Building Hai Phong into Vietnam’s model city

On October 20, 1946, after an official visit to France, President Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam through Hai Phong Port. Meeting with city officials and residents, he urged the people of this coastal city to adopt a new way of life, practice thrift and work hard, expressing his wish for Hai Phong to become a model city for the country.

His words served as a guiding light, conveying his hopes for an urban center that would develop while emphasizing responsibility, a spirit of innovation and care for people’s livelihoods.

Over the past 80 years, Hai Phong has repeatedly demonstrated its pioneering spirit through approaches rooted in practical realities. Its determination to think boldly and take decisive action has been reinforced by major policies from Central bodies, particularly the Politburo’s Resolution No. 45 and the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 226/2025/QH15 on piloting specific mechanisms and policies for Hai Phong.

Following the merger, the city has continued to affirm its position as a major economic center, ranking third nationwide in economic scale. In the first nine months of 2026, its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) grew by 12.08%, foreign investment exceeded USD3.6 billion, and cargo throughput at its ports reached more than 156 million tons.

The city also ranked third nationwide in the 2026 Provincial Innovation Index. These results demonstrate the economy’s growth momentum, its strengths in industry, seaports and logistics, and its potential for science- and technology-driven development.

Hai Phong has also taken the initiative in developing a model of socialism associated with socialist-oriented citizens, identifying 11 key models aimed at building a civilized and happy city. It is also the first locality in the country selected to develop a drug-free city. These efforts seek to combine economic development with a safe, civilized living environment and improvements in the quality of its people.

The target of average annual GRDP growth of at least 13% during 2026 – 2030, set out in Resolution No. 11-NQ/TU, requires the city to accelerate development and further improve its quality. Investment attraction must go hand in hand with higher labor productivity, greater product value, digital transformation, green transition and efficient resource use.

Above all, a model city must ensure that its residents clearly benefit from the fruits of development. Alongside economic growth, Hai Phong always prioritizes social welfare, with notable achievements in social housing development and community health care.

During 2021 – 2025, the city implemented 26 social housing projects with approximately 32,982 apartments. In the first nine months of 2026 alone, the city added 2,526 social housing apartments, surpassing its planned target. By early October 2026, nearly 3.8 million people had received periodic health checkups or free screening, representing more than 90.2% of those eligible for examinations.

In keeping with President Ho Chi Minh’s guidance 80 years ago and upholding its pioneering spirit, Hai Phong is turning each decisive policy into tangible change and ensuring that every development achievement delivers practical benefits to its people. This is also the city’s journey toward realizing its aspiration to become a model for the entire country, leading the way in building a modern, civilized, green and worth-living urban center.

THANH VAN