Hanoi's 990^th Anniversary Celebrations

by Vu Kim Chung

19-10-2000

The cultural week to mark the 990^th founding anniversary started in Hanoi on October 1, 2000. In the year 2000, Vietnam's capital city became 990 years old. The activities during the week included seminars on socio-economic development plan for Hanoi to 2010, ten centuries of Hanoi-Thang Long literature and Ly Cong Uan and the Ly dynasty with the participation of many scientists, historians, and cultural activists in many branches. In all, large celebrations were held all over the city as well as in other parts of the country to commemorate the founding of one of the world's oldest coninuing thriving cities.

Leaders of the city made visits to the Hung King Temple, the Co Loa Ancient Citadel, the Den Do Temple and the Tan Trao revolutionary historical site to offer incense at these places to express the gratitude to predecessors.

Workers had been working on refurbishment projects in the previous few months to improve infrastructure and cultural and historical places. More than five thousand people of the traditional art troupes practised day and night for the upcoming opening ceremony.

Vietnamese girl in traditional costume takes part in a street parade in Hanoi on October 1 marking the start of week-long celebrations in honour of the city's 990th anniversary.

The Sports and Culture Festival of Hanoi State Employees was held at the Friendship House with the participation of more than ten thousand people. They joined many activities including the releasing of doves, dragon dances and drum beating. Booths displaying traditional handicrafts from the suburban villages of Hanoi were erected round Hoan Kiem Lake. A traditional festival, with the participation of provinces and areas in the whole country, was also held.

While celebrating Thang Long - Hanoi festival, Hanoians still remembered their compatriot folks stranded by floods in the Mekong River delta. Hence, the city decided to forego the display fireworks for the occasion. The money from the fireworks, worth about VND 700 million, was sent to the people hard hit by the floods.

A great variety of cultural activities have taken place in Hanoi to mark the 990th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi.

Dragon dance

The Hanoi People’s Committee held a ceremony to inaugurate sites around Truc Bach Lake on October 2. On the same day, the young volunteer festival 2000 was opened at the Labour Cultural Palace. The festival was to urge young people in Hanoi Capital to promote their talents and intellects in labour and production activities and scientific research, contributing to successfully implementing the program of socio-economic development of the city.

A week-long film program started at the August Cinema on the evening of October 2 to show a feature film entitled Hanoi’s Little Girl and a documentary entitled A Day in Hanoi of the Army Film Studio. The program featured 30 Vietnamese films shown in the urban and rural areas of the city.

'Peach blossom' dance

The city’s People’s Committee held a trade fair 2000 of the capital, including more than 200 pavilions to display products of 160 businesses from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Thua Thien - Hue and Quang Ninh provinces and those of ministries of construction, industry, and agriculture and rural development. The Emulation and Labour Council of Hanoi presented a certificate of commendation and fixed a plaque with a line ‘the 990th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi’ on the wall of the Duong Bridge Fireproof Material Company on October 2.

The city also presented a certificate of commendation and on October 1 fixed a 900-year-old Hanoi plaque on the wall of to the Centre for Trade and Fashion at 58 Trang Tien street.

The Hanoi Literature and Art Union held a seminar on Thang Long - Hanoi, 10 centuries of literature and art.A Thang Long - Hanoi book street was opened at 53 Trang Tien street on the morning of October 2 by the Hanoi Book Distribution Company and the Vietnam Book Distribution Corporation.

Beating traditional drums

An exhibition of books, newspapers and materials on 990 years of Thang Long - Hanoi started on October 2 and ended on October 10. The Hanoi Culture and Information Service and Ha Tay province’s Literature and Art Association jointly held a photo exhibition on Hanoi in Ha Dong town on October 2. The exhibition features 90 photos by 47 photographers, reflecting vitality of the capital in the industrialisation and modernisation process of the country and images of Hanoi people who evacuated to Ha Tay during the resistance war against American aggressors.

The Hanoi Linguistics Association, in co-ordination with the linguistics department of the University of Social Science and Humanities, held a scientific seminar on September 30 on language and culture in 900 years of Thang Long - Hanoi.

New stamps for Thang Long-Hanoi 990 years

Three new postage stamp samples were issued on October 7 to mark the 990^th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, according the General Department of Post and Telecommunication.

Present at the event were Do Muoi, Party Advisor . Deputy Mayor of Ha Noi Nguyen Quoc Trieu stressed that the decision in 1010 by King Ly Cong Uan to move the then Capital City in Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh province, to Thang Long, now Ha Noi, was a landmark event of the national history.

The general department also issued a stamp collection on October 6 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam Philatelists’ (Stamp Collectors) Association. The new stamp samples, along with thousands of other stamp samples, also were displayed at Giang Vo Exhibition Centre from October 5 to October 8. Activities for Thang Long – Hanoi The Hanoi Trade Fair 2000 opened in Hanoi on October 5 with the participation of National Assembly Chairman Nong Duc Manh. After a Thang Long festival drum playing performance, Mr Hoang Van Nghien, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, gave the opening speech, highlighting that the Hanoi Trade Fair 2000 was held on a large scale to celebrate the 990th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi.

