What is the capital city of Vietnam?

The capital city of Vietnam is Hanoi. Located in northern Vietnam along the Red River, Hanoi is the country’s political center and home to the national government, foreign embassies, and major cultural institutions.

The city has a long history as a Vietnamese capital. In 1010, Lý Thái Tổ moved the capital of Đại Việt to the area and named it Thăng Long, meaning “ascending dragon.” The city later had names including Đông Đô and Đông Kinh before the Nguyễn dynasty renamed it Hanoi in 1831.

Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina from 1902 to 1945. After the August Revolution, it became the capital of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and, from 1954, the capital of North Vietnam. When North and South Vietnam were reunified on July 2, 1976, Hanoi became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

A common mix-up is Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city and economic hub. Ho Chi Minh City was formerly called Saigon and is located in the south; it is not the national capital.