Hanoi (UK: , US: ; Vietnamese: Hà Nội [hàː
nôjˀ] (listen)) is Vietnam's capital and
second largest city by population (7.7 million
in 2015).
The city mostly lies on the right bank of
the Red River.
Hanoi is 1,720 km (1,070 mi) north of Ho Chi
Minh City and 105 km (65 mi) west of Haiphong.
From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important
political centre of Vietnam.
It was eclipsed by Huế, the imperial capital
of Vietnam during the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802–1945).
In 1873 Hanoi was conquered by the French.
From 1883 to 1945, the city was the administrative
center of the colony of French Indochina.
The French built a modern administrative city
south of Old Hanoi, creating broad, perpendicular
tree-lined avenues of opera, churches, public
buildings, and luxury villas, but they also
destroyed large parts of the city, shedding
or reducing the size of lakes and canals,
while also clearing out various imperial palaces
and citadels.
From 1940 to 1945 Hanoi, as well as most of
French Indochina and Southeast Asia, was occupied
by the Japanese empire.
On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed
the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North
Vietnam).
The Vietnamese National Assembly under Ho
Chi Minh decided on January 6, 1946, to make
Hanoi the capital of the Democratic Republic
of Vietnam.
From 1954 to 1976, it was the capital of North
Vietnam, and it became the capital of a reunified
Vietnam in 1976, after the North's victory
in the Vietnam War.
October 2010 officially marked 1,000 years
since the establishment of the city.
The Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural is a 6.5 km
(4.0 mi) ceramic mosaic mural created to mark
the occasion.
== Names ==
Hanoi had many official and unofficial names
throughout history.
During the Chinese occupation of Vietnam,
it was known first as Long Biên (龍邊,
"dragon edge"), then Tống Bình (宋平,
"Song peace") and Long Đỗ (龍肚, "dragon
belly").
Long Biên later gave its name to the famed
Long Biên Bridge, built during French colonial
times, and more recently to a new district
to the east of the Red River.
Several older names of Hanoi feature long
(龍, "dragon"), linked to the curvy formation
of the Red River around the city, which was
symbolized as a dragon.
In 866, it was turned into a citadel and named
Đại La (大羅, "big net").
This gave it the nickname La Thành (羅城,
"net citadel").
Both Đại La and La Thành are names of
major streets in modern Hanoi.
When Lý Thái Tổ established the capital
in the area in 1010, it was named Thăng Long
(昇龍, "rising dragon").
Thăng Long later became the name of a major
bridge on the highway linking the city center
to Noi Bai Airport, and the Thăng Long Boulevard
expressway in the southwest of the city center.
In modern time, the city is usually referred
to as Thăng Long – Hà Nội, when its
long history is discussed.
During the Hồ dynasty, it was called Đông
Đô (東都, "eastern metropolis").
During the Ming Chinese occupation, it was
called Đông Quan (東關, "eastern gate").
During the Lê dynasty, Hanoi was known as
Đông Kinh (東京, "eastern capital").
This gave the name to Tonkin and Gulf of Tonkin.
A square adjacent to the Hoàn Kiếm lake
was named Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục after
the reformist Tonkin Free School under French
colonization.
After the end of the Tây Sơn had expanded
further south, the city was named Bắc Thành
(北城, "northern citadel").
Minh Mạng renamed the city Hà Nội (河內,
"inside (the) river") in 1831.
This has remained its official name until
modern times.
Several unofficial names of Hanoi include:
Kẻ Chợ (marketplace), Tràng An (long
peace), Hà Thành (short for Thành phố
Hà Nội, "city of Hanoi"), and Thủ Đô
(capital).
== History ==
=== Pre-Thăng Long period ===
Hanoi has been inhabited since at least 3000
BC.
The Cổ Loa Citadel in Dong Anh district
served as the capital of the Âu Lạc kingdom
founded by the Thục emigrant Thục Phán
after his 258 BC conquest of the native Văn
Lang.
In 197 BC, Âu Lạc Kingdom was annexed by
Nanyue, which ushered in more than a millennium
of Chinese domination.
By the middle of the 5th century, in the center
of ancient Hanoi, the Liu Song Dynasty set
up a new district (縣) called Songping (Tong
Binh), which later became a commandery (郡),
including two districts Yihuai (義懷) and
Suining (綏寧) in the south of the Red River
(now Từ Liêm and Hoài Đức districts)
with a metropolis (the domination centre)
in the present inner Hanoi.
