Haiphong

History

Dynastic Vietnam

Modern-day Haiphong was the home of Lê Chân, one of the female generals under the command of the Trưng Sisters who rose against Chinese domination in 40 AD and ruled until their defeat in 43 AD. Lê Chân was known to have established the Hải tần Phòng thủ (“Defenced Sea-coast”) during the war against general Ma Yuan of the Han dynasty. Centuries later under the reign of Nguyễn Emperor Tự Đức, the area earned the appellation: Hải-Dương thương-chính quan-phòng ("The trading defensive area of Hải Dương Province").

By the 19th century, at the end of Tự Đức's reign, the Hang Kenh Communal House in what is now the city's Le Chan District was made the administrative seat of An Dương District, restoring its regional importance. The area by then had developed into a sizable commercial port.

At the eve of the French conquest in 1881, a typhoon ravaged the area, killing about 3,000 people in and around Haiphong. Despite the damages, Haiphong was developed by the French to serve as Indochina's main naval base over the ensuing decades.

Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Vietnam War

Following the defeat of Japan in World War II, Vietnamese nationalists agitated for independence against French return. French forces landed in Haiphong and encountered resistance which resulted in the deaths of three French soldiers. In retaliation, the French ships, among them the cruiser Suffren, shelled the city, setting it ablaze and precipitating the First Indochina War. French infantry forces under the command of Jean-Étienne Valluy entered the city, fighting house to house with the support of armored units and airplanes.

Late in the Vietnam War, Haiphong was subjected to heavy bombing by US Navy and Air Force strike aircraft because it was North Vietnam's only major port. U.S. Admiral Thomas H. Moorer ordered the mining of Haiphong harbor on 8 May 1972, effectively sealing the port. Until it was lifted, the mining caused no casualty. Despite being targeted, the physical structure of the city was mostly unaffected by the war as the US had a self-imposed prohibition zone for the city. After the war, the city recovered its role as a significant industrial center.

21st century

On 20 February 2025 the Vietnamese parliament approved an $8 billion railroad investment to upgrade under Xi Jinping's Belt and road initiative the old French-built Kunming–Haiphong railway, which serves the Chinese border city Hekou Yao, Lao Cai, Hanoi and Haiphong.

On 12 June 2025, the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 202/2025/QH15 on the arrangement of provincial-level administrative units (the resolution took effect on June 12, 2025). Accordingly, Hải Dương Province was merged into Hai Phong City.

Geography

Haiphong is a coastal city located at the mouth of the Cấm River, in Vietnam's north-eastern coastal area, 120 km east of Hanoi. The Bính Bridge crosses the Cam and connects the city with Thủy Nguyên municipal city. It has a total natural area of 3,194.72 km2. It borders Quảng Ninh Province to the north, Bắc Ninh Province to the northwest, Hưng Yên Province to the southwest, and the Gulf of Tonkin to the east. Bach Long Vi island, Cat Ba Island and the Long Châu islands, located in the Gulf, are also administered as part of the city. Tidal flat ecosystems occur adjacent to the city, however, many have been reclaimed for agriculture or development purposes.

Climate

Haiphong features a humid subtropical climate (Koppen: Cwa) with hot, humid summers and warm, dry winters. The city is noticeably wetter from April through October; roughly 90% of the city's annual rainfall (which totals approximately 1700 mm) typically falls during these months. There is a noticeable difference in temperatures between the city's winters and summers. Haiphong's coolest months, January and February, sees average high temperatures reach 20 C and average low temperatures at around 14 C. Its warmest months, June and July, sees average high temperatures hover around 33 C and average low temperatures at around 26 C. Sea temperatures range from a low of 21 °C in February to a high of 30 °C during the months of July and August. |Jan record high C = 31.0 |Feb record high C = 34.1 |Mar record high C = 35.4 |Apr record high C = 37.4 |May record high C = 41.5 |Jun record high C = 39.5 |Jul record high C = 38.5 |Aug record high C = 39.4 |Sep record high C = 37.4 |Oct record high C = 36.6 |Nov record high C = 33.1 |Dec record high C = 30.0 |year record high C = 41.5 |Jan record low C = 4.5 |Feb record low C = 4.5 |Mar record low C = 6.1 |Apr record low C = 10.4 |May record low C = 15.5 |Jun record low C = 18.4 |Jul record low C = 20.3 |Aug record low C = 20.4 |Sep record low C = 15.6 |Oct record low C = 12.7 |Nov record low C = 9.0 |Dec record low C = 4.9 |year record low C = 4.5

Administration

Hai Phong is subdivided into 45 wards, 67 communes and 2 special zones (Bạch Long Vĩ and Cát Hải).

