Phan Rang-Thap Cham before restructuring, merging into Khanh Hoa

Phan Rang-Thap Cham City is brightly lit with colorful lights on an afternoon in May 2025. This is a class II urban area, the provincial capital and administrative center of Ninh Thuan.

People from far away when coming to Phan Rang-Thap Cham must be surprised by the peace, greenness and beauty here. Previously, this political, economic and cultural center of Ninh Thuan province was oriented to become a smart city, with the goal of achieving an urban green area of ​​13m²/person, a waste collection rate and a rate of people using clean water reaching 100%.

The most prominent feature of the city center is the 16/4 Square, a place of profound historical and cultural significance. The name of the square is associated with the day Phan Rang was liberated.

The highlight of the square is the Ninh Thuan Museum, a modern architectural structure that combines Cham Pa identity. The building is designed like a large sail stretching out to sea, symbolizing the aspiration of the coastal city. When viewed from above, the building has the appearance of a solid pyramid, creating an impressive image in the heart of the city.

The museum currently preserves more than 38,000 valuable artifacts, reflecting the historical periods and cultural life of ethnic groups living in Ninh Thuan such as Kinh, Cham, Raglai, Hoa, Co Ho, and Chu Ru.

Within less than 500m of the 16/4 Square, there are many government offices such as: Provincial People's Committee (left photo), Provincial People's Procuracy; Phan Rang-Thap Cham City People's Court (right photo); Tax Department; Ninh Thuan Social Insurance.

To the west of the square is 16/4 Park, located on 16/4 Street, the most beautiful dual carriageway in the city, connecting the center with Binh Son beach.

The park is considered the "green lung" of the city, with a system of trees and a large ecological lake, creating an airy, fresh space for physical activities and relaxation.

At night, some roads, including the 16/4 dual carriageway, are brightly lit, arousing curiosity about a city with much less population and traffic than other large cities.

According to statistics, by 2023, the population of Phan Rang-Thap Cham city will reach about 207,998 people, of which about 196,459 people live in the inner city area.

Phan Rang-Thap Cham plays the role of economic locomotive of Ninh Thuan, with a large contribution to socio-economic development. In 2024, this province achieved a GRDP growth rate of 8.74%, ranking 4th out of 14 provinces in the region and 16th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide. GRDP per capita reached 98.2 million VND/person/year. The economic structure shifted in the right direction, increasing the proportion of industry from 34.1% in 2020 to 41.7% in 2024.

In the photo, Binh Son-Ninh Chu beach has an arc shape about 10km long, creating a poetic and attractive scene.

Binh Son beach's fine white sand combined with clear blue sea water creates a beautiful natural picture.

As of November 2024, Ninh Thuan has licensed 472 investment projects with a total registered capital of over VND238,000 billion. Of which, the trade, services and tourism sector accounts for 139 projects with a total registered capital of about VND52,300 billion.

Adjacent to the beach is Binh Son Marine Park, one of the attractive destinations thanks to its cool green space, suitable for walking, relaxing and organizing events. The park is also a place where special cultural and artistic festivals often take place.

In the Thuy Sinh Lake area in the city center, the key project of the 37-hectare Dinh Riverbank New Urban Area just started construction in April 2025. After its inauguration, a 24-storey social housing project with about 932 apartments will accommodate 6,500 people.

Previously, the Thuy Sinh Lake area was a low-lying area containing rainwater and wastewater, causing serious environmental pollution. To improve this situation, the Phan Rang-Thap Cham City Sustainable Environment Project, including the construction of a drainage system, wastewater treatment plant and canal renovation, was implemented since late 2017 with a total capital of 97.9 million USD.

When talking about the capital of Ninh Thuan, we cannot fail to mention Po Klong Garai tower located on the top of Trau hill in Do Vinh ward. The structure was built by King Che Man in the late 13th century and early 14th century to worship the king of the same name. This is considered a beautiful and majestic tower cluster in the Cham tower system across the country, a masterpiece left by the ancient Cham people.

In 1979, the tower was ranked as a National Monument by the Ministry of Culture and in 2016 was recognized by the Prime Minister as a special National Monument.

Phan Rang-Thap Cham is also a unique place of religious and cultural exchange, representing the tolerance and diversity of beliefs in Vietnam. Religions and beliefs here not only exist in parallel but also contribute to enriching the spiritual life and festivals of local residents.

In the photo is Phan Rang Parish Church at 498 Thong Nhat Street, Kinh Dinh Ward. The project was built on a 7,593m² plot of land. The architecture of the church is simple with an A-shaped roof and a high bell tower, creating a solemn and elegant look.

According to the plan approved by the Central Government, Ninh Thuan and Khanh Hoa will merge into a new province named Khanh Hoa, with administrative headquarters located in Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa). The two provinces have established a provincial merger steering committee, co-chaired by two provincial Party secretaries.

Ninh Thuan province has decided to abandon the plan of naming communes and wards in numerical order, and instead use names that reflect cultural, historical or traditional place names. Specifically, in Phan Rang - Thap Cham city, 5 new wards will have separate names, no longer following the previous proposal of "Phan Rang 1", "Phan Rang 2".

According to the new plan, the names of the wards are as follows: Phan Rang 1 is changed to Phan Rang; Phan Rang 2 is changed to Dong Hai; Phan Rang 3 is changed to Ninh Chu; Phan Rang 4 is changed to Bao An; Phan Rang 5 is changed to Do Vinh. At the same time, 19 commune-level administrative units in the remaining 6 districts of the province will also be renamed according to the same principle, without using ordinal numbers in the names as in the old plan.

Hoang Ha - Pham Hai - Xuan Ngoc

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/phan-rang-thap-cham-truoc-cuoc-tai-cau-truc-nhap-vao-khanh-hoa-2399935.html