Hanoi Opera House

Hanoi Opera House

At the end of the 19th century (1883), the French colonialists occupied Hanoi. In 1886, the French administration designed a master plan for the city’s development. The Hồ Gươm area was reconstructed first, the first year of reconstruction (1886) was inscribed on house No. 3 of Hàng Khay street and it can still be read. In the second stage of reconstruction, ponds, lakes and waterways including the Tô Lịch River were filled in, and the old citadel together with an earthen enclosure were destroyed (1894 - 1896). The ancient streets had their roads straightened and had infrastructure added. Some of the old houses were reconstructed, their original architectural style being respected; others were replaced with new houses built in Western style with 2 or 3 storeys.

As a result western style streets emerged, to the south of Hồ Gươm Lake, and where the old citadel used to be, near the concession area which was built in the first days of the period of French colonialism.

The concession area is a rectangular one enclosed by Bạch Đằng Road, Lê Thánh Tông and Trần Thánh Tông streets on the longer sides, and Tràng Tiền and Nguyễn Huy Tự streets on the shorter sides. The area was originally the naval base of ancient Hanoi. In August 1875, it was conceded to the French Army, who built military barracks, villas and hospitals here. These core buildings had "orthodox" architecture, with black stone roofs and were surrounded by peripheral verandahs. The villa of the French army’s Chief of Staff (now the Ministry of Defense Guest House) still bears the inscription 1874-1877 which is the date of its construction. The former Lanessan Hospital (now military hospital No.108 and the Vietnam-Soviet Union Friendship Hospital) was inaugurated in 1893.

The old citadel area includes Phan Đình Phùng, Hùng Vương, Hoàng Diệu, Điện Biên Phủ, Lê Hồng Phong, Chu Văn An and Trần Phú streets. The old palaces and buildings in the area having been demolished, the construction of new works was carried out rapidly. This area is characterized by its long, wide boulevards, bordered with green trees. The Palace of the Governor General of Indochina (now the Presidential Palace) was built from 1900 to 1902, this has really majestic architecture. Most of the villas were built in the architecture of northern France which has inclining roofs and smart, meticulous decorations over the doors and on the roofs. The owners of these villas were French from the north of France.

The area to the south of Hồ Gươm Lake is a rectangle bordered by Tràng Thi, Tràng Tiền and Trần H­ng Đạo streets on its longer sides and Phan Bội Châu and Phan Chu Trinh streets on its shorter sides. This area was built at the same time as that of the old citadel but the realization of this project was slower because it took time to move many villages before construction could start. The Municipal Theatre was built from 1902 to 1911 in the architectural style of the Paris Opera. Nearby in Tràng Tiền street was where French traders and some Chinese people lived.

Hanoi Opera House

A number of big constructions were carried out in this area. For example: the seat of the Yunnan Railway Company (now the office of the General Confederation of Trade Union) was constructed at the intersection of Trần H­ng Đạo and Quán Sứ streets in 1902, the University (Lê Thánh Tông) in 1904; and the Palace of the French Resident Superior (now the Government Guest House), in 1919 at No.10 Ngô Quyền street. In this area, most houses are villas built in the architectural style of southern France.

In these three quarters mentioned above more buildings appeared, in both European and Asian architectural styles, throughout the 20s and 30s. Some have high aesthetic value: the Luis Finot Museum (now Museum of History) built in 1928-1932, the Finance Bureau (now Ministry of Foreign Affairs), in 1929-1931; Institute of Pasteur (1930); the auditorium of the University in 1928.

These three areas constitute the old streets which are considered an urban treasure of Hanoi.

Regarding architecture and urban planning in Hanoi, it can be seen that the projects constructed under urban planning have dimensions and a scale fitting in with the whole city. Most of them resulted from great thought and research into the most suitable architecture to be adapted to the traditional environment with good aesthetics.

The streets constructed during this period all contribute to the architectural richness of Hanoi, a city of harmonious beauty enhanced by the natural landscape and cultural heritage. This city still maintains features and characteristics that have gone or are fading away in other cities in the world.

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