Will Hanoi Remain a City of Rivers and Lakes?

Abstract

In this article the author expresses his concern and regret about the physical destruction of Hanoi’s waterways, which fill an important cultural aspect to the City. Rivers and lakes have become increasing polluted and many lakes in Hanoi have been filled-in for development. The author points out the myriad tributaries that make up the Red River Delta watershed are filled with legends and historical landmarks making it a culturally rich landscape. It is therefore regrettable, that in the rapid process of industrialization and urbanization in and around Hanoi, these waterways are rapidly being filled-in to suit the needs of the new modernization agenda - “Hanoi in the age of Ho Chi Minh”. The future of Hanoi’s waterways is juxtaposed between the demands of urban planners to fill-in and pollute the rivers and lakes and between the environmental and cultural benefit of preserving healthy waterways. Will Hanoi remain a city of rivers and lakes in the future?