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Hanoi is the capital, the heart of the country, the national political and administrative center, and a major center for culture, science, education, economics, and international trade.
"No matter where I go in the world, my heart will always remember Hanoi."
"Our Hanoi, our beloved capital, a time of bombs and bullets, a time of peace."
Images of small streets lined with old tamarind trees, the echoing cries of street vendors, and playful summer afternoons by the lake will evoke nostalgic feelings in older generations, reminding them of a time when Hanoi was poor but dear to them. For the younger generation, it will be a fascinating journey of discovery. They will be surprised by a life untouched by technology, where human kindness is warmer, and traditional values are cherished.
Mentioning Hanoi brings to mind a land of thousand-year-old culture, with the legend of the flying dragon that formed Thang Long over 1000 years ago. However, in the 1990s, Hanoi was simpler than ever before.
The name Hanoi is approximately 170 years old, and during those nearly two centuries, Hanoi has quietly changed with the vicissitudes of time, becoming the modern city it is today. When King Đồng Khánh granted the French the right to establish a "ceded city," Hanoi truly underwent significant transformations.
However, back then, Hanoi was still neat and tidy in every street corner; it still retained its profound, ancient charm, its old architectural structures, and its old customs and traditions. That Hanoi was a parallel development of tradition and modernity.
Means of transportation for people in the old capital city.
Beneath its weathered exterior, bearing the marks of time, lie invaluable treasures, a repository of many memories of a simple Hanoi.
Against a clear blue sky, Hanoi in the early 1990s appeared with an unusually peaceful beauty. There were no towering skyscrapers; the open sky seemed to embrace the entire city. The Red River meandered through lush green fields, creating a stunning watercolor painting. Small streets lined with ancient trees, and houses with bright red tiled roofs all possessed a simple, rustic charm.
A cozy afternoon at home.
Motorcycles and cars have started to appear sporadically, but they are still not enough to overshadow the familiar sight of bicycles.
Life goes by slowly and leisurely.
Hanoi in 1991-1993 was a Hanoi of heartwarming tranquility. The streets were filled only with the tinkling of rickshaws carrying passengers and the rhythmic clatter of bicycles ridden by laborers. Life flowed slowly and leisurely. A steaming bowl of fragrant pho cost only 3,000 dong, and a cold glass of draft beer for 1,600 dong was enough to linger for hours on the roadside, chatting with friends.
Old memories are preserved in each old photograph.
During this period, the Vietnamese economy was in transition. Hanoi had just begun its modernization, yet still bore the strong imprint of the centrally planned economy era. Everyday life was incredibly warm and welcoming. In the mornings, the calls of vendors selling steamed rice rolls and other traditional dishes echoed through the streets. People cycled to the market and cooked simple, traditional meals themselves. In the afternoons, families gathered around a black-and-white television, watching simple television dramas together.
In those days, people from all over the country flocked to the outskirts of Thang Long to settle down and start businesses, gathering together to buy and sell.
Ancient Hanoi had citadels, towns, harbors, 36 streets and neighborhoods for trade and crafts, suburban markets, and villages specializing in agricultural production and processing. Talented people from all over the country flocked to Thang Long - Hanoi, where they interacted, competed intellectually and skillfully, creating a unique artistic flair found only in the people of Hanoi.
"Hanoi, thirty-six streets and wards"
"Rice Street, Sugar Street, and Salt Street are all spotlessly white."
In the old streets of Hanoi, "all kinds of goods were sold" and "each street sold a different kind of goods, entirely in the manner of companies or guilds in European cities." According to Paul Bourde, a reporter for the Times, around 1883, the entire city transformed into a large open-air market whenever there was a market day, and that market day was held every six days. According to Paul Bourde's description, during those market days, merchants and craftsmen of all kinds from neighboring villages flocked to the city. Silk sellers congregate on Hang Dao Street, jewelers on Hang Dong Street, and hat makers on Hang Non Street… Villagers sit right on the street, their goods displayed in pieces of cloth or baskets – fruits, meat, miscellaneous goods, medicine, pottery, fish… On silk market days (the 1st and 6th of the lunar month), “Hang Dao Street suddenly becomes magnificent and dazzling, like Alibaba’s cave.”
As the country embarked on reforms, entered a market economy, and integrated internationally, Hanoi transformed itself with rapid urbanization, yet the memories of the past remain.
With the urbanization process described above, the appearance of Hanoi has undergone a truly profound transformation, from a "semi-rural, semi-urban" city at the end of the 17th century to a "miniature Paris" (Petit Paris), the "capital of Tonkin," and the "capital of the Indochina Federation" during the French colonial period.
It's no coincidence that in the song "Remembering Hanoi," composer Hoang Hiep wrote: "No matter where I go in the world, my heart will always remember Hanoi." This is because the beloved capital city has captured the hearts of millions of Vietnamese people, becoming a place of refuge for countless expatriates. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, people still seek out Hanoi with its old-world charm, a peaceful and profound beauty.