By the year 679, the Tang dynasty changed
the region's name into Annan (Pacified South),
with Songping as its capital.In order to defeat
the people's uprisings, in the later half
of the 8th century, Zhang Boyi (張伯儀),
a Tang dynasty viceroy, built Luocheng (羅城,
La Thanh or La citadel, from Thu Le to Quan
Ngua in present-day Ba Dinh precinct).
In the earlier half of the 9th century, it
was further built up and called Jincheng (金城,
Kim Thanh or Kim Citadel).
In 866, Gao Pian, the Chinese Jiedushi, consolidated
and named it Daluocheng (大羅城, Dai La
citadel, running from Quan Ngua to Bach Thao),
the largest citadel of ancient Hanoi at the
time.
=== Thăng Long, Đông Đô, Đông Quan,
Đông Kinh ===
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.
Right after the end of the Tây Sơn Dynasty,
it was named Bắc Thành (北城, "Northern
Citadel").
=== During Nguyễn Dynasty and the French
colonial period ===
In 1802, when the Nguyễn Dynasty was established
and moved the capital to Huế, the old name
Thăng Long was modified to become Thăng
Long (昇隆, "Soaring Dragon").
In 1831, the Nguyễn emperor Minh Mạng
renamed it Hà Nội (河内, "Between Rivers"
or "River Interior").
Hanoi was occupied by the French in 1873 and
passed to them ten years later.
As Hanoï, it was located in the protectorate
of Tonkin became the capital of French Indochina
after 1887.
=== During two wars ===
The city was occupied by the Imperial 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.
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.
During the Vietnam War, Hanoi's transportation
facilities were disrupted by the bombing of
bridges and railways.
These were all, however, promptly repaired.
Following the end of the war, Hanoi became
the capital of a reunified Vietnam when North
and South Vietnam were reunited on 2 July
1976.
=== Modern Hanoi ===
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.
Following a short period of economic stagnation
after the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Hanoi
resumed its rapid economic growth.On 29 May
2008, it was decided that Hà Tây Province,
Vĩnh Phúc Province's Mê Linh District and
4 communes of Lương Sơn District, Hòa
Bình Province be merged into the metropolitan
area of Hanoi from 1 August 2008.
Hanoi's total area then increased to 334,470
hectares in 29 subdivisions with the new population
being 6,232,940., effectively tripling its
size.
The Hanoi Capital Region (Vùng Thủ đô
Hà Nội), a metropolitan area covering Hanoi
and 6 surrounding provinces under its administration,
will have an area of 13,436 square kilometres
(5,188 sq mi) with 15 million people by 2020.
Hanoi has experienced a rapid construction
boom recently.
Skyscrapers, popping up in new urban areas,
have dramatically changed the cityscape and
have formed a modern skyline outside the old
city.
In 2015, Hanoi is ranked # 39 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, tallest in
Vietnam and second tallest in southeast Asia
after Malaysia's Petronas Twin Towers) and
Hanoi Lotte Center (272 m, also, second tallest
in Vietnam).
Public outcry in opposition to the redevelopment
of culturally significant areas in Hanoi persuaded
the national government to implement a low-rise
policy surrounding Hoàn Kiếm Lake.
The Ba Đình District is also protected from
commercial redevelopment.
== Geography ==
=== Location, topography ===
Hanoi is located in northern region of Vietnam,
situated in the Vietnam's Red River delta,
nearly 90 km (56 mi) away from the coastal
area.
Hanoi contains three basic kinds of terrain,
which are the delta area, the midland area
and mountainous zone.
In general, the terrain is gradually lower
from the north to the south and from the west
to the east, with the average height ranging
from 5 to 20 meters above the sea level.
The hills and mountainous zones are located
in the northern and western part of the city.
The highest peak is at Ba Vi with 1281 m,
located west of the city proper.
=== Climate ===
Hanoi features a warm humid subtropical climate
(Köppen Cwa) with plentiful precipitation.
The city experiences the typical climate of
northern Vietnam, with four distinct seasons.
Summer, from May until August, is characterized
by hot and humid weather with abundant rainfall.
September and October comprise the fall season,
characterized by a decrease in temperature
and precipitation.
Winter, from November to January, is dry and
cool by national standards.
