The statement was made at a press conference to provide updates on the city's socioeconomic issues, held by the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports.
The briefing was chaired by deputy head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Tang Huu Phong, and the Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, Nguyen Ngoc Hoi.
Ho Chi Minh City currently has four operational cremation facilities
Under Article 214 of the 2024 Land Law, land designated for cremation facilities must be planned as part of a centralized zone, in conformity with land-use planning and construction planning, while meeting environmental protection requirements. The law also prohibits the establishment of cremation facilities that are inconsistent with these approved plans.
Binh Hung Hoa Cemetery has been closed, except for its cremation services, to facilitate the implementation of a plan to develop a public park and schools in the area. Ho Chi Minh City has already prepared a plan to relocate Binh Hung Hoa Crematorium. At present, two facilities are capable of meeting the city's cremation demand, including Da Phuoc Cremation Center and Long Tho Cremation Park.
According to a survey conducted by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction in April, the city currently has four operational cremation facilities, such as Da Phuoc Cremation Center, which is operating at around 30 percent of its capacity; Long Tho Cremation Park, with utilization at approximately 13–17 percent of capacity; Long Huong Cremation Facility, operating at about 40 percent of capacity; and Chanh Phu Hoa Cremation Facility, with utilization ranging from 30 to 40 percent.
Based on the survey findings, the Department of Construction concluded that the existing cremation facilities have sufficient capacity to meet residents' demand.
In addition, Ho Chi Minh City Urban Environment Company Limited has proposed that the city facilitate the expansion of cremation capacity at the Da Phuoc site. The project is designed to accommodate up to 30 cremation furnaces, including 21 relocated from Binh Hung Hoa Crematorium and space reserved for the installation of an additional nine furnaces in the future.
More than VND25 billion sports facility officially put into operation
Also at the press conference, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports announced the handover, acceptance, and commissioning ceremony for Project 5—the Office Building of the Sports Training and Competition Center, located on Vo Van Kiet Street, Binh Duong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. The event is scheduled to take place on June 26.
The ceremony is one of the city's practical activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Saigon–Gia Dinh officially being renamed Ho Chi Minh City. It also marks another milestone in the ongoing enhancement of the city's sports infrastructure, strengthening facilities for sports administration, athlete training, coaching, and competition.
Project 5 – the Office Building of the Sports Training and Competition Center was developed with a total investment of more than VND25 billion (US$950 million). The project was launched in 2022, with construction commencing in August 2024. Upon completion, the building was delivered on schedule and received official approval from the competent construction authority, clearing it for operation.
Under the approved master plan, the Sports Training and Competition Center covers approximately 15.4 hectares, comprising functional areas for athlete training, competitions, education, accommodation, support services, and administrative operations. To date, several key facilities have been completed and put into use, including a multipurpose sports arena, specialized training halls, athletes' dormitories, a dining hall, technical infrastructure, and most recently, Project 5—the Office Building.
