Hanoi became Vietnam’s official capital after reunification in 1976.
When North and South Vietnam were formally reunited on July 2, 1976, the newly established Socialist Republic of Vietnam retained Hanoi as its capital. The city had already served as the capital of North Vietnam and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam since the mid-20th century, making it the established political center of the victorious northern government.
Hanoi has a much older capital history. In 1010, Lý Thái Tổ moved the capital to the site and named it Thăng Long, meaning “Ascending Dragon.” The city later received several names, including Đông Kinh, before the Nguyễn dynasty gave it the name Hanoi in 1831. Huế became the imperial capital in 1802 and remained so until the end of the Nguyễn dynasty.
A frequent mistake is choosing Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City. Saigon was the capital of South Vietnam until 1975 and was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1976, but Hanoi became the capital of the reunified country.