Vietnamese farmers are exhuming the graves of their ancestors to clear land for a $1.5 billion Trump Organization development, which includes five-star hotels, villas, and a golf course, according to a Financial Times report. The project in Hung Yen province broke ground last year but has faced backlash from locals who refuse to relocate graves due to sentimental and financial concerns.
“The grave of my great-grandparents has been there since 1967, before the establishment of this country. So why should I move them?” said Hoang Anh Xa, who has five relatives buried in a cemetery set to be dismantled. Another farmer, Tran Minh Hai, added, “It’s a spiritual thing. People don’t want to disturb the graves.”
The project spans about four square miles and affects over 4,000 households. The Vietnamese government has approved compensation and resettlement plans, but some residents claim they were offered below-market rates of about $3 per square metre. Banana farmer Nguyen Duc Theo noted that while people initially supported the project, they now feel shortchanged.
Local resistance has delayed the development, initially expected to be completed by 2027. The Trump Organization has been approached for comment. At a groundbreaking ceremony in May 2025, Eric Trump called the venture “the envy of all of Asia and the entire world.”
Vietnam’s then-Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh described the project as significant for strengthening US-Vietnam relations and fostering investor confidence. The approval process was fast-tracked, skipping environmental reviews and truncating public comment periods, according to The New York Times. Some analysts view this as an effort to appease the Trump administration, which threatened a 46% tariff on Vietnamese goods last year.
White House officials have denied President Trump’s involvement in his family business, stating it is in a blind trust controlled by his children.
