HANOI

Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam and situated in the northern part of the country. Hanoi is among the world’s ancient cities and one of the most culturally rich. It is the country’s economic, transportation, and cultural center. Since ancient times, Hanoi is renowned for influencing other cities around Vietnam. It is famous for its astounding ancient temples, pagodas, and colonial structures. Some of the places that make it famous include the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, One Pillar Pagoda, and the Old Quarter.

• The population census in Vietnam is done every 10 years and the last one was conducted in 2019. According to the 2019 census, Hanoi had a population of 7.7 million. Compared to other cities in Vietnam, Hanoi is considered to be more multicultural. When it comes to religious beliefs, 
• Hanoi is known to be diverse as most people identify themselves as Buddhist, Catholic, Hoa Hao, and Cao Dai. According to the data collected during the 2019 census, 73.2% people in Hanoi identified themselves as non-religious, 15.12% as Buddhist, 7.5% Catholic, 1.42% Hoa Hao, 0.58% 
• Cao Dai and 1.09% followed other religions. As one of the most diverse cities in Vietnam, Hanoi houses over 7.7 million residents, who collectively speak over 30 languages, including Vietnamese, English, French, Chinese, and Korean. The Temple of Literature in Hanoi houses a pond known as the 'Well of Heavenly Clarity'. Hanoi has a famous bridge, the Long Bien Bridge, which was one of the greatest engineering accomplishments of the French during their colonization of Vietnam.

Hanoi is governed by a People's Council elected from the people of Hanoi every four years. The city's People's Committee, a 13-member executive council, is responsible for formulating and implementing policy. The Chairman of the People's Committee is the executive officer of the city. The People's Council is responsible for legislative affairs and makes decisions on major issues facing the city. The People's Committee manages the education, healthcare, and infrastructure sectors among others.

Hanoi has always been a central city in Vietnam and today enjoys the status of having one of the largest city economies in the country. The city thrives in trade and commerce and has a vibrant culture seeped in commerce. It has a GDP of over VND 1,500 trillion, which is about 13.6 percent of Vietnam's total GDP. The size of its economy is larger than that of several Asian nations. The Port of Hanoi handles a significant amount of cargo every year, playing a crucial role in the city's economy.

The People's Committee of Hanoi has implemented various infrastructure plans. It identifies a range of infrastructure priorities for Hanoi, from new energy, water, and sewerage infrastructure, to enhanced digital connectivity and new rail and road schemes. Some of the investment is provided by the private sector, through the privatized utilities. Despite this, the city faces challenges in terms of infrastructure development, particularly in areas like transport and digital connectivity. The government continues to take steps to address these issues, aiming to transform Hanoi into a modern and advanced metropolis.

Hanoi is one of the most technologically advanced cities in Vietnam. It has a huge number of financial transactions that take place electronically each day through its financial services industry. Because Hanoi relies on its financial sector so much, it has invested heavily in its communications infrastructure, and continues to do so, under the auspices of its private IT sector and other partners, such as the People's Committee of Hanoi. However, the technology industry that is part of Hanoi's economy is not simply there to support the financial services sector. It is a big player in its own right.