Hanoi

Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội ^ⓘ) is the capital and second-most populous city of Vietnam. As evident by the literal translation of its name – 'inside the river' – portions of Hanoi's border are delineated by the Red River and the Black River. As a municipality, Hanoi consists of 12 urban districts, 17 rural districts, and 1 district-level town (Sơn Tây). It has an area of 3,359.82 km² (1,297.23 sq mi) and a population of 8,435,700 in 2022. In 2020, Hanoi has the second-highest gross regional domestic product of all Vietnam provinces and municipalities at 51.4 billion USD, behind Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi Capital is also ASEAN 8th largest economy after Surabaya.

In the third century BCE, the Cổ Loa Capital Citadel of Âu Lạc was constructed in the area of modern-day Hanoi. Âu Lạc then falls under China rule for around a thousand years. In 1010, Vietnamese emperor Lý Thái Tổ established the capital of the imperial Vietnamese nation Đại Việt in modern-day central Hanoi, naming the city Thăng Long (literally 'Ascending Dragon'). The Nguyễn dynasty in 1802 moved the national capital to Huế and the city was renamed Hanoi in 1831. It served as the capital of French Indochina from 1902 to 1945. After the August Revolution, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam designated Hanoi as the capital of the newly independent country. In 2008, Hà Tây Province and two other rural districts were annexed into Hanoi, effectively tripling Hanoi's area.

In the 21st century, Hanoi is the cultural, economic and education center of Northern Vietnam. As the capital of the country, Hanoi hosts 78 foreign embassies, the headquarter of People's Army of Vietnam, its own Vietnam National University system, and many other governmental organs. Hanoi is also a major tourist destination, with 18.7 million domestic and international visitors in 2022. The city hosts Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long (an UNESCO World Heritage Site), Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hoàn Kiếm Lake, West Lake, and Ba Vì National Park near the outskirts of the municipality. Hanoi's urban area has a wide range of architectural styles, including French colonial architecture, brutalist apartments typical of socialist nations and disorganized alleys–tube houses reflecting the city's rapid growth in the 20th century. As of early 2020s, many urban amenities in Hanoi are under heavy construction, such as the 8-lines Hanoi Metro and numerous housing estates.