About Hanoi, Vietnam.
Go to the Map
The Capital of Vietnam
The Geneva Accords of 1954 ended 66 years of French administration in Vietnam and transformed Hanoi into the capital of the Democratic Republic of North Vietnam. Finally in 1976, it became the seat of the government of a reunited Vietnam.
The population of Hanoi has considerably expanded. From 130,000 inhabitants in 1930, Hanoi has grown into a city of over 3 million people today. The absence of concern for urban housing under the colonial administration meant that in the last few decades collective-style lodging and industrial and administrative facilities had to be constructed along the peripheries of the city.
Thus, despite the vicissitudes of two wars, Hanoi's architectural legacy has been preserved in the historic center of the city. The continued preservation of this legacy requires concerted action of communication routes such as Paul Bert Avenue), without necessarily influencing the actual style of architecture.
The Foundation of Hanoi
Historians have dated the kernel of urban civilization located in the bend of the To Lich River back to the seventh century. The first settlement was located on flat and swampy land that could drop to 8 meters below the level of the Red River during the rainy season. As such, floods have been an obvious menace since times of old and the necessity for protection against the vicissitudes of nature led to the construction of a series of dikes that eventually totaled over 30 km in length. As the dikes were perfected, the urban center slid gradually eastwards until it reached the banks of the river proper.
Once established, the city was divided into two parts: the Royal City and the Civilian City. The first was reserved for the emperor and his courtiers. It was a vast enclosure surrounded by brick walls, both the symbolic and real site of power.
Spreading out around the perimeter of the Royal City, the Civilian City was in its turn delimited by walls. It was here where the civilian and military mandarins resided and where the trading city developed.
The name Hanoi
Hanoi means, "The city located inside the arms of the River. " Hanoi was one of the busiest urban areas in SE Asia. Markets were often set up on river confluences. The most ancient market in the city called River market now the Dong Xuan was established at the confluence of the To Lich and Red River. The area has changed much as the water was filled in to expand property. Previously the To Lich River was connected with the Red River formerly called the (Nhi Ha river) where the streets Nguyen Sieu and Ngo Gach are located. In the south marking the southern border, was the Kim Nguu river
In 1230 we start to hear about guilds. Apart from the foreign diplomatic representations Thang Long under the Tran welcomed tradesmen and foreigners who had come for business and political asylum. In 1397 (1400) The Chinese under Ho Quy Ly forced the Tran to move their capital to Thanh Hoa, called the Western capital. When Le Loi liberated the Dong Quan, Thang Long again became the capital under the name Dong Kinh. In the 17th century Dong Kinh was converted to Tonkin and acquired some western influence with the Mac open door policy to foreigners. In the 16th century there were many two-story buildings, Additional stories were added to provide refuge from the frequent flooding of the Red River. In the 16th Century there were already foreigners living here: Dutch, Portuguese, British, Chinese.
The Nguyen dynasty in 1802 chose to set up its capital to the south in the city of Hue and Thang Long was renamed Hanoi during the reign of Minh Manh (reigned 1820-1840) and lost some of its political power although it retained it economic vibrancy. The Nguyen dynasty reconstructed the citadel of Hanoi in a one square kilometer area, a size much smaller then under the previous dynasties. Its walls built with large quarry stones and huge bricks, were 5m high and 16 m thick. A section of the old wall remains as the western boundary of the "Old Quarter. "
Capital City and First Urban Flowering
As the capital of the kingdom and presence of the royal court Hanoi attracted artisans and tradesmen. They came to settle between the perimeter of the Royal City and the banks of the Red River in the area north of Sword Lake. It was thus that a market city sprang up and continued to grow until 36 distinct sections (Phuong). Each Phuong reflected a particular trade and was inhabited by artisans who had migrated from the same village.
Large gates separated these districts from each other. They were organized in a network of streets, the names of which evoke the trades practiced: Silk Street, Money-Changer Street, Hemp Street, Sail Street. . . This market area was characterized by a network of alleyways which abutted in narrow store-fronts facing the streets. Thus, the basic structure of the 36 Phuong of 15th century has reached us almost unchanged despite the constructions made during the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Beyond these walled city about 100 villages with a population of over 100,000 were dispersed among swamps and rice paddies.
Move to Hue
In 1802, the capitol of the kingdom was transferred to Hue. The Royal court and all its apparatuses moved to Hue. Hanoi lost its role as capital and became a province. The citadel was built to smaller proportions and acted as a military base and residence of the Emperor when he made trips to Hanoi. Constructed in 1805 under the rule of Emperor Gia Long, the ramparts of the citadel in Hanoi were an impressive specimen of Verbena-style fortifications in Indochina. The fortifications they made occupied one square kilometer of land and were surrounded by a moat, which varied in width between 20 and 40 meters.
Although the French dismantled the ramparts at the end of the 20th century, this masterpiece of military architecture nevertheless left its trace in the structure of the modern city, four large boulevards having taken the place of the ancient walls of the city.
The Colonial City
The conceding of land on the banks of the Red River to the French was agreed to at the Convention on February 6, 1874. This concession had an important effect on the subsequent development of the city.
The construction of Hang Khay Street in 1883 served to link the two original matrixes of the Concession and the Citadel and consequently had a decisive effect in determining the course of development of the urban area. The naming of Hanoi as capital of the entire Union of French Indochina in 1888 gave renewed impetus to urban development. The subsequent construction of living quarters for Europeans and the accompanying infrastructure indispensable to meet the hygienic requirements of colonial life led to the destruction of important Vietnamese edifices: The Bao Thien Pagoda was leveled to make way for the cathedral (1883). The Camp of Scholars and the ramparts of the Citadel (1894-1897) were likewise dismantled. Three quarters of the site of the citadel was parceled out and the landscaping of Sword Lake necessitated the destruction of the Pagoda of Supplicants, in the market town to the north of Sword Lake.
The beauty of sites such as Sword Lake were high-lighted by new landscaping, while Sword Lake, heart and symbol of the city, served as a gay junction between the market and European sections of town. Thus, from the juxtaposition of the different elements of the city of Hanoi, a visual order emerged, a harmony between the site and things set upon it.
Dividing a city into different quarters-- remains a task as artificial as sectioning architectural history into successive strata of style. Neo-classicism, neo-regionalism, indigenous (local) and modern styles, do not necessarily succeed each other in time. Instead, they often evolve out of the plan- the choice of style might be determined by the locale or it might simply be the private choice of the builder.
