Decoding the naming of streets in Hanoi: Surprising truths not everyone knows!

"Using famous people's names to name streets is a special feature of Vietnam" . If you pay attention, you will realize that behind the way Hanoi names streets is cultural and historical knowledge.

"Hanoi 36 streets" , people far from home always remember Hanoi with the familiar street names: Tran Hung Dao, Phan Dinh Phung, Hoang Dieu, Trinh Cong Son . but not everyone, even native Hanoians, understand all the interesting things behind the way streets are named in Hanoi.

Historical background behind street naming in Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam

Old Hanoi streets - photo taken during the French colonial period.

During the French colonial period, Hanoi's streets were named after French figures of the protectorate government, such as Paul Bert, or Gambetta. Even the two French generals who died in the Battle of Cau Giay, Francois Garnier and Henri Rivière, were named after streets.

Battle of Cau Giay (1883).

In March 1945, Japan staged a coup against France. On July 20, Dr. Tran Van Lai took office as Governor of Hanoi. On August 19, the August Revolution succeeded, so the term of Governor Tran Van Lai lasted less than a month. However, during this short period of time, he managed to rename the streets in Hanoi.

The wonderful thing is that Mr. Tran Van Lai did not name the streets randomly but arranged the names of the streets in extremely reasonable, purposeful and historically valuable clusters (this will be proven below). When Hanoi was liberated, the streets of Hanoi still retained the names Mr. Lai had given them. Later, with new streets, the authorities also followed Mr. Lai's naming method.

How to name the main streets in Hanoi

Except for the old streets that have had Vietnamese names since ancient times such as Trang Thi, Lo Su, Lo Duc. the streets that have existed since the French colonial period after being named by Mr. Tran Van Lai all have the following general rules over time:

1. 'Ancient-legendary' cluster: Surrounding West Lake includes Lac Long Quan, Au Co, An Duong Vuong, Hung Vuong

These are four names of characters in ancient Vietnamese legends/history that are widely worshiped in popular culture.

2. The phrase 'anti-Northern domination'

• Below Hoan Kiem Lake: Hai Ba Trung, Ba Trieu.
• Parallel to the southern section of Ba Trieu: Mai Hac De, Trieu Viet Vuong
• Parallel to the northern section of Ba Trieu: Trieu Quoc Dat, Phung Hung, Ly Nam De
• Parallel but a little further: Khuc Hao

Ba Trieu Street - Hanoi (Photo: Kenh14).

These are the names of famous people during the period of resistance against the Northern domination. Khuc Thua Du and Duong Dinh Nghe are two streets also named after famous people during the period of resistance against the Northern domination, but were only named later because Cau Giay district was established later.

3. The phrase 'early days of autonomy and independence'

Dong Ho Guom : Dinh Tien Hoang, Ly Thai To, Ngo Quyen. These are the names of three kings who had great contributions in the early period of independence and autonomy.

Cut Ba Trieu below : Le Dai Hanh and this street intersects with Hoa Lu and Dai Co Viet at both ends. Le Dai Hanh was the king of the Tien Le dynasty and Hoa Lu was the capital of Dai Co Viet under the Dinh-Tien Le dynasty.

Le Phung Hieu Street - Hoan Kiem District.

Intersection with Ly Thai To and near Trang Tien 6-way intersection : Le Phung Hieu, Ly Dao Thanh, Tong Dan, Ly Thuong Kiet. These are the names of famous mandarins of the Ly Dynasty. Ly Quoc Su was also a famous person of the Ly Dynasty. Ly Quoc Su street, although also near the lake, is on the other side because there is Ly Quoc Su Temple (Ly Trieu Quoc Su Pagoda).

4. The 'Tran Dynasty' cluster

Take Tran Hung Dao street as a landmark.

Google Maps Tran Hung Dao Street.

Around and intersecting Tran Hung Dao : Tran Thanh Tong, Tran Nhan Tong, Tran Quoc Toan, Tran Binh Trong, Yet Kieu, Da Tuong, intersecting with Yet Kieu is Do Hanh.

At the end of Tran Hung Dao near the dike : Tran Quang Khai, Tran Nhat Duat, Tran Khanh Du, Pham Ngu Lao, Nguyen Khoi, Chuong Duong Do, Ham Tu Quan, Tay Ket, Van Kiep, Van Don, Bach Dang.

These are famous people in the 2nd and 3rd resistance wars against the Yuan-Mongol invaders of the Tran Dynasty (Tran Hung Dao, Tran Thanh Tong, Tran Nhan Tong, Tran Quoc Toan, Tran Binh Trong, Yet Kieu, Da Tuong, Tran Quang Khai, Tran Nhat Duat, Tran Khanh Du, Nguyen Khoi, Do Hanh), and famous places in the two resistance wars (Chuong Duong Do, Ham Tu Quan, Tay Ket, Van Kiep, Van Don, Bach Dang).

This cluster of street names is also the most intentional. Tran Hung Dao returned to Van Kiep at the end of his life, and the road connecting to the end of Tran Hung Dao Street is Van Kiep. The generals associated with any feat have names similar to the streets with the same place name: Tran Nhat Duat, Nguyen Khoi with Tay Ket - Ham Tu, Tran Khanh Du with Van Don, Tran Quang Khai with Chuong Duong Do.

2 roads connected and intersected with Tran Hung Dao : Le Van Huu, Han Thuyen (Le Van Huu, Han Thuyen were famous scholars of the Tran Dynasty)

Intersection with the southern section of Nguyen Khoi : Tran Khat Chan. These are the names of famous generals who fought against Champa at the end of the Tran Dynasty. The names of Tran Thai Tong and Tran Thu Do were only used later, so these two streets are not located in this cluster.

