Hanoi’s developmental history brought to light

With more than 80 panels of photos, documents, drawings and maps showing Hanoi’s “new urban lifestyle”, the exhibition aims to showcase the capital city’s development from an oriental urban city to a western style city.

It reflects changes in Hanoi’s urban centre through architecture, administrative boundary, economic and socio-culture while maintaining the traditional identity of the Hanoians.

The exhibition is divided into five parts, showing Hanoi – a capital township of the province of the same name from the early 19th century to 1873, a city of Vietnam and the first western-style architectural planning in 1873-1897, a period of construction in 1897-1906, the development of the city to meet colonial demand in 1906-1940 and Hanoi from 1940-1945.

The exhibits are original documents with high value for those who study and love Hanoi, said Prof. Phan Huy Le, Chairman of the Vietnam Historic Science Association.

The event is a cultural exchange between Vietnam and France, a product of cooperation between the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre and the Research Institute for Far East history, he said.