1918

HANOI
Hanoi, the capital of Tonkin, and now the seat of Government, is situated on the
right bank of the Songhoi, or Red River, about 100 miles from its mouth. The city is
built close to the river and extends about one mile along the bank. The first aspect for
visitors arriving from Haiphong by train or river is not an imposing one, as the
fashionable portion of the town, the principal European centre, is situated further back.
Here the broad and well-kept streets planted with trees, numerous imposing public
and private buildings, present a very nice European town of modern style. The city is
lighted by electricity and abundantly supplied with good drinkable water by enormous
waterworks. Four lines of electric tramways run through the town over a
distance of eight miles. A special attraction is the “Petit lac,” a lake of neatly
half a square mile in the middle of the town, rendered picturesque by the quaint pagodas,
occupying the small islands which adorn it, and surrounded by promenades. Facing the
lake there is the Square Paul Bert, with a fine bronze statue of Paul Bert unveiled on
the 14th July, 1890, and a bandstand in the middle. Close to the square there are the
Mairie, Treasury, Post Office, Cerele Union, Bank of Indo-China, Residence Sup^rieur
and the Hotel Metropole. Other public buildings, as the residences of the Governor-
General and Commander of the Troops, the Government Offices, the Hospital and
others, are situa,ted on what was formerly the “Concession,” close to the river bank.
There is a large Roman Catholic Cathedral and a handsome small Protestant
church. The imposing palace of the Governor-General stands at the entrance of the
Botanic Garden, and other fine buildings in the town are the Theatre, Museum, Palais
de Justice, Terminus, etc. There are two first-class hotels, the Hotel Metropole,
with a front of nearly 300 feet, and the Hanoi Hotel, as well as some smaller ones.
The “ Cercle de 1’Union,” Societe Philharmonique and the Masonic Lodge possess
their own buildings. A racecourse, opened in 1890, is situated just outside the
new town. Daily and periodical French papers are published at Hanoi. The
citadel occupies the highest site and is surrounded by a brick wall twelve feet high,
and a moat. It contains the buildings for the troops, arsenals, magazines, etc., and the
Royal Pagoda stands within its enclosure.
The ancient city is situated between the citadel and the river and presents a novel
appearance, owing to the singular architecture of the houses. Since the occupation
by the French great improvements have been effected in the laying-out of the town
and the formation of roads and streets, of which over 50 miles are already drained,
electric lighted, and, even in the native city, well kept and very clean as compared
with those of other Eastern cities. Of the numerous temples and pagodas that of
the “Grand Buddha,” situated on the shore of the large lake, is the most important
and interesting for visitors on account of its colossal bronze statue of the idol.
Halls of iron construction, each 160 by 60 feet, for the native markets have been
erected in different quarters.
Export and Importtrade is steadily increasing,andbesidesmanyimportantmercantile
houses there is also a development of industries in this town. A cotton-spinning mill,
ice factory, match manufactory, paper manufactory, some distilleries, furniture-shops
and a brewery are among the number.
The transit trade has developed considerably since the different railway
lines have been opened which connect Indo-China and Tonkin with Yunnan Province.
The first part, connecting Haiphong with Hanoi, was opened in July, 1902, and the line
enters the capital by a magnificent bridge 5,100 feet in length over the Red River.
A railway runs from Hanoi to Dongdang, near the Chinese frontier, and rapid progress
is being made with other lines. The Yunnan line was opened for traffic over its entire
length in 1910.
In November, 1902, a colonial exhibition on a large scale was opened at Hanoi
and proved a great success. The Botanic Garden of Hanoi occupies a very fine site and
is one of the nicest in the Far East. It contains over 3,000 various species of plants.
The climate has undergone a very favourable change by many sanitary works
executed by the French, such as drains through the whole European and native city