Before 2025, Haiphong was subdivided into 15 district-level sub-divisions, consisting of 8 urban districts, 6 rural districts and 1 municipal city (sub-city):

• An Dương
• Dương Kinh
• Đồ Sơn
• Hải An
• Kiến An
• Hồng Bàng
• Ngô Quyền
• Lê Chân
• 6 rural districts:
  • An Lão
  • Bạch Long Vĩ
  • Cát Hải
  • Kiến Thụy
  • Tiên Lãng
  • Vĩnh Bảo
• 1 municipal city:
  • Thủy Nguyên}}

They were further subdivided into 10 commune-level towns (or townlets), 148 communes, and 72 wards.

Table of local government districts

Economy

Haiphong is a major economic center of the North in particular and Vietnam in general both. Under French domination, Haiphong was level 1 city, equal to Saigon and Hanoi. The last years of the 19th century, the French had proposed to build Haiphong into the economic capital of Indochina.

Today, Haiphong is still one of the most important economic centers of Vietnam. In 2009, Haiphong state budget revenue reached 34,000 billion Vnd. In 2011, budget revenues in the city reached 47,725 billion, increase 19% compared to 2010. In 2015, total revenues of the city reached 56 288 billion. Government plans that to 2020, Haiphong's revenues will be over 80,000 billion and the domestic revenue reach 20.000 billion. In the ranking of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) 2013 of Vietnam, Haiphong city ranked at No. 15/63 provinces.

Haiphong has relationship of trading goods with more than 40 countries and territories around the world. Haiphong is striving to become one of the largest commercial centers of the country.

On Vietnam's Provincial Competitiveness Index 2023, a key tool for evaluating the business environment in Vietnam’s provinces, Hai Phong received a score of 70.34. This was an improvement from 2022 in which the province received a score of 70.76. In 2023, the province received its highest scores on the 'Labor Policy' and 'Time Costs' criterion and lowest on 'Policy Bias' and ‘Transparency’.

Industry

Industry is a key sector in Haiphong including food processing, light industries and heavy industries. Major products include fish sauce, beer, cigarettes, textiles, paper, plastic pipes, cement, iron, pharmaceuticals, electric fans, motorbikes, steel pipes and ships and out-sourcing software implementation. Most of these industries have been growing significantly between 2000 and 2007, with the exceptions of the cigarette and pharmaceutical industries. Shipbuilding, steel pipes, plastic pipes and textiles are among the industries with the most rapid growth.

There are also growing industries supplying products used by existing industries in the city. PetroVietnam set up a joint-venture PVTex with textile manufacturer Vinatex to build Vietnam's first polyester fiber plant in Haiphong. The factory will use by-products from oil-refining and reduce reliance on imported materials. 270,600 people were employed in Haiphong's industry. 112,600 industrial jobs were created between 2000 and 2007.

Agriculture, forestry and fishery

Despite its status as a city, around one third of Haiphong's area or 52,300 ha (as of 2007) are used for agriculture. Rice is the most important crop, taking up around 80% of the agricultural land with an output of 463,100 tons in 2007. Other agricultural products include maize, sugar and peanuts.

Haiphong has a relatively large fishing sector with an output of 79,705 tons (2007). Gross output has almost doubled between 2000 and 2007, mostly due to fast growth in aquaculture, which made up 60% of gross output in 2007. Despite its coastal location, sea fish contribute relatively little to the sector (around one fourth). Nam Định Province and Thái Bình Province have much larger fishing sectors and even the inland Hải Dương Province has a larger gross output from fishing than Haiphong.

As of 2007, 315,500 were employed in agriculture and fishery, a significant decrease from 396,300 in 2000. However, these sectors still account for almost a third of total employment in Haiphong, a larger share than industry. However, gross output in both agriculture and fishery have been growing significantly between 2000 and 2007.

Demographics

Haiphong is the third most populous city in Vietnam, with a population of 2.103.500 for the metropolitan area (2015), encompassing an area of 1,507.57 km2, 46,1% of population reside in the urban districts. The gender distribution is half female (50.4%).

Population growth

As of the 2009 census, Haiphong's average annual population growth rate was given as 4.0%. Haiphong's crude birth rate was recorded at 18.1 live births per 1000 persons vs the crude death rate of 7.6 per 1000 persons. Life expectancy at birth was estimated at 77.1 years for women and 72.0 years for men, or 74.5 years overall. Infant mortality rate was measured at 11.8 infant deaths per 1000 live births, just over two points above the nation's average for urban areas. In the same census, the city's out-migration was 1.9% vs in-migration of 2.8% and, for a net migration rate of 0.9%.