1460-1497
The court would send for the best of the trade from other places. For example, the copper founders lived and worked in a village on the bank of the west gate. Bronze smiths from Hai Hung now occupy Hang Bac street one of the most ancient streets in Vietnam. It came into existence during the Le between 1460 and 1497. It was founded by silversmiths from Trau Khe village Hai Hung. Officially the silversmith trade ceased when the court moved to Hue but craftsmen here in Hanoi are still involved in making Jewelry of silver and gold. Embroidery was done in Quat Dong village, lacquer work in Ha Vi village. Out-of- favor concubines were sent to Truc Bach where they were engaged in the making of fine silk used in apparel and artwork. The Hang Dao, dyers who have developed a special lovely pink dye, are from Dan Loan, Hai Hung province. The street then sold silk. Members of the Vu family were skilled in dying cloth. No street has the name relating to printing and selling or books. Printing houses and bookshops were run by scholars and were located on Hang Gai (Hemp street) Lan Ong Street was named after Hai Thuong Lan Ong (1727-1792). He was ill at twenty and went to a Doctor for treatment. After he recovered he decided to study medicine himself. Then he wrote Principles of Medicine in which he applied Chinese medical theories to conditions in Vietnam and he evolved effective prescriptions.
Handicraft production and trading still survives in this area but is on the decline and service such as restaurants, repair shops, tailors and hairdressers are on the rise. Traditionally members of the same occupational groups stayed together and so formed a close- knit social fabric. Each guild had its own founding patron saint. The groups celebrated festival days together. The number of guilds has risen and there are now more than 60 streets in the area. The social unity remains strong in these streets today, a legacy of the work intimacy initiated by the guild system. Although Craftsmen are losing their professional homogeneity. Craftsmen constitute less than 9 % of the population in this area. Traders make up 40% of the population in this area. The birth rate is declining. There are more older people in this section than in other sections of the city.
After the French took over at the end of the 19th century, the city became the administrative center of the French Indochinese Union. Native buildings were torn down to make way for colonial buildings and offices and villas. Rivers and ponds were filled up as health measure against mosquitoes and to increase available land. The Doumer bridge was built. Streets were paved and reshaped.
Shutters are inevitably painted green. The cream-colored stucco is streaked moss and rust.
Most private homes in the Hoan Kiem section date from the 19th century. Houses in the countryside could spread out laterally, but city homes are long and narrow, called tube houses.
Types of houses: Most of the houses in the area were built in the late nineteenth century, the majority of which are tube-like and they are common in many streets of the city. They have frontages of 2-4 meters and depths of from 20 to 60 meters and there are usually one or two floors. Attics are often used to take refuge in the storms or flooding and the average house has more than one courtyard.
Interior: All houses have altars to ancestors, which must be higher than anything else in the house. Beds must have their heads facing the altar. Passageway is just large enough for a person and a bicycle. House depth has effect on ventilation. The deeper the house the faster the airflow through the passageway.
1875
The end of the 19th century was in fact a time when metropolitan entrepreneurs created facilities under order of their engineers. The first building built in 1875 for the occasion of the foundation of the concession seems to have been the Customs building. After 1882, the first objective was to reinforce the military presence in the citadel and to create office space and residential quarters in the so-called "compartments", two-story trade buildings located on commercial streets and occupying deep plots. It was at this time that the traditional facades of houses were first retouched to give them a European look. The buildings around the Little Lake were built starting in 1886 and became the heart of the administrative quarter. For example; the work carried out on the prisons (entrepreneur Knosp), the construction of the stores and work-shops of the Voirie, the stores of the Post and Telegraph, the clean-up of the slaughter-house (A. de Peretti and Teyssier; Co-Xa and Yen-Dinh, entrepreneurs since 1891 and 1892), the extension of the city, the creation of the railroad line etc. . . These representative structures knew their first period of glory in the 1890's.
1885
In September 1885, a great fire destroyed Hang Dong street. More than 200 cottages were burnt down. Thousands of people remained homeless.
1886
The arrival in of the first civilian Governor Paul Bert, led to plans for he building of a east west road on Hang Khay called by his name. And to fill in all the ponds from the little lake to the Red river.
Alleging the frequent fire and sanitary conditions, Hanoi French administration issued Dec 26 1886 a decree ordering the owners of cottages in Hang Khay, Hoi Cho. Hang Theu, Cau Go, Hang Be and Hang Dao streets to kick down their dwellings and build instead with in one year brick houses with tiled roofs, overhanging penthouses encroaching on the surface of the road, had to be taken down. Drawings of houses should be submitted to authorities for approval and house alignment should be respected. The houses shall be brought down by the City Public Works at the owner's expense. Roads were macadamized and disorderly and muddy markets were placed in metal sheds.
1900-1910 Grand public Palace,
Depression after World War 1
Grand Travaus de Marseille GTM won the contract to carry out filling in of hollows and lakes and swamps in Phon Phen, by pump dredges drew up sandy river deposits and discharged them through a long pipeline.
Economic recovery of 1933-34 he rearranged the landscape and the banks of the edge of the lake. He set up and octagonal square in honor of his predecessor Hebrerd that is no more today.
1940s In the early 1940's a series of growth problem faced ancient Hanoi. The density of the population reached and alarming point. 3,000 persons per ha in 1943 equivalent to 3m2 per capital he existing technical infrastructure did not cope with the demands. Toilets and sewage facilities were overburdened. A number of projects have been worked out by the city administration aimed at improving sewage and sanitary facility but could not be fully achieved.
Arthur Kruge professor and director of the architecture section of the Fine Arts school of Indochine constructed villas for French and Vietnamese clients in Indochinese style of Hebrard. The residential quarter of Ave Carnot, now Phan Dinh Phung Street near the Governor-Generals palace was the sphere of the Credits Foncier of Indochina, which hired its own architects.
Bank of Indo-China on Ngo Quyen and the headquarters of Credit Foncier were designed and supervised by George Trouve. Have a massiveness and simplistic style not known to Hebrard.
The role of the l'Ecole des Beaux Arts de l'Indochine. Vietnamese architects recently graduated from Ebai mainly worked on private residences. Ecole des Beaux Arts de l'Indochine founded 1925 by painter Victor Tradieu. Tradieu died in June 1937. In 1927 it developed a section of architecture. Kruze and Pineau were teachers who taught ancient structure and new idea each class had only a dozen or so of students. The graduates a dozen classes until 1945 built mainly homes a concentration of these white villas along some arteries in the south of the citadel.
