A corner of Bac Ninh city, old Bac Ninh province.
After 28 years of separation from Ha Bac province, both Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces have had significant growth in socioeconomics, industry, and trade services, hence improving people's lives.
In 2024, Bac Ninh province’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) reached VND 232.8 trillion. The GRDP growth rate was 6.03%. Bac Ninh province's GRDP per capita was estimated at 150.5 million VND/person (equivalent to 6,010 USD/person), 1.3 times higher than the national average. The economic structure has shifted in a positive direction. Among which, the industry and construction sector accounted for 70.3%; the service sector accounted for 22.34%; the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector accounted for 3.02%; product taxes minus product subsidies accounted for 4.34%. State budget revenue was VND 33,169 billion. Local budget expenditure was VND 21,046 billion. Total import-export turnover was estimated at USD 75.9 billion. The Prime Minister has authorized Bac Ninh's development plan to become. Bac Ninh has been approved by the Prime Minister for development planning to become a centrally-run city in Decision No. 891/QD-TTg dated August 22, 2024, so it needs to expand its development space, and the arrangement with Bac Giang is the most suitable.
Bac Giang province has a natural area of 3,895.89 km2, and a population of 2,057,918 people. In 2024, GRDP reached VND 207 trillion; the economic growth rate (GRDP) reached 13.87%, ranking first in the country. The GRDP per capita reached USD 4,370. The economic structure shifted towards increasing the proportion of industry. The industry and construction accounted for 67.5%; the service sector accounted for 20.7%; the agriculture, forestry and fishery accounted for 11.8%. State budget revenue reached VND 20,699.5 billion. Total export turnover reached USD 60 billion. Up to now, the whole province has 16 industrial parks and 55 industrial clusters, with a total area of 6,013 hectares, creating jobs for 342,000 workers, of which about 90,000 are foreign workers, and so on.
As a result, the arrangement of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces is suitable for historical factors, traditional culture, scale, economic structure, and development orientation, ensuring compliance with the following factors:
- Implementation of the policy of the Politburo and the Secretariat in Conclusions No. 126-KL/TW dated February 14, 2025 on a number of contents and tasks to continue to arrange and streamline the organization and apparatus of the political system in 2025; Conclusion No. 127 KL/TW dated February 28, 2025 on implementing research and proposing to continue to reorganize the apparatus of the political system; Conclusion No. 130-KL/TW dated March 14, 2025 on implementing the arrangement of administrative units and building a two-tier local government model; Conclusion No. 137-KL/TW dated March 28, 2025 on implementing the arrangement of administrative units and build a model of organizing two-level local government; Resolution of the 11th Conference of the Party Central Committee No. 60-NQ/TW dated April 12, 2025.
- Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces have many similarities in customs, habits and culture due to their shared historical origins. The two provinces were separated and merged several times (in 1831, it was Bac Ninh province; in 1895, it was separated into two provinces Bac Ninh and Bac Giang; in 1962, it merged Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces into Ha Bac province; in 1997, it was separated into Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces). They are two significant provinces in the North of Viet Nam North with many potentials, advantages and strategic locations.
After merging, they will have the conditions to grow and make breakthroughs in development due to their location in the key economic region of the North, in the economic triangle of Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh and the northeastern gateway of the capital Hanoi, on the major economic corridor of Lang Son - Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City, as well as the important trans-Asian corridor from Nanning (China) to Singapore. The terrain of Bac Ninh province is relatively flat. Following its merger with Bac Giang province, the new province's terrain transitions between plains, midlands, and highlands, providing an ideal environment for expanding planning space and developing the socio-economy in accordance with each industry, field, and type of production, both industrial and agricultural. After the merger, the province will have a young, dynamic and capable human resource, with a high proportion of the working-age population providing labor for Bac Giang and Bac Ninh's industrial parks and clusters.
- The two provinces have strategic locations, located in the economic development triangle of Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh. Following the merger of the two provinces, Bac Ninh province (new) will be in a better position to develop into one of the country's leading economic centers, continue to attract investment and develop the economy strongly, improve the material and spiritual lives of the people, strive to become a city directly under the Central Government...
A corner of Bac Giang city, Bac Giang province.
An overview of the establishment and development of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces.
Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces have the same historical origin, being ancient lands of Vietnam that have witnessed many changes in administrative boundaries as well as their names.