The city is usually cloudy and foggy in winter,
averaging only 1.5 hours of sunshine per day
in February and March.
Hanoi averages 1,680 millimetres (66.1 in)
of rainfall per year, the majority falling
from May to September.
There are an average of 114 days with rain.The
average annual temperature is 23.6 °C (74
°F), with a mean relative humidity of 79%.
The highest recorded temperature was 42.8
°C (109 °F) in May 1926, while the lowest
recorded temperature was 2.7 °C (37 °F)
in January 1955.
== Administrative divisions ==
Hà Nội is divided into 12 urban districts,
1 district-leveled town and 17 rural districts.
When Hà Tây was merged into Hanoi in 2008,
Hà Đông was transformed into an urban district
while Sơn Tây degraded to a district-leveled
town.
They are further subdivided into 22 commune-level
towns (or townlets), 399 communes, and 145
wards.
=== List of local government divisions ===
HT – formerly an administrative subdivision
unit of the defunct Hà Tây Province
== 
Demographics ==
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 on the infrastructure, some of which
is antiquated and dates back to the early
20th century.
The number of Hanoians who have settled down
for more than three generations is likely
to be very small when compared to the overall
population of the city.
Even in the Old Quarter, where commerce started
hundreds of years ago and consisted mostly
of family businesses, 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 into the adjoining
house or 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; however, mobile phones
and SIM cards are readily available in Vietnam,
with pre-paid mobile phone credit available
in all areas of Hanoi.
== Economy ==
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 terms of GDP growth from 2008
to 2025.
In the year 2013, Hanoi contributed 12.6%
to GDP, exported 7.5% of total exports, contributed
17% to the national budget and attracted 22%
investment capital of Vietnam.
The city's nominal GDP at current prices reached
451,213 billion VND (21.48 billion USD) in
2013, which made per capita GDP stand at 63.3
million VND (3,000 USD).
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 traditional business districts are
Hoàn Kiếm, Hai Bà Trưng and Đống Đa;
and newly developing Cầu Giấy and Nam
Từ Liêm in the west.
Similar to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi enjoys
a rapidly developing real estate market.
The current most notable new urban areas are
central Trung Hòa Nhân Chính, Mỹ Đình,
the luxurious zones of The Manor, Ciputra,
Royal City in the Nguyễn Trãi Street (Thanh
Xuân District) and Times City in the Hai
Bà Trưng District.
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.After
the economic reforms that initiated 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.
Hanoi has allowed many fast-food chains into
the city, such as Jollibee, Lotteria, Pizza
Hut, KFC, and others.
Locals in Hanoi perceive the ability to purchase
"fast-food" as an indication of luxury and
permanent fixtures.Over three-quarters of
the jobs in Hanoi are state-owned.
9% of jobs are provided by collectively owned
organizations.
13.3% of jobs are in the private sector.
The structure of employment has been changing
rapidly as state-owned institutions downsize
and private enterprises grow.
Hanoi has in-migration controls which allow
the city to accept only people who add skills
Hanoi's economy.
A 2006 census found that 5,600 rural produce
vendors exist in Hanoi, with 90% of them coming
from surrounding rural areas.
These numbers indicate the much greater earning
potential in urban rather than in rural spaces.
The uneducated, rural, and mostly female street
vendors are depicted as participants of "microbusiness"
and local grassroots economic development
by business reports.
In July 2008, Hanoi's city government devised
a policy to partially ban street vendors and
side-walk based commerce on 62 streets due
to concerns about public health and "modernizing"
the city's image to attract foreigners.
Many foreigners believe that the vendors add
a traditional and nostalgic aura to the city,
although street vending was much less common
prior to the 1986 Đổi Mới policies.
The vendors have not able to form effective
resistance tactics to the ban and remain embedded
in the dominant capitalist framework of modern
Hanoi.
== Development ==
=== 
Infrastructural development ===
A development master plan for Hanoi was designed
by Ernest Hebrard in 1924, but was only partially
implemented.
The close relationship between the Soviet
Union and Vietnam led to the creation of the
first comprehensive plan for Hanoi with the
assistance of Soviet planners between 1981
and 1984.
It was never realized because it appeared
to be incompatible with Hanoi's existing layout.In
recent years, two master plans have been created
to guide Hanoi's development.
The first was the Hanoi Master Plan 1990-2010,
approved in April 1992.