Le Hong Phong, Tran Phu, Binh Thanh. They were a new architectural model associated the spatial and from characters of European villas and those of the old quarter compartment. They wee oblong rectangular and parallels joined back to back, economical in land usage. They used ferro-cement in overhang in thermal useful balconies sun break and terraces. European villas had had flat roofs; Asian villages had field roofs. This period of time traders in the commercial part of town took considered modern architecture to re design the facades of their compartments.
In the old quarter streets were straightened and paved and housed with combined wall and a relief from the height regulation that the roof could not be higher that the sedan chair of officials patrolling the roads.
Reconstructed in 1920 -1940 and having known a bloom after the re-conquest of Vietnam national independence, ancient Hanoi as the commercial city sector adjacent to the old Hanoi Citadel extends on an area of 70 hectares where a population of 250,000 people, including non-registered inhabitants lived in 25,00 households.
Student of the school continued working such as Nguyen Van Huyen and Tren Duc Thao. Others Nguyen Cao Luyen and Ta Mi Duat joined the Viet Minh where they became familiar with popular architecture and pragmatism and building with materials to match the environment. In 1954 on their return to Hanoi they built urgently needed collective residences in the suburbs
In 1942 the French architect Pineau of the Indochina Central Urban Service proposed a plan for rehabilitation of Hanoi in which sanitary and esthetic requirements, as well as city circulation were taken into account For the ancient Hanoi, the project proposes the opening of new streets in the central blocks and population growth control. However, due to the subsequent political disturbances and World War II the project could not be put in effect.
1902
Archives show 1902 as the year of construction and work on the building probably carried on until 1906 before being completed (as suggested by the supply of the plate-glass windows by Ott and Co. that year) These dates suggest the intervention of the architect Auguste-Henri Vildieu, a reputed supporter of the neo-classical style of construction. Nonetheless, the cathedral was built in a rational neo-gothic style of the school of Viollet le Duc. It favors simplified elements and its design is based on the shape of the cross. The facade's two square towers were erected by layering identical stories on top of each other. Each story has several oval openings, which are mounted by gables and evoke the grandeur of a metropolitan masterpiece (the seat of an archbishop) such as Notre-Dame in Paris. Nevertheless, the horizontal divisions of the central part of the facade are offset in relation to the towers, a fact undoubtedly explainable by the desire to have the corresponding interior elevations show through to the exterior. The appearance of this construction and the summary references to historic models lends a remarkable aesthetic character to the building.
The museum building is an exceptional piece of work. From a technical point of view, the complex armatures of the building show the architect's will to make something long-standing for a "particularly hot and humid climate" (Hebrard, writing about Hanoi). From a design perspective, the museum's style of design has broken the sacred principals of museum space. The galleries emanate from behind the central octagonal rotunda of classic design at a perpendicular angle to the principal access route. This has created a remarkable symmetry, as if non-existent, that is only noticeable when the lateral elevations are examined.
The administrative buildings don't always correspond to the type of structure where offices, rooms, and dormitories are reached by long hallways emanating from a central pavilion. The Public Works building (built in 1895) is an imposing building located at the corner of an intersection. Access to the building is gained through the cut facade on the corner. It displays a penchant for the gigantic and laborious minute details typical of 1840's rationalism.
These works follow the late Hausmann model of the private hotel and are thus encumbered by a whole series of porches, balustrades, bull's eyes. Only a very few of the public buildings have not incorporated something special to distinguish them from metropolitan French architecture. The railway station and the brick hall of the Market building (at the intersection of Mandarin and Sinh Tu Streets, 1896) are two such examples. It is only with the emergence of modernist aspirations that one sees an "internationalization" of the colonial architecture. Buildings like the Bank of Indochina (by Trouvé, 1930)
The Theater (1911) comparison with the Opera Garnier is undoubtedly justified by the use of decorative elements with Napoleon III connotations both in the inside and outside of the building. Despite the rather pompous indoor staircase with several landings or the decorative overload of the main chamber where box seats overhang the stage like imperial boxes, the overall design of the theater nevertheless follows the simplicity of 18th century French theaters (the classic examples being the Bordeaux Theater or the Odeon in Paris). It is most bizarre that the theater is the most conventional of all the buildings cited, as if the nature of Western Theater spectacles required a full cultural transplantation.
Talks with Nguyen Thua Hy
A noted Vietnamese Historian
Why is it called the 36 pho Phuong?
In the Ly-Tran time of the 15th century the capital Thang Long was divided into 61 guilds. A Phuong is really an occupational union and an administrative area. It is a community bound together by economic ties and social backgrounds and psychological connection as well as spiritual associations. As all the people in the Phuong come from the same natal village. In the Le time of the 15 c, Thang Long had 36 quarters. Then there were two main districts, which are covered about the same area as the present day 4 four urban districts of Hanoi.
Each district had 18 quarters so that made 36 in all.
1. Quan Dua, which was later, called Vinh Thuan in the 19th Century was in the area of Ba Dinh and Dong Da.
2. Tho Xuong covered the area of Hoan Kiem and Hai Ba Trung Phuong has two parts the right and the left sides which later developed streets, so Marini called each side of the street a separate guild so he said that there were 72.
Since architecture develops slowly and neighboring stages sometimes overlap each other, it is often difficult to attach precise dates to the different stages of a cycle. It is even possible that a short period of flowering can occur during the infancy stage of an architectural cycle.
The infancy period, or to be more precise, the period of adaptation, begins at the start of the French occupation of Indochina and lasts until 1924, a date significant due to the widespread influence of the Exposition of Decorative Arts which was held that year.
The very first works are important. They were made in an architectural style that had nothing in common with the local style. The rupture with traditional Indochinese architecture was brutal and appears to have been definitive during this first period except perhaps for a few rare anomalies, anomalies that, incidentally, verify the possibility of a short flowering period during the infancy period. Examples of such anomalies include the museum in Phnom Penh by Charles Groslier and the Blanchard de la Brosse museum in Saigon built by Delaval.
It seems logical that, having grown up at the end of the Second Empire and the beginning of the Third Republic, our first builders found their sources of inspiration in this same era. The architecture of this era is what was familiar to them and they could be confident of their results only when they used contemporary methods with which they were thoroughly familiar.
They could not have been expected to show innovation in a new and harsh environment in which they lacked materials and experience with local conditions. With out previous experience to found their studies. The pioneer builders in Indochina must be given credit for succeeding admirably with their extensive building program despite the lack of any previous knowledge of the land, information which is considered to be very precious by our builders today.
