Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm delivers a speech at a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of Sài Gòn-Gia Định officially being renamed after President Hồ Chí Minh. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Leaders, former officials, diplomats and residents gathered in HCM City on Thursday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sài Gòn-Gia Định officially being renamed after President Hồ Chí Minh, reflecting on the southern metropolis's significant transformation over the past half century and its ambitions for the future.

The ceremony, held on July 2, marked 50 years since the National Assembly decided to rename Sài Gòn-Gia Định as Hồ Chí Minh City in 1976, shortly after the reunification of the country.

Attending the event were current and former leaders of the Party and State, former leaders of HCM City, Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, revolution contributors, intellectuals and representatives of diplomatic missions.

In his keynote address, Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm said the decision to name the city after President Hồ Chí Minh was not merely an administrative act but a profound expression of the Vietnamese people's gratitude to the nation's founding leader and recognition of the revolutionary traditions and sacrifices of the southern city.

"Today, after 50 years, we understand more deeply than ever that this name is not only a source of historical pride, but also a responsibility for the present and the future," he said.

Lâm described bearing the name Hồ Chí Minh City as both a great honour and a special political, moral and historical responsibility.

"The city bearing his name must lead in innovation and creativity; be dynamic yet disciplined, modern yet humane, prosperous yet compassionate; deeply integrated with the world while safeguarding national identity and national interests," he said.

Reflecting on the city's achievements over the past five decades, the Party leader said HCM City had every reason to take pride in its accomplishments but must continue to pioneer new models of development.

"Looking back on the past 50 years is not to be satisfied with what has been achieved, but to move forward more strongly in the new era," he said.

He praised HCM City's role as the country's economic engine and a major centre for finance, trade, science, technology and international integration. The city remained the nation's largest contributor to the state budget in 2025, with revenue exceeding VNĐ800 trillion (US$30.5 billion), he noted.

Lâm also highlighted HCM City's transformation from a war-ravaged urban centre into a modern metropolis, citing the development of industrial parks, high-tech zones, new urban areas and major infrastructure projects.

He said the recent administrative merger with Bình Dương and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu provinces had created a new development space for the expanded HCM City, which now has a population of more than 14 million.

"The new HCM City possesses major advantages as an urban, financial and commercial centre; a hub for industry, technology and innovation; and a gateway for seaports, logistics, tourism and the marine economy," he said.

"We must build HCM City into a strategic megacity that is multi-centred, multi-polar and capable of competing at regional and international levels."

Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm presented a statue of President Hồ Chí Minh to the local authorities at July 2 ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo

To achieve that goal, Lâm called for new approaches to governance, institutional reform, infrastructure development and economic growth driven by science, technology and innovation. He also stressed that improving people's quality of life must remain the ultimate measure of development.

Earlier, HCM City Party Secretary Trần Lưu Quang said the city bearing President Hồ Chí Minh's name was both a sacred honour and a profound responsibility.

"The title of Hồ Chí Minh City is not only a reward for the past, but also a reminder for the present and a commitment to the future," he said.

Quang said HCM City should be proud of its achievements over the past 50 years but "must never be satisfied with what has already been accomplished".

Following the merger with Bình Dương and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, the city now had greater space and momentum for development and must deliver tangible results in economic growth, urban governance and improving people's livelihoods, he said.

Representing the younger generation, Dr Mai Ngọc Xuân Đạt, head of a research group at the Institute of Advanced Materials Technology under Việt Nam National University-HCM City, expressed gratitude to previous generations for laying the foundation for the city's development.

Having lived and worked in HCM City for nearly two decades, Đạt said the city's innovation ecosystem had enabled young scientists to pursue ambitious research and contribute to society through science and technology.

Speaking on behalf of city residents, Labour Hero and People's Doctor Professor Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Phượng, former director of Từ Dũ Hospital, reflected on witnessing many of the city's historic milestones, from national reunification to the renaming of Sài Gòn-Gia Định, and said she considered herself fortunate to have witnessed a remarkable chapter in the nation's history.

"My decision to remain after the country's reunification was not merely a personal choice. It marked the beginning of a lifelong journey of service in a city that was just emerging from the devastation of war," she said.

Reflecting on that journey, she said the value she cherished most was the spirit of commitment. The true worth of a city, she added, is measured not only by its modern infrastructure or broad avenues, but also by the millions of ordinary people willing to devote their knowledge, youth and sense of responsibility to the community.

Art performance at the ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo

The ceremony also featured artistic performances depicting HCM City's journey from post-war reconstruction to becoming Việt Nam's largest economic and cultural centre.

The proposal to name Sài Gòn-Gia Định after President Hồ Chí Minh was first raised in 1946 by representatives of southern Vietnamese residents in Hà Nội. Thirty years later, following decades of war and national reunification, the aspiration became reality when the National Assembly officially renamed the city on July 2, 1976.

Over the past half century, HCM City has evolved from a city devastated by war into the country's economic powerhouse and a centre of innovation, pioneering many of Việt Nam's economic and urban reforms.

Concluding his address, Party chief Tô Lâm called on the city to match the achievements of its first 50 years with even greater accomplishments in the next half century.

"HCM City has written a glorious chapter over the past 50 years," he said. "The next 50 years must be greater, more beautiful, more worthy and more brilliant." — VNS