nguyen Dinh Chieu.

The draft is based on current regulations. The drafting agency has publicly posted the draft to solicit broad feedback from organizations and individuals. The deadline for receiving feedback is April 22, 2026.

Comments and suggestions can be sent to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports (164 Dong Khoi Street, Saigon Ward) or via email to the Cultural Heritage Department (dsvh.svhtt@tphcm.gov.vn).

Names should be consistent and avoid disruption.

One of the key aspects of the draft is the regulation of principles for naming and renaming roads and public works. Accordingly, roads and works that have been built according to the plan and are in stable use will be considered for naming or renaming.

The draft emphasizes that the names of roads and public works that already have familiar names, deeply rooted in the history and cultural traditions of the nation and the city, and that have been ingrained in the consciousness and feelings of the people for generations, should not be changed.

Renaming a street or public facility should only be considered if the name is no longer appropriate in terms of historical and cultural significance, is inconsistent with local customs and traditions, or has a negative social impact. However, this must be done carefully, minimizing disruption and changes to previously named streets and public facilities.

The draft regulations stipulate that alleyways will not be named; naming is not mandatory for commune roads, village roads, internal roads, or specialized roads. Furthermore, renaming is not mandatory in cases of local administrative boundary adjustments.

Street names are selected from groups including: prominent figures, national heroes; historical events; geographical locations; historical sites; or nouns with significant political , cultural, or social meaning. These names must be included in the "Name Bank" approved by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. The naming of streets must be linked to urban development planning, be scientifically sound, historically and culturally appropriate, stable in the long term, and convenient for the public.

Delegates perform the ceremony to announce the name of Pham Khac Street (in February 2026).

Prioritize historical and cultural values, avoid duplication.

The draft also outlines specific principles for naming. Accordingly, based on the location, level, and scale of the road and public works, names should be chosen that are commensurate with the meaning of the place, the importance of historical events, and the contributions of prominent figures. Names of historical figures from the same era or field of activity are prioritized to be placed close together, forming clusters of related road names.

Place names associated with historical events; former administrative units; names of historical figures related to historical events or places are given priority for naming roads passing through that area or adjacent roads.

For historical figures, only use their names after their death and choose the most popular name. Do not name multiple roads or buildings after the same historical figure.

In cases of name duplication between historical figures, pseudonyms, aliases, titles, pen names, etc., can be used. For historical figures with multiple names (such as given name, alias, title, pen name, etc.), only the most common name, widely known to the public, should be used to name streets and public works.

Long, continuous routes should only have one name; if they are intersected by a major intersection, a different name may be considered for the next section. For branch roads, the main route name can be combined with a sequential number from smallest to largest, arranged in a North-to-South or East-to-West direction.

The corner of Nguyen Hue and Le Thanh Ton streets in front of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee building.

Establish a "Name Bank" as a long-term foundation.

According to the draft, the place names, historical and cultural relics, historical events, and representative nouns considered and selected for inclusion in the "Name Bank" must be truly representative and closely associated with the development of Ho Chi Minh City, including: ancient place names, former administrative place names of Ho Chi Minh City; famous place names with significant historical and cultural value or marking major historical events of the nation; names of sister cities or localities with special relationships with Ho Chi Minh City.

Historical and cultural relics, scenic spots of national and Ho Chi Minh City value; national-ranked relics, revolutionary movements, patriotic movements, historical events of significant value… are considered and selected to supplement the "Name Bank".

For prominent figures and historical personalities, the selection criteria are those who have made outstanding contributions to the City and the country, such as famous people both domestically and internationally, national heroes, martyrs, revolutionary soldiers, pioneers and developers of the economy , Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, Heroes of the Armed Forces, and Labor Heroes.

Cases with differing opinions or unclear histories will not be considered for inclusion in the "Name Bank".

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports is the Standing Agency of the Council, presiding over and coordinating with relevant agencies and units to compile and supplement the "Name Bank" list, solicit opinions from relevant organizations and individuals, and report to the Council for its opinion before submitting it to the City People's Committee for the issuance of a Decision to add names to the "Name Bank".

The draft regulations clearly define the authority and procedures for naming and renaming streets. Accordingly, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council will make decisions for urban roads and large-scale projects of significant importance; the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee will make decisions for all other cases.

At the conference reviewing 20 years of implementing Government Decree No. 91/2005/ND-CP on the promulgation of regulations on naming and renaming roads, streets and public works, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports reported that from 2005 to the present, Ho Chi Minh City has named 643 roads and public works, renamed 3 roads, and adjusted the routes of 19 roads.

Currently, Ho Chi Minh City manages a "Bank of Street and Public Work Names" with 1,375 names, of which 620 have been used to name streets, and the remaining 755 names are unused.

These names are categorized into various types including famous people (domestic and international), geographical locations, historical events, revolutionary movements, historical and cultural relics, and scenic spots.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/dat-ten-duong-phai-co-can-cuoc-lich-su-van-hoa-220864.html