Hanoi (
Vietnamese: Hà Nội)
pronunciation, estimated population nearly 6.5 million (2009), is the
capital and second-largest city of
Vietnam. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam. It was eclipsed by
Huế during the
Nguyễn Dynasty as the capital of Vietnam, but Hanoi served as the capital of
French Indochina from 1902 to 1954. From 1954 to 1976, it was the capital of
North Vietnam.
The city is located on the right bank of the
Red River. Hanoi is located at 1,760 km (1,090 mi) north of
Ho Chi Minh City.
October 2010 will officially mark 1000 years of the establishment of the city. On this occasion, Hanoi has been named by Frommer's travel guide as one of the world's "Top Destinations 2010".
History
King
Lý Thái Tổ made Thăng Long (today Hanoi) the capital city in the 11th century
Hanoi has been inhabited since at least 3000 BC. One of the first known permanent settlements is the
Co Loa citadel (Cổ Loa) founded around 200 BC.
Hanoi has had many names throughout history, all of them of Sino-Vietnamese origin. During the Chinese domination of Vietnam, it was known as Tống Bình and later Long Đỗ ( literally "dragon's belly"). In 866, it was turned into a citadel and was named Đại La .
In 1010,
Lý Thái Tổ, the first ruler of the
Lý Dynasty, moved the capital of Đại Việt ( the
Great Viet, then the name of Vietnam) to the site of the Đại La Citadel. Claiming to have seen a dragon ascending the Red River, he renamed it
Thăng Long (
Ascending dragon) - a name still used poetically to this day. It remained the capital of Vietnam until 1397, when the capital was moved to
Thanh Hóa, also known as Tây Đô (
Western Capital). Thăng Long then became
Đông Đô (
Eastern Capital).
In 1408, Chinese
Ming Dynasty attacked and occupied Vietnam, then they renamed Đông Đô as
Đông Quan (
Eastern Gateway). In 1428, Vietnamese overthrown the Chinese under the leadership of
Lê Lợi who later founded the posterior
Lê Dynasty and renamed Đông Quan as
Đông Kinh (
Eastern Capital - the name known to Europeans as
Tonkin. The same characters are used for Tokyo, Japan). Right after the end of
Tây Sơn Dynasty, it was named
Bắc Thành (
Northern Citadel).
In 1802, when the
Nguyễn Dynasty was established and then moved the capital down to
Huế, the name of
Thăng Long (昇
龍, "ascending dragon") was modified to become different
Thăng Long (昇
隆,
to ascend and flourish). In 1831 the Nguyễn emperor
Minh Mạng renamed it "Hà Nội" (can be translated as
Between Rivers or
River Interior) . Hanoi was occupied by the French in 1873 and passed to them ten years later. It became the capital of French Indochina after 1887.
The city was occupied by the Japanese in 1940, and liberated in 1945, when it briefly became the seat of the
Viet Minh government after
Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of Vietnam. But the French came back and reoccupied the city in 1946. After nine years of fighting between the French and Viet Minh forces, Hanoi became the capital of an independent
North Vietnam in 1954.
During the
Vietnam War Hanoi's transportation facilities were disrupted by the bombing of bridges and railways, which were, however, promptly repaired. Following the end of the war, Hanoi became the capital of Vietnam when North and
South Vietnam were reunited on July 2, 1976.
On May 29, 2008, it was decided that
Ha Tay Province,
Vĩnh Phúc's
Mê Linh district and 4 communes of
Lương Sơn District,
Hoa Binh is merged into the metropolitan area of Hanoi from August 1, 2008. Hanoi's total area increased to 334,470 hectares divided into 29 subdivisions with the new population being 6,232,940. The
Hanoi Capital Region (
Vùng Thủ Đô Hà Nội), a metropolitan area covering Hanoi and 6 surrounding provinces under planning will have an area of 13,436 square kilometers with a population of 15 million by 2020.
On August 1, 2008, Hanoi absorbed the neighboring province of Ha Tay, Vĩnh Phúc's Mê Linh district, and four communes from Lương Sơn,
Hoa Binh, effectively tripling its size.
