Hanoi: 17th ASEAN Summit, related summits
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The 17th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit, related summits and the fifth East Asia Summit will be held in Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi from Oct. 28 to 30.
Hanoi is located in Vietnam's Red River Delta, with a population of more than four million. It is the largest city in northern Vietnam and the second largest city in the country.
With a centuries-old history, Hanoi used to be the ancient capital city of many Vietnamese dynasties such as Ly, Tran and Le.
Surrounded by the Red River dike, the city was named Hanoi in 1831 and the name has been in use ever since.
During the French colonial period, Hanoi became the center of the French Indochina Federation.
In September 1945, the Vietnamese people won the independence from France and established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and Hanoi was set as the capital of the country.
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam changed its name into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976.
Hanoi is a beautiful city with evergreen trees, flowers all year long, and many lakes and historical sites such as Ba Dinh Square, Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake as well as One Pillar Pagoda.
Ba Dinh Square, a special place for national holiday activities and important occasions, is located at the center of the city.
On Sept. 2, 1945, Vietnamese Former President Ho Chi Minh read out "The Declaration of Independence" at the Ba Dinh Square, announcing the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
The original square was quite small. After Vietnam constructed President Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum in the 1970s on one side of the square, the square was expanded and it is now able to hold 100,000 to 200,000 people.
The capital Hanoi city's economy mainly depends on the development of machinery, textile, chemicals, and other light industry sectors. It produces rice as the main crop and is rich in various types of tropical fruits as well.
The National Convention Center (NCC) of Vietnam is located at the north-western part of Hanoi. It is the largest exhibition and convention center in Hanoi, covering about 65,000 square meters.
Since it was put into operation in 2006, NCC has been chosen as the main venue for a number of important international events, including the 16th ASEAN Summit, the 43rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Post Ministerial Conferences, the 17th ASEAN Regional Forum and the 1st ASEAN Defense Ministers'Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) .
