Haiphong is the third largest city of Vietnam and northern Vietnam's most
important seaport with its deep-water anchorage and large maritime facilities.
The city's name means "coastal defense" and it is nicknamed the Flamboyant City
because of the many Delonix regia planted throughout it.
History Haiphong is the home of Lê Chân, one of
the female generals under the command of the Trưng Sisters who rose against
Chinese rule in the year 43 C.E. Centuries later under the Mạc Dynasty
the area earned the appellation Hải tần Phòng thủ as it protected the eastern
flank of Mac kings' home province. By the 19th century at the end of Nguyễn
Emperor 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 devastating typhoon ravaged the
area, claiming up to 300,000 lives. Despite the damages, Hai Phong was
developed by the French to serve as Indochina's main naval base over the
ensuing decades. Following the defeat of Japan in World
War II, Vietnamese nationalists agitated for independence against the French
return. French forces landed in Hai Phong and encountered resistance which
killed three French troops. In retaliation the French ships, among them
the cruiser Suffren shelled the city, setting it ablaze, 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. = Vietnam War =
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. Demographics
Haiphong is the third most populous city in Vietnam, with a population of
1,884,685 for the metropolitan area, encompassing an area of 1,507.57 km²,
giving a density of 1250 persons per km² of which 769,739 reside in the urban
districts. The gender distribution is half female.
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%. Geography
Haiphong is a coastal city located at the mouth of the Cấm River, in Vietnam's
northeastern coastal area, 120 km east of Hanoi. The Bính Bridge crosses the
Cam and connects the city with Thủy Nguyên District. It has a total natural
area of 152,318.49ha. It borders Quảng Ninh Province to the north, Hải Dương
Province to the west, Thái Bình Province to the south, 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.
The city is located in a convenient position for transportation to domestic
provinces, and international networks via road network, railway, sea routes,
inland waterway and air. Climate
Haiphong features a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and
warm, dry winters. The city is noticeably wetter from April through
October; roughly 90% of the city's annual precipitation 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 degrees Celsius and average low
temperatures at around 14 degrees Celsius. Its warmest months, June and
July, sees average high temperatures hover around 33 degrees Celsius and
average low temperatures at around 26 degrees Celsius. Sea temperatures range
from a low of 21 °C in February to a high of 30 °C during the months of July
and August. Administrative divisions
Hải Phòng is subdivided into 15 district-level sub-divisions:
8 rural districts: 7 urban districts:
They are further subdivided into 10 commune-level towns, 148 communes, and
72 wards. = Table of local government districts =
Economy Haiphong is northern Vietnam's second
largest industrial centre. Its GDP accounted for 11.8 of the Red River
Delta in 2007, second only to Hanoi. It is a significant producer of rice and
has the Red River Delta's fourth largest fishing sector. Its industrial sector is
the second largest in the region and slightly ahead of Vĩnh Phúc Province.
Haiphong is northern Vietnam's major port city. As a result, it has a large
service sector and is important for the region's trade, with export of US$1.26bn
and imports of US$1.55bn in 2007. = Agriculture, forestry and fishery =
Despite its status as a city, around one third of Hai Phong's area or 52,300 ha
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.
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. 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.
= 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.
Several large industrial projects with foreign participation are currently
being prepared. The country's fourth Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park is
under construction in Haiphong. It has an investment capital of US$1bn and is
projected to have a population of 150,000 by 2020. Another billion dollar
project was announced by the Japanese tire producer Bridgestone in December
2011. Haiphong will also be the location of Vietnam's first specialised
industrial park exclusively for Japanese investors.
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.
Infrastructure = Transport =
Land routes 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 1A 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. Within the city there are several
long-distance bus depots: Tam Bac, Niem Nghia, Cau Rao.
Sea links Hai Phong port is one of the largest
ports in Vietnam and Southeast Asia as a whole. The Port of Haiphong on the Cấm
River is divided into three main docks: Hoang Dieu 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 port in Vietnam
with draft of 14m, capable of receiving ships up to 100.000 DWT.
Rail links Hai Phong Railway Station built in 1902
is the eastern terminus of the Hanoi–Haiphong railway line, 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 China's Yunnan
province, 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. Air travel
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.
= Health = = Information technology =
Education Hai Phong Medical University
Haiphong University Vietnam Maritime University
Haiphong private University Notable people
Mạc Đăng Dung king of Đại Việt country, the founder of the Mạc dynasty
Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm thinker, poet, prophet, Cao Dai religion saint
Mai Trung Thu painter Văn Cao musician, poet, painter and
composer of the national anthem of Vietnam Tiến Quân Ca
Ngọc Sơn singer, songwriter Trà Giang film actress
Phan Thị Hà Thanh artistic gymnast, first gymnast to win a world medal for
Vietnam gymnastics Thu Phương famous pop singer and
Haiphong native; she now lives in the U.S.A.
Twin towns and sister cities Da Nang, Vietnam
Incheon, South Korea Seattle, USA
Tianjin, China Saint Petersburg, Russia
Vladivostok, Russia Kitakyushu, Japan
Gallery See also
List of East Asian ports Haiphong Road
References = Notes =
External links Official Website of Haiphong City
Official Website of Haiphong Tourism. History of Haiphong: interactive Google
Map with specific sites and historic views of the city from French colonial
times.