The initial works in Indochina did not exhibit the same level of craftsmanship that contemporary constructions showed in France. Things were more difficult for the builder in Indochina. They lacked the appropriate materials for the style of construction they were carrying out. Laborers employed on the projects had not received professional training and were unfamiliar with the new techniques being employed. Furthermore, specialized supervisors were unavailable, and we must not forget that the projects were carried out in a hurry- insufficient time for planning was often allotted the to the builders by a colonial administration intent on fulfilling its basic needs as quickly as possible.
The architectural style was not modified at any point in the long stage of adaptation and that no new influences manifested themselves in the works of the builders. The Hanoi Municipal Theater was built at the same time as the one built by the Perret brothers on the Champs-Elysees or that it was favorably acclaimed by the public of the time.
It was at this point that, a most sudden change occurred and architects began to imitate the new occidental styles and thereby progress rapidly. The International Expositions of 1931 and 1937 also contributed considerably to the development of a new style of architecture for Indochina. By this time, the local terrain was familiar, the architects had gained on-site building experience, and techniques had been perfected.
But then World War II arrived and upset the financing of projects abroad, forcing Indochina to survive by its own means. In this crisis situation, it became of crucial importance to keep up the momentum and prove that all the efforts spent on creating a situation ripe for artistic creativity had not been spent in vain. For this, it was necessary to ensure that construction did not stop brusquely since any prolonged hiatus in construction would have threatened the gains made up to that point. So, with impressive alacrity, the Chief of the Union issued precise directives, which enabled construction to follow its natural course, and new architectural treasures continued to be added to the inventory of constructions in Indochina even during the war period.
The architect working in Indochina is faced with an entirely different set of conditions depending on whether he is working in the north or the south.
The architect in the south must first and foremost aim to "abolish the effects of a constant and unvarying climate with appropriate designs and construction methods. " Thus, it is not surprising that a homogenous type of modern architecture has resulted in the south. This style can be termed modern tropical since the term "colonial", often used to define it, is insufficiently precise.
In the North however, the situation is more complex. Due to the presence of two distinct seasons, architecture in the north is no longer a simple matter of defending against a climate that never varies. The contrast between the two seasons is distinct enough to call for appropriate modifications in living conditions. Although it is easy for a person to adapt to the climactic changes outside by wearing more clothes, it is not possible for him to change his abode and office every time the weather changes. Therefore, the aim of the architect in the north is to rectify as skillfully as possible the effects of these weather changes.
Experience and knowledge of the land has taught the architect certain tricks such as orienting the structure in the proper direction and providing windows and doors which can be easily manipulated according to climactic conditions. Furthermore, an ingenious layout for living structures is called for in order to create the currents of fresh air necessary for natural ventilation. However, despite these needs, architecture in the north is not dominated solely by the climate as in the South and the architect must look for other sources of inspiration to lend a defining characteristic to his creations.
It is in the manifestations of past architecture that the architect can find this inspiration. Contrary to Cochin China, Annamite architecture was inspired directly by China and while the source of its influences are obvious, it has nonetheless retained a distinct character of its own. Annamite architecture has been fashioned in proportion to the size of the country and its modest resources and has been perfectly adapted to the traditions of the inhabitants. The result has been a sober style of unique character, which is less, encumbered by the luxurious ornamentation found in Chinese architecture.
Proof of its living reality abounds in the Tonkinese countryside where a wide range of interesting monuments (pagodas, communal houses. . . ) are, far from having been abandoned, still used daily by the population.
This is one of the goals of the architectural curriculum at the Hanoi Fine Arts Institute, a goal in which the governor-general attaches particular interest is that Traditional arts of the country are being studied there so that the young architect graduates will become true artisans of the architectural renaissance.
During the Le the streets were developed
During the Nguyen dynasty when Hanoi was no longer the capital, the city was divided into tong or sub districts 6 to 10 Phuong were in one tong then Hanoi had 100 Phuong. There were many Phuong and streets so put the two together and call it Pho Phuong.
History of Asian cities is different from that of Western cities, China during the Duong (tang) the capital Trang An looked like a Chinese chess board and the king was located in the king's position of the chess board. Like the development of Heian in Japan. The Asian Cities were based on the principal of Geomancy.
However, Hanoi was not clearly planned and the conception of Vietnamese architecture was based on natural conditions. The rivers were used as defense and debarking the natural boundaries of the capital. In the Le time the citadel was not rectangular. The shape followed the To Lich river. So streets were parallel or horizontal and not clearly divided. So Hanoi had a triangular shape. The base was one side of the Red River and the top is Cua Nam
Two periods: Traditional and colonial.
The Traditional urban Space concept in Vietnam
There are few material remains from the old identify. So we need to preserve the cultural identify of Hanoi the old streets reflect that oriental identity.
1. The city is in Harmony with the surrounding natural scenery. Trees and water. Villages bring with them the small mountains and bonsai from their village. So the Vietnamese people are in harmony with nature and the community and economics and culturally and spiritually.
2. Hanoians are not anxious to live in isolated apartments like western style so go on the street for marketing and travel within groups to most places like festivals.
3. There is contact with the spiritual world memory of their ancestors and guardian spirit and deities. Hanoi has 300 to 500 pagodas and temple and communal houses. Co Kinh classical and respectable.
Phuong on the main characteristics is the close relationship between the countryside and the city. Used to be commune or village and they moved en mass to Hanoi together. Brought with them their ancestors and their deities and crafts. Teaching among themselves about their own profession. For example the dying profession. Select from within their own members one who would be in charge. Built up the Dinh and Chua.
So the Phuong is really a community, cultural identity and economic union as well as a spiritual link. Can produce and sell at the same time. Can go directly to their won temple and pagoda. . In spare time went home to Parents. There were tow countryside and the city. Sometimes still have spirit of the Dinh in the village. Tho Vong. Remote tribute. Linking of the city to the village with the surrounding village countryside integration network.
The area of present-day Hanoi had been first a gulf of the Red River, then a lagoon and then a swamp. It was a cluster of ancient villages under the name of Dragon's navel - because it was located on a hill, really an elevation called Nung Mountain, which had the reputation that it was connected to the center of the earth through a deep hole- in the period of the Legendary Hung Kings. The villages developed into a district and in time and Chinese administrative division was formed called Tong Binh district. In 621 the Chinese T'ang administrators (Duong) put up ramparts around the district headquarters located in a fortified citadel of "Dominated Annam" which controlled the whole country. The Chinese citadel made of earth and clay from the river was the principal bastion of the administration mistakenly called Dai La by later historians. Dai La is the citadel. Chinese accepted the god of the local people and made the temples into places of mutual. The city was capital of Dai Viet.
