A view of Đà Nẵng. The new Đà Nẵng region was established from a merger between the city of Đà Nẵng and the whole province of Quảng Nam. — Photo courtesy of Đà Nẵng City's People's Committee

ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city of Đà Nẵng and Quảng Nam Province have officially merged into a new administrative unit named Đà Nẵng, making it one of the largest urban centres among the country's six centrally-governed cities, with an area of 11,867sq.km and an economic scale of VNĐ280 trillion (US$11 billion).

The decision on establishing the new administrative unit was announced on June 30. It will include 94 communal administrations, 23 wards, 70 communes and a special zone on the Hoàng Sa (Paracel) Islands. The new region will be home to a total population of three million.

The two localities were reunited after a 28-year separation, following their administrative divisions in 1997 into the central city of Đà Nẵng and Quảng Nam Province.

A ceremony was held to announce the establishment of the new Đà Nẵng City. The current city and Quảng Nam Province are being merged into one new locality starting July 1. — Photo courtesy of Đà Nẵng City's People's Committee

Former Party Secretary of Quảng Nam Province Lương Nguyễn Minh Triết was appointed as Chairman of the new Đà Nẵng's People's Committee, while Party Secretary of the former city of Đà Nẵng Nguyễn Văn Quảng was assigned as Party Secretary of the new city.

The merging of the two localities is expected to create a huge opportunity for new Đà Nẵng, with more resources and a leap in economic growth as a key driving force for the region and the whole country.

Đà Nẵng will inherit two UNESCO-recognised world heritage sites, Hội An Ancient Town and Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary, as well as the Chàm Islands-Hội An world biosphere reserve. It will also be home to the Ma Nhai (Inscription) collection in the Ngũ Hành Sơn (Marble Mountains), which is recognised by UNESCO for its significance under the Memory of the World programme for the Asia-Pacific Region.

The merged city and its environs include 500,000 hectares of natural forest area with a national park, nature reserves and conservation sites dedicated to protecting the area's biodiversity and ecological marvels, including multiple endangered species.

The area attracted a total of 12 million tourists, generating VNĐ40 trillion ($1.6 billion) in revenue in 2024.

Đà Nẵng is expected to enter a new era of massive development with projects like a new Free Trade Zone and the International Financial Centre, a global logistics hub with a well-developed infrastructure system. This includes the Tiên Sa and Chu Lai ports, which handle 20 million tonnes of cargo a year, along with Liên Chiểu Port, which is under construction, and two international airports (Đà Nẵng and Chu Lai).

The area will also be home to 12 industrial parks and 50 industrial complexes, the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone in the former Quảng Nam Province, an IT park and the Đà Nẵng Hi-Tech Park.

The Chàm Islands, a world biosphere reserve, are an eco-tourism destination in central Việt Nam. The site will be under the management of new Đà Nẵng starting from July 1. — VNS Photo Công Thành

Đà Nẵng alone has attracted 787 domestic projects worth VNĐ285.3 trillion ($11 billion) and 1,042 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with total investment of $4.6 billion.

Meanwhile, the former Quảng Nam Province had 199 operating FDI projects with an accumulated investment of $6.2 billion, and 1,148 domestic projects worth VNĐ230 trillion ($9 billion).

The Japanese Bridge in Hội An ancient town preserves cultural values and ancient architecture. It has become a new symbol of Đà Nẵng after the merging of the central city with Quảng Nam Province. — VNS Photo Công Thành

In a working session last month, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm expressed his hope that the merger of Đà Nẵng City and Quảng Nam Province would transform the new Đà Nẵng into a socio-economic powerhouse in central Việt Nam and a trailblazer in modernisation, as a national hub for innovation, technology and start-ups, leading in digital, circular, green and marine economies. — VNS