Nostalgia for Hanoi 60 years ago

60 years since the day of complete liberation (October 10, 1954), Hanoi has changed a lot. High-rise buildings are built every day, major roads are heading to the suburbs with new names. Modern Hanoi has its own appearance and position, however, in the hearts of many Hanoians, they still cannot help but feel nostalgic about the appearance of Hanoi before liberation, as well as whether the names and architectural marks of Hanoi at that time, which are lost, which are still there...

Modern Hanoi has its own stature and position, however, in the hearts of many Hanoians, there is still nostalgia for the appearance of Hanoi before liberation.

Symbols of the Capital

Thanks to the precious color documentary footage of Japanese journalists, we still preserve the images of the day of the Capital Liberation in 1954, when the troops entered to liberate Hanoi through the 5 city gates and along the Hang Ngang - Hang Dao street (the main axis of the Old Quarter). In these footages, we can see that Hanoi's Old Quarter is still very intact with the characteristics of "old streets, old houses, dark brown tiled roofs".

There was a very special point in 1954, that is, our army did not directly fight the French in Hanoi, but still liberated the capital. Therefore, the capital was liberated without having to suffer the devastation of war. The architectural works and houses were almost completely preserved. It was not until the 80s that Hanoi's Old Quarter was distorted by economic development and population growth.

Hanoi's architecture before 1954 was not limited to the 36 streets. According to Architect Bui Xuan Tung, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Planning and Architecture, the architectural styles of buildings in Hanoi are very diverse. During the French colonial period alone, the architecture was diverse in style: Pre-colonial, neoclassical, French local, Art-Décor, Chinese. In particular, there is a typical type of architectural style that adapts to the climate, which is Indochinese architecture, combining the advantages of Eastern and Western architecture.

The typical French architectural works of that period are still preserved intact to this day, becoming the pride of Hanoi. It makes many tourists when visiting Hanoi, suddenly encounter familiar street corners of the splendid capital of Paris, France.

Among the architectural works left by the French before 1954, Long Bien Bridge cannot be left out. Long Bien Bridge, the only iron bridge across the Red River, was completed by the French in 1902 and was compared to the “horizontal Eiffel Tower”, at that time associated with the defeat of the French army.

It witnessed the last French soldiers withdrawing from Hanoi. At that time, exactly at 4:30 p.m. on October 9, when the last French soldiers withdrew from Long Bien Bridge to Gia Lam, the whole of Hanoi was lit up, filled with colorful flags. Colorful banners were stretched across the streets, with slogans: “Long live Ho Chi Minh!”, “Hail the victorious army returning!”…

If Long Bien Bridge witnessed the withdrawal of French troops, just one day later, Hanoi Flag Tower witnessed the flag-raising ceremony of the victorious Viet Minh troops. According to history, Hanoi Flag Tower was built at the same time as Hanoi Citadel under the Nguyen Dynasty (started in 1805, completed in 1812). When the French destroyed Hanoi Citadel, they intended to destroy the Flag Tower as well, but fortunately this did not happen.

On October 10, the troops entering the capital marched through the streets and gathered at the Hanoi Flagpole Stadium, solemnly attending the flag-raising ceremony organized by the Military Commission. That moment, when the red flag with a yellow star first flew atop the Hanoi Flagpole, was truly unforgettable for the people of Hanoi.

After more than 70 years since the fall of Hanoi and the death of Governor Hoang Dieu (1882), the Flag Tower built by the Nguyen Dynasty had to fly the Western flag, the Japanese flag, the Chinese-Chinese flag, and then the Western flag; now it can finally carry the flag of its Fatherland.

Historic flag-raising ceremony at Cot Co Stadium on the afternoon of October 10, 1954.

Street name flow, street name…

“Compared to 1954, the city's area has now increased 22 times, and the city's population has increased 12 times,” said Master Vu Hoai Duc, Hanoi Institute of Urban Planning.

In the thousand-year-old land of Hanoi, each street name has gone through many historical ups and downs.

Going back in history, after Japan overthrew France (March 9, 1945), in April 1945, the Tran Trong Kim government was established. On July 20, 1945, Japan handed over Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Da Nang to the Vietnamese for administrative management. Doctor Tran Van Lai (1894 - 1975) was invited to be the Governor of Hanoi.

In a short period of nearly a month, Dr. Tran Van Lai changed the names of streets and parks in Hanoi. Accordingly, he changed the street names named after French people to the names of famous Vietnamese people: Kings who contributed to the country, generals who commanded the fight against the invaders, leaders of the uprising against the French, patriots, famous poets...

It can be seen that the naming of Hanoi streets by Dr. Tran Van Lai follows the following principle: Great celebrities are named for major streets, streets with relationships are placed close together and flower gardens are also renamed according to street names. For example, surrounding the major street Tran Hung Dao are the streets of Yet Kieu, Da Tuong, Tran Binh Trong, Tuc Mac alley, Binh Than flower garden...

When the French reoccupied Hanoi, they changed the street names back to the French colonial period. When the capital was liberated, the street names were changed by our government to those given by Dr. Tran Van Lai. The names of some old streets during the temporary occupation were abandoned. The streets of France, England, and America returned to the names Trang Tien, Hang Khay, and Trang Thi; Dong Khanh was changed to Hang Bai, Gia Long was changed to Ba Trieu Street, Ham Nghi Boulevard was changed to Tran Phu, etc.

And those street names after 1954 have been stable until today.

According to News