In 1698, Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu dispatched General Nguyen Huu Canh (also known as Le Thanh Hau Nguyen Huu Canh) on an expedition to administer the Dong Nai region. He established Gia Dinh Prefecture from the Nong Nai lands, creating Phuoc Long District (modern Dong Nai and Binh Duong) and Tan Binh District (modern Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh), formally integrating these lands into the administrative system of Dang Trong (the Nguyen Lords' domain).
Before this, the Mekong Delta region was already home to Khmer communities, along with Vietnamese and Chinese migrants who had settled there since the 17th century. Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu recognized the potential of this fertile delta land and sent Nguyen Huu Canh — a capable general respected by local communities — to establish organized governance.
Nguyen Huu Canh put administrative structures in place: each district had appointed officials, household registers were created, land boundaries were defined, and local militia forces were organized. He also established Minh Huong commune to accommodate Chinese migrants, laying the foundation for what would become the Cholon Chinatown. The population of Gia Dinh at the time was estimated at around 40,000 Vietnamese and Chinese households.
This event holds foundational historical significance: it was the first time the land that is now Ho Chi Minh City was placed within a legal framework — given an official name, a governing body, and recognized as Vietnamese territory. From this point forward, the development and settlement of the southern region accelerated dramatically.
Nguyen Huu Canh died in 1700, just two years after his historic expedition, and is venerated by the people of Southern Vietnam as a deity who opened new lands. Today, many streets, schools, and communal halls in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, and other southern provinces bear his name. His death anniversary (19th day of the 5th lunar month) is solemnly observed each year at Nguyen Huu Canh Temple in Binh Thanh District.