Hai Phong Travel Package Tours, Vietnam Tour Information Hotel Guide

HAI PHONG CITY OVERVIEW

Geography	Demographics	Telephone
Capital : Hai PhongRegion: Red River Delta Area: 1,523.1849 km�	Population: 1,711,100Density :Ethnicities: Kinh, Hoa	Calling code: 0313
Town and Districts
Town: Do SonDistricts: Hong Bang, Ngo Quyen, Le Chan, Kien An, Hai An.Rural districts: Thuy Nguyen, An Duong, An Lao, Kien Thuy, Tien Lang, Vinh Bao, Cat Hai, Bach Long Vi.

General Information

Located 100km east of Hanoi on the Cua Cam River, one of the main channels of the Red River Estuary, Hai Phong is a large city with an important seaport of Vietnam. Haiphong is near Quang Ninh Province to the north, Hai Duong Province to the west, and Thai Binh Province to the south.

History
The Hai Phong City has long been North Vietnam's principal port, and its history runs the gamut from major seventeenth-century trading centre through bombardment by both the French and the Americans. These days it's a small, orderly city of broad avenues and subtle, cosmopolitan charms, with good hydrofoil and ferry links to Cat Ba Island, Mong Cai and Hong Gai (for Ha Long Bay), but not much else of interest. The city's crescent-shaped nineteenth-century core lies between the curve of the Tam Bac River and the loop of the train tracks. To the north of the main artery, Dien Bien Phu, you'll find broad avenues and colonial architecture. To the south is the merchants' quarter, these days a dilapidated area of street markets between Tran Trinh Street and the market, Cho Sat; immediately below here is Tam Bac Lake. A ten minute walk eastwards along the south bank will bring you to Me Linh and Den Nghe Temple, noted for its carvings, particularly on the massive stone table in the first courtyard.

Tourism Resources
Haiphong has many temples, pagodas, mausoleums and shrines such as ancient Du Hang Pagoda, Nghe Temple, Hang Kenh Communal House... Haiphong has famous historical Bach Dang River, where the national heroes defeated three Chinese feudal invasions. The third victory over the Yuan-Mongolians was known all over the world. Many of the teakwood pointed spikes have been discovered in this river. Haiphong is on tourism route: Hanoi � Haiphong � Halong Bay. Do Son Beach, located 20km from Haiphong, is a sand strip for bathing. However, during the monsoon season, the Red River's alluvial sands cause the water to turn yellow. From Do Son, tourist can visit Cat Ba National Park, and continue to Bai Tu Long Bay and Halong Bay (Quang Ninh Province). Haiphong is also famous for many festivals, of which Choi Trau Festival (Do Son Buffalo-fighting festival) in Do Son Town is unique.

Mineral Resources
In respect of non-metal resources: there are kaolin mines at Doan Lai (Thuy Nguyen), clay mine at Tien Hoi, Chien Thang (Tien Lang), several clay points at Kien Thiet (Tien Lang), Tan Phong (Kien Thuy), Dong Thai (An Hai). Limestone is distributed mainly in Cat Ba, Trang Kenh, Phi Liet, Dun terry; quartzite and tectonics can be found in some hills of Do Son area; phosphate at Bach Long Vi, mineral water is available at Bach Dang Commune (Tien Lang). Salt and sand are two important resources of Hai Phong, which are concentrated mainly at river islets and on the sea side of Cat Hai, Tieng Lang, Vinh Bao, Kien Thuy, Do Son districts. In Bach Long Vi island there is asphalt stone, a product of oiled oxidation showing some perspectives of oil and natural gas availability because the continental shelf of Hai Phong occupies one forth of sediment of Third Epoch of the Gulf of Tonkin with the thickness of up to 3,000m.

Sea and Coastline
The Sea resources are one of the most important ones of Hai Phong with about 1,000 species of shrimp, fish and tens of kinds of sea weeds of high economic value, such as dragon shrimp, prawn, sea crab, sea tortoise, sea oyster, dolphin, pearl shell, virgin shell, abalone... which are widely popular in the international market. The salinity of seawater is high and stable at Cat Hai and Do Son areas which are suitable for salt production to serve needs of local and central chemical industry and also the need of daily life of people. In Hai Phong seawaters, there are many large fishing grounds and the biggest one is surrounding Bach Long Vi island with more than 10,000 square miles of abundant and stable yield. The tidal flats of coastal areas, islands and river mouths of more than 12,000 hectares are suitable not only for exploitation but also for salty and brackish water aquaculture of high value products.

Land Resources
Hai Phong City with more than 57,000 hectares of arable land. This land was formed mainly by alluvia transported and deposited by system of Thai Binh river. Due to the location next to the sea, most of the soil is of alum and saline alum nature and the terrain is a mixture of low and high land alternated with many low-lying paddies. The variation of climate negatively affects the soil, land and plants causing additional difficulties for agriculture production, especially plantation.

Forest Resources
Hai Phong City are abundant and diversified with saline water flood forest, forest for timber exploitation, forest for fruit plantation, bamboo and cane forest... There is also a primeval forest area in Cat Ba with abundant and diversified flora with many rare and valuable botanical species. The total area of forest is about 17,300 hectares, of which about 580 hectares are primeval forest like an Amazon miniature tropical jungle with many valuable and rare plants which are classified as special species for protection, and many herb trees of domestic and international medical specialists' interest; There are many species of bird such as nightingale, parrots, francolin, eagles, sea-gull, swallow,... and many kinds of precious animal such as red face monkey, yellow face monkey, chamois, muntjac, water rat, red-tale squirrel, red-stomach squirrel, lynx, porcupine... specially the white-head monkeys (vooc dau trang - tranchypithecus francoisi policephalus) which live in herds and are classified as a rare species and can be found only in Cat Ba.