Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi is the administrative capital of Vietnam and the country’s second-largest city. Located along the economically important Red River Delta, Hanoi is one of the oldest cities in Southeast Asia and has a long cultural and military history.

As an increasingly industrialized city, Hanoi is one of Vietnam’s leading economic centers in terms of technology, healthcare, and manufacturing. The city also boasts a wealth of architecture and relics from the country’s imperial period.

Emerging from a turbulent past, Hanoi has grown into a busy destination for international tourism. Visitors are attracted to the city’s cultural and historical attractions, its cuisine, and its social atmosphere. Hanoi is quickly becoming one of the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia.

Landscape

The city of Hanoi covers nearly 913 square kilometers (353 square miles) on Vietnam’s eastern plain. From the city and surrounding area, several rivers flow east toward the sea. The Red River, Hanoi’s largest, runs 1,183 kilometers (735 miles) from China through Vietnam. The area surrounding the banks of the Red River is a delta plain characterized by numerous tributary streams and lakes. In the mountains south and north of the city, the elevation rises to more than 100 meters (more than 320 feet) above sea level.

The climate of Hanoi is subtropical with four distinct seasons. The average temperature varies from 17 to 29 degrees Celsius (62 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit), with a rain and monsoon period from May to September.

Vietnam is one of the world's five most vulnerable countries to climate change. The country has experienced floods, droughts, typhoons, and landslides. Extreme weather events put the country's residents at risk of infectious diseases.

The city of Hanoi has seven urban or “inner” districts and five suburban districts. Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh are the major administrative districts, where government buildings as well as industrial centers and cultural areas are located. The suburban districts surrounding the city are in a state of rapid industrial development, as factories, hospitals, and institutions of higher learning are expanding.

People

Hanoi had an estimated average population of 5.25 million in 2023. The densely populated urban area has had problems with pollution and housing shortages, as well as deficiencies in infrastructure and public services.

Vietnam has more than fifty nationally recognized ethnic groups, of which the Viet (or Kinh) people are the largest, comprising approximately 85.3 percent of the population. Ethnic Chinese comprise about 1 percent of the population, and typically live in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Other ethnic groups including the Tay, Thai, Muong, Khmer, and numerous tribal groups.

The Vietnamese or Viet language is the official administrative language of Hanoi, and English is increasing favored as a second language. During its long history, Vietnam underwent periods of foreign control by both the French and the Chinese. As a result, the modern Vietnamese language contains elements taken from both the Sino-Tibetan and Indo-European language families. The various ethnic groups and tribes living in Hanoi may also speak one of several dozen additional dialects.

The majority of people living in Hanoi practice Buddhism, although Catholicism and other sects of Christianity are also practiced. The native religions of Cao Dai and Hoa Hao still have small numbers of adherents, especially in rural communities.

The culture of Hanoi is largely based on the region’s historic relationship with the delta’s many rivers. Fishing and boating remain major aspects of the rural lifestyle. The urban area offers modern conveniences and entertainment including theater, film, artist communities, and organized sports.

Hanoi’s cuisine ranges from traditional, peasant cuisine to diverse international fare. There are a large number of café-style restaurants in the urban area, one of the cultural legacies of the French occupation. Seafood and spicy dishes are ubiquitous in Vietnamese cuisine, and many of Hanoi’s restaurants enhance traditional recipes with fresh ingredients from local farms and fishermen.

Economy

With Vietnam joining the World Trade Organization (WHO) in 2007, becoming a negotiating partner in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement in 2010, and concluding several free trade agreements between 2015 and 2016, Hanoi is rapidly becoming one of the Southeast Asia’s leading economic centers as well as an important supplier of textiles and technology. Before the 1970s, Hanoi’s economy was centered on agriculture, after which time the city gradually shifted toward manufacturing. Although agriculture’s share of Vietnam’s economic base shrunk from 25 percent in 2000 to an estimated 15.3 percent in 2017, it is still important to the local economy, and many farms have modernized their means of production. Industry, on the other hand, increased from 36 percent to 38 percent in the same time period between 2000 and 2014, before decreasing to an estimated 33.3 percent in 2017. Services comprised an estimated 51.3 percent of Vietnam’s gross domestic product in 2017.

