HCMC – HCMC on January 15 broke ground on the Rach Chiec National Sports Complex, a major public-private partnership (PPP) project valued at more than VND145 trillion, aiming to become a regional sports and cultural hub.
The project covers more than 186 hectares in Binh Trung Ward in former Thu Duc City. Its centerpiece is a 24-hectare central stadium with a seating capacity of around 70,000, meeting standards for hosting SEA Games and Asian Games (ASIAD) events.
The stadium alone is estimated to cost about VND35 trillion. It will feature a sound-insulated roof, air-conditioning, and an automated opening and closing system. The venue is designed to flexibly switch between sports competitions and large-scale concerts or entertainment events.
Other facilities include an 18,000-seat indoor arena for sports and performances, aquatic sports centers, tennis courts, and multi-sport complexes. Public and service areas will feature a central square, a sports hospital, a conference and exhibition center, green spaces, water features, and fully integrated transport and technical infrastructure.
The complex will be developed through a build-transfer (BT) contract. The investor is Vung Tau Sun Company Limited, a subsidiary of Vietnamese conglomerate Sun Group. Construction is expected to take about eight years, although the investor is working with the city to shorten the timeline to around five years.
According to Nguyen Loc Ha, standing vice chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee, the project is one of four major infrastructure developments launched to mark the upcoming 14th National Party Congress. He said the complex is not only for sports but also a multifunctional space for culture, services and public activities, aligned with the city’s cultural industry strategy.
Once completed, the complex is expected to serve as a regional and national sports center, capable of hosting major events such as the SEA Games, ASIAD and international tournaments, while also meeting local demand for recreation and tourism.
The Rach Chiec complex was first planned in 1994 at HCMC’s eastern gateway, near major transport corridors such as Mai Chi Tho Avenue, Vo Nguyen Giap Boulevard and the HCMC–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway. However, the project remained stalled for more than three decades due to funding shortages and investment mechanism constraints.
After recent administrative mergers, HCMC now covers more than 6,772 square kilometers with a population exceeding 14 million, making it a megacity. Despite this, the city lacks a modern, large-scale sports complex. Thong Nhat Stadium is nearly 100 years old and deteriorating, Phu Tho Sports Complex is limited in scale, while facilities in former Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau provinces do not meet the needs of Vietnam’s largest urban area.
