Haiphong

Haiphong or Hai Phong (Vietnamese: Hải Phòng, Vietnamese pronunciation: [haːj3 fawŋ͡m2]) is the third-largest city in Vietnam and is the principal port city of the Red River Delta. The municipality has an area of 1,526.52 km² (589.39 sq mi), consisting of 8 urban districts, 6 rural districts and 1 municipal city (sub-city). Two of the rural districts cover islands in the South China Sea: Bạch Long Vĩ and Cát Hải. It has a population of 2,130,898 in 2023. The city's economy has strength in manufacturing, as evidenced by large industrial parks and numerous smaller traditional handicraft villages. Historically, Haiphong was the first place in Vietnam and Mainland Southeast Asia to get electricity.

In the imperial era of Đại Việt, the Bạch Đằng River in Haiphong was a place of many legendary victories, led by now-legendary commanders Ngô Quyền and Trần Hưng Đạo. In the 16th century, Mạc dynasty promoted the coastal settlement as a secondary capital, growing to become an important port town of Đàng Ngoài. After the French conquest of Vietnam, in 1888, the president of the French Third Republic, Sadi Carnot, promulgated a decree to establish Haiphong as one of the principal cities of French Indochina. From 1954 to 1975, Haiphong served as the most important maritime city of North Vietnam. It was one of the directly controlled municipalities of a reunified Vietnam with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 1976. In the 21st century, Haiphong is under active land reclamation, the most recent effort being the construction of South Đình Vũ dike in 2022.

Haiphong is a popular seaside vacation spot and known for biological reserves in Cát Bà Island. For its extensive port, the city hosts the headquarters of the Vietnam People's Navy. Royal poinciana are commonly associated with Haiphong in Vietnamese culture.