Sun Group’s 186-trillion đồng ($7.1 billion) megaproject broke ground in August in Hà Nội, but families living on the land were the last to find out.
The Latest: Residents of Hà Nội’s Vĩnh Hưng Ward feel “ambushed” by Sun Group’s 447-hectare urban renovation and redevelopment project. From Oct. 12 to Nov. 1, the Vĩnh Hưng Ward People’s Committee is collecting public comments on the project’s 1:500 plan.
- However, according to Luật Khoa sources, many residents only learned that their land fell inside the project zone on Aug. 28, 2026, when state media reported Sun Group’s groundbreaking in the ward.
Ambushed by Sun Group: The development carries a total investment of nearly 186 trillion đồng. Following the groundbreaking, residents stated that from late August to early October 2026, the Vĩnh Hưng Ward People’s Committee held several meetings to hear their views, but the developer never appeared.
In early September 2026, a resident of Lane 467 Lĩnh Nam in Vĩnh Hưng Ward submitted a petition on the website of the Hà Nội People’s Committee asking about the project.
- The resident stated that people there only learned of the groundbreaking on Aug. 28, 2026, and felt “perplexed and worried” because information about the plan and the clearance area was circulating, but they could not access “official information.”
In response, the Hanoi Center for Communications, Data, and Digital Technology stated that “official information will be announced by the competent authorities” and told residents seeking details to contact the Vĩnh Hưng Ward People’s Committee or the Hanoi Department of Construction.
- However, many Vĩnh Hưng residents told Luật Khoa that they have repeatedly sent petitions to authorities at every level since late August without receiving any reply.
“We weren’t affected by any previous plan,” a young man in Vĩnh Hưng told Luật Khoa. “When we bought our house and land, we checked the zoning thoroughly. Then suddenly, at the end of August, we found out our land was inside the planning zone.”
- Others noted that they have lost sleep and appetite since late August, with some losing 4 to 5 kilograms.
Mismatched Figures: Luật Khoa searched online records and found that before Aug. 28, 2026, only the Hanoi Department of Finance website had published Sun Group’s project proposal for Vĩnh Hưng.
- Its figures for the project’s size and investment do not match current information.
- State media began covering the project only in late August, went silent again, and mentioned it only once more in early October, when residents learned of the 1:500 planning map.
From Social Media: On Facebook, many users are outraged about the project’s lack of transparency.
One account named ***Vương laid out the project’s “planning timeline”:
- They stated that the maps leaked online on Aug. 28 and that no 1:5,000 or 1:2,000 zoning plans were made.
- The user then noted that meetings in September and early October were “all with department leaders who had no authority to answer or resolve anything, only to note opinions and pass them on. No sign of the developer, no sign of whoever drew the plan.”
- Following the Oct. 11 release of the 1:500 plan, ***Vương noted that the public comment form only offered “agree,” “disagree,” or “other opinion.”
- The user wrote, “How the agree or disagree percentage is calculated, and based on what population, has not been disclosed either.”
Luật Khoa’s survey found residents are in the dark about the project timeline, compensation, resettlement, and when their land will be taken.
The Red River Project: A Luật Khoa survey found that many residents in the Red River Scenic Boulevard project area are in a similar situation.
- They stated that they were still confused when Hà Nội authorities collected public comments because they lacked clear information on compensation, resettlement, and the project timeline.
- Nearly half a month after the comment period ended on Sept. 26, 2026, authorities still have not released detailed results.
Lê Sáng wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on October 13, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.