In 2013, Hanoi’s economy enjoyed an average annual growth rate of 8.5 percent and a per capita income of VND 57.6 million as the city moved toward an export-based economy. Chief exports include computer technology, textiles and clothing, foods and beverages, lumber, machinery, and crude oil. Despite experiencing the effects of a global recession, almost 15,000 businesses were established in Hanoi in 2013, which was an increase of 12 percent from 2012.

Hanoi has wavered between promoting continued growth and accentuating economic stabilization, and in 2011 the Vietnamese government instituted policies aimed at steadying the economy through tighter fiscal control, little progress was noted by 2013. However, reforms aimed at promoting businesses, production, and trade began to show results, and Hanoi jumped from ranking fifty-first out of sixty-three on Vietnam’s Provincial Competitiveness Index in 2012 to thirteenth in 2017.

In February 2019, Hanoi was ranked the third most dynamic growing city in the world on the Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) city Momentum Index. Such growth has contributed to a decline in the city’s sustainability ranking, however. Out of one hundred cities assessed on environmental sustainability factors by Arcadis, a Dutch design and consultancy firm in 2018, Hanoi was ranked ninety-eighth for its air pollution, lack of green spaces, and energy consumption.

In 2023, Hanoi recorded 21,100 new businesses in the city. During the same year, the city's gross domestic product (GDP) increased about 5.9 percent over the previous year. To make itself more attractive to investors, Hanoi adopted the National Digital Transformation Programme with a goal of developing a digital government, a digital economy, and a digital society by 2030.

Landmarks

Hanoi is culturally rich and offers a variety of museums and historical attractions. The area of the city known as the “Old Quarter” is the oldest continually developed portion of Hanoi, and was built on an ancient swamp. The Old Quarter is spread out over seventy streets that are filled with retail shops, historical buildings, religious structures, and scenic areas.

Today, the Old Quarter is one of the premier shopping districts in Hanoi. Certain streets within the Old Quarter have become famous for the products that can be purchased there. Han Gai Street, for instance, offers a variety of silk goods and clothing, while Hang Bac Street is lined with jewelers and craft stores.

Hanoi has maintained a number of historical buildings across the city, including the Temple of Literature, built in 1070, which served as the first university in Vietnam. The temple was the site of literature and poetry recitations, official meetings of Vietnam’s elite scholars, and Confucian ceremonies during the period of Chinese rule.

The Turtle Pagoda, located in the center of Hoan Kiem Lake, is a popular spot for tourists and those seeking a tranquil environment. The Ho Guom turtle, a large species of river-turtle, lives in the lake and has become a symbol for prosperity in Vietnamese culture.

Those interested in political and military history can also visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which is dedicated to one of Vietnam’s most revered military and political leaders. The mausoleum receives millions of local and foreign millions visitors each year.

For a modern experience, visitors and residents enjoy Hanoi’s thriving nightlife, which include numerous twenty-four-hour diners and nightclubs for drinking and dancing.

History

Hanoi is located on the site of a system of prehistoric lakes and marshes; the area has been occupied by humans for at least two thousand years. Hanoi first gained prominence as a productive fishing village. Ethnic Chinese people first occupied the area in 214 BCE and maintained control over the region until they were ousted in 938 CE.

As Hanoi developed, it was given the name Dai La. In 1010, King Ly Thai To established Hanoi as the capital of the Ly Dynasty (1009–1225) and renamed the city Thang Long. Most of what is now known as the Old Quarter was constructed during the Ly Dynasty. In 1397, during a turbulent shift in imperial power, the administrative capital was moved to western Vietnam. Hanoi remained a populous city and became known as the Eastern Capital.