Education

In 2012, Hải Phòng had 4 universities and academies, 17 colleges, 26 professional secondary schools, 56 high schools, and hundreds of other educational institutions ranging from elementary to preschool levels. Trần Phú High School in Hải Phòng holds a Vietnamese record for being the only school with students winning international prizes for 21 consecutive years.

Universities in Hải Phòng

• Vietnam Maritime University - A national key university specializing in transport and maritime studies
• Hai Phong University - A multidisciplinary university, formerly Hai Phong College of Education
• Hai Phong Medical University - Trains general and specialized doctors, nurses, and serves as a medical research center
• Hai Phong Management and Technology University - A private multidisciplinary university

High schools in Hải Phòng

• Tran Phu Gifted High School: Ranked third nationally in terms of achievements in national student competitions, holds a record for 21 consecutive years of international awards
• Ngô Quyền High School: Formerly known as Bonnal School, the oldest in Hải Phòng, with French architectural influence, established in 1920
• Thái Phiên High School: A top non-specialized high school in the city, in the top 100 nationwide
• Lê Ích Mộc High School: Named after the first scholar of Hải Phòng, located in Kỳ Sơn, Thủy Nguyên
• Lê Quý Đôn High School: Another prominent high school in Hải Phòng
• Trần Nguyên Hãn High School: Known for students achieving high results in university entrance exams and fostering creative students
• An Lão High School: Located at 43 Lê Lợi Street, An Lão town, An Lão district, known for high teaching quality
• Vĩnh Bảo High School: Recognized for having many students achieve top results in university entrance exams
• Kiến An High School: The second oldest high school in Hải Phòng, known for its high-quality education
• Tiên Lãng High School: The first school in Hải Phòng with a student winning the national final of the "Road to Mount Olympia" competition
• Mạc Đĩnh Chi High School: Located in Dương Kinh district, known for a high university entrance rate
• Haiphong Maritime High School: Internationally named by alumnus Trần Bảo Sơn, affiliated with Vietnam Maritime University
• Lương Thế Vinh High School: Formerly Toa Xe Private High School, one of the first four private high schools in Hải Phòng
• Hồng Bàng High School
• Lê Hồng Phong High School
• An Dương High School
• Hải An High School
• Lê Chân High School
• Thăng Long High School
• Kiến Thụy High School
• Nguyễn Đức Cảnh High School
• Bạch Đằng High School
• Trần Hưng Đạo High School
• Nguyễn Trãi High School

Transport

Roads

Haiphong is located at the junction of two National Highways: Route 5, leading west to Hanoi, and Route 10, leading south to Nam Định and onward to connect with National Route 1 at Ninh Bình. Highway 356 passes west–east from the Route 5/10 junction through Haiphong's city center all the way to the coast. A connecting road from route 5 to route 18 links Haiphong with Quảng Ninh Province. In 2015, the new highway connecting Haiphong with Hanoi was completed; this is the most modern highway in Vietnam and reduces the trip by one hour as compared to the previous route.

Within the city there are several long-distance bus depots: Niem Nghia, Vinh Niem, and Thuong Ly.

A new highway route was completed in 2016. From Hanoi to Haiphong and back, it now takes less than two hours to reach. It has also shortened the distance from Haiphong to Thai Binh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen.

Tourists can easily catch a coach from Niem Nghia bus station to Hanoi or Cat Ba island, either Quang Ninh, or South of Vietnam.

Airports

The main airport serving Haiphong is Cat Bi International Airport with three flights daily to Ho Chi Minh city. In April 2011, Vietnam Airlines launched routes to Da Nang with 5 flights a week. An international airport for Haiphong, situated in Tien Lang district, is in the planning stages; if realized it would become the largest airport in northern Vietnam.

Seaports

Haiphong port is one of the largest ports in Vietnam and south-east Asia as a whole. The Port of Haiphong on the Cấm River is divided into three main docks: Hoang Dieu (Central terminal) located near the city's center, Chua Ve, and Dinh Vu both farther downstream to the east. Several ferry terminals connect Haiphong with the neighboring Cát Hải and Cát Bà Islands; Ben Binh Ferry terminal is located near the city center while Dinh Vu Ferry is located on a spit of land on the coast. The government had approved the plans to build an international port in Lach Huyen – 15 kilometers from the current port. Once completed this will be one of the deepest ports in Vietnam, with a draft of 14m, capable of receiving ships up to 100.000 DWT.