Climate
Hanoi seen from Spot Satellite
Hanoi features a warm
humid subtropical climate (
Köppen Cwa) with plentiful precipitation. The city experiences the typical climate of northern Vietnam, where summers are hot and humid, and winters are, by national standards, relatively cool and dry. Summers, lasting from May to September, are hot and humid, receiving the majority of the annual 1,680 millimetres (66.1 in) of rainfall. The winters are short, relatively dry, and mild, while spring can bring light rains.
| [hide]Climate data for Hanoi (1898-1990) |
|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|
| Average high °C (°F) | 19.3
(66.7) | 19.9
(67.8) | 22.8
(73) | 27.0
(80.6) | 31.5
(88.7) | 32.6
(90.7) | 32.9
(91.2) | 31.9
(89.4) | 30.9
(87.6) | 28.6
(83.5) | 25.2
(77.4) | 21.8
(71.2) | 27.0
(80.6) |
|---|
| Average low °C (°F) | 13.7
(56.7) | 15.0
(59) | 18.1
(64.6) | 21.4
(70.5) | 24.3
(75.7) | 25.8
(78.4) | 26.1
(79) | 25.7
(78.3) | 24.7
(76.5) | 21.9
(71.4) | 18.5
(65.3) | 15.3
(59.5) | 20.9
(69.6) |
|---|
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 18.6
(0.732) | 26.2
(1.031) | 43.8
(1.724) | 90.1
(3.547) | 188.5
(7.421) | 239.9
(9.445) | 288.2
(11.346) | 318.0
(12.52) | 265.4
(10.449) | 130.7
(5.146) | 43.4
(1.709) | 23.4
(0.921) | 1,676.2
(65.992) |
|---|
| Avg. rainy days | 8.4 | 11.3 | 15.0 | 13.3 | 14.2 | 14.7 | 15.7 | 16.7 | 13.7 | 9.0 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 144.5 |
|---|
| Source: World Meteorological Organisation (UN) |
Education
Hanoi, as the capital of French Indochina, was home to the first Western-style universities in Indochina, including:
Indochina Medical College (1902) - now
Hanoi Medical University,
Indochina University (1904) - now
Hanoi National University, and
École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de L'Indochine (1925) - now
Hanoi University of Fine Art.
After the Communist Party took control over Hanoi in 1954 with support from the Soviet Union, many new universities were built, among them,
Hanoi University of Technology remains the largest technical university in Vietnam.
Hanoi is the largest centre of education in Vietnam. It is estimated that 62% of the scientists in the whole country are living and working in Hanoi. Admissions to undergraduate study are through entrance examinations, which are conducted annually and open for everyone (who has successfully completed his/her secondary education) in the country. The majority of universities in Hanoi are public, although in recent years a number of private universities have started their operation.
Thăng Long University, founded in 1988, by some Vietnamese mathematics professors in Hanoi and France is the first private university in Vietnam.
Because many of Vietnam's major universities are located in Hanoi, students from other provinces (especially in the northern part of the country) wishing to enter university often travel to Hanoi for the annual entrance examination. Such events often take place in June and July, during which a large number of students and their families converge on the city for several weeks around this intense examination period. In recent years, these entrance exams have been centrally coordinated by the Ministry of Education, but passing marks are decided independently by each university.
Although there are state owned
kindergartens, there are also many private ventures that serve both local and international needs. Pre-tertiary (elementary and secondary) schools in Hanoi are generally state run although there are some independent schools. Education is equivalent to the K–12 system in the US, with
elementary school between grades 1 and 5,
middle school (or junior high) between grades 6 and 9, and
high school from grades 10 to 12.
Landmarks
As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, Hanoi is considered to be one of cultural centres of Vietnam, where most of Vietnamese dynasties had left behind their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike. Even when the nation's capital moved to Huế under the Nguyễn Dynasty in 1802, the city of Hanoi continued to flourish, especially after the French took control in 1888 and modeled the city's architecture to their tastes, lending an important aesthetic to the city's rich stylistic heritage. The city boasts more than 1,000 years of history, and that of the past few hundred years has been well preserved.
Hanoi hosts more cultural sites than any city in Vietnam, including over 600 pagodas and temples.
Old Quarter
Main gate to the Temple of Literature
The Old Quarter, near Hoan Kiem lake, has the original street layout and architecture of old Hanoi. At the beginning of the 20th century the city consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the old quarter. Each street then had merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewellery, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. The area is famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops. Local cuisine specialties as well as several clubs and bars can be found here also. A night market (near
Đồng Xuân market) in the heart of the district opens for business every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening with a variety of clothing, souvenirs and food.
