To the south of Ho Chi Minh City is the location of two suburban districts, Nha Be District and Can Gio District. While Can Gio is an island, isolated from the rest of the city by rivers and ocean, Nha Be District is a busy port with about one-third of its border is with Soai Rap River. If you want to be a Ho Chi Minh City expert explorer, checking in corners of the city, where even some locals may haven’t reached, Nha Be District is the place for you.
Nha Be District Overview
Located to the southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Be District is divided into 6 communes and one town with Nha Be Town, Phu Xuan, and Phuoc Kien Commune as the top three important centers of urbanization and development. With a good location near the center and traffic, the three communes are potential for housing projects when the city’s center has become too crowded.
Up to 2010, there are about 73,000 residents of Nha Be District in a 100-square-kilometers area. Some main roads connecting Nha Be with its neighbors (District 7, Can Gio District) are Le Van Luong, Huynh Tan Phat, and Nguyen Van Tao – Nguyen Huu Tho. Besides, Nha Be District also shares borders with Binh Chanh District, Long An, and Dong Nai Province.
Nha Be District was one of the most important bases in Saigon’s suburban (Ho Chi Minh City) for the revolutionary army during the two Indochina Wars against the French and the US. After the wars, as a suburban, Nha Be hadn’t received much investment and been considered as a poor district with limited access to clean water and good traffic facilities like asphalt roads.
Over the years, taking advantage of the natural resources like the deep-watered and intricate system of rivers and canals, Nha Be District has become an ideal place for waterway transport, harbors, and docks of many cargo ships. It is also the home of two big industrial areas of Ho Chi Minh City the Hiep Phuoc and Long Thoi. Even though agriculture is not the main force of Nha Be economy, but there are still many households growing plants, cattle, and seafood to earn a living.
How to Get to Nha Be District
From Ho Chi Minh City’s center, District 1, you will have to travel 14 kilometers to get to Nha Be District.
By bus
From Ham Nghi Station (near Ben Thanh Market), bus number 86 will take you directly to Nha Be District. You can get off at the crossroad of Nguyen Huu Tho and Le Van Luong Street where most restaurants and entertainment activities in Nha Be District locate. It would cost you VND 5,000 for a one-way trip and about an hour to get there. Read more about the public bus in Ho Chi Minh City.
By taxi
The taxi will be more convenient and faster (about 30-40 minutes), especially when you don’t know your way in a big district like Nha Be. But it would also cost you more. For a trip from District 1 to Nha Be, you will have to spend about VND 120,000 – VND 150,000. Learn more about traveling around Ho Chi Minh City by taxi.
Attractions in Nha Be District
Phap Vo Pagoda
Nha Be’s Traditional Center, along with other memorial houses for soldiers killed in combats in different communes, is an important attraction of the district where many had sacrificed to support the revolutions before 1975. Students, especially those from schools in Nha Be District, usually pay visits and offer incense at this center in their cultural field trip.
Nha Be is also the home of many pagodas like Long Khanh Pagoda, Phuoc Linh Pagoda, Phap Vo Pagoda, Duc Phu Pagoda, which are over 50 years old, but they are not really well-maintained due to the lack of donation and supports. On the other hand, Nha Be District is getting more and more investment in the construction of a high-class residential area, and thus have more modern entertainment activities for the people. Binh Xuyen Ecological Recreation, or Kenton Node – so-called the next “expats town”, are places where people get the most exciting experience in a suburban district of Ho Chi Minh City.
| Name | Entrance Fee | Address | Category |
| Nha Be’s Traditional Center or Nha Be Memorial House of Soldiers Killed in Combats | Free | Nguyen Van Tao, Ward 3, Hiep Phuoc Commune | Historical site |
| Long Khanh Pagoda | Free | 139, Nguyen Van Tao, Long Thoi Commune | Religious site |
| Phuoc Linh Pagoda | Free | Nguyen Van Tao, Ward 1, Hiep Phuoc Commune | Religious site |
| Phap Vo Pagoda | Free | 28/1 Huynh Tan Phat, Phu Xuan Commune | Religious site |
| Duc Phu Pagoda | Free | 9/19 Nguyen Binh, Ward 2, Nhon Duc Commune | Religious site |
| Phu Xuan Church | Free | 2093 Huynh Tan Phat, Nha Be Town | Religious site |
| Binh Xuyen – Ivory Tower Ecological Recreation | Depends on the service | 168 Nguyen Huu Tho, Phuoc Kien Commune | Fishing lake |
| Kenton Node Complex | Free | 116A Nguyen Huu Tho, Phuoc Kien Commune | Public site |
| To have fun trips in Ho Chi Minh City, check out our authentic motorbike tours with professional local guides! |
Eating in Nha Be District
Nha Be is a big district, but you will only need to remember a few main streets to find all kind of foods, especially Vietnamese cuisine: Le Van Luong, Huynh Tan Phat, Nguyen Huu Tho – Nguyen Van Tao, Nguyen Binh, and Dao Su Tich Street. Check out the detailed list of what you can eat in the following table.
| Category | Location |
| Vietnamese Cuisine | Broken rice Snails and seafood Duck rice porridge |
| Cafe | Co Gia Quy – 802A, Nguyen Van Tao, Hiep Phuoc Commune En-Dee Town – 915/22 Le Van Luong, Phuoc Kien Commune Coffee House – 2712 Huynh Tan Phat, Phu Xuan Commune |
Shopping in Nha Be District
Nhon Duc Market
With the completion of the housing plans, Nha Be might have more facilities like shopping malls. However, at the current moment, Nha Be District is not a place for high-end fashion shoppers. On the other hand, there are a few wet markets where you can buy food and clothing like the locals.
| Category | Address | What to Buy |
| Local Markets | Bo Bang Market – Nguyen Binh, Phu Xuan Commune Ba Choi Market – Nguyen Van Tao, Long Thoi Commune Phuoc Loc Market – Dao Su Tich, Phuoc Loc Commune Nhon Duc Market – Long Thoi Nhon Duc, Nhon Duc Commune Phu Xuan Market – 32 Huynh Tan Phat, Nha Be Town | Foods, dried foods, and clothing |
| Supermarkets | Co.opmart – 18 Nguyen Binh, Phu Xuan Commune AEON Citimart – in Hoang Anh Gia Lai 3 Apartment, Nguyen Huu Tho, Phuoc Kien Commune | Foods, dried foods, clothing, and accessories |
Nightlife in Nha Be District
Water music show in Nha Be District
From the beginning of 2018, every night from 8 PM – 10 PM, in the Kenton Node Complex, there is a free water music show. Near this area, you can find restaurants, eateries, and coffee shops in the complex or on Nguyen Huu Tho Street. With these attractions, Phuoc Kien Commune comes alive at night, attracting many people in Ho Chi Minh City, especially the youth.
Summary of Nha Be District in Ho Chi Minh City
With the bustling pace of life and traffic in the city center, Nha Be District is a nice alternative for anyone who loves a quiet time exploring the off-the-beaten-path locations. Many may only pass through Nha Be and come to Binh Khanh Ferry to transport to Can Gio District where the Monkey Island locates, but more investment is pouring in Nha Be District to make a part of it the center of entertainment like in District 7. Eateries and nightlife fun can be found in the high-class residential areas, while historical sites and religious attractions like memorial houses and pagodas are worth-visiting places to understand more about the culture and history of this district.
Learn more about other districts in Ho Chi Minh City? Check out our guide Ho Chi Minh City Districts Overview.