Building a prosperous Cu Lao Pho island.

Located in the middle of the Dong Nai River, Cu Lao Pho Island covers an area of ​​over 700 hectares and possesses outstanding advantages for the strong development of high-quality trade and services.

A corner of Cu Lao Pho island, Tran Bien ward, Dong Nai province.

In implementing the provincial planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, Dong Nai province has identified the Dong Nai River as one of the most important corridors and axes for socio -economic development, with the section flowing through Cu Lao Pho being a valuable asset for creating a riverside urban area.

Cu Lao Pho was once closely associated with the flourishing trade and exchange of goods on the docks and the development of the traditional market network in Bien Hoa - Dong Nai more than 300 years ago. However, for a long time, this place seemed to have "fallen asleep," and Dong Nai is now striving to awaken its potential and restore its value and bustling status with a series of large-scale investment projects.

Leveraging strengths to achieve breakthroughs.

Dr. Le Quang Can, who works at the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee and has always held a deep affection for the Cu Lao Pho area, believes it is one of the few masterpieces of nature in the middle reaches of the Dong Nai River.

Although not very large, Cu Lao Pho island preserves 11 communal houses, 6 temples, 3 hermitages, That Phu Co Mieu (Ancient Temple of That Phu), Cao Dai Holy Temple, and numerous shrines, ancient houses, and tombs with long-standing traditional value. Among these, two ancient temples, Dai Giac Pagoda and Ong Pagoda, have been classified as national historical relics. In addition, the national historical and cultural relic, Nguyen Huu Canh Temple, regularly attracts a large number of local people and tourists.

In line with the country's reform process, Cu Lao Pho Island has undergone significant changes, especially in its transportation infrastructure. Besides the Ghenh Bridge and Rach Cat Bridge, built in the early 20th century primarily for railway operations, many large-scale road bridges have been completed in recent years, such as Hiep Hoa, Buu Hoa, An Hao, and most recently, the Thong Nhat Bridge, which opened on February 3, 2026, connecting the island with neighboring areas and creating momentum for socio-economic development. Cu Lao Pho Island also benefits from its central location and convenient, seamless transportation links to major industrial zones, making it highly favorable for breakthrough development in the trade and service sectors.

Born and raised on the island, Mrs. Bach Thi Hoa, nearly 80 years old, residing in Nhi Hoa neighborhood, Tran Bien ward, said that in previous years, people's lives were difficult, transportation was inconvenient due to narrow roads, many of which were still red dirt, muddy during the rainy season, and lacked street lighting, leading to many accidents. Recently, Cu Lao Pho has received investment in the construction of many bridges and paved roads, from the main roads to the alleyways, all of which have been widened and improved. This has created a clear improvement in production and business, helping people maintain stable livelihoods and increase their income. "Many large projects are under construction, and we, the people, have high hopes that our homeland will develop faster, and Cu Lao Pho will become a more livable place," Mrs. Hoa said.

Unleash your potential

Arriving at Cu Lao Pho these days, we witness the bustling construction activity day and night along the central road of Bien Hoa, a vital transportation artery connecting the island with the administrative center of Dong Nai province. This is one of Dong Nai province's key transportation projects, spanning over 5.4 km and with a total investment of over 1,500 billion VND. Once operational, it will significantly increase the attractiveness of Cu Lao Pho for investment.

According to representatives of the Dong Nai Provincial Investment and Construction Project Management Board, the construction value has reached over 95% of the contract value, and the entire project will be opened to traffic and put into use on the occasion of the anniversary of the complete liberation of Southern Vietnam on April 30, 2026.

Mr. Nguyen Huynh Khai Tu, the project manager for package number 7, said: “Currently, the Thong Nhat Bridge is open to traffic, facilitating travel for people in the central area to Cu Lao Pho and vice versa. The dry season weather is suitable for construction, therefore, the contractor has mobilized manpower and machinery to accelerate progress and complete the package before April 30th.”

The central arterial road in Bien Hoa connects Cu Lao Pho with neighboring areas, contributing to socio-economic development.

Seeing the immense opportunity, international and national brand businesses have initially chosen Cu Lao Pho as a long-term destination. Besides the Aeon Mall Bien Hoa shopping center, with an investment of over 6,000 billion VND, which commenced construction at the end of 2025, the Hiep Hoa Urban Area project, spanning over 291 hectares with a total investment of over 72,000 billion VND, recently received approval from the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee for its detailed urban planning at a 1/500 scale in early March. The project aims to create a new, low-density, modern urban area and service complex, harmoniously integrated with the natural landscape; it also aims for sustainable tourism development and has the capacity to serve a population of approximately 31,600 people.

To implement this project, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee chaired dialogues with people whose land was subject to expropriation, creating consensus in land clearance work. The relevant authorities approved a plan to expropriate more than 3,000 land plots belonging to approximately 1,700 households, with a total compensation and resettlement support cost of approximately 16,700 billion VND.

According to Chau Van Hiep, Secretary of the Nhi Hoa neighborhood Party branch, much of the land on Cu Lao Pho island has been left fallow for many years. Now, the projects being implemented aim to promote socio-economic development while avoiding the waste of resources. What residents in the project area are most concerned about is compensation and resettlement. For example, the Hiep Hoa Urban Area project, which occupies over 40% of the entire island's land area, has provided on-site resettlement with over 900 plots of land, receiving strong support from the residents. People will soon know the location of their resettlement plots, allowing them to quickly prepare for building houses and settling down after relocation. Furthermore, the development of the commercial and service urban area will create opportunities for improved employment for the residents.

According to Comrade Ho Van Nam, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Committee, and Chairman of the People's Council of Tran Bien Ward, with the province's investment in infrastructure and the arrival of large-scale investors to implement projects, the ward has high expectations that Cu Lao Pho will create a highlight for the development of the provincial central urban area. To ensure the projects are on schedule, the ward is coordinating with relevant departments and agencies to promptly carry out land clearance, resolving each case definitively from the outset. The local Party committee and government hope that the people will join hands in implementing the project to create a beautiful and modern urban area, preserving the cultural identity of a land with a history of over 325 years. The ward will focus on exploiting the advantages of green spaces, water bodies, and cultural and historical values ​​to create a prosperous and happy living environment for the people.

Source: Nhan Dan Newspaper

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/de-an-thanh-lap-thanh-pho-dong-nai/202603/kien-tao-cu-lao-pho-thinh-vuong-7e03604/