Bà Rịa (also written Ba Ria) is a locality in southeastern Vietnam that was formerly a provincial city and the capital of Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province. It is important to distinguish the former city from the present-day Bà Rịa Ward: Vietnam’s 2025 administrative reforms replaced the old district-level structure, and the former city’s territory was reorganized among ward-level units in the enlarged Ho Chi Minh City. The historic name remains in use, but “Bà Rịa City” is no longer the name of a current district-level municipality.
Location and geographic setting
The former city of Bà Rịa lies in the southeastern part of Vietnam, in the coastal region historically known as Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu. Before the 2025 reforms, it was situated inland from the coastal city of Vũng Tàu and served as the administrative centre of the province. A local government directory published by the former provincial People’s Procuracy described the city as approximately 90 kilometres southeast of Ho Chi Minh City and about 20 kilometres northeast of Vũng Tàu.
The former municipal area covered about 91.46 square kilometres. Its location connected the provincial administrative centre with Vũng Tàu, the industrial and port areas farther north and west, and communities in the surrounding countryside. Older descriptions of its boundaries refer to the former districts of Long Điền, Đất Đỏ, Tân Thành and Châu Đức, as well as Vũng Tàu. Those are historical references: the province and district map changed substantially in 2025, so they should not be used as a description of current administrative borders.
History and development as a provincial centre
Bà Rịa developed as an inland administrative and service centre for the surrounding southeastern coastal region. In the early 2010s, the provincial government moved its administrative-political centre from Vũng Tàu to Bà Rịa. The move was intended to give the provincial administration a more central base while allowing Vũng Tàu to strengthen its role as a tourism-oriented coastal city.
On 22 August 2012, the Government of Vietnam announced the upgrading of Bà Rịa town to city status and its designation as the capital of Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province. The government announcement reported an area of 9,146.5 hectares and a population of 122,424 at the time. These are historical figures associated with the 2012 change in status, not a current population count.
As provincial capital, Bà Rịa hosted provincial offices and public institutions, alongside commercial, service and industrial activity. Its role was different from that of Vũng Tàu, whose economy and identity were more closely associated with the coast, tourism, maritime activity and offshore energy. Bà Rịa’s importance came largely from administration, regional services and its position between the provincial hinterland and the larger urban and port centres.
Administrative changes in 2025
Bà Rịa’s former city status must be understood in the context of Vietnam’s nationwide administrative reorganization. In 2025, the National Assembly approved the merger of the former Ho Chi Minh City, Bình Dương Province and Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province into a new Ho Chi Minh City. The new provincial-level city began operating on 1 July 2025.
A second part of the reform replaced the three-tier local-government structure with a two-tier system and removed district-level administrative units. The National Assembly Standing Committee’s Resolution 1685/NQ-UBTVQH15, adopted on 16 June 2025, set out the new ward and commune structure for Ho Chi Minh City, with the new units beginning operation on 1 July 2025. The former city of Bà Rịa therefore ceased to exist as a separate district-level municipality.
The resolution records how parts of the former Bà Rịa area were reorganized. The new Bà Rịa Ward was formed from the former wards of Phước Trung, Phước Nguyên, Long Toàn and Phước Hưng. The new Long Hương Ward combined the former Tân Hưng commune with Kim Dinh and Long Hương wards. The new Tam Long Ward combined Long Tâm Ward with Hòa Long and Long Phước communes. These successor units are part of Ho Chi Minh City; the present Bà Rịa Ward is not geographically identical to the former city.
Official Ho Chi Minh City records continued to refer to Bà Rịa, Long Hương and Tam Long as separate wards in late 2025. This distinction is useful when reading older maps, census figures, addresses and news reports that use “Bà Rịa City” or the former provincial name.
Population and municipal area
The Government of Vietnam’s 2012 announcement gave the former city’s population as 122,424 and its area as 9,146.5 hectares. A local government directory published by the former provincial People’s Procuracy also quoted 122,424 residents for August 2012 and described the city as comprising eight wards and three communes at that time.
That figure should be cited with its date and former administrative boundary. It should not be presented as the current population of Bà Rịa Ward, Long Hương Ward, Tam Long Ward or the whole former city area after the 2025 reorganization. Those are different statistical and administrative units. A current population comparison requires a census or official statistical table using the post-reform ward boundaries.
