Hanoi (VNA) - The book "Ha Noi Thoi Can Dai-tu Nhuong Dia den Thanh Pho (1873-1945)” (Hanoi in the Modern Era: from Colony to City), which offers a comprehensive study of the capital’s metamorphosis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, earned high praise from the 2024 Bui Xuan Phai - For the Love of Hanoi Awards, where it won in the “Work of Love for Hanoi” category.
In an interview granted to VietnamPlus, the author, Dr. Dao Thi Dien, discussed her research process, which was deeply rooted in archival documents. She said she began focusing on Hanoi in 2008 when she presented a paper on the French colonial government in the city and its role in urban management and development at a symposium on the same topic involving Thang Long-Hanoi. The March event was part of a state-sponsored programme commemorating the city’s millennium anniversary.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the archive specialist continued her research, encouraged by her former professor, People’s Teacher Vu Duong Ninh, to compile her findings into a book. After nearly two years of gathering scientific reports and essays, the book was finally completed and publicised.
![2.webp](https://mediaen.vietnamplus.vn/images/c8a290be9caa4e719a9dfc38782e9aaa367a0cfa2a840c4ce9d92bf5e7d31c4ded72b75e8afb2ddcea74e8217e3c5e6b/2-4984.jpg.avif "The book " Ha Noi Thoi Can Dai-Tu Nhuong Dia Den Thanh Pho (1873-1945)” (Photo: VietnamPlus)")
Dien said that one advantage in compiling the book was her expertise in French-language documents, particularly those related to the French colonial administration in Indochina and Hanoi.
Born and raised in a small neighborhood in northern Hanoi nearly two years before the city’s liberation on October 10, 1954, the author said she hopes to express her deep love for the capital through the book.
Dien went on sharing a few intriguing details uncovered in her research. For example, a rumor once circulated that Guom Lake was almost filled in in 1925. In reality, the northern part of the lake was only reinforced with additional land to stabilise the banks and build surrounding sidewalks.
According to the author, another curious finding involves the naming of streets. At one time, sections of Street 20, in the middle of Street 19, and of O'Dendhal street (now Dinh Liet street) were named after Nguyen Du (1766-1820), a great poet in Vietnam. However, by 1943, city officials discussed related renaming, and in 1945, three streets – Riquier, Charles Halais, and Dufourcq – were merged to create the current Nguyen Du street.
Dien said she believes her book will be of great value to scholars from various fields. Additionally, the archival materials referenced in the book may assist government agencies in reviewing and formalising state regulations to ensure that Hanoi’s urban management aligns with proper planning, while contributing to the research and promotion of Hanoi’s culture. She expressed her hope that the book will capture the attention of the city’s planners and policymakers./.
Researcher Dao Thi Dien, born in 1953 in Hanoi, graduated with a degree in world history from the Hanoi University (1970-1975). She went on to work at National Archives Centre I in Hanoi from 1975 until 2008. Furthering her academic career, she earned a Master’s degree in history in 1999, followed by a PhD in the same major in 2004 from the Paris Diderot University in France.
She is the author of several notable works on the capital city, including the two-volume "Ha Noi qua Tai Lieu và Tu Lieu Luu Tru (1873-1954)” (Hanoi Through Archival Documents) and “He Thong van Ban Phap quy ve Xay Dung va Quan Ly Thanh Pho Ha Noi tu 1885 den 1954” (Regulatory Documents on the Construction and Management of Hanoi from 1885 to 1954).