It was created out of collaboration between
planners from Hanoi and the National Institute
of Urban and Rural Planning in the Ministry
of Construction.
The plan's three main objectives were to create
housing and a new commercial center in an
area known as Nghĩa Đô, expand residential
and industrial areas in the Gia Lâm District,
and develop the three southern corridors linking
Hanoi to Hà Đông and the Thanh Trì District.
The end result of the land-use pattern was
meant to resemble a five cornered star by
2010.
In 1998, a revised version of the Hanoi Master
plan was approved to be completed in 2020.
It addressed the significant increase of population
projections within Hanoi.
Population densities and high rise buildings
in the inner city were planned to be limited
to protect the old parts of inner Hanoi.
A rail transport system is planned to be built
to expand public transport and link the Hanoi
to surrounding areas.
Projects such as airport upgrading, a golf
course, and cultural villages have been approved
for development by the government.Hanoi is
still faced with the problems associated with
increasing urbanization.
The disparity of wealth between the rich and
the poor is a problem in both the capital
and throughout the country.
Hanoi's public infrastructure is in poor condition.
The city has frequent power cuts, air and
water pollution, poor road conditions, traffic
congestion, and a rudimentary public transit
system.
Traffic congestion and air pollution are worsening
as the number of motor cycles increases.
Squatter settlements are expanding on the
outer rim of the city as homelessness rises.In
the late 1980s, the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) and the Vietnamese government
designed a project to develop rural infrastructure.
The project focused on improving roads, water
supply and sanitation, and educational, health
and social facilities because economic development
in the communes and rural areas surrounding
Hanoi is dependent on the infrastructural
links between the rural and urban areas, especially
for the sale of rural products.
The project aimed to use locally available
resources and knowledge such as compressed
earth construction techniques for building.
It was jointly funded by the UNDP, the Vietnamese
government, and resources raised by the local
communities and governments.
In four communes, the local communities contributed
37% of the total budget.
Local labor, community support, and joint
funding were decided as necessary for the
long-term sustainability of the project.
=== Civil society development ===
Part of the goals of the dổi mới economic
reforms was to decentralize governance for
purpose of economic improvement.
This led to the establishment of the first
issue-oriented civic organizations in Hanoi.
In the 1990s, Hanoi experienced significant
poverty alleviation as a result of both the
market reforms and civil society movements.
Most of the civic organizations in Hanoi were
established after 1995, at a rate much slower
than in Ho Chi Minh City.
Organizations in Hanoi are more "tradition-bound,"
focused on policy, education, research, professional
interests, and appealing to governmental organizations
to solve social problems.
This marked difference from Ho Chi Minh's
civic organizations, which practice more direct
intervention to tackle social issues, may
be attributed to the different societal identities
of North and South Vietnam.
Hanoi-based civic organizations use more systematic
development and less of a direct intervention
approach to deal with issues of rural development,
poverty alleviation, and environmental protection.
They rely more heavily on full-time staff
than volunteers.
In Hanoi, 16.7% of civic organizations accept
anyone as a registered member and 73.9% claim
to have their own budgets, as opposed to 90.9%
in Ho Chi Minh City.
A majority of the civic organizations in Hanoi
find it difficult to work with governmental
organizations.
Many of the strained relations between non-governmental
and governmental organizations results from
statism, a bias against non-state organizations
on the part of government entities.
== Landmarks ==
As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand
years, Hanoi is considered one of the main
cultural centres of Vietnam, where most Vietnamese
dynasties have left 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 hosts more cultural sites than any
other city in Vietnam, and boasts more than
1,000 years of history; that of the past few
hundred years has been well preserved.
=== Old Quarter ===
The Old Quarter, near Hoàn Kiếm Lake, maintains
most of the original street layout and some
of the architecture of old Hanoi.
At the beginning of the 20th century Hanoi
consisted of the "36 streets", the citadel,
and some of the newer French buildings south
of Hoàn Kiếm lake, most of which are now
part of Hoàn Kiếm district.
Each street had merchants and households specializing
in a particular trade, such as silk, jewelry
or even bamboo.
The street names still reflect these specializations,
although few of them remain exclusively in
their original commerce.
The area is famous for its specializations
in trades such as traditional medicine and
local handicrafts, including silk shops, bamboo
carpenters, and tin smiths.