Dai La was founded as a capital in 1010 by King Ly Thai To (Ly Cong Uan) who moved his capital from Hao Lu (southeast of Hanoi).
Then the city rapidly changed character. Under the Ly and the Tran the city lay in the confines of the Dai La dike and had a perimeter of 30-Km (13 miles). The enclosing rampart or dike was large enough for horse carts and elephants to move along its top easily. The city evolved two parts: the Royal city and the commoners City. There were four large gates to the royal city and in front of each was a large market. For example Cua Nam the south gates is a busy intersection. To the west were farms and around the West lake was fishing and fish processing
Now these four entrances were marked by shrines, which still exist and are still being used to worship the legendary hero who guarded that gate. Around the city were ponds and man made hills which were covered with lotus which scented the air in the summer.
The "36 guild streets" section of Hanoi is the oldest, wealthiest and most densely populated of Hanoi's four sectors. This old commercial quarter or ancient quarter as is sometimes called (once was called the native quarter by the French as opposed to the French quarter which contained the official villas of the French presence), in which some of the architecture dates to 1000 years ago, is located in a triangular area between the Restored Sword Lake, which forms its southern boundary, the Red River to the east and the Wall of the old citadel, and the Long Bien Bridge to the north. Westward this old commercial quarter to the old citadel wall marked now by Ly Nam De Street and on the east it extends to the Red River. The total area is 425 Ha or 1, 000 acres and has a population of about 170,000 people with a population density of 1,000 people /km squared. The average floor space for each person is less then 4. 2 sq. meters, or 45 square feet. As a result of the need for more living and shop space many former historically important buildings have been converted in to living space, schools or shops.
The structures represent several historical layers and every street has its own legends.
The old Quarter was originally a collection of villages, which served as the court's workshops and were clustered around the walled palace. The function of this Commoner's City was to serve the demands of the aristocracy and the royal court for consumer goods. Its location was ideal because of its access to waterways. There were many, not only 36 of these "quarters" or administrative unit with a population of from 2,000 to 10,000 (in Vietnamese: "Phuong") or handicraft centers in the town's outlying areas in which the artisan guilds (Phuong) worked and resided close together in groups according to their crafts. Since the area consist of many guilds, there is a certain level of homogeneity and sameness in the buildings of the same street since the inhabitants came from the same village and performed the same craft. During the Tran dynasty, the 13-14th century, city had 61 Phuong. During the Le (15th) there were 36. The streets have the name starting with Hang. Hang mean goods or shop. The guilds arranged for the transport and sale of the product on a designated street of the business section in town. The guilds were named after the product or after the location such as the Eastern Bridge guild or the River mouth guild. Many the merchandise streets are located in the same place as they were 200 to 300 years ago.
Tile roofs
1. The earliest are small sized, hand-made which require thicker installation to prevent heat transfer from the outside. These are small can' t withstand storms.
2. The second type is prefabricated tile with 13, 15, or 22 pieces of, which are required to cover a 1 square meter roof, introduced in the French colonial times.
There are tube houses that have two access from two streets, one access and western style houses. There have been attempts to explain the small frontages for example the 1. 6m in house of 97 Hang Dao. Some say it is division of inheritances. It is suggested that these long houses developed out of the market place stalls years before the streets actually came into existence. The stalls were abandoned over night because the traders were also the producers of the goods and lived elsewhere. Wherever marketplaces were established there was the development of tube-like shop houses. This house is marked by the existence of inner courtyards where the utilities are grouped. The initial settlers tried to occupy as much land as possible leaving some unused for development. So for privacy a wall was built around the entire property and the inner space left somewhat flexible. The rear access led to a public lane for the collection of night soil.
One access found in the corners of a block, such as 104 Cau Go where the space in only 4. 5sq meters. This could be a minor version of the courtyard seen in family compounds in the countryside in Vietnam and China. The role of the country depends on the depth. It serves as a light well and part of the natural ventilation system. It is a space for outdoor activities such as washing and drying preparing food and some small cottage industries. It serves as place of relaxation and enjoyment such as fishpond for decorative plants. A rock garden. The one attached to the living room is for relaxation the second or wet one is kitchen storage and toilet.
Age:
Most of the houses in the 36 street area were built from1900 to 1930. Information about the age of the house: kinship records and it was the custom to engrave the date on the ceiling beam of the house or over the door. Other clues are the layout and the materials used.
Pre-colonial (Before 1900. ) Many houses over the years were torn down to make room for roads and railways but some of the houses in this quarter were strong enough to survive. The front of the house had walls, which could be taken down in the daytime so that the front room could be used as a shop. The rear area was where guests were greeted and usually had a attic. The more important members of the family lived closest to the front of the house.
From 1900-1930. The French developed Hanoi as a political and commercial center. The first foreign traders who came were Indian and Pakistani silk and cotton traders lived in western style houses built in 1920 to 1930. Two-story shop houses, similar to others in Southeast
The Asia we know began to appear.
Houses built from 1931 to 1954. Chinese shop houses as in other areas of Southeast Asia, They had Doric and Corinthian columns in their facades and the layout inside was western style. Materials were prefabricated tiles and concrete floors and brick walls.
From 1955 to 1975 was a time of war and as a result, commercial activities were not developed. The fear of bombing lead to evacuation to the countryside and the few houses that were build maintained a simple structure.
After 1976 sliding wooden windows were replaced by bar metal shutters. Architecture was influenced by the appearance of houses in Ho Chi Minh City. Finishing techniques included marble tiles on the facades: untraditional. A small space is rented out to a watch repair or such who moves his cart to another location in the evenings. The art of bonsai was practiced in old Hanoi so that the small inner courtyards could contain miniature mountains landscaped with tiny trees. It was traditional practice that attic storerooms must not look out onto the street and must not be higher than the Kings residence. Much of this section is lived on the street. Outdoor barbers set up their mirrors and seats at a wall; bicycles are repaired on the sidewalk.
