FROM TRADITIONAL LIVING TO URBAN PATTERNS꞉ CULTURAL SHIFTS IN HO CHI MINH CITY'S PERI‑URBAN COMMUNITIES

Abstract

In the context of multiculturalism and international integration, the rapid urbanization of Ho Chi Minh City has
profoundly affected its peri‑urban districts, including Nhà Bè, Bình Chánh, Củ Chi, Hóc Môn, and Cần Giờ.
Based on a survey of 2,000 households across 15 communes in these five districts, conducted as part of the
project Developing Urban Culture in the Districts of Ho Chi Minh City (2021‑2030), this study analyzes the
transformation of traditional cultural practices under the impact of urbanization. The findings reveal that while
many cultural values such as ancestral worship and family meals remain resilient, the trend toward
individualization is becoming increasingly prevalent. The study concludes that cultural transformation in peri
urban areas is not a linear replacement of tradition by modernity, but a complex negotiation between the old and
the new. Recognizing this dynamic is strategically important for formulating cultural policies and sustainable
urban planning, helping to preserve local identity and foster community cohesion amid intensifying spatial
transformation.