- During the Hung King - An Duong Vuong period, Bac Ninh and Bac Giang were part of the Vu Ninh department of the Van Lang - Au Lac state. During the period of Northern dominance, Bac Ninh and Bac Giang belonged to two large districts (Luy Lau and Long Bien) in Giao Chi, which was later renamed Chau Giao. The district headquarters was located in Luy Lau (now Thanh Khuong commune, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province), which served as Chau Giao's administrative, economic, and commercial core. The Luy Lau urban area was an international port city.
During the Dinh Dynasty, the early Le Dynasty from 979, Bac Ninh and Bac Giang lands were one of 10 provinces with the name Bac Giang province, then Bac Giang province in 1040 (taken from the name of the Duong River at that time). During the Ly Dynasty, Bac Giang province was changed to Gia Lam District. During the Tran Dynasty, in 1241, it was renamed Bac Giang province and later called Kinh Bac province. After defeating the Ming army, at the beginning of the Le Dynasty (1428), Bac Ninh and Bac Giang belonged to Bac Dao, one of the five provinces at that time. In 1435, Bac Ninh and Bac Giang lands were divided into 2 provinces. In 1466, the country was divided into 12 Thua Tuyen provinces, Bac Ninh and Bac Giang lands were merged from the two provinces and called Bac Giang province. By 1469, the Le dynasty planned a map for the whole country, and Bac Giang province was changed to Kinh Bac province, including 04 prefectures (phủ) and 20 districts.
Kinh Bac provinces (thừa tuyên) was renamed Kinh Bac area in 1490, followed by Kinh Bac province (trấn) in 1509. Kinh Bac province was known throughout the country from 1509 to the end of Nguyen Gia Long's reign. During Minh Mang's reign, in 1822, Kinh Bac town was renamed Bac Ninh town, and in 1831, it was called Bac Ninh province, with 21 districts, an area of 6,000 km2, and a population of approximately 700,000 people. In October 1895, the French colonialists separated Bac Ninh province into two provinces, Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, with the Cau River as the boundary:
+ Bac Giang province contains Lang Giang and Da Phuc prefectures (phủ), as well as the districts of Kim Anh, Yen Dung, Phuong Nhon, Viet Yen, Hiep Hoa, Yen The, and other cantons south of the Luc Nam River. The provincial capital is Lang Thuong prefecture (now Bac Giang City). In 1896, Da Phuc prefecture and Kim Anh district were transferred to Bac Ninh province.
+ Bac Ninh province has 03 prefectures and 08 districts: Tu Son prefecture, Thuan Thanh prefecture, Tay Son prefecture. Districts consist of Gia Lam, Van Giang, Gia Binh, Lang Tai, Que Duong, Vo Giang, Tien Du, Yen Thanh; below the district-level are the “Tổng” (like the current commune level).
- On January 1, 1963, Bac Giang province merged with Bac Ninh province to form Ha Bac province, which included 02 towns: Bac Giang (provincial capital) and Bac Ninh, as well as 16 districts: Gia Luong, Hiep Hoa, Lang Giang, Luc Nam, Luc Ngan, Que Duong, Son Dong, Tan Yen, Thuan Thanh, Tien Du, Tu Son, Viet Yen, Vo Giang, Yen Dung, Yen Phong, and Yen The.
On January 1, 1997, Ha Bac province was divided into two provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang.
- Bac Ninh province covers 822.72 km2 and has a population of about 1 million people. It is divided into 5 districts: Que Vo, Yen Phong, Tien Son, Thuan Thanh, Gia Luong, and Bac Ninh town. 123 communes, wards and township
- Bac Giang province has a natural area of 3,895.89 km2 and a population of 1.6 million people, and 10 district-level administrative units, including Bac Giang town and 9 districts with 6 mountainous districts: Luc Ngan, Luc Nam, Yen The, Lang Giang, Yen Dung, Tan Yen; 1 highland district of Son Dong and 2 midland and plain districts: Hiep Hoa and Viet Yen.
The province boundaries have remained consistent since 1997. Up to now, Bac Ninh province has 02 cities, 02 towns, 04 districts, and 121 commune-level administrative units (50 wards, 05 towns, and 66 communes), while Bac Giang province has 01 city, 02 towns, 07 districts, and 192 commune-level administrative units (35 wards, 14 towns, and 143 communes).
