There exists a Hanoi that is very intimate, lovely, profound and modern, a Hanoi silhouetted in literature, and the arts, steeped in the sentiments of youth, which is found on weblogs of Hanoi lovers that link thousands of like-minded people in and outside the country.
On Nguoihanoi.net created by Phung Nguyen Phong, visitors can enjoy “ Hanoi art” through categories like Hanoi in literature and songs, photos, paintings, architecture, and tourism.
Additionally, a series of clubs for music, art, cuisine, and sports have helped members make friends.
Meanwhile, Myhanoi.com.vn founded by Ngo Quy Duc focuses on surveys and research with an aim of building an online library to preserve the city’s cultural values. Scholar Nguyen Vinh Phuc, historian Duong Trung Quoc, and other Hanoi historians and cultural researchers serve as advisors. Members of website regularly organise trips and exchange programmes at sites significant to Hanoi’s historical and cultural heritage--an effective way to access and collect documents.
Another website, Hanoicorner.com is a place for youth to express their feelings about Hanoi . Under the topic of “Loving Hanoi,” visitors can write stories and diaries about their love affair with the capital, and share their impressions of the people and the streets.
Despite different goals, all the weblogs were created out of the love of Hanoi . Having been born and raised here and witnessed the changes the capital city has undergone, Ngo Quy Duc said he was motivated by a desire to give back to his homeland.
He dreamed of building an online library with information on history, culture, society, economy, and the streets and people of Hanoi over the 1,000 years of its development, in order to help people, particularly youth, better understand the capital in the past and at present.
In contrast, Phung Nguyen Phong, who created Nguoihanoi.net in 2001, was only aiming to satisfy his feelings of nostalgia while studying in Singapore . At that time, he did not think his weblog would attract the large number of members it did several years after he launched it.
The websites are not only a forum for members to post documents and share their sentiments about Hanoi, but also places for them to appeal for donations for disadvantaged children and the elderly.
Their simple love for Hanoi has brought many strangers closer together.