Some others prominent places are: The
Temple of Literature (
Văn Miếu), site of the oldest university in Vietnam 1070;
One Pillar Pagoda (
Chùa Một Cột);
Flag Tower of Hanoi (
Cột cờ Hà Nội). In 2004, a massive part of the 900 year old
Hanoi Citadel was discovered in central Hanoi, near the site of
Ba Dinh square.
Lakes
A city between the rivers, built from lowland, Hanoi has many scenic lakes and sometime is called "city of lakes". Among its lakes, the most famous are
Hoan Kiem Lake,
West Lake,
Halais Lake (
Hồ Thiền Quang in Vietnamese), and
Bay Mau Lake. West Lake (Hồ Tây) is a popular place for people to spend time. It is the largest lake in Hanoi and there are many temples in the area. There are small boats for hire and a floating restaurant.
Colonial Hanoi
Hotel Metropole in colonial Hanoi
National Museum of Vietnamese History
Under French rule, as an administrative centre for the French colony of Indochina, the French colonial architecture style became dominant, many examples remain today: the tree-lined boulevards (e.g. Phan Dinh Phung street) and its many villas and mansions,
Grand Opera House,
State Bank of Vietnam (formerly The Bank of Indochina),
Presidential Palace (formerly Palace of the Governor-General of French Indochina),
Saint Joseph Cathedral, and the historic
Hotel Metropole. Many of the colonial structures are an eclectic mixture of French and traditional Vietnamese architectural styles, such as the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts and the old Indochina Medical College.
Museums
Hanoi is also home to a number of museums:
Entertainment
Performance of the water puppet theatre
Thăng LongA variety of options for entertainment in Hanoi can be found throughout the city. Modern and traditional theaters, cinemas, karaoke bars, dance clubs, bowling alleys, and an abundance of opportunities for shopping provide leisure activity for both locals and tourists. Hanoi has been named as one of the top 10 cities for shopping in Asia by Smart Travel Asia. The number of art galleries exhibiting Vietnamese art has sky rocketed in recent years. Among them are renowed ones such as "Nhat Huy" of
Huynh Thong Nhat.
A popular traditional form of entertainment is
water puppetry, which is shown for example at the
Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre.
Shopping
With its rapid growth and extremely high
population density, several modern shopping centers have been built in Hanoi. Major centers include:
- Trang Tien Plaza, Hoan Kiem District
- Vincom City Towers, Ba Trieu Street, Hai Ba Trung District
- Ruby Plaza, 44 Le Ngoc Han Street, Hai Ba Trung District
- Parkson Department Store, Tây Sơn Street, Viet Tower, Dong Da District
- Big C Thăng Long Supercenter, Cau Giay District
- Metro AG, Tu Liem District
- The Garden Mall, Me Tri - My Dinh, Tu Liem District
- Vincom Shopping Galleries, Vincom Park Place, Hai Ba Trung District
- Ciputra Mall, Ciputra urban area, Tay Ho District (currently under construction)
- Yen So Shopping Mall, Hoang Mai District (currently under construction)
Cuisine
Hanoi has rich food traditions and many of Vietnam's most famous dishes, such as
phở,
chả cá,
bánh cuốn and
cốm are thought to come from Hanoi. Perhaps most widely known is Phở, a simple rice noodle soup often eaten as a breakfast dish in the home or at streetside cafes, but also served in restaurants as a meal. Two varieties dominate the Hanoi scene: Phở Bò, containing beef, and Phở Gà, containing chicken.
Hanoi has been selected as one of the top 10 cities for food in the world by Shermans Travel. Vietnam's national dish
Phở has been also named as one of the Top5 streetfood in the world by globalpost.
Population
Hanoian girls wearing traditional costume
Áo dài during
APEC Summit 2006
Hanoi's population is constantly growing (about 3.5% per year), a reflection of the fact that the city is both a major metropolitan area of Northern Vietnam, and also the country's political centre. This population growth also puts a lot of pressure onto the
infrastructure, some of which is antiquated and dates back from the early 20th century.