The southern boundary of this section and the site from which it takes its name is the Restored Sword Lake (also known as Hoan Kiem Lake or Petite Lake). It has long provided the crowded population with a quiet and peaceful spot in the busiest part of town. Its waters reflect lovely weeping willows and brilliant red flame trees. Once on the edge of the lake, but located now elsewhere, was the "street of flowers.
" Here, women in flat wide-brimmed hats sold arms full of flowers to French passers-by for a few coins. Festivals such as bike races and dove competitions take place around the lake. At the corner of the Lake at one end of Hang Khay a reinforced concrete bomb shelter was built. Now the area is an elevated are planted with flowers. Some suggested that is should have been kept intact as a memorial. Recently in an effort to maintain the lake, it was dredged by hand and by night bucket by bucket of muck. The handwork was to preserve the turtle and fish, endangered species and a source of food and ecological balance.
Legend of Le Loi
Every Vietnamese knows the legend of Le Loi, the hero who asked heaven for help in resisting the advances of the Chinese in 1418. The tortoise of Hoan Kiem Lake responded to his pleas with a magic sword, flashes of lightning darting from its blade. With his excalibur in hand, Le Loi drove off the invaders. When the Chinese were gone, the tortoise rose again from the lake; the sword leapt from Le Loa's scabbard and flew back into the lake.
The lake's temple-shrine, called Den Ngoc Son, dedicated to Tran Hung Dao, is located on the northeast corner of the lake. These words are chiseled on the shrine:
If you want to serve your country, take care of the common people.
The curved wooden bridge, Huc Bridge (variously translated as "To Keep the Morning Bright," "Perch of the Morning Sun," "Rainbow," or "Sunshine" Bridge) was built in 1855. At the entrance to the bridge are the Penbrush and Inkslab towers. These were erected in 1864 at the entrance to honor the scholar Nguyen Van Sieu. A tower 30 feet (9 m) high, with a pointed peak represents the brush. Nearby, a hollowed rock in the shape of a peach, is held aloft by three frogs, forming the writer's ink slab. Each year in early summer on the fifth day of the fifth month, at the Doan Ngo, the morning sun is in such a position that the shadow of the brush points deep into the center of the hollow of the ink slab. A small lovely three-story temple pagoda, called turtle pagoda, rises from the mists in the middle of the lake. It is dedicated to education and scholars. From the pagoda, one can set out to explore the ancient commercial section of Hoan Kiem to the north.
Guild temples.
There are still active temples dedicated to the patron saint of a given craft; on Hang Bong Street alone there are five temples and pagodas. The Phuc Hau Temple at 2 Hang Bong Street was dedicated to the founder of the mirror-making craft. The Luong Ngoc temple at 68 Hang Bong honors a tutelary village spirit. The Kim Hoi at 95 is dedicated to Tran Hang Dao. The Vong Tien at 120B marks where in legend King Le Thanh Tong met a beautiful spirit woman. The Thien Tien Pagoda at 120 Hang Bong was dedicated to Ly Thuong Kiet, the hero who defeated the Chinese Song invaders in the 11th century. On Hang Can Street there are two ancient pagodas. On Hang Dao Street there are five pagodas and small temples; On Hang Duong, there are two temples and at 38B the Dong Mon Pagoda. The White Horse (Bach Ma) Pagoda is on Hang Buom. Legend associated with the founding of Thang Long: The Ly king decided to enlarge his palace. He had a temple dedicated to the Long Do Spirit at Nung mount in side the Royal City transferred beyond the east gate but the walls tumbled down during the building. He then ordered an altar to be erected to the gods. During the ceremony a white horse suddenly came out of the Long do temple, broke into a gallop to the west and turned and returned to the temple, Taking this as a sign, the king decided to build his wall along the traces of the horses hoofs. The king made the white horse the guardian of Thang Long and he is worshipped at the Bach Ma temple.
Temple on Ngo Gach street. Den Ly Quoc Su. 90 Hang Dao is a former Dinh rented to families as residence.
Communal House on Hang Da, where the founder of the embroidery trades is worshipped. Temple of Huong Truong where the former governor of Hanoi, Nguyen Trung Ngan (1289 -1370) is worshipped.
The street coming in from the left at the fountain north of the lake is Hang Gai. Once the location of canvas makers. The large street leading directly north from the lake is Hang Dao. Hang Ngang and Hang Dao streets link the lake to the Dong Xuan Market. For some quiet local color and a display of the owner's private collection of art works, sip a coffee at the small unmarked cafe at 10 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, two blocks north east of the Lake.
In the beginning of the 19th century there were 100 houses on Hang Dao street. Ten or so were bricks; the rest were thatch and leaves. Odd numbers were on the Hang Dao Lake. The foundation was not high enough and so the houses were lower than the road. Ho Hoan Kiem was linked to Hang Dao lake by a stream and a bridge. HHK on the left of the Lord's Place. So got its name. After the stream was filled in, there was no bridge and the space was Cau Go street. HHK water fills and sometimes low, there are some trees and villas with flowers. People brought clothes to wash and dump garbage in the lake. In the middle is Ngoc Son Temple to General THD and Quan Cong. People believed that if they could take some relics so to scare away ghosts and demons. French time there were rickshaws made in Japan. The drivers of the rickshaws were dressed in white pants and brown long shirt stitched by a belt. Servants of the rich people who ride in the rickshaw followed and carried a box of betel nut quids. When the city had many rubber tire rickshaws, educated Vietnamese women were afraid to use them for fear of the being misunderstood as a "Foreigner's wife. "
The cloth sellers from Dong Xuan market were from Ve village. On Lan Ong street they sold one bowl of opium juice for 5 cents. That was very valuable. On Cua Nam sold com Binh Dan to rickshaw puller for 2 cents a bowl of rice and one fish. Rickshaw drivers were smart and only waited for foreigners. In Hanoi there were jobs which were "dirty work" to empty the latrines. Took out all trash in the drain by hands. In the late afternoon the streets were empty. The streets were dark and empty and quiet, the door of houses had one hole if some come see through the peephole let you in. City guards walked on the streets late at night.
The Vietnamese built the ancient quarter before cement was imported. Houses were built from sugar cane liquid, plaster and paper. 'The roof was made form wood bars and then two layers of tiles to prevent heating up in the summer. Some houses used the yin and yang tiles. One layer prone and one layer up side down. To prevent water and heating. Before the construction of the Yen Phu electricity plant, only the French streets, mostly around Trang Tien had electricity. In the old quarter there were 2-meter high wooden columns at the ends of which there were squared glass boxes.