5. The phrase 'anti-Ming uprising'

Near Truc Bach Lake : Dang Tat, Nguyen Canh Chan, Dang Dung, Nguyen Bieu. Dang Tat and Nguyen Canh Chan rose up together, enthroning Tran Ngoi as the leader to fight against the Ming invaders. When Dang Tat and Nguyen Canh Chan died, Dang Dung and Nguyen Canh Di enthroned Tran Quy Khoang to continue the uprising. Nguyen Bieu used to be an official of the Tran Dynasty, then followed Tran Quy Khoang to fight against the Ming (because Nguyen Canh Di Street was not built until later, so it was further away).

Dang Tat Street.

6. The cluster 'Le dynasty'

Running next to the West of Hoan Kiem Lake : Le Thai To. Around the lake, towards Hoan Kiem Lake are the streets: Le Lai, Le Thach, Dinh Liet, Dinh Le, Tran Nguyen Han, Nguyen Xi. Le Thai To is associated with the legend of returning the sword, and the other famous people are famous generals in the Lam Son uprising against the Ming invaders of Le Thai To.

Near Le Thai To : Le Thanh Tong. Le Thanh Tong was the best ruler of the Le dynasty in particular and in Vietnamese feudal history in general.

7. 'Tay Son' cluster

This cluster was formed later so it is slightly interspersed with the 'independent and autonomous' cluster. The streets are parallel to each other: Quang Trung, Le Ngoc Han, Ngo Thi Nham, Ngo Van So, Bui Thi Xuan, Phan Huy Chu.

These are famous figures and have made great contributions to the uprising and the Tay Son dynasty.

This cluster also has another small group of streets around Quang Trung Monument and Dong Da Mound: Tay Son, Tran Quang Dieu, Dang Tien Dong (Quang Trung ward - Dong Da district)

8. The phrase 'Anti-French in Nguyen Dynasty' - 'Can Vuong'

Around the Hanoi Citadel relic : Hoang Dieu and Nguyen Tri Phuong. These were two Nguyen Dynasty officials who defended Hanoi during the two times the French sent troops to attack the North.

North Gate Citadel.

'Can Vuong' cluster : Ba Dinh area - near the old town: Ton That Thiep, Ton That Dam, Phan Dinh Phung, Cao Thang, Tong Duy Tan, Ta Hien, Nguyen Quang Bich, Mai Xuan Thuong, Nguyen Thien Thuat, Doc Ngu, Le Truc. All of the above were uprising figures, responding to the 'Can Vuong' movement to help King Ham Nghi fight the French. The district name itself - Ba Dinh is also the name of the uprising of this period. However, the two initiators of 'Can Vuong', Ham Nghi and Ton That Thuyet, were not given street names until much later, so they are on the other side.

9. The cluster 'anti-French riots'

Near the Can Vuong cluster above: Hoang Hoa Tham, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Nguyen Khac Nhu, Doi Can, Doi Nhan - Names of the leaders of the anti-French uprisings after the Can Vuong period. There is also Yen The alley, the name of Hoang Hoa Tham's uprising.

Nguyen Thai Hoc Street.

10. Cluster 'Patriotic Intellectuals'

Phan Boi Chau, Phan Chu Trinh, Dang Thai Than, Au Trieu, Luong Van Can, Luong Ngoc Quyen. These are the names of intellectuals who wanted to reform and improve knowledge for Vietnamese people during the French colonial period. Luong Van Can was one of the initiators of Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc, so on that street there is a square of the same name.

Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square past and present.

11. Cluster 'Educational Literature'

Near the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, in addition to the two streets of Van Mieu and Quoc Tu Giam, there are streets named after:

Educators and historians : Chu Van An, Nguyen Nhu Do, Phan Phu Tien, Ngo Si Lien

Medieval poets: Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, Doan Thi Diem, Dang Tran Con, Phan Van Tri. Later, those who made great contributions to the revolution, to the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, as well as to the resistance against France and the US later also had streets named after them.

Chu Van An Street.

Later namers also followed the above rule to name some clusters such as:

August Revolution money

Near Ba Dinh Square are Bac Son (uprising), Pham Hong Thai, Le Hong Phong, Tran Phu, and Hoang Van Thu streets. These are people who made great contributions to the success of the August Revolution later.

Cluster 'building the Democratic Republic of Vietnam'

Streets named after medical celebrities such as Ho Dac Di, Dang Van Ngu, Ton That Tung, Tran Huu Tuoc, Pham Ngoc Thach, Hoang Tich Tri are located around the area of ​​Bach Mai University of Medicine. The names of natural and social scientists as well as engineers such as Tran Dai Nghia, Ta Quang Buu, Dao Duy Anh, Luong Dinh Cua, . are located around the area of ​​Bach Khoa University.

These are the people who contributed to building the country's science and technology education for the young Vietnam.

The phrase 'writer'

Dong Da - Thanh Xuan District, Lang area has streets named after writers such as: Nam Cao, Nguyen Hong, Vu Trong Phung, Vu Ngoc Phan, Nguyen Tuan, Nguyen Huy Tuong, .

The phrase "military general"

In Truong Chinh there is a military barracks, surrounded by streets named after famous generals in the resistance wars against France and the US: Vuong Thua Vu, Nguyen Ngoc Nai, Le Trong Tan, Hoang Van Thai.

And there are many people who contributed to the Revolution, the Party/State whose names are given to streets close to each other, such as Le Duan, Truong Chinh, Le Thanh Nghi, .