Recalling history or sequential numbering?

The People's Committee of Thu Duc City proposes naming the subordinate units from Thu Duc 1 to Thu Duc 9 - Photo: TU TRUNG

By March 26th, 16 districts and Thu Duc City had submitted proposals to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee regarding the arrangement of the number and names of new grassroots administrative units according to the two-tiered local government organizational model.

Besides the number of new facilities, the proposed names for each new facility have also attracted considerable public attention and discussion, with many offering their opinions.

Naming wards should prioritize place names familiar to the people, not necessarily those with a nostalgic feel. According to this perspective, in addition to preserving traditional identity, it is also necessary to retain the current characteristics of each locality.

Reader Rosi

These names evoke the history of each region.

A common feature of the proposed names for most districts and Thu Duc City is that they all suggest names using letters – including those currently using numerical ward names. Each name is carefully considered, taking into account historical and cultural factors associated with the region's formation, the identifying characteristics of the area (the proposed new administrative unit), and the convenience for residents in future transactions.

Many compliments such as "good name," "meaningful name," etc., were sent by residents to the proposed names submitted by the People's Committees of Districts 5, Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Phu Nhuan, etc.

Binh Thanh District has proposed naming four new wards (according to the district's proposed reorganization plan) as Gia Dinh, Binh Hoa, Thanh My Tay, and Binh Quoi.

Ms. Thai Thi Hong Nga, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Thanh District, shared that besides the two familiar names Gia Dinh and Binh Quoi, the district is considering proposing the "re-establishment" of two other names, Thanh My Tay and Binh Hoa, due to their historical origins in the development of the Binh Thanh area. The current name Binh Thanh is based on the merger of Binh Hoa and Thanh My Tay districts in June 1976. Before that, both districts (formerly two communes) were part of Gia Dinh province.

Meanwhile, Go Vap district proposed reorganizing the current 12 wards into three new grassroots administrative units named Go Vap, Thong Tay Hoi, and An Nhon.

According to Nguyen Tri Dung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Go Vap District, after 1975, Go Vap was a district of Saigon - Gia Dinh City. In July 1976, after the National Assembly renamed Saigon City to Ho Chi Minh City, Go Vap District was left with the land of three communes: Hanh Thong, An Nhon, and Thong Tay Hoi.

"The proposal to name the grassroots units Gò Vấp, Thông Tây Hội, and An Nhơn after new names aims to preserve traditional values. Otherwise, in one or two generations, they will forget, no longer remember or know what the name Gò Vấp is, or where it originated from," Mr. Dũng said.

The two new ward names, Duc Nhuan and Phu Nhuan, were proposed by Phu Nhuan District. A representative from the Phu Nhuan District People's Committee stated that the name Phu Nhuan District is linked to Saigon's 300-year history and is a beautiful name derived from the saying "Phu Nhuan oc, duc Nhuan than" (roughly translated as "wealth beautifies houses, virtue beautifies oneself"). The proposal for these two new names aims to preserve the beauty and long-standing traditions of the compassionate land of Phu Nhuan.

While District 5 is proposing three names for the two new wards, with An Dong being the finalized name, the remaining ward is considering choosing between Dong Khanh or Ben Ham Tu.

The district leaders shared that An Dong and Dong Khanh were the former names of wards in the district, but further assessment of cultural and historical factors is needed. Meanwhile, the history of the formation of Cho Lon urban area shows that people traded and transported goods by waterway, thus forming wharves and docks to gather goods for transport to the market. District 5 currently has Ham Tu Wharf, which follows the Hang Bang canal into Cho Lon.

Should we use the same name plus a number, or a name that's ingrained in people's subconscious?

Among the proposed options, some districts and even Thu Duc City suggested a simpler, unified name with a number added for each administrative unit. The People's Committee of Thu Duc City proposed two options for organizing administrative units according to a two-tiered government model: one model where Thu Duc City is a subordinate administrative unit of Ho Chi Minh City, and another model dividing it into nine administrative units. Under the nine-unit model, Thu Duc proposed naming the administrative units from Thu Duc 1 to Thu Duc 9.

