The Historical Record of Tân An

The Địa chí Cần Thơ (Cần Thơ Monograph), published by the Provincial Party Committee and the People's Committee of Cần Thơ in 2002, states:

During the early days of land reclamation, the villages of Tân An and Thới Bình formed early on these high grounds. Possibly due to the dangers of large rivers and streams, early settlers lacked the means to conquer nature’s overwhelming forces, and thus they retreated to quieter inlets like the Cần Thơ canal, Tham Tướng canal, and Bình Thủy canal.”

In the Dictionary of Southern Administrative Place Names, researcher Nguyễn Đình Tư notes that during the Gia Long era (1802-1820), Tân An was a hamlet in Vĩnh Định District, Định Viễn Prefecture, Vĩnh Thanh Province. This confirms that the name "Tân An" has existed for over 200 years. In the Minh Mạng era, Tân An was part of Định Bảo canton, Vĩnh Định District, Ba Xuyên Prefecture, An Giang Province. During the reigns of Emperors Thiệu Trị and Tự Đức, and into the early French colonial period, it remained under Định Bảo canton.

In 1871, the area came under the Sa Đéc Inspectorate when Cần Thơ was merged into it. By January 5, 1876, Tân An became a village in Trà Ôn Inspectorate, and later, once again, under Cần Thơ. From January 1, 1900, Tân An officially belonged to Cần Thơ Province.

The Gia Định Thành Thông Chí by Trịnh Hoài Đức, compiled during the Gia Long and early Minh Mạng reigns, lists Tân An among the 37 hamlets and posts of Vĩnh Định District.

In his work Research on Nguyễn Dynasty Land Registers - volume An Giang, researcher Nguyễn Đình Đầu provides data indicating that in 1876, Trà Ôn Inspectorate, headquartered in Cần Thơ, had ten significant markets, including “Chợ Tân An” (also known as Chợ Giữa - "Middle Market").

The same researcher’s study, titled Summary of Research on the Southern Six Provinces, includes a ranking of 1,637 villages by actual agricultural and residential land in 1836-1837. Tân An, part of Định Bảo canton in Vĩnh Định District, had 1,053 mẫu (approx. 10.5 km²), ranking 1,472nd—an impressive size compared to Ninh Kiều District’s current area of 29.22 km².

In 1852 (the 5th year of Emperor Tự Đức’s reign), a royal decree officially conferred the title “Bổn Cảnh Thành Hoàng” (Local Patron Deity) on Tân An Village, Phong Phú District.

The 1904 French-language monograph Monographie de la province de Cần Thơ recorded that Cần Thơ Province comprised nine cantons with 90 villages and many hamlets. Tân An Village, part of Định Bảo canton, was labeled chef-lieu (provincial capital), with a population of 9,961, second only to Nhơn Ái in the canton. The document also confirmed that the largest market in Cần Thơ Province was located in Tân An Village.

In Cần Thơ: Then and Now (1966), author Huỳnh Minh wrote: "In the 20th year of Minh Mạng’s reign (1836), the area now known as Cần Thơ was called Phong Phú District, Tuy Biên Prefecture, An Giang Province, comprising three cantons and 31 villages and hamlets. At this time, the district’s seat was located in Tân An Village, enclosed by bamboo fences and spanning a perimeter of 50 trượng."

Cross-referencing this with Đại Nam Nhất Thống Chí, compiled by the Nguyễn Dynasty’s National History Office during Emperor Tự Đức’s reign, it records:

"The district seat of Phong Phú was enclosed by fences and located in Tân An Village. It had previously been the seat of Vĩnh Định District and now served as the administrative center."

It further notes that Phong Phú District had three significant markets: Thới An Đông, Tân An (at the district seat), and Cần Thơ Market (also at the district seat, near the Cần Thơ River).

Tân An Communal House (Đình Tân An)

From these historical sources, three significant insights emerge:

First, Tân An is one of the earliest villages in the Cần Thơ region, established during the Gia Long era.

Second, whenever the name “Tân An” was used, it often denoted an administrative center or capital.

Third, Tân An was an extensive, populous, and economically vibrant village with a bustling marketplace.

For instance, during the French colonial era, the Tân An Administrative Office (or “Tân An Công Sở”), located on today’s Phan Đình Phùng Street, was a prominent venue for significant events. Early 1920s editions of An Hà Daily frequently covered exhibitions, performances, and New Year festivals held there.

The origin of Đình Tân An (Tân An Communal House) also reflects the scale of the village. Huỳnh Minh recorded that in 1880, a humble version of the communal house was built of thatch and wood at Chợ Giữa—about 3 km from central Cần Thơ. The name “Chợ Giữa” likely derives from its position between the Cần Thơ and Cái Răng markets. According to Nguyễn Đình Đầu’s research, Chợ Giữa refers to the former Tân An Market—not the one today—and corresponds to the present-day Tầm Vu Market area in Hưng Lợi Ward.

In 1899, the communal house was relocated near the mouth of Bà Nga Canal, close to Tham Tướng Bridge (around where Vincom Plaza now stands in Xuân Khánh Ward). This supports the claim that old Tân An Village encompassed what is now Hưng Lợi Ward, and that its communal house once faced the Cần Thơ River.

The Monographie de la province de Cần Thơ ("Monograph of Cần Thơ Province"), published in 1904, recorded that Tân An Village, part of the Định Bảo canton, served as the provincial capital.

The royal decree of 1852 mentioned above used the phrase “y cựu phụng sự” (“to continue worship as before”), indicating that the communal house existed before that date.

Tân An Communal House worshiped a historical figure: Nguyễn Thanh Trưng, an education official (Đốc học) in An Giang. His lands stretched across the old Chợ Giữa area—roughly from today’s Tầm Vu Market to near Xuân Khánh Market. He was known for charitable deeds, especially donating land and funds to build the communal house.

In 1943, the Nam Kỳ Weekly published a travelogue titled Twenty-Five Days Seeking Traces of the Past by journalist Khuông Việt. In the section "Straight to Tây Đô", the first site visited was the tomb of Nguyễn Thanh Trưng, located in Ấp Xuân Hòa, Tân An Village—approximately 4 km from downtown Cần Thơ. The tomb still exists in a small alley near Tầm Vu Market, reinforcing the idea that this area once belonged to Tân An Village.

Also mentioned in the same article was the grave of Mr. Chàm Hoàng across the Cần Thơ River, now in Hưng Phú Ward, Cái Răng District. Back then, it belonged to the Lò Gạch Hamlet, Mỹ Hưng Sub-hamlet, part of Tân An Village.

A final piece of evidence of Tân An’s historical scale lies in a cemetery in today’s An Bình Ward. Among the century-old tombstones is one for Mr. Trương Văn Chất (1845-1920), labeled:

"Nam Kỳ. Tân An Village. Tomb of the late Chief Bái Trương Văn Chất."

This indicates he served as a village official (Hương Cả) around 1919.

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The name “Tân An” is quite common across Southern Vietnam—appearing at the hamlet, commune, district, and even provincial levels (e.g., Tân An City in Long An Province, and the former Tân An Province under French rule). In Cần Thơ, however, “Tân An” is deeply intertwined with the city’s early history, cultural development, and urban formation. Thus, retaining and reviving the name “Tân An” for a newly merged ward is appropriate and historically and culturally meaningful.