Hai Phong

Hải Phòng
—  Centrally-governed city  —
A street in Hai Phong
Provincial location in Vietnam
Coordinates:
Country  Vietnam
Area
 - Total 1,507.57 km2 (582.1 sq mi)
Population
 - Total 1,884,685 (3rd in Vietnam)
Website www.haiphong.gov.vn

Hai Phong (occasionally Haiphong, Vietnamese: Hải Phòng, pronounced [hãj fɔ̂ŋ]  ( listen); meaning "Coastal Defence") is the third most populous city in Vietnam.

Contents

Geography

Hai Phong is located in the center of the Red River. It is approximately 100 kilometers (60 mi) from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Hai Phong serves as the primary seaport for the northern region of Vietnam.

Vietnamese-Buddhist temple in Hai Phong

History

Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters (Hai Bà Trưng) in the year 43 AD.

It has existed as a significant port city for at least several centuries, and was one of Vietnam's principal trading centers. When Vietnam was invaded by the French, the city became France's main naval base in Indochina.

In 1881, a storm hit Haiphong killing 300,000 people.

After World War II, when Vietnam attempted to regain its independence, Hai Phong was the site of the first military action undertaken by the French.

While it was claimed that the French heavy cruiser Suffren bombarded the city, only 3 avisos participated in the operation that contributed to the start of the First Indochina War[1].

See also: Operation Rolling Thunder, Operation Linebacker , and Operation Linebacker II

Later, in the Vietnam War, Hai Phong was subjected to heavy bombing by US Navy and Air Force strike aircraft because it was North Vietnam's only major port. After the war, the city recovered and became a significant industrial center.

Today, known as a port city, it serves the entire northern region of Vietnam and has managed to attract large foreign direct investment that fueled economic rates of growth exceeding 12% per annum over the last decade.

Places of interest

Cấm river in Hai Phong

Transport

There is one railway station called Ga Hai Phong and one airport, Cat Bi International Airport. There are three flights a day to Ho Chi Minh city. In addition, there are some coach station such as Tam Bac, Niem Nghia, Cau Rao. The railway, which was built by the French, is now very old, so most people choose to travel by coach.

References

  1. ↑ (French) Maurice Vaïsse, L'Armée française dans la guerre d'Indochine (1946-1954) : Adaptation ou inadaptation, 2000, p. 276

External links