Hanoi

Hanoi was known as Long Biên (龍編, lit. 'dragons interweaving'), then Tống Bình (宋平, lit. 'Song pacification') and Long Đỗ (龍肚, lit. 'dragon belly'). Long Biên later gave its name to the Long Biên Bridge, built during French colonial times. Some older names of Hanoi feature long (龍, transl. dragon), linked to the curved formation of the Red River around the city, which was symbolized as a dragon. In 866, it was turned into a citadel and named Đại La (大羅, lit. 'big net'). This gave it the nickname La Thành (羅城, lit. 'La citadel'). When Lý Thái Tổ established the capital in the area in 1010, it was named Thăng Long (昇龍). Arab manuscripts between the 9th and 12th century referred to Hanoi as Luqin (لوكين), a term derived from Longbian (Middle Chinese: Ljowng-pen), and was originally used by Muslim traders to mention the Vietnamese.

Vestiges of human habitation from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic ages can be found in Hanoi. Between 1971 and 1972, archaeologists in Ba Vì and Đông Anh discovered pebbles with traces of carving and processing by human hands that are relics of Sơn Vi Culture, dating from 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. In 1998–1999, the Museum of Vietnamese History (later is National Museum of Vietnamese History) carried out the archaeological studies in the north of Đồng Mô Lake (Sơn Tây, Hanoi), finding relics and objects belonging to the Sơn Vi culture dating back to the Paleolithic age around 20,000 years ago. During the Holocene transgression, the sea level rose and immersed low-lying areas; geological data show the coastline was inundated and was located near Hanoi. Consequently, from about 10,000 to approximately 4,000 years ago, Hanoi in general was completely underwater. …

According to a ranking by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will be amongst the fastest-growing cities in the world in terms of GDP growth from 2008 to 2025. In the year 2013, Hanoi contributed 12.6% to GDP, exported 7.5% of total exports, contributed 17% to the national budget and attracted 22% investment capital of Vietnam. The city's nominal GDP reached 451,213 billion VND (US$21.48 billion) in 2013, which made per capita GDP stand at 63.3 million VND (US$3,000). Industrial production in the city has an average annual growth of 19.1% from 1991 to 1995, 15.9% from 1996 to 2000, and 18.7% during 2001–2005. Agriculture has striven to reform itself, introducing new high-yield plant varieties and livestock, and applying more modern farming techniques. Infrastructure is being upgraded, with new roads and an improved public transportation system. …