According to the leaders of the Thu Duc City People's Committee, naming the wards using a sequential numbering system from 1 to 9, along with the name "Thu Duc," not only aligns with the recommendations of the Ministry of Interior but also helps create cohesion among the wards. If organized as nine wards, these units would still share certain common characteristics.

On the other hand, retaining the name "Thu Duc" will help create unity in thinking and action among the nine ward party committees. At the same time, this is also a way to express and reflect the common characteristics of this region over the past 300 years.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre newspaper, sociologist Dr. Le Minh Tien (Ho Chi Minh City Open University) said that the naming conventions for administrative units in many districts of Ho Chi Minh City basically take into account each element of cultural and historical value.

Carefully reading each name reveals a historical connection to its formation; the names of places or regions often carry significant imprints and stories associated with those districts and counties. Long-time residents of these districts and counties, or those interested in specific areas, can easily recognize these names.

According to Mr. Tien, since the number of grassroots units after reorganization is much smaller than the current number of wards and communes, careful consideration should be given to choosing names that are associated with the historical formation and famous landmarks deeply ingrained in the people's consciousness. It is not advisable to rigidly combine the names of wards and communes, as this would be dry, meaningless, and would diminish the cultural value and historical significance of each area.

"Emotionally, many people may feel somewhat disturbed, a sense of loss, when localities and regions merge. With a small number of units, there will be temporary names that are not chosen, which may later be used to name squares, cultural works, roads, etc."

"Among the many names associated with the land, choosing the most prominent, longest-standing, and easily recognizable name in the people's subconscious would be better than choosing a new name," Mr. Tien suggested.

Lively discussion among Tuoi Tre readers.

Residents are completing procedures at the People's Committee of Ward 15, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City. It is expected that Ward 15 will be included within the Phu Nhuan Ward area if the Phu Nhuan District's proposal is approved - Photo: TTD

District 5: Reader Chau Dao suggested creating a new ward called Cho Lon because it is a long-standing place name closely associated with the district. Sharing this view, reader Nguyen suggested that the two new wards should be named Cho Lon and Dong Khanh, as both hold significant historical value.

District 6: A proposal has been made to merge 14 existing wards to form four new wards with the proposed names Binh Tien, Binh Tay, Binh Phu, and Phu Lam. Reader Tuan Lo Gom believes these names are both appropriate to the local context and carry traditional significance, making it convenient for residents to identify the area.

Tan Binh District: The plan is to reduce the number of wards from 15 to four, with proposed names: Tan Binh, Bau Cat, Bay Hien, and Tan Son Nhat. Reader Ngan highly appreciates this proposal, especially considering the name Bay Hien very reasonable, while Bau Cat and Tan Son Nhat also clearly reflect the characteristics of the area. One reader even suggested the name Tan Son Nhat to better suit the Southern Vietnamese dialect.

Binh Thanh District: Many readers have suggested that the name Thi Nghe should be retained instead of Thanh My Tay, as it is a more familiar and easily recognizable place name.

Readers of "Another Perspective" also emphasized that it is not necessary to restore names that are less relevant to current life. Instead, names like Tan Cang or Thi Nghe would be more familiar to people both inside and outside the area.

Reader Trọng specifically suggested renaming Bình Quới ward to Thanh Đa, because for a long time, people have been accustomed to calling this area the Thanh Đa peninsula instead of the Bình Quới peninsula.

Furthermore, the name Thanh Đa is easier to pronounce and is the center of wards 25, 27, and 28. Meanwhile, reader Nguyen Thanh Long reiterates that the current name Binh Thanh originates from the merger of Binh Hoa and Thanh My Tay.

Phu Nhuan District: Regarding the two proposed new wards, reader Quang suggests that one ward should retain the name Phu Nhuan, while the new ward could be named Xa Tai, as this was the former name of Phu Nhuan Market.

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/ten-phuong-moi-goi-nho-lich-su-hay-so-thu-tu-247391.html