Railway

Haiphong station built in 1902 is the eastern terminus of the Kunming–Hai Phong Railway, also known as the Yunnan–Vietnam Railway. Built at by the French during their occupation, the railway once connected Haiphong to the city of Kunming in Yunnan, China, although service along the Chinese portion of the line is currently suspended. Rail travel from Haiphong with connections to the rest of the Vietnamese railway network is via Hanoi. Passenger trains run daily from 6AM until 6PM from Hai Phong city to the capital Hanoi and back. The travel time between the two cities by rail is approximately three hours.

Cuisine

Hai Phong specialties are known throughout Vietnam for their seafood dishes. Seafood restaurants in the Do Son area are famous for having very fresh shrimp, crab, fish, and squid at affordable prices. The seafood processing style in Hai Phong is simple, emphasizing the essence and freshness of ingredients, not spices.

Dishes such as bánh đa cua (red noodle soup with crab), bún cá (fish rice noodle soup), bánh mỳ que cay (spicy stick-bread), cơm cháy hải sản (crispy rice cracker with seafood), nem cua bể (square crab spring rolls) are notable and popular dishes. These dishes can be found on the streets of other places like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, but enjoying them on the Flamboyant City (the other name of Haiphong City) is still the most ideal because of the choice of raw ingredients and cooking secrets of local chefs. Hai Phong cuisine has been promoted to Europe at the Brest Maritime Festival 2008 (France) and resonated greatly.

Hai Phong also has many other dishes such as mantis shrimp hot pot, bean sprouts salad, sủi dìn, bánh bèo (Haiphong's version, which is different from Hue's version).

Notable people

• Mạc Đăng Dung (1483–1541), king of Đại Việt country, the founder of the Mạc dynasty
• Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm (1491–1585), thinker, poet, prophet, Cao Dai religion saint
• Mai Trung Thu (1906–1980), painter
• Thẩm Thúy Hằng (1939–2022), actress
• Trần Văn Cẩn (1910–1994), painter
• Văn Cao (1923–1995), musician, poet, painter and composer of the national anthem of Vietnam Tiến Quân Ca
• Quang Thắng (born 1968), actor and comedian
• Wong Kwok-hing (born 1949), Hong Kong trade unionist and a former member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (2004–2016)
• Ốc Thanh Vân (born 1984), actor and television host
• Phan Thị Hà Thanh (born 1991), artistic gymnast, first gymnast to win a world medal for Vietnam gymnastics (2011)
• Thu Phương (born 1972), pop singer and Haiphong native; now lives in the U.S.

Twin towns

• VIE Da Nang, Vietnam
• KOR Incheon, South Korea
• JPN Kitakyushu, Japan
• ITA Livorno, Italy
• CHN Nanning, China
• RUS Saint Petersburg, Russia
• USA Seattle, United States
• CHN Tianjin, China
• HUN Gödöllő, Hungary

Gallery

|File:02-DU HANG PAGODA.jpg|Du Hang Pagoda |File:02-DU_HANG_PAGODA_ARCHITECTURE.jpg|Du Hang Pagoda architecture |File:03-OPERA_HOUSE.jpg|The city's Opera House |File: Hai-Phong-Temple.jpg|A Buddhist temple in Haiphong. |File:Hai Phong Cathedral (2007).jpg|Haiphong Cathedral (2007) ||Floating Village in Lan Ha Bay, Cat Ba Archipelago Biosphere Reserve |File:13-HAIPHONG_INTERNATIONAL_EXHIBITION_CENTER.jpg|Haiphong City International Exhibition Center

