By Minh Hằng

 As Nguyễn Thị Thúy's children and grandchildren prepare to celebrate the August Revolution and National Day on September 2 with flags, shirts and hats bearing the golden star on a field of red, she cannot help but feel a surge of joy.

The moment brings back memories of that unforgettable autumn, a season like no other in Hà Nội.

“Autumn in Hà Nội has always felt special,” said Thúy, 91. “But nothing could compare to that autumn of 1945."

Eighty years ago, as summer came to a close and autumn began, tens of thousands gathered at Ba Đình Square to hear President Hồ Chí Minh proclaim the Declaration of Independence, founding the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam. That moment marked not just a turning point in national history, but the beginning of a profound journey for the capital.

Thúy still remembers that morning vividly. She was only 11, joining a children’s group from Ngũ Xã Village (now Ngũ Xã Street) organised by the local authority.

“The streets were full of red flags with yellow stars,” she said. “We children carried paper flags and waved them as we walked. At Ba Đình Square, the crowd went completely silent as President Hồ began to read. When he finished, cheers broke out like thunder. It was a moment that stayed with me forever.”

For her generation, the joy of independence from foreign domination was soon followed by years of war of resistance and hardship.

Hà Nội became both a battlefield and a sanctuary. Families were evacuated to the countryside and houses were turned into shelters after President Hồ issued the Appeal for National Resistance on the night of December 19, 1946, marking the beginning of the nationwide resistance war against the French.

After nine long years of resistance, Hà Nội was finally and fully liberated on October 10, 1954.

Nguyễn Quang Ngọc, vice chairman of the Việt Nam Association of Historical Sciences, said the event marked a decisive turning point, ending colonial rule and opening a new chapter for the capital.

“From the very first days of liberation, Hà Nội had to shoulder two tasks simultaneously: carrying out the socialist transformation at home and serving as the rear base for the southern battlefield,” he said.

Apartment blocks like those in the Kim Liên, Nguyễn Công Trứ and Giảng Võ residential quarters were built, embodying the aspirations of a city rebuilding itself.

Long Biên Bridge, battered but unbroken, continued to carry goods, people and hope across the Red River.

Nguyễn Tiến Phương, 89, a former senior official of the Department of Geology at the time, moved into Kim Liên in late 1975.

 

“Life in the Kim Liên blocks of flats was modest and crowded, yet it carried the warmth of community. We shared kitchens and bathrooms at first, but to us it was a dream,” he said. “There were shops, schools and playgrounds between the buildings. It gave us a sense of community and progress.”

According to Đào Ngọc Nghiêm, former director of Hà Nội’s Department of Planning and Architecture, since the restoration of peace the capital has undergone seven revisions of its master plan and four major adjustments to its administrative boundaries.

Each phase of expansion, from the first enlargement in 1961 to the historic merger with Hà Tây Province in 2008, responded not only to the needs of urbanisation but also to national imperatives of defence, integration and modernisation, Nghiêm said.

Hà Nội has grown from a modest city of 152sq.km with about 530,000 residents in the 1950s to a metropolis of more than 3,300sq.km and over eight million people today.

Successive plans have created hundreds of new urban areas, major infrastructure and iconic landmarks, laying the foundation for Hà Nội’s vision as a sophisticated, green and modern capital.

Winds of renewal

The reforms of 1986 breathed new life into the city. Markets buzzed again, private enterprises re-emerged and Hà Nội reopened to the world.

“The policy of Đổi mới (Renewal) fundamentally transformed Hà Nội. It marked a crucial milestone in the nation’s development, sweeping away the bureaucratic subsidy system and ration coupons, as the State gradually embraced the market mechanism,” said Phương.

“From a city once marked by scarcity, it has grown into a city of opportunity. The private economy began to expand, foreign investment flowed in and the capital quickly held a position as a centre of culture and commerce.”

Hotels and restaurants welcomed international visitors, and trading streets thrived. For many residents, it was the first time in decades that Hà Nội felt connected largely to the outside world.

The 1990s and 2000s brought dramatic changes to the city’s skyline. Bridges like Thanh Trì, Vĩnh Tuy and Nhật Tân all joined both banks of the Red River. Ring Roads 2, 3 and 4 expanded the urban fabric with many new residential areas.

 

The administrative boundary expansion of 2008, when Hà Tây and parts of neighbouring provinces merged into Hà Nội, was another watershed moment. The enlargement of Hà Nội created one of the 17 largest capitals in the world by area. It posed huge challenges in governance and infrastructure, but it also created immense opportunities for balanced urban development.

Projects like the Mỹ Đình urban zone, Ciputra, Ecopark, Võ Nguyên Giáp Road and the Cát Linh–Hà Đông metro line signalled a city stepping firmly into modernity.

Hà Nội also emerged as a venue for global diplomacy and events. From hosting the historic US–North Korea Summit in 2019 to the 31st SEA Games in 2022, the capital has projected its reputation as a city for peace and connection.

"Hà Nội is unique in embodying both tradition and change, serving not only as the nation’s administrative capital but also as its cultural heart, with an identity inseparable from Việt Nam itself," Ngọc said. VNS