Economy and regional connections
During its years as provincial capital, Bà Rịa combined government administration with retail, trade, services and local industry. The Government’s 2012 city announcement reported industrial production value of VND 1,215 billion during the first half of that year and service-and-trade revenue of VND 2,700 billion. These figures describe the period around the city’s promotion and should not be read as present-day economic totals.
The former city also occupied a useful transport position between Ho Chi Minh City, Vũng Tàu and the province’s inland districts. National Highway 51 was a major north–south regional corridor, while National Highway 56 and provincial roads connected the former city with neighbouring settlements. A 2023 provincial planning document included a planned bypass for National Highway 51 around Bà Rịa; a planning reference does not, by itself, establish that every proposed road section has been completed.
Historical landmarks
Two places frequently associated with the history of the former city area are Nhà Tròn (the Round House) and the Long Phước tunnels. Nhà Tròn is recognized in official heritage records as a national-level historical and revolutionary site. It is associated with the historic urban centre and is now within Bà Rịa Ward under the post-2025 arrangement.
The Long Phước tunnels are a separate revolutionary-history site in the former Long Phước commune area, which became part of Tam Long Ward in the 2025 reorganization. Official tourism and heritage material identifies the tunnels as a nationally recognized historical site. They should not be described as being in the present Bà Rịa Ward simply because Long Phước was once part of the former city.
These sites help explain why the name Bà Rịa appears in local and regional histories beyond its former administrative role. Visitors should check current access arrangements with local authorities before planning a visit, as site management and opening information can change.
Relationship with Vũng Tàu and the wider region
Bà Rịa and Vũng Tàu are distinct places with complementary historical roles. Vũng Tàu is the better-known coastal city, while Bà Rịa became the provincial administrative capital in 2012. The two are close enough to be linked in regional travel and economic activity, but the former city of Bà Rịa was not a coastal resort municipality. It functioned mainly as an inland administrative, commercial and service centre.
The 2025 merger placed the former Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu area within the expanded Ho Chi Minh City. As a result, older references to the province, the former city and its districts remain useful for historical context, while current addresses and government services should use the new ward and city names.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Bà Rịa in Vietnam?
Bà Rịa is in southeastern Vietnam, in the area that formerly belonged to Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province and is now part of Ho Chi Minh City.
Was Bà Rịa the capital of Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province?
Yes. Bà Rịa became the provincial capital in 2012, replacing Vũng Tàu as the location of the provincial administrative centre.
Is Bà Rịa still a city?
Not as a separate district-level municipality. The former city was reorganized under Vietnam’s 2025 administrative reforms. The present Bà Rịa Ward is one of the successor ward-level units in Ho Chi Minh City.
What is the population of Bà Rịa?
The Government of Vietnam reported 122,424 residents for the former city in 2012. That historical figure does not represent the current population of Bà Rịa Ward or the post-2025 successor area.
What are the main historical sites associated with Bà Rịa?
Notable sites include Nhà Tròn in the present Bà Rịa Ward and the Long Phước tunnels in the present Tam Long Ward. Both are recognized in official heritage material.
References
- Government News – “Ba Ria city established” (22 August 2012). City status, provincial-capital role, area, population and economic indicators reported at the time.
- Government News – “Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu has new administrative-political center” (5 February 2012). The move of the provincial administrative centre from Vũng Tàu to Bà Rịa.
- People’s Procuracy of Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu – Bà Rịa City office profile. Former municipal area, August 2012 population, distances, historic landmarks and pre-reform administrative context.
- Government News – National Assembly approval of the 2025 provincial reorganization (12 June 2025). Merger of Ho Chi Minh City, Bình Dương and Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu and the 1 July 2025 start date.
- Ministry of Home Affairs – “Two-tier local government organization plan” (15 April 2025). The move to provincial- and commune-level administration and removal of district-level units.
- National Assembly Standing Committee – Resolution 1685/NQ-UBTVQH15 (16 June 2025). Legal basis and exact composition of the new Bà Rịa, Long Hương and Tam Long wards.
- Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council – Meeting with residents of Bà Rịa, Long Hương and Tam Long wards (23 December 2025). Confirmation of the successor wards operating within Ho Chi Minh City.
- Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports – Heritage inventory. National-level heritage listing for Nhà Tròn–Bà Rịa and its current ward context.
- Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Tourism Promotion Centre – Selected destinations and sites. Identifies the Long Phước tunnels as a national-level revolutionary historical relic.
- Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu provincial planning decision (2023). Regional road-network planning, including National Highways 51 and 56 and the planned Bà Rịa bypass.