The organising board uses larger areas to present the development history of the capital through the display of products of traditional handicraft villages in Hanoi, a master plan for the city until 2020, ‘1010-2010 Thang Long - Hanoi’ Webpage and 17 first sets of Hanoi Encyclopaedias.

Dragon boat symbolising the move of Ly dynasty to Thang Long-Hanoi.

On the same day, the General Department of Post Office, in co-ordination with the Hanoi People’s Committee, the Ministry of Culture and Information and General Department of Post and Telecommunications, held a stamp exhibition entitled ‘Vietnam Postal Service Stamp 2000’ at the Vietnam Fair and Exhibition Centre. National Assembly Chairman Nong Duc Manh, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam and Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Hoang Van Nghien attended the exhibition and wrote in the visitors’ book. The management board of Hanoi historical-cultural sites started the restoration and maintenance work of the Ngu Trieu temple in the Co Loa historical-cultural site in Dong Anh district, Hanoi on October 5.

The Hanoi People’s Committee held a new school-year opening ceremony and fixed a ‘Welcome 990-Year-Old Hanoi’ plaque to the October 10 Children Sports School in Ba Dinh district on October 5. Thua Thien - Hue province held a painting and photo exhibition on Thang Long – Hanoi, a poem night on Hanoi, Hanoi song performances and launched a drive to mobilise Hue pupils and students to join a contest on learning about 990 years of Thang Long - Hanoi. Binh Duong province held a cultural week to mark the 990^th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi until October 8, including song performances, martial art, movies and a seminar on the history of Thang Long - Hanoi.

Traditional drum performances

Hanoi presented a certificate of commendation and fixed a 990-year-old Hanoi plaque on October 5 to the site to improve the Kim Nguu River undertaken by the Hanoi Transport and Civil Engineering Service. Hanoi National Economics University held a scientific seminar on October 4 on the economic development of Hanoi in the 2001-2010 period.

Traditional drum performance

Nearly 400 young volunteers and students planted trees at the Yen So Lake’s Park in Thanh Tri district in Hanoi on October 5 in response to the 990th celebration of Thang Long - Hanoi. The Vietnam Garment and Textile Corporation and the Hanoi People’s Committee jointly held a Vietnamese fashion show, featuring 990 models of fashion by designers nationwide. Also on the occasion, the Nha Be Garment Company and the Hanoi Textile Hanoi opened fashion shops at 1, 3 and 5 Dinh Tien Hoang street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.

Grand gala night celebrating Thang Long-Hanoi's 990^th anniversary

A grand gala night was held in Hanoi on October 8 to celebrate the 990^th Founding Anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi.

Capital's youth flag troop

Prominent at the festive night were Advisors to the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee (CPV CC) Do Muoi and Vo Van Kiet; National Assembly Chairman Nong Duc Manh; President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Presidium Pham The Duyet; Politburo member of the CPV CC and Secretary of the Ha Noi Municipal Party Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and other Party and State senior officials. Representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations, foreign guests, leaders of 60 provinces and cities nationwide joined more than 20,000 Hanoians at the festival.

Hanoi Mayor Hoang Van Nghien delivered an opening speech, saying that Ha Noi will unceasingly strive to be the whole country's intelligence and heart forever, deserving the noble title "Heroic Capital", the "City of Peace", and that Hanoians will together with people and armymen throughout the country build Viet Nam into a strong, civilized and modern country.

Dragon dance

A burning torch was brought from Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature) to the stadium, opening a 6,500-member art performance, which reminded spectators of the most heroic historical pages of Thang Long (now Ha Noi). It covered the dawn of Viet Nam's history 4,000 years ago with Hung Kings then, King Ly Thai To moving the country's capital city from Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh province) to Thang Long in 1010, Ly Thuong Kiet's victory over the northern aggressors, the Dien Hong elderly people's meeting during the Tran dynasty, the Lam Son uprising in Thanh Hoa Province, King Le Thai To's return of sword to sacred tortoise, King Quang Trung forwading to Thang Long. During the Ho Chi Minh age, it recalled Uncle Ho's going abroad to find way liberate the country, President Ho Chi Minh's Independence Declaration at the Ba Dinh square on Sept. 2, 1945, the Dien Bien Phu Victory in May 1954, Ha Noi Capital city's liberation day on Oct. 10, 1954, the Liberation Day of southern Viet Nam on April 30, 1975, and Ha Noi's renovation achievements.

More activities for Hanoi’s birthday, liberation

There were more activities to mark Hanoi's 990^th anniversary, and 46 years since its liberation. The Ministry of Communications and Transport, Hanoi and Ha Tay province held a ceremony to put the Lang - Hoa Lac Motorway into operation on October 10. The motorway is 30,169 kilometres long and linked with Lang street in Hanoi and Highway 21A in Ha Tay province. The total investment capital was VND 435 billion.

The Hanoi Journalists’ Association held a ceremony on October 10 to review the results of a contest to write on examples of Good People and Good Deeds in 2000. The organising board presented certificates of commendation to 20 organisations, central and municipal media agencies including Nhan Dan (People) newspaper and the e-zine, The Penguin Star. It also awarded 19 individual prizes, including one first prize, three second prizes, five third prizes and 10 consolation prizes. The Hanoi Publishing House and Hanoi Audiovisual Company jointly released a CD-ROM on 990 years of Thang Long - Hanoi.