Hanoi was invaded and captured by the Chinese army in 1408. The city remained under Chinese control through a prolonged military struggle between the Chinese and Vietnamese people. In 1428, Hanoi was recaptured by the armies of the newly formed Le Dynasty (1428–1776). During the Le Dynasty, Hanoi remained the Eastern Capital of the Vietnamese empire.

In 1831, the rulers of the Nguyen Dynasty renamed the city Hanoi in reference to its association with the Red River. France invaded Vietnam in 1873 and took control of the city, and the French government established its administrative offices there. Vietnam remained under French control until the end of World War II when France was forced to cede Vietnam to the Japanese.

Allied forces supplied arms and economic support to Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, who began a guerilla resistance movement against the Japanese occupation. In 1945, after the Japanese and German armies were retreating, Ho Chi Minh helped establish the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, also known as North Vietnam.

The French remained in Vietnam until 1955 and attempted to reestablish political dominance by fueling an internal conflict between communist and anticommunist forces. Between 1961 and 1973, the conflict between armed factions in Vietnam grew to involve the United States whose officials feared that communist ideology would spread throughout Asia, which was bolstered by the support of the Soviet Union. Some 1.5 million people were killed in what became known as the Vietnam War (or, in Vietnam, the American War), although war was never officially declared. The conflict ended with a ceasefire in 1975, but North Vietnamese forces continued to push for more territory and invaded Cambodia in 1978.

The Chinese army responded to Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia by invading Hanoi in 1979. The Chinese withdrew after eleven days of conflict, and Hanoi was reclaimed and named the capital of Vietnam.

In the 1980s, the Vietnamese government began to concentrate on rebuilding from decades of military conflict. Vietnamese armed forces remained in conflict with ethnic Cambodian forces until a peace treaty was signed in 1992. In 1994, the United States lifted economic sanctions and began providing aid to Vietnam.

Bibliography

Adams, Kathleen M., and Kathleen Gillogly. Everyday Life in Southeast Asia. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2014. Print.

“Area, Population and Population Density by Cities, Provinces, Year and Items.” General Statistics Office of Viet Nam, gso.gov.vn/default‗en.aspx?tabid=774. Accessed 29 Feb. 2024.

Dinh, Hinh T., and Deepak Mishra. Light Manufacturing in Vietnam: Creating Jobs and Prosperity in a Middle-Income Economy. Washington, DC: World Bank, 2014. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Larsen, Rasnum Klocker. “Reinventing Rural Development in Vietnam: Discursive Constructions of Grassroots Democracy During the Renovation Reform.” Asia Pacific Viewpoint 52.3 (2011): 316–32. Print.

Le, Long S. “‘Colonial’ and ‘Postcolonial’ Views of Vietnam’s Pre-History.” Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia 26.1 (2011): 128–48. Business Source Complete . Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

Nguyen, Quy. “Hanoi Goes from Bad to Worse in Sustainability Ranking.” VN Express International, 20 Nov. 2018, e.vnexpress.net/news/news/hanoi-goes-from-bad-to-worse-in-sustainability-ranking-3841712.html. Accessed 29 Feb. 2024.

Tucker, Spencer. Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History. 2nd ed. Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio, 2011. Print.

“Vietnam.” The World Factbook, US Central Intelligence Agency, 20 Feb. 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/vietnam/. Accessed 29 Feb. 2024.

"Vietnam: Climate Change Profile." USAID, 15 Nov. 2022, www.usaid.gov/climate/country-profiles/vietnam. Accessed 29 Feb. 2024.

VNA. “Hanoi and Saigon Ranked among the Global Top 10 Most Dynamic Growing Cities.” Vietnam Insider, 11 Feb. 2019, vietnaminsider.vn/hanoi-and-saigon-ranked-among-the-global-top-10-most-dynamic-growing-cities/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2019.