Called by different names in the course of centuries, Ancient Hanoi quarter was an inherent part of Thang Long Imperial City at the time of Emperors Ly. It has always existed for the 11th century long before Hanoi became a concession in 1888. However very few pieces remain of this old city.
The reason is that there were many changed in the old quarter upheavals of history had mixed elements coming from the outside with those of the French colonial time in the 19th century. The superimposition of several cultural layers in an suburban city is not an unusual feature. Hanoi the distinction between different cultural layers belonging to different historical times can not be easily made.
Toward the 15th century under the impact of the emergent economy, of goods production, the two aspect of community life, community of trade and community of residence, blended together giving rise to numerous guilds developing in ancient Hanoi along side a substantial growing of he population. According to Rhodes, the population of the city was upward of a million people, while the Dutch merchant Dampier, assessed that within all the Cho market there were nearly 20,000 houses.
The demographic boom of Thang Long Ke Cho led to the animation of another aspect of its social life that of economic and cultural contacts and dialogues between the community and the surrounding social environment. Starting with the dialogues between the feudal bureaucrats and the common citizens and the peasantry of the neighboring communes, the main and most effective catalytic element was the goods money economy and the needs for consumer commodities.
The number of houses mostly built of thatch and bamboo increased rapidly. Streets fringed with shops and shop houses became more and more numerous. The emergence of trade communities, bringing together people from the same village and involved in the same trades, found its reflection in the typology of the houses in Ancient Hanoi. Most of them were tube-like dwellings, stretching in depth while reserving the narrow frontages for trading and/or the handicraft production. Meanwhile pagodas and communal houses built with the contribution of various groups of citizens coming from the same villages sprang up at many places in the area.
Brick houses became more numerous
Brick houses became more numerous than before. The most typical house in the quarter at then time was the double matchbox house. Very narrow in width because of the rush for frontages, while very long in depth to meet the multifunctional purpose of the construction and the need to accommodate large households with people of different generations living together under the same roof.
The front part of the house, coming close to the street is used both as a handicraft workshops and trading counter. Owing to the constraints imposed buy feudal law, the houses wee confined to one storied constructions surmounted by an attic with a round hole in the roof. Most of the relics we see in the Quarter came from this period.
Villages were really pockets.
In the same way it can be said that the communication network which took shape in the quarter at that time remained later on basically unchanged. A set of city streets, running perpendicularly to one another, city the quarter into quadrangular blocks like a chessboard with toe major axes running from the East gate to the bank of the Red River. These are the hang Vai, Lan Om-Hang Buom axis ending at Trung Thanh Gate and the Bat Dan-Hang Bac- Hang Bo- Hang Man axis leading to My Loc gate. The streets were most case without sidewalks with narrow roadways and poor pavement. Making them uncomfortably hot and dusty on sunny days and muddy in the rain.
Hanoi commercial and Residential quarter in the late 19th century. Being no longer the seat of the Emperors and Princes, Hanoi still retained the leading city in the whole Kingdom for its art industry and commerce. Was well as for is wealth and population culture and scholarly attributes. It is here that were brought together men of letters, qualified crafts men, big tradesmen, It is here that were produced the basic necessities of life and articles of highest quality. In a word This is the heart of the country itself. "
None the less with the end of Hanoi as the capital city of the country signs of uncontrolled growth began to show itself. A diversity sprang up form the confused entanglement of economic and cultural contacts and exchanges. Between literate bureaucrats and the common citizens, between the urban population and the peasantry of the surrounding villages, between the Vietnamese community and that of the Chinese residents.
Appearance of Chinese Shop houses. Solid houses with brick walls and tiled roofs lines the bank of the river. This is a typical form of housing associated with Chinese overseas population in Asia. Combining commercial and residential dwellings called also compartments or later tube houses.
French influence: 80 years of French
Phases:
Military engineering and early Public works
2nd seizure of the citadel gave the French the area of the citadel. But now we have resistance and there is a need for Protect and secure roads. So a road was built from the citadel to the concession. The French officers who were to implement the take over set up on Hang Gai 1883 street in rented attached houses.
The cathedral was started in same year. With the cleaning up of Sword Lake and some colonial houses in the south of the city.
In 1885 the building of military quarters in the citadel where the mandarin and king lived.
The most considerable changes of Ancient Hanoi occurred during the last century, form the end of the 19th to the end of the 20th century. Devastated by French attacks against Hanoi citadel in 1873, and 1882, then by the street fights between the 'black banners troops and the French armed forces and big fires in 1884 and 1885 the quarter had been seriously destroyed, many streets were almost burned to ashes and the inhabitants totally dispersed, many of them taking the way back to their villages in search of refuge from the wars. Shake by repeated political upheavals and devastating wars and reviving through ever renovating reconstruction Ancient Hanoi showed the signs of obvious change, above all in its urban fabric.
Types of houses:
Most of the houses in the area were built in the late nineteenth century, the majority of which are tube-like and they are common in many streets of the city. They have frontages of 2-4 meters and depths of from 20 to 60 meters and there are usually one or two floors. Attics are often used to take refuge in the storms or flooding and the average house has more than one courtyard.
Interior:
All houses have altars to ancestors, which must be higher than anything else in the house. Beds must have their heads facing the altar. Passageways are just large enough for a person and a bicycle. House depth has effect on ventilation. The deeper the house the faster the airflow through the passageway.
Houses built from 1931 to 1954.
Chinese shop houses as in other areas of Southeast Asia, They had Doric and Corinthian columns in their facades and the layout inside was western style. Materials were prefabricated tiles and concrete floors and brick walls. After 1954, Many new blocks of apartments were built for workers as they returned from the resistance region. Like Kim Lien, Nguyen Con Tru, designed by Korean. These apartments are simple and several families shared a bathroom. Later, these blocks of apartments were assembled by pieces of concrete. even some office buildings were built in this style. like six-story building of the Design Institute of Energy Ministry on Nguyen Du street. ( now only the first floor of it. Is a drink shop.
