The Asian capital city that lies on the Red River in northern Vietnam is Hanoi.
Hanoi occupies the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam, and the Red River has shaped the city’s geography, transport, agriculture, and historical importance. Its position helped make the area a natural centre of power in the north of the country.
In 1010, Emperor Lý Thái Tổ moved the capital of Đại Việt to the site and named it Thăng Long, traditionally explained as “Ascending Dragon.” The city later carried names including Đông Đô, Đông Quan, and Đông Kinh before Emperor Minh Mạng renamed it Hà Nội in 1831.
Hanoi has served as Vietnam’s capital in several historical periods, including under French rule, when it became the capital of French Indochina in 1902. It is sometimes confused with Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city, which lies far to the south near the Mekong Delta.