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 other prominent places include the Temple
of Literature (Văn Miếu), site of the oldest
university in Vietnam which was started in
1010, the One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột)
which was built based on the dream of king
Lý Thái Tông (1028-1054) in 1049, and the
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 Đình Square.
=== Lakes ===
A city between rivers built on lowlands, Hanoi
has many scenic lakes and is sometimes called
the "city of lakes."
Among its lakes, the most famous are Hoàn
Kiếm Lake, West Lake/Hồ Tây, and Bảy
Mẫu Lake (inside Thống Nhất Park).
Hoàn Kiếm Lake, also known as Sword Lake,
is the historical and cultural center of Hanoi,
and is linked to the legend of the magic sword.
West Lake (Hồ Tây) is a popular place for
people to spend time.
It is the largest lake in Hanoi, with many
temples in the area.
The lakeside road in the Nghi Tam – Quang
Ba area is perfect for bicycling, jogging
and viewing the cityscape or enjoying the
lotus ponds in the summer.
The best way to see the majestic beauty of
a West Lake sunset is to view it from one
of the many bars around the lake, especially
from The Summit at Pan Pacific Hanoi (formally
known as Summit Lounge at Sofitel Plaza Hanoi).
=== Colonial Hanoi ===
Under French rule, as an administrative centre
for the French colony of Indochina, the French
colonial architecture style became dominant,
and many examples remain today: the tree-lined
boulevards (e.g. Phan Dinh Phung street) and
its many villas, mansions, and government
buildings.
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.
Gouveneur-Général Paul Doumer (1898-1902)
played a crucial role in colonial Hanoi's
urban planning.
Under his tenure there was a major construction
boom.Notable French Colonial landmarks in
Hanoi include:
Presidential Palace
Grand Opera House
St. Joseph's Cathedral
Long Biên Bridge
Grand Palais
French School of the Far East
Hotel Metropole
Tonkin Palace (State Guest House)
Hỏa Lò Prison
Cửa Bắc Church
Ministry of Foreign Affairs building
Supreme Court building
Indochina Medical College
Museum of Revolution
Central Station
=== 
Museums ===
Hanoi is home to a number of museums:
National Museum of Vietnamese History
Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Vietnam Museum of Revolution
Hỏa Lò Prison
Ho Chi Minh Museum
Hanoi Contemporary Arts Centre
Vietnam Military History Museum
Hanoi Museum
== 
Tourism ==
Hanoi is sometimes dubbed the "Paris of the
East" for its French influences.
With its tree-fringed boulevards, more than
two dozen lakes and thousands of French colonial-era
buildings, Hanoi is a popular tourist destination.
The tourist destinations in Hanoi are generally
grouped into two main areas: the Old Quarter
and the French Quarter(s).
The "Old Quarter" is in the northern half
of Hoàn Kiếm District with small street
blocks and alleys, and a traditional Vietnamese
atmosphere.
Many streets in the Old Quarter have names
signifying the goods ("hàng") the local merchants
were or are specialized in.
For example, "Hàng Bạc" (silver stores)
still have many stores specializing in trading
silver and jewelries.
Two areas are generally called the "French
Quarters": the governmental area in Ba Đình
District and the south of Hoàn Kiếm District.
Both areas have distinctive French Colonial
style villas and broad tree-lined avenues.
The political center of Vietnam, Ba Đình
has a high concentration of Vietnamese government
headquarters, including the Presidential Palace,
the National Assembly and several ministries
and embassies, most of which used administrative
buildings of colonial French Indochina.
The One Pillar Pagoda, the Lycée du Protectorat
and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum are also in
Ba Dinh.
South of Hoàn Kiếm's "French Quarter" has
several French-Colonial landmarks, including
the Hanoi Opera House, the Sofitel Legend
Metropole Hanoi hotel, the National Museum
of Vietnamese History (formerly the École
française d'Extrême-Orient), and the St.
Joseph's Cathedral.
Most of the French-Colonial buildings in Hoan
Kiem are now used as foreign embassies.
Since 2014, Hanoi has consistently been voted
in the world's top ten destinations by TripAdvisor.
It ranked 8th in 2014, 4th in 2015 and 8th
in 2016.
Hanoi is the most affordable international
destination in TripAdvisor's annual TripIndex
report.
In 2017, Hanoi will welcome more than 5 million
international tourists.
== Entertainment ==
A 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 one of the top 10 cities
for shopping in Asia by Water Puppet Tours.
The number of art galleries exhibiting Vietnamese
art has dramatically increased in recent years,
now including galleries such as "Nhat Huy"
of Huynh Thong Nhat.
Nhà Triển Lãm at 29 Hang Bai street hosts
regular photo, sculpture, and paint exhibitions
in conjuncture with local artists and travelling
international expositions.
A popular traditional form of entertainment
is Water puppetry, which is shown, for example,
at the Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre.
=== Shopping ===
To adapt to Hanoi's rapid economic growth
and high population density, many modern shopping
centers and megamalls have been opened in
Hanoi.
Major malls are:
Trang Tien Plaza, High-end Mall on Trang Tien
street (right next to Hoàn Kiếm Lake),
Hoàn Kiếm District
Vincom Center, a modern mall with hi-end CGV
cineplex, Ba Trieu Street (just 2 km from
Hoan Kiem lake), Hai Bà Trưng District
Parkson Department Store, Tây Sơn Street,
Đống Đa District;
The Garden Shopping Center, Me Tri – Mỹ
Đình, Nam Từ Liêm District
Indochina Plaza, Xuan Thuy street, Cầu Giấy
District
Vincom Royal City Megamall, the largest underground
mall in Asia with 230,000 square metres of
shops, restaurants, cineplex, waterpark, ice
skating rink; Nguyen Trai street (approx 6
km from Hoan Kiem Lake), Thanh Xuân District
Vincom Times City Megamall, another megamall
of 230,000 square metres including shops,
restaurants, cineplex, huge musical fountain
on central square and a giant aquarium; Minh
Khai street (approx 5 km from Hoan Kiem Lake),
Hai Ba Trung district
Lotte Department Store, opened September 2014,
Liễu Giai Street, Ba Đình District
Aeon Mall Long Bien opened last October 2015,
Long Bien District
== 
Cuisine ==
Hanoi has rich culinary traditions.
Many of Vietnam's most famous dishes, such
as phở, chả cá, bánh cuốn and cốm
are believed to have originated in Hanoi.
Perhaps most widely known is Phở—a simple
rice noodle soup often eaten as breakfast
at home or at street-side cafes, but also
served in restaurants as a meal.
Two varieties dominate the Hanoi scene: Phở
Bò, containing beef and Phở Gà, containing
chicken.
Bún chả, a dish consisting of charcoal
roasted pork served in a sweet/salty soup
with rice noodle vermicelli and lettuce, is
by far the most popular food item among locals.
President Obama famously tried this dish at
a Le Van Huu eatery with Anthony Bourdain
in 2016, prompting the opening of a Bún chả
restaurant bearing his name in the Old Quarter.
Vietnam's national dish phở has been named
as one of the Top 5 street foods in the world
by globalpost.Hanoi has a number of restaurants
whose menus specifically offer dishes containing
snake and various species of insects.
Insect-inspired menus can be found at a number
of restaurants in Khuong Thuong village, Hanoi.
The signature dishes at these restaurant are
those containing processed ant-eggs, often
in the culinary styles of Thai people or Vietnam's
Muong and Tay ethnic people.
Dog eating used to be popular in Hanoi in
1990s and early 2000s but is now dying out
quickly due to strong objections.
== 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 (the largest), and École
Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine
(1925) – now Hanoi University of Fine Art.
After the Communist Party of Vietnam took
control of Hanoi in 1954, many new universities
were built, among them, Hanoi University of
Technology, still the largest technical university
in Vietnam.
Recently ULIS (University of Languages and
International Studies) was rated as one of
the top universities in south-east Asia for
languages and language studies at the undergraduate
level.
Other universities that are not part of Vietnam
National University or Hanoi University include
Hanoi School for Public Health and Hanoi School
of Agriculture and University of Transport
and Communications.
Hanoi is the largest center 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 to 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 begun operation.
Thăng Long University, founded in 1988, by
Vietnamese mathematics professors in Hanoi
and France was 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 usually take place in June and
July, during which a large number of students
and their families converge on the city for
several weeks around the intense examination
period.
In recent years, these entrance exams have
been centrally coordinated by the Ministry
of Education, but entrance requirements 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, but there
are also some independent schools.
Education is equivalent to the K–12 system
in the U.S., 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.
Education levels are much higher within the
city of Hanoi in comparison to the suburban
areas outside the city.
About 33.8% of the labor force in the city
has completed secondary school in contrast
to 19.4% in the suburbs.