The architecture remained the same style until 1975. When Hanoians came back from Saigon saw "concrete boxes" with granite covers. They started to imitate this style with they thought was attractive but later found out the disadvantages of these boxes. The rooms were very hot and the wall made of tiny rock became mossy. So this style remain popular for about 10 years. People realized that houses in other countries were both beautiful and comfortable. Construction materials became available so people tried to build more new houses. Land prices and house prices rose to 5 time and then 10 times. New jobs were created: the building and trading land and houses - workers were hired from countryside, Architecture was repeated again and again. Many houses were built by imitation a strange or favorite style. At first they used granite for the walls then Ashley facing stone, flat roof, the pointed roof, aluminum from glass windows and the height of the buildings also became bigger. There was competition. Neighbors worked hard to out do each other, everyone wanting his house to become more beautiful higher and more exotic. This made the whole area a mass of houses, for example on Truong Chinh road and office divided the land for its workers. Each follow house was higher than its previous one. So the first built house became a real marsh when it rained.
From 1955 to 1975
From 1955 to 1975 was a time of war and as a result, commercial activities were not developed. The fear of bombing lead to evacuation to the countryside and the few houses that were build maintained a simple structure. During the American war there was very little building for fear of bombs and energies devoted to fighting. People of Hanoi were evacuated schools and offices to the countryside. In Dec 18 1972 the city was bombed in what has been called the Christmas bombing. Buildings were destroyed in the Kim lien district and civilian lives were lost. Since 1987 dramatic changes have been taking lace in the city
After 1976
After 1976 sliding wooden windows were replaced by bar metal shutters. Architecture was influenced by the appearance of houses in Ho Chi Minh City. Finishing techniques included marble tiles on the facades: untraditional. a small space is rented out to a watch repair or such who moves his cart to another location in the evenings.
SAFEGUARDING THE ARCHITECTURAL LEGACY OF Hanoi's Ancient Quarter
Hanoi's seduction derives from a particular atmosphere, an atmosphere which is derived from multiple and profound sources. Its unique character is rooted in the ancient past of Thang Long, its ability to assimilate the various Chinese, French, and Soviet influences, and the marriage of the city with its aquatic environment. Hanoi's canals and dozens of lakes create an omnipresent sense of nature in the very heart of the city. This presence feeds the diversity and dynamism of its inhabitants.
It would be futile to preserve the outer manifestations of the architectural legacy of the city if the spirit were to be erased. Thus, the harmony of Hanoi, a city that was miraculously spared the violence of war, seems today all the more fragile.
As Vietnam opens its markets to foreign capital, it finds itself confronted with the challenge of mastering its economic development while simultaneously affirming its cultural identity and preserving its historic legacy. As international investors and real-estate developers flood into the country, the threats to the architectural legacy of Hanoi multiply symmetrically and the situation today calls out urgently for a coherent strategy of preservation of this legacy.
Vietnam reveals itself as a particularly promising terrain for foreign investors. Cut off from the exchanges among the liberal-capitalist sphere and located in the heart of a Southeast Asia in the midst of economic expansion, Vietnam constitutes the last territory in the region, which remains available for conquest by international capital.
Miraculously spared the devastation of war, the town nevertheless faces a number of pressing problems today. The poor condition of the already insufficient infrastructure is alarming in view of the density of urban life in the city. The infrastructure- roads, potable water and sewage lines, gas and electricity- were created at the beginning of this century for a city of 300,000. The city being overcrowded with living structures which have in turn been overcrowded with people (living space varies between 2 and 4 m2 per person). Courtyards and gardens, streets and alleyways, have all been encroached upon.
At present, there exists no urban legislation in Hanoi or elsewhere in Vietnam that is capable of controlling the present real-estate boom and ill-conceived additions that deform the ancient buildings. It does so because it has not yet fully perceived the great architectural value of these buildings. demolishing valuable structures, they are wildly transforming the existing legacy and replacing it with recent constructions that have been in total disharmony- both morphologically as well as architecturally- with the existing urban structures.
Responsibility for the safeguarding of the architectural and urban legacy lies heavily with the Vietnamese authorities. At the heart of any preservation plan must lie the political will affirmed by the Vietnamese to carry out actions, which respect the cultural context of the nation. The technical know-how and financial support of the international community will be incorporated within this context.
Those people living within the quarters targeted for preservation are those who will be immediately affected by the future works. A coherent plan will be drafted in consultation with those people who live or work in the area studied. Furthermore, open centers will be set up that will contribute to the spread of information to this population and reciprocally, help the association to become familiar with local needs.
Urgent Preservation Measures
establish emergency measures which aimed at putting a stop to the irreparable damage which is currently being wreaked on the architectural heritage. These measures must be implemented with the briefest delay due to the present threat. It is necessary to define and enforce a set of rules aiming to preserve against all attacks on the urban and architectural legacy in the historic quarters of Hanoi.
2. Carry Out An Architectural Inventory
This step will require several years of work in order to make a repertoire of the existing legacy, analyze the state of preservation of the buildings, and select those structures which merit being given priority attention with regards to safe-guarding.
, the preservation of the colonial architecture of the past will go a long way in distinguishing Hanoi as a cosmopolitan capital different from other capitals in Asia.
Assure Continuity
The third step consists of assuring the training of Vietnamese technicians and cadres in urban planning work by involving them with all stages of the project. qualified personnel capable of carrying out a coherent policy of preservation of the architectural and urban legacy.
Overpopulated, degraded, and under equipped, Hanoi aspires to participate in the economic take-off for which Vietnam is preparing. development and urban modernization destroy her roots as so many other cities in Southeast Asia have done. Insipid international urban homogeneity triumph only to have it be quickly pushed out of fashion.
Housing needs are the most pressing of the problems. Creation of localities that are well adapted to the needs of contemporary life is indispensable to accommodate the economic development of the city: business, industry and tourism. On the streets, motorcycles are rapidly replacing bicycles and these are soon to be replaced in turn by automobiles. A brutally utilitarian response to these needs would provoke irreplaceable damage to the city; a rupture of the harmonious balance with nature, an ecological rupture, and a rupture of the infrastructure network.
The policy should be more than a policy of systematic safe-guarding of the architectural legacy for priority must be given to the dynamics of evaluating the urban tissue, the precious diversity of the different social and economic conditions of the different sections of the city.
Conservation does not imply that the area must be preserved as a museum but rather that all that is architecturally and historically valuable should be retained. It considers that views, or buildings, though not exceptional individually, add to the general quality of the area. Neither city-museum nor city-amnesiac, Hanoi could retain its status as one of the pearls of Southeast Asia if its urban projects are able to reconcile modern dynamism with the preservation of its roots and culture. Hanoi has all the cards that it needs to succeed in this endeavor, especially an open-minded professional strata that is both competent and creative. Now it must learn to manage its urban diversity, federate its initiatives, and attract the necessary skills and investment in a framework of partnership for Hanoi.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|