References

Notes

References

1. (18 October 2023). "Biểu số 4.2: Hiện trạng sử dụng đất vùng Đồng Bằng Sông Hồng năm 2022".
2. [[General Statistics Office of Vietnam]]. (2023). "Niên giám Thống kê Việt Nam năm 2022". Statistical Publishing House (Vietnam).
3. [[General Statistics Office of Vietnam]]. (2019). ""Completed Results of the 2019 Viet Nam Population and Housing Census"". Statistical Publishing House (Vietnam).
4. "TelluBase—Viet Nam Fact Sheet". Tellusant Public Service Series.
5. "Human Development Index by province(*) by Cities, provincies and Year".
6. "DEEP C - Living and Working in Vietnam".
7. "Nữ tướng Lê Chân và dấu ấn Hải Tần Phòng Thủ".
8. "Chương trình Famtrip“Hải tần Phòng thủ - Góc nhìn mới” tiếp tục giới thiệu nhiều địa danh lịch sử và ẩm thực Hải Phòng {{!}} Cổng Thông tin điện tử thành phố Hải phòng".
9. "About Hai Phong".
10. ''Vietnam'' by [[Spencer C. Tucker]], page 47. "On 23 November DebeS delivered an ultimatum to the Vietnamese at Haiphong, ordering them to withdraw from the French section of the city, the Chinese quarter, and the port. He gave them only two hours to reply. When the time was up the French subjected the Vietnamese positions to air, land, and sea bombardment, the bulk of the firepower coming from the three- and eight-inch guns of the French Navy Cruiser Suffren. Only military targets were destroyed and not the Vietnamese quarter as some have claimed. Estimates of the number killed in the shelling and ensuing panic vary widely. Casualties up to 20,000 have been cited. French Admiral Battet later said that no more than 6,000 Vietnamese had died, but in 1981 [[Vũ Quốc Uy. Vu Quoc Uy]], then chairman of the Haiphong municipal committee, told Stanley Karnow that the figure was only 500 to 1,000 dead. Others have put the figure as low as 200".
11. {{in lang. fr Maurice Vaïsse, ''L'Armée française dans la guerre d'Indochine (1946–1954) : Adaptation ou inadaptation'', 2000, p. 276
12. Plon, ''Le General de Gaulle et l'Indochine 1940–1946'', page 210. "In connection with the naval bombardment, let us note that only the ships of small tonnage could go up the river of Haiphong. On November 23, two colonial sloops supported for the first time the French troops with their artillery to a limited effect: the Chevreuil with its double turret, with its two pairs of 100mm, Savorgnan de Brazza with its four turrets each of one 138mm. No battleship was present. On November 27 on that the evening, the cruiser Suffren was in the Bay d' Along, its tidal water prohibiting it access of the Cua Cam. It transported troops in reinforcement..."
13. Phillippe Devillers, ''Histoire du Viêt-Nam de 1940 à 1952''. Editions du Seuil, Paris. Third edition,1952, pp. 331–340
14. "WGBH Open Vault - Interview with Thomas H. Moorer, 1981".
15. Forbes, Andrew, and Henley, David: ''Vietnam Past and Present: The North'' (History and culture of Hanoi and Tonkin). Chiang Mai. Cognoscenti Books, 2012. ASIN: B006DCCM9Q.
16. "Vietnam parliament approves $8 billion rail link to China". Yahoo News.
17. (2025-06-12). "Nghị quyết số 202/2025/QH15 về việc sắp xếp đơn vị hành chính cấp tỉnh".
18. Tống Thoan. (10 June 2025). "Sáp nhập Hải Phòng và Hải Dương: Mở rộng không gian phát triển, phát huy vai trò dẫn dắt của các vùng động lực".
19. (26 February 2025). "Vị trí địa lý thành phố Hải Phòng".
20. (2014). "Tracking the rapid loss of tidal wetlands in the Yellow Sea". Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
21. "Haiphong Climate Guide, Vietnam".
22. "Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology".
23. [https://seadelt.net/Asset/Source/Document_ID-245_No-01.pdf The Yearbook of Indochina (1930-1931)]
24. "Liên kết phát triển giữa Hà Nội và Hải Phòng đóng vai trò quan trọng".
25. "Tin Bộ Tài Chính".
26. "General Ranking".
27. "Sở Ngoại vụ".
28. the-shiv. (2024-08-17). "Doing Business in Hai Phong, Vietnam 2024".
29. "Saigon Times Online - PVTex to operate first polyester fiber project early 2011 - PVTex to operate first polyester fiber project early 2011".
30. General Statistics Office (2009): ''Socio-economic Statistical Data of 63 Provinces and Cities, Vietnam''. Statistical Publishing House, Hanoi
31. Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. (May 27, 2010). "Background Note: Vietnam". U.S. Department of State.
32. "The 2009 Vietnam Population and Housing census: Major findings".
33. "Thời tiết hải phòng".
34. "Haiphong Port: Maps".
35. (2020-08-05). "Đà Nẵng và Hải Phòng 60 năm tình nghĩa". Haiphong.
36. ""Sister Cities & Affiliated Cities"". Incheon Metropolitan City.
37. (2019-05-13). "DEEP C shakes hand with City of Kitakyushu to promote investment". DEEP C Industrial Zones.
38. (2016-02-24). "Il canale dei Navicelli, la via d'acqua tra Pisa e Livorno ponte per un gemellaggio?". Press Mare.
39. "Il 南宁市国际友城名单及分布图". Naning.
40. ""Международные и межрегиональные связи"". Federal city of Saint Petersburg.
41. "Seattle's Sister Cities". City of Seattle.
42. "天津友好城市一览表". Tianjin.