Ho Chi Minh City develops former cemetery site into public school, park

After more than a decade of planning and relocation, over 32,000 graves have been exhumed from the site in the Binh Hung Hoa Ward. 

Authorities said the third and final phase of the relocation project, covering the remaining graves—many of which are unclaimed—remains ongoing. 

These remains will be cremated and stored at a designated memorial site.

The site of the former cemetery is now being developed into multiple public-use facilities. 

The first of two planned schools—Tran Dai Nghia Elementary School—is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. 

The remaining area will be converted into parks and sports facilities for community use.

The Binh Hung Hoa Cemetery once held more than 54,000 graves and was known for long-standing concerns over sanitation and public safety. 

Officials say the redevelopment will provide green space and educational infrastructure for thousands of local residents.

On Friday, workers could be seen laying the foundations of the new school under intense sun, as cranes and excavators operated across the site, which is now fenced off and marked with a project board outlining the planned facilities.

Tran Dai Nghia Elementary School is under construction on the former grounds of Binh Hung Hoa Cemetery in Ho Chi Minh City, July 4, 2025, compared with the same site before redevelopment on February 21, 2024. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre