The expansion was approved Tuesday by the National Assembly Standing Committee.

The entire natural area and population of two wards in Huong Thuy Town, two wards and four communes in Huong Tra Town, another four communes and Thuan An Town in Phu Vang District will be merged into Hue.

After the merger, Hue will reorganize nine wards into five while establishing four new ones.

The resolution to expand the town will take effect July 1, giving ward authorities and state organizations time to make the required changes.

Explaining the expansion, Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra said Hue was a heritage urban area famous for its natural landscape and well-preserved historical and cultural relics. Its total area at present was way too small to accommodate the speed of urban development in the area, she said.

The urban population density in Hue is currently high at 7,222 people per km2, its social infrastructure is overloaded and technical infrastructure has not met urban development needs, the minister said.

She also said that several existing wards were very small and did not facilitate administrative efficiency.

"Reorganizing those wards and merging them with others is also a move to streamline the apparatus to improve the efficiency of state management," Tra said.

Hue currently houses 354,124 people in an area of 70.67 square kilometers. After the expansion, the corresponding figures will increase to 652,572 people and 265.99 square kilometers.