Ho Chi Minh City marks 50 years bearing late president's name

Thousands of residents and visitors gathered early on July 1 evening to experience a live arts programme combined with 3D mapping projection technology at the headquarters of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee – one of the southern metropolis’s most recognizable architectural landmarks.

The event opened a series of commemorative activities marking 50 years since Saigon – Gia Dinh was officially named after President Ho Chi Minh (July 2, 1976-2026).

Delivering the opening remarks, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong emphasized that over the past half-century, Ho Chi Minh City has transformed itself from a war-scarred urban center facing significant challenges into one of Vietnam’s leading hubs for economic, financial and commercial activity, as well as culture, science – technology, and innovation.

Cuong said that through the combination of live performance and 3D mapping technology, the façade of the People’s Committee headquarters is set to be transformed into an artistic space of light and emotion. Through the programme, the city sought to convey to local residents, domestic audiences and international visitors the image of an urban center that remains compassionate, dynamic, creative, internationally connected and committed to sustainable development – one that honours its past, moves forward with confidence in the present and looks ambitiously towards the future.

Staged across two evenings (July 1 and 2), the programme features three 3D mapping works created by teams from Vietnam and France. The works draw on the strengths of projection technology to tell distinct stories of Vietnamese culture, Ho Chi Minh City’s 50-year development journey, and its aspirations for international integration in a new era of national rise.

A part of Ho Chi Minh City's center alonng the Saigon River in January 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Watching the full programme on July 1, Dinh Thi Van Anh, a resident of Sai Gon Ward, said her family arrived well in advance. "I attended many large-scale artistic events before, but this is the first time I have witnessed a performance that combined 3D mapping technology with history storytelling directly onto the façade of the People’s Committee headquarters."

Tam said she was genuinely moved when images of historic Saigon – Gia Dinh, present-day Ho Chi Minh City and the city’s aspirations for continued progress appeared across the building so familiar to local people.

"The programme felt both modern and deeply evocative of pride in the city’s 50-year journey of development and growth; it reminds each of us to appreciate and take greater pride in the place we call home," she said.

According to organizers, the decision to use the headquarters building as the performance venue is intended to highlight the value of a landmark that has shaped the identity of the city centre for more than a century.

Through 3D mapping technology, the programme connects the past and the present, as well as tradition and innovation, creating a distinctive highlight of the anniversary celebrations while promoting the image of Ho Chi Minh City as a dynamic, creative and globally connected destination to residents and visitors from Vietnam and abroad.