Hanoi Vietnam

Description: Hanoi is the capital and second-most populous city of Vietnam. As evident by the literal translation of its name – ‘inside the river’ – portions of Hanoi’s border are delineated by the Red and Black Rivers. As a municipality, Hanoi consists of 12 urban districts, 17 rural districts, and 1 district-level town (Sơn Tây). It has an area of 3,359.84 km2 (1,297.24 sq mi) and a population of 8,435,700 in 2022. In 2020, Hanoi has the second-highest gross regional domestic product of all Vietnam provinces and municipalities at 51.4 billion USD, behind Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi Capital is also ASEAN 8th largest economy after Surabaya.

Population: 8,587,141

Demographics: There are more than 50 ethnic groups in Hanoi, of which the Viet (Kinh) is the largest; according to official Vietnamese figures (2019 census), accounting for 98.66% of the population, followed by Mường at 0.77% and Tày at 0.24%.

History: Many vestiges of human habitation from the late Palaeolithic and early Mesolithic ages can be found in Hanoi. Between 1971 and 1972, archaeologists in Ba Vì and Đông Anh discovered pebbles with traces of carving and processing by human hands that are relics of Sơn Vi Culture, dating from 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. In 111 BC, the Han dynasty conquered Nanyue and ruled it for the next several hundred years. By the year 679, the Tang dynasty changed the region’s name to Annan (Pacified South), with Songping as its capital. In 1010, Lý Thái Tổ, the first ruler of the Lý dynasty, moved the capital of Đại Việt to the site of the Đại La Citadel. Claiming to have seen a dragon ascending the Red River, he renamed the site Thăng Long (昇龍, “Soaring Dragon”) – a name still used poetically to this day. Thăng Long remained the capital of Đại Việt until 1397, when it was moved to Thanh Hóa, then known as Tây Đô (西都), the “Western Capital”. Thăng Long then became Đông Đô (東都), the “Eastern Capital”. In 1408, the Chinese Ming dynasty attacked and occupied Vietnam, changing Đông Đô’s name to Dongguan (Chinese: 東關, Eastern Gateway), or Đông Quan in Sino-Vietnamese. In 1428, the Vietnamese overthrew the Chinese under the leadership of Lê Lợi, who later founded the Lê dynasty and renamed Đông Quan Đông Kinh (東京, “Eastern Capital”) or Tonkin. During 17th century, the population of Đông Kinh was estimated by Western diplomats as about 100,000. The city was occupied by the Imperial Japanese in 1940 and liberated in 1945, when it briefly became the seat of the Việt Minh government after Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of Vietnam. However, the French returned 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. The French Army withdrew that year and the People’s Army of Vietnam and International Control Commission occupied the city under the terms of the 1954 Geneva Conference. After the Đổi Mới economic policies were approved in 1986, the Communist Party and national and municipal governments hoped to attract international investments for urban development projects in Hanoi. The high-rise commercial buildings did not begin to appear until ten years later due to the international investment community being skeptical of the security of their investments in Vietnam. Rapid urban development and rising costs displaced many residential areas in central Hanoi. Hanoi has experienced a rapid construction boom recently. Skyscrapers, appearing in new urban areas, have dramatically changed the cityscape and have formed a modern skyline outside the old city. In 2015, Hanoi is ranked 39th by Emporis in the list of world cities with most skyscrapers over 100 m; its two tallest buildings are Hanoi Landmark 72 Tower (336 m, second tallest in Vietnam after Ho Chi Minh City’s Landmark 81 and third tallest in south-east Asia after Malaysia’s Petronas Towers) and Hanoi Lotte Center (272 m, also, third tallest in Vietnam).

Elevation: 20 m

Climate: Subtropical climate. Average annual temperature in Hanoi is 24 C (74 F), the average for July is 29 C (84 F), the average for January is 17 C (63 F).

Attractions: Old Quarter, Lake Of The Restored Sword, Hoa Lo Prison, Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Fine Arts Museum, Vietnam Moon Travel, Hanoi Train Street

Airports: Noi Bai International Airport HAN

Distance To City Centre: 3 km

Commute Length: 45 min

Average Transportation Cost: 35 USD

Traffic Hours: 6:30 am – 9:30 am, 4 pm – 8 pm