21% of the labor force in the city has completed
tertiary education in contrast to 4.1% in
the suburbs.
=== Reform ===
Country-wide educational change is difficult
in Vietnam, due to the restrictive control
of the government on social and economic development
strategies.
According to Hanoi government publications,
the national system of education was reformed
in 1950, 1956 and 1970.
It was not until 1975 when the two separate
education systems of the former North and
South Vietnam territories became unified under
a single national system.
In Hanoi in December 1996, the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of Vietnam stated that:
"To carry out industrialization and modernization
successfully, it is necessary to develop education
and training strongly [and to] maximize human
resources, the key factor of fast and sustained
development."
== 
Transport ==
Hanoi is served by Noi Bai International Airport,
located in the Soc Son District, approximately
15 km (9 mi) north of Hanoi.
The new international terminal (T2), designed
and built by Japanese contractors, opened
in January 2015 and is a big facelift for
Noibai International Airport.
In addition, a new highway and the new Nhat
Tan cable-stay bridge connecting the airport
and the city center opened at the same time,
offering much more convenience than the old
road (via Thanglong bridge).
Taxis are plentiful and usually have meters,
although it is also common to agree on the
trip price before taking a taxi from the airport
to the city centre.
Hanoi is also the origin or 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 Reunification Express line was established
during French colonial rule and was completed
over a period of nearly forty years, from
1899 to 1936.
The Reunification Express between Hanoi and
Ho Chi Minh City covers a distance of 1,726
km (1,072 mi) and takes approximately 33 hours.
As of 2005, there were 278 stations on the
Vietnamese railway network, of which 191 were
located along the North-South line.
The main means of transport within Hanoi city
are motorbikes, buses, taxis, and a rising
number of cars.
In recent decades, motorbikes have overtaken
bicycles as the main form of transportation.
Cars however are probably the most notable
change in the past five years as many Vietnamese
people purchase the vehicles for the first
time.
The increased number of cars are the main
cause gridlock as roads and infrastructure
in the older parts of Hanoi were not designed
to accommodate them.
On 4 July 2017, the Hanoi government voted
to ban motorbikes entirely by 2030, in order
to reduce pollution, congestion, and encourage
the expansion and use of public transport.There
are two metro lines under construction in
Hanoi now, as part of the master plan for
the future Hanoi Metro system.
The first line is expected to be operational
in 2018, and the second in 2021.
Persons on their own or traveling in a pair
who wish to make a fast trip around Hanoi
to avoid traffic jams or to travel at an irregular
time or by way of an irregular route often
use "xe ôm" (literally, "hug bike").
Motorbikes can also be rented from agents
within the Old Quarter of Hanoi, although
this falls inside a rather grey legal area.
== Sports ==
There are several gymnasiums and stadiums
throughout the city of Hanoi.
The biggest ones are Mỹ Đình National
Stadium (Lê Đức Thọ Boulevard), Quan
Ngua Sporting Palace (Văn Cao Avenue), Hanoi
Aquatics Sports Complex and Mỹ Đình Indoor
Athletics Gymnasium.
The others include Hà Nội Stadium (also
known as Hàng Đẫy stadium).
The third Asian Indoor Games were held in
Hanoi in 2009.
The others are Hai Bà Trưng Gymnasium, Trịnh
Hoài Đức Gymnasium, Vạn Bảo Sports
Complex.
On November 6, 2018, it was announced that
in 2020, Hanoi would become the host of the
first FIA Formula 1 Vietnam Grand Prix on
a street circuit on the outskirts of the city.
== Health care and other facilities ==
Some medical facilities in Hanoi:
Bạch Mai Hospital
Viet Duc Hospital
Saint Paul Hospital
108 Hospital
Hôpital Français de Hanoi
International SOS
Hanoi Medical University Hospital
Thanh Nhan Hospital
Vinmec International Hospital
Viet Phap Hospital
Thu Cuc General Hospital
K Hospital
Medlatech Hospital
== 
International relations ==
Hanoi is a member of the Asian Network of
Major Cities 21 and the C40 Cities Climate
Leadership Group.
=== Twin towns and sister cities ===
Hanoi is twinned with:
== Image gallery ==
== 
See also ==
Gioi Market
Đồng Xuân Market
Ho Chi Minh City
North–South Railway (Vietnam)
List of historical capitals of Vietnam