The number of Hanoians who settled down for more than three generations is likely to be very small as compared to the overall population of the city. Even in the Old Quarter, where commerce started hundreds years ago and was mostly a family business, many of the street-front stores nowadays are owned by merchants and retailers from other provinces. The original owner family may have either rented out the store and moved to live further inside the house, or just moved out of the neighbourhood altogether. The pace of change has especially escalated after the abandonment of central-planning economic policies, and relaxing of the district-based household registrar system.
Hanoi's telephone numbers have been increased to 8 digits to cope with demand (October 2008). Subscribers Telephone numbers have been changed in a haphazard way.
Transportation
Motor scooters dominate the roads in the Old Quarter (2007)
Hanoi is served by
Noi Bai International Airport, located in the Soc Son District, approximately 40 km (25 mi) north of Hanoi. Noi Bai is the only international airport for the northern regions of Vietnam.
Hanoi will have additionally another international airport, which will cost $8 billion, being the highest foreign investment so far in the history of Vietnam. It will be the become the largest and the most modern airport in Asia. The construction will be carried out in three stages,the first phase will start in 2011 until 2015.
There are two main highways linking the airport and city. The route to the city via Thăng Long Bridge is more direct than Highway 1, which runs along the outskirts of the city. The main highways are shared by cars, motor scooters, with separate lanes by the side for bicycles. Taxis are plentiful and usually have trip meters, although it is also common to agree on the trip price before taking a taxi from airport to the city centre. Tourists also sometimes tour the city on
cyclos especially in the
Old Quarter.
Hanoi is also the origin departure point for many
Vietnam Railways train routes in the country. The
Reunification Express (tàu Thống Nhất) runs from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City from Hanoi station (formerly Hang Co station), with stops at cities and provinces along the line. Trains also depart Hanoi frequently for Hai Phong and other northern cities.
The main means of transport within the city are motorbikes, buses, taxis, and bicycles. Motorbikes remain the most common way to move around the city. Public buses run on many routes and fare can be purchased on the bus. For short trips, "xe ôm" (literally, "hug vehicle") motorcycle taxis are available where the passenger sits at the rear of a motorbike.
Economy
Small scale agriculture just outside the suburban outskirts of northern Hanoi
Hanoi has the highest
Human Development Index among the cities in Vietnam. According to a recent ranking by
PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hanoi will be the fastest growing city in the world in term of GDP growth from 2008 to 2025.
Industrial production in the city has experienced a rapid boom since the 1990s, with average annual growth of 19.1 percent from 1991–95, 15.9 percent from 1996–2000, and 20.9 percent during 2001–2003 In addition to eight existing industrial parks, Hanoi is building five new large-scale industrial parks and 16 small- and medium-sized industrial clusters. The non-state economic sector is expanding fast, with more than 48,000 businesses currently operating under the Enterprise Law (as of 3/2007).
Trade is another strong sector of the city. In 2003, Hanoi had 2,000 businesses engaged in foreign trade, having established ties with 161 countries and territories. The city's export value grew by an average 11.6 percent each year from 1996–2000 and 9.1 percent during 2001–2003. The economic structure also underwent important shifts, with
tourism,
finance, and
banking now playing an increasingly important role.
Hanoi's business districts are traditionally
Hoan Kiem and the neighborhood; and a newly developing
Trung Hoa Nhan Chinh in the southwestern part.
Similar to
Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi enjoys a rapidly developing
real estate market. The metropolis's economy growth does not seem correlative to its infrastructure. Overloading population requires a much larger supply of accommodations, while the constructing celerities of both transport system and new urban areas are too low. Not surprisingly, as an effect of this problem, the
apartment and real estate fever occur severely during the time.
More widespread, the fever even influences
Ha Tay, the neighboring province, considered the future development space of the capital. The current most notable new urban areas are central Trung Hoa Nhan Chinh,
My Dinh, the luxurious zones of
The Manor and
Ciputra.
Agriculture, previously a pillar in Hanoi's economy, has striven to reform itself, introducing new high-yield plant varieties and livestock, and applying modern farming techniques.
Together with economic growth, Hanoi's appearance has also changed significantly, especially in recent years. Infrastructure is constantly being upgraded, with new roads and an improved public transportation system.
Sport centers
There are several gymnasiums and stadiums throughout the city of Ha Noi. The biggest ones are
My Dinh National Stadium (
Le Duc Tho Boulevard), Quan Ngua Sporting Palace (
Van Cao Avenue),
Hanoi Water Sport Complex and
My Dinh Indoor Athletics Gymnasium. The others include Ha Noi stadium (as known as Hang Day stadium).
