Trực Ninh district

Trực Ninh is a former rural district of Nam Định province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam.

History

Since the Sui dynasty, this area belonged to a fairly large administrative unit called Tây Chân rural district. When the Trần dynasty was founded, Tây Chân belonged to Thiên Trường prefecture. Its name implies that it was the periphery of a small urban complex called Tức Mặc village, where officials and aristocrats were concentrated.
In the Revival Lê dynasty, because its name coincided with the title of Lord Trịnh Tạc, it was changed to Nam Chân rural district.
By the 14th year of Minh Mệnh, Nam Chân rural district was separated into Nam Chân and Chân Ninh. About the year of Tự Đức, Chân Ninh rural district was changed as Xuân Ninh rural district. Since the years of Thành Thái, it was continued to change as Trực Ninh rural district. During the Nguyễn dynasty, some parts in the East of this rural district were transferred to Hải Hậu.

On March 26, 1968, according to Decision 41-CP of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the two rural districts of Nam Trực and Trực Ninh re-merged into Nam Ninh rural district.
From 1971 to 1996, the number of communes continuously decreased due to the merger.
On February 26, 1997, to implement Decree 19/NĐ-CP of the Government of Vietnam, Nam Ninh rural district was re-divided into two new districts : Nam Trực and Trực Ninh.

To meet the criteria of the plan for arrangement and merger of administrative units, according to the Decision of the Nam Định Provincial People's Committee, which was issued in February 2025, from 00:00 on September 1 of the same year, Trực Ninh Rural District was officially dissolved.

As of 2003, the district had a population of 196,765. The district covers an area of 143 km². The district capital lies at Cổ Lễ.