Hanoi announces new administrative outline with 126 communes and wards

THE HANOI TIMES — Hanoi on June 30 officially launched an outline of 126 newly reorganized communes and wards following a resolution by the National Assembly Standing Committee, with new Party bodies and local leaders appointed during a citywide hybrid ceremony.

The resolution marks the official conclusion of operations for district-level administrative units and the restructuring of commune-level divisions. It also includes the establishment of new grassroots Party organizations and appointments of key leaders for local People’s Councils, People’s Committees, and Fatherland Front Committees.

The announcement ceremony was conducted in a hybrid format, held in person at the Vietnam–Soviet Friendship Cultural Palace and livestreamed to all 126 newly established communes and wards across the capital.

Attending the event were Politburo member and President of Vietnam Luong Cuong and members of the central working delegation, Presidential Office staff, and former senior leaders of the Party and State.

At the ceremony, leaders of Hanoi presented the appointment decisions to key officials of the newly-established communes and wards.

Before the recent reorganization, Hanoi, spanning nearly 3,360 square kilometers, with 30 district-level administrative units and a population of over 8.5 million, had 526 communes, wards, and townships. That number has now been streamlined to just 126.

The city’s 12 central urban districts account for 153 wards, occupying slightly more than 9% of Hanoi’s total area but home to 42% of its population.

Among these districts, Long Bien is the largest by area at 56 square kilometers, while Hoan Kiem is the smallest at just 5.17 square kilometers. Hoang Mai ranks as the most populous with over 430,000 residents, whereas Tay Ho has the fewest, with a population of around 167,000.