The third Asian Indoor Games was held at Hanoi in 2009.
Health care and other facilities
Some medical facilities in Hanoi:
Districts
Hanoi is divided into 10 inner districts, 1 town and 18 outer districts. (
Hà Đông has been transform to an inner district, and
Sơn Tây has been degraded to a town)
| Subdivisions of Hanoi |
|---|
| Provincial Cities/Districts[23] | Wards[23] | Area (km2)[23] | Population[23] |
|---|
| 1 town |
| Sơn Tây (West of the Mountain) | 15 | 113.474 | 181,831 |
| 10 Urban Districts (Quận) |
| Ba Đình (Three Temples) | 14 | 9.224 | 228,352 |
| Cầu Giấy (Paper Bridge) | 8 | 12.04 | 147,000 |
| Đống Đa | 21 | 9.96 | 352,000 |
| Hai Bà Trưng (The Trung sisters) | 20 | 14.6 | 378,000 |
| Hà Đông (East Bank of the River) | 17 | 47.917 | 198,687 |
| Hoàn Kiếm (Sword Recurrent) | 18 | 5.29 | 178,073 |
| Hoàng Mai (Yellow Plum) | 14 | 41.04 | 216,277 |
| Long Biên (Dragon Fin) | 14 | 60.38 | 170,706 |
| Tây Hồ (West Lake) | 8 | 24 | 115,163 |
| Thanh Xuân (Green Spring/Youth) | 11 | 9.11 | 185,000 |
| Subtotal | 145 | 233.56 | 2,178,258 |
| 18 Rural Districts (Huyện) |
| Ba Vì | 31 + 1 town | 428.0 | 242,600 (1999) |
| Chương Mỹ | 30 + 2 towns | 232.9 | 261,000 (1999) |
| Đan Phượng | 15 + 1 town | 76.8 | 124,900 |
| Đông Anh | 23 + 1 town | 182.3 | 276,750 |
| Gia Lâm | 20 + 2 towns | 114.0 | 205,275 |
| Hoài Đức | 19 + 1 town | 95.3 | 188,800 |
| Mê Linh | 16 + 2 towns | 141.26 | 187,536 (2008) |
| Mỹ Đức | 21 + 1 town | 230.0 | 167,700 (1999) |
| Phú Xuyên | 26 + 2 towns | 171.1 | 181,500 |
| Phúc Thọ | 25 + 1 town | 113.2 | 154,800 (2001) |
| Quốc Oai | 20 + 1 town | 136.0 (2001) | 146,700 (2001) |
| Sóc Sơn | 25 + 1 town | 306.51 | 254,000 |
| Thạch Thất | 22 + 1 town | 128.1 | 149,000 (2003) |
| Thanh Oai | 20 + 1 town | 129.6 | 142,600 (1999) |
| Thanh Trì (Green Ponds) | 15 + 1 town | 98.22 | 241,000 |
| Thường Tín | 28 + 1 town | 127.7 | 208,000 |
| Từ Liêm | 15 + 1 town | 75.32 | 240,000 |
| Ứng Hòa | 28 + 1 town | 183.72 | 193,731 (2005) |
| Subtotal | 399 + 22 towns | 3,266.186 | 3,872,851 |
| Total | 559 + 22 towns | 3,344.47 | 6,232,940 |
International relations
- See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Vietnam
Twin towns — Sister cities
Hanoi is
twinned with:
Gallery
Tháp Bút (Pen Tower) with a phrase "Tả thanh thiên" (meaning "Write on the sky") next to Hoàn Kiếm Lake (2007) | | Spring is out there (Hanoi old quarter) | Open window of an old house, Nguyen Sieu street |
Winter window "Nghe bâng khuâng mùa đông, mùa đông, ô cửa sổ xa vắng" | | | |
| | | |
| | | National Museum of Fine Art |
National Museum of History | | | Park of Reunification (former Lenin park) |
Selling lotus flowers in the street | Long Biên Bridge seen from a rural island looking towards the city centre | Hanoi's Old Quarter on the eve of Tết | |
Hỏa Lò, or the "Hanoi Hilton" | | | |
| Ha Noi's University of Medicine | | |
Hanoian women cycling in the rain | | |
