Brief History of Pre-Colonial Hanoi Vietnam
Table of Contents
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam is an enchanting city with a wonderful and fascinating history. Below is a brief history of Pre-Colonial Hanoi Vietnam.
Hanoi Names
Long Bien (200 CE)
Da La (900 – 1010 CE)
Thang Long (1010 – 1400 CE)
Tay Do (1400 – 1428 CE)
Dong Kinh (1428 – 1789 CE)
Bac Thanh (1789 – 1831 CE)
Hanoi (1831 – Present)

The City of Hanoi
The city of Hanoi is built on the foundations of a small district originally known as Long Do. The village community in Long Do, known as Long Bien appears to have been established as early as the third century CE. However, its early history has largely passed it by and there is much we do not know.
At the beginning of the eighth century CE a general named Lu Yu visited Long Do. He fell in love with the beauty of the area around the village An Vien (near Long Do) and established his headquarters there. He built a shrine to the Emperor Hsuan Tsung, put up an inscribed tablet and built a shrine to honour the local earth god. This shrine includes a poem emphasizing the beauty of this region.

The Origins of Hanoi
The origins of Hanoi as a great city are due to Ly Cong Uan. He was a temple orphan who quickly rose through the ranks of the palace guards to become their commander. In 1010, four years after the death of King Le Hoan, Ly Cong Uan was proclaimed king. This marks the beginning of the 200 year Ly Dynasty. He then moved the capital to Da La and renamed it Thang Long (meaning ‘Soaring Dragon’).
Thang Long stayed the capital during the Ly Dynasty. The heart of the city lay within the king’s sanctuary in the Forbidden City (Cam Thanh). The people drew both spiritual and physical protection from the close proximity to the king. A city of commoners built their homes around the walls of Cam Thanh. The kings of the Ly Dynasty established a Buddhist monarchical tradition here, like other courts in Asia. They also established a number of pagodas. However, most have long since vanished, apart from the One Pillar Pagoda and the Tran Vu Temple, which date this period.
Thang Long was renamed Tay Do (Western Capital) in 1400 when the Ho Dynasty (1400 – 1407) was established. The Ho kings moved the capital to Thanh Hoa but then power shifted back to Thang Long. It was then renamed Dong Kinh (Eastern Capital).
It is from this name that the French took their name for the city, Tonkin.
Hanoi the Modern Day Capital of Vietnam
From 1786 to 1802 Dong Kinh was known as Bac Thanh (Northern Citadel) when Quang Trung established his capital in Hue. The present day name of Hanoi dates back to 1831 when the Nguyen Emperor Tu Duc (1847 – 83) declared it the capital of Hanoi province.
A few short decades later the French started to expand into the country when the Red River become an alternative trade route to that of the Mekong. The French would then seize the country and become the power behind the throne, becoming an established force in the country in what is commonly referred to as the colonial period.
The pre-colonial period in Vietnam is sadly overshadowed by the better-known histories of Thailand, China and Japan. Yet, the Vietnamese people enjoy a heritage and culture that is just as rich as its Asian neighbours, making it a truly incredible journey through time. Hope you enjoyed this article and its insights into the history of Pre-Colonial Hanoi Vietnam.
Through this article, I had a deeper understanding about history of Viet Nam at large and history of Ha Noi particularly. Besides, I feel grateful to those who contributed to establish, protect and develop our country, Viet Nam.
This is a great story about Vietnam’s history, heritage. I learned a lot about the city of Hanoi from this description. Its history and tradition spread everywhere in Vietnam.
I have watched some movies about Vietnam revolution. I saw some exceptional power of Vietnam people. I am very interested to visit this country. Thanks for this historical post.
I for one appreciate history less touched and Hanoi Vietnam has a lot of historical value and presence to it. I don’t hear of many people saying that is a place they would like to go sadly. I do like articles like this that show places considered “less of value” in terms of history are being overshadowed only because of money and status. I want to come here some day myself.
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I never knew that the French had a hold on this country. Do they Vietnamese speak French? I think there is more that you have not put up here. Is there a second part of this article?