Vinh Long: On the rise, with strong momentum.

DNVN - After the merger, Vinh Long province is located in the heart of the Mekong Delta, "bordered by rivers on three sides and the sea on one side," forming a river-sea economic zone with rich potential and favorable conditions for development.

This information was provided by Ms. Ho Thi Hoang Yen, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Vinh Long Provincial Party Committee, at the workshop "Identifying the potential, advantages and development orientation of Vinh Long province in the period 2025 - 2030, with a vision to 2050," which took place on September 15th.

Ms. Ho Thi Hoang Yen - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Vinh Long Provincial Party Committee.

The Deputy Secretary of the Vinh Long Provincial Party Committee stated that these potentials and advantages form the foundation for the development of industry, trade, services, and logistics; the development of the marine economy and renewable energy; a diverse and complementary economic structure across different regions within the province; the development of services and tourism; and the development of education and training, science, and technology.

Head out to sea

Associate Professor Tran Dinh Thien - Member of the Prime Minister's Policy Advisory Council, former Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, commented that Vinh Long province is currently facing a once-in-a-thousand-years historical opportunity, with a strong upward trajectory and the need to identify bottlenecks and strengths.

Dr. Thien believes that Vinh Long's resources are its rivers, waterways, and marine space. The province has a new mission that goes beyond traditional food security, focusing on water security, national resources, and territorial integrity, embodying the motto "Follow behind - go differently - surpass ahead." Its task is to achieve double-digit growth and transform its economic structure according to the model of "Escaping agriculture - moving towards green - moving towards digital."

"To achieve sustainable development and protect its territory, Vinh Long must halt 'sea encroachment' by expanding into the sea," meaning exploiting coastal potential and developing the marine economy to respond to climate change.

"At the same time, we must abandon the traditional agricultural model, develop a green economy, a digital economy, expand the digital space, promote digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), and comprehensive digitalization," Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dinh Thien emphasized.

The maritime economy continues to be identified as one of the key drivers for promoting rapid and sustainable growth.

Sharing the same view, Dr. Ha Huy Ngoc from the Government Office stated that the marine economy continues to be identified as one of the key drivers for promoting rapid and sustainable growth in the region. Vinh Long province has proactively issued and implemented programs and plans for marine economic development for the period 2021-2025, with orientations to 2030 and a vision to 2045. This integrates the development of marine space with the exploitation of renewable energy and fisheries potential.

“The Dinh An Economic Zone has attracted 50 businesses with 56 projects, with a total registered investment capital of over 48,000 billion VND (equivalent to 2.65 billion USD). In the first few months of 2025 alone, the total value of industrial production in this area reached over 12,300 billion VND, increasing by an average of 10-15% per year. It contributed nearly 1,260 billion VND to the state budget,” Dr. Ngoc cited.

Mr. Ngoc also emphasized the importance of focusing on developing the marine economy as a strategic pillar of the region. The focus is on developing seaports, coastal logistics, onshore and offshore wind power, and marine tourism. Investment should be made in reclaimed land areas and marine economic zones linked to urban development and tourism.

Develop aquaculture, fishing, and seafood processing along a sustainable value chain. Effectively utilize the Dinh An economic zone, the large-tonnage shipping lanes into the Hau River, Dinh An port, and invest in a ferry terminal to Con Dao Island. Develop irrigation systems to ensure the supply of fresh and clean water for domestic use and production.

2 models

According to architect Tran Ngoc Chinh, Chairman of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, the merger of the three provinces of Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, and Ben Tre has created a completely new administrative and economic entity, fundamentally changing the current situation and prospects of the urban system in this region.

To fully exploit its combined potential, Vinh Long province needs a strategic vision for developing a multi-polar, closely interconnected urban system, rather than focusing on building a single core city. Instead, it should aim for a "multi-polar urban network" model, where each city plays a specialized role, complementing each other to create a sustainable development ecosystem.

Offshore and offshore wind power is one of the key development priorities of Vinh Long province .

Accordingly, the central hub of Vinh Long will consolidate its role as the political, administrative, cultural, educational, and financial center of the province. It will focus on developing high-quality services, attracting investment in trade and healthcare, education, and finance. It will continue to be an important trading hub in the Mekong Delta region.

The marine and energy economic hub, the coastal cities of Tra Vinh and Ben Tre, including Tra Vinh ward, Duyen Hai commune and the coastal cities of Ben Tre, will be the main growth poles for marine economy, clean energy and logistics, acting as specialized economic hubs, supporting the administrative functions of Vinh Long.

The remaining urban areas will be developed in an agro-urban direction, focusing on agricultural product processing and traditional craft village tourism, based on leveraging the unique strengths of each urban area. The tourism potential along the Hau River and the islets will be exploited to develop ecotourism and experiential tourism, connecting tourist destinations in Vinh Long and neighboring provinces…

Meanwhile, Mr. Le Anh Duc, Head of the Regional Planning and Development Department at the Institute of Economic and Financial Strategy and Policy, suggested that Vinh Long province should orient its spatial structure towards a "One Axis - Two Wings - Three Driving Forces" model. The province's overall spatial model should integrate a central driving axis, two economic wings on either side, and three main driving zones rationally distributed across the territory.

Accordingly, the central driving axis is the North-South logistics corridor; the two eastern and western wings include: the maritime economic corridor; agriculture and ecology of the Tien-Hau River; and three driving forces: identified as three regional-level central cities in the centers of Vinh Long, Ben Tre, and Tra Vinh; three specialized cities: Duyen Hai, Binh Minh, and Ba Tri; along with a network of satellite cities and new urban areas.

“The driving force for development is along the Eastern North-South Expressway corridor (My Thuan - Can Tho section) and National Highway 1, mainly within the former Vinh Long province, extending from My Thuan Bridge to the border of Can Tho City. This is the backbone of logistics, a center for processing industries, high technology, and regional services for the entire province.”

"This axis plays a role in collecting, processing, and distributing goods from the 'Western Economic Wing' and providing services, human resources, and supporting industries for the 'Eastern Economic Wing'. This area will focus on developing multimodal logistics centers, modern industrial-urban-service zones, and high-quality research, training, and healthcare centers for the province," Mr. Duc explained.

Thai Cuong

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/doanh-nghiep/vinh-long-the-dang-len-da-vuon-manh/20250916034818916