The Aeon Vietnam Company Limited (Aeon Vietnam) and Vietnam’s Viet Phat Group JSC kicked off construction of a 13-ha mall with investment of VND5.2 trillion ($214 million) in Ha Long city, northern Quang Ninh province.

Located near the famous tourism destination of Ha Long Bay, the project has the necessary conditions to maximize its role as a driving force in promoting the development of the service - tourism sector in the local area, and to become both a highlight in landscape architecture and an attractive tourism product, bringing benefits to authorities, people, and businesses.

The project is designed to serve 10 million customers a year, and is expected to create about 2,500 jobs after completion and opening.

The project features 9.1 ha of shopping area and 3.92 ha for connecting to traffic infrastructure.

Speaking at the project launch, Mr. Cao Tuong Huy, Chairman of the Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee, affirmed that the launch is an important event.

He noted that, in recent years, in order to create breakthrough developments, Quang Ninh has focused resources on investing in socio-economic infrastructure. “In addition to transportation infrastructure, Quang Ninh has also attracted a series of off-budget investment projects in the service - tourism sector,” he added. “The province has gradually formed a network of modern commercial centers, contributing to creating urban highlights and forming attractive venues for sightseeing, shopping, entertainment, and recreation for people and tourists coming to Quang Ninh.”

To continue promoting the development of the service - tourism sector under orientations in Quang Ninh’s provincial planning for the 2021-2030 period and vision to 2050 and the Ha Long City general planning to 2040 approved by the Prime Minister, Quang Ninh will continue to attract off-budget investment projects in the service - tourism sector, of which the Ha Long City Shopping Mall is a key project.

With an orientation of developing a modern commercial center, brining prestigious and famous domestic and foreign brands together, project implementation will contribute to promoting the local retail industry and contributing to the province’s overall economic growth.

At the same time, it will also be a consumption center for local agricultural products, helping promote the province’s offerings among tourists and in international markets.

In order to quickly put the project into operation, Mr. Huy asked departments, branches, and authorities in Ha Long city and related units to continue to guide, support, and accompany investors to complete subsequent procedures for the project.

The investor will accelerate implementation to complete and put the project into operation in the fourth quarter of 2025.

This is the sixth Aeon Mall in Vietnam, joining two each in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and one each in the southern province of Binh Duong and the northern port city of Hai Phong.

The company plans to expand its shopping mall network to 25 in Vietnam by 2025, with new malls planned in the provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien-Hue, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, and elsewhere.

Under its medium-term (2023-2025) plan, the company will open more outlets around the country, including one in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. Construction of Aeon Mall Hue began in February 2023 and a grand opening is planned for the second half of this year.