Hanoi reaches out with new projects

Smart city project

Great projects that inspire new aspirations

This historic August not only evokes memories of the day the nation took control of its destiny, but also marks a new turning point for the capital city of Hanoi . In the sacred atmosphere of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, Hanoi and many other localities simultaneously started construction and inaugurated a total of 250 key projects. These are not only infrastructure in the material sense, but also "milestones" that open a new era of development: the era of strong growth, integration and position affirmation.

On the occasion of August 19, Hanoi focused on starting construction of 3 typical major projects. In Dong Anh commune, the North Hanoi Smart City has a total investment of 4.2 billion USD, a scale of nearly 272 hectares, the project aims to create a modern, green, smart urban area, with a 108-storey financial tower as a highlight. In the South, Ngoc Hoi Bridge - a new connection symbol across the Red River began to be implemented, expected to reduce the load on existing bridges and expand development space. In Co Loa, the National Exhibition and Fair Center was inaugurated, adding to Hanoi a "gateway" for organizing events and trade that meets international standards. The picture of Hanoi appears as a bustling construction site, where each infrastructure component is being assembled into a long-term vision to 2045, a vision to 2065.

The most noteworthy thing about the North Hanoi Smart City project is not just the “huge” capital or the height of the tower, but the way this great project shapes a new urban power structure north of the Red River. When a smart metropolis is laid the foundation with a 108-storey financial tower, it means that Hanoi is betting on a new financial-commercial center, complementing the traditional historical-administrative core.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of BRG Group, shared briefly but with full commitment: “On the historic day of August 19, we feel honored and responsible… with the highest determination to ensure that the project develops on schedule, meeting the expectations of the people and central and local agencies”. On a symbolic level, the 108-storey tower is not just the height of a building; it is an aspirational viewpoint, a visual landmark for the entire North Red River region to develop in sync.

And more than material, this is a mark of international cooperation. The North Hanoi Smart City is the result of a partnership between Vietnamese and Japanese enterprises, a testament to the spirit of proactive and creative integration. When architecture, technology, and governance flow together, a smart city is not only beautiful on the surface, but also operates intelligently from digital infrastructure, energy models, green spaces to citizen services.

Sun Gate on the Red River

On the Red River, Ngoc Hoi Bridge started construction as a "greeting to the dawn" of the South of the Capital. The total investment is nearly 12,000 billion VND, the implementation time is 30 months, expected to be inaugurated in early 2028, the technical milestones and progress are clearly stated, but the most important thing is the spatial function that the bridge opens up.

As shared by Mr. Dang Xuan Huan, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board: Ngoc Hoi Bridge is located on Ring Road 2.5, directly connecting to Hung Yen province, coordinating with radial axes to reduce the load on Ring Road 3 and Giai Phong road. Site clearance work is being actively implemented. This is a "center-avoiding" infrastructure, instead of concentrating traffic through the urban core, Ngoc Hoi Bridge will direct traffic flow, expand the movement space to the Southeast, reduce pressure on the inner city, and create space for new growth poles.

In terms of form, the bridge is inspired by the idea of the “Sun Gate”. Architect Nguyen Xuan Khoi, Head of the Ngoc Hoi Bridge design project, explained: “The gate for the sun is “heaven”, the gate for humans is “human”, and the bridge connecting the two banks of land is “earth”. The three elements of heaven - earth - human converge, turning the traffic structure into a symbol of philosophy and aesthetics, a “touch point” between the profane and the sacred, between utility and poetry. From there, connection is not just about traveling, but about spreading - spreading resources, opportunities, culture, and pride.

A city that wants to reach new heights cannot lack a place where large meetings are professionally organized. The National Exhibition and Fair Center in Co Loa appears in its rightful place: a modern complex, the largest in the region, capable of receiving cultural, political, and commercial events at the national and international levels.

Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen affirmed: "The city is committed to accompanying investors to ensure progress and quality". That is, instead of "finishing and then calculating", Hanoi sees the exhibition center as a strategic link in the chain of conference, seminar, exhibition services, ... thereby pulling along the hotel ecosystem, event logistics, urban services ... This promises to be a classy "grand stage" that will invite "blockbusters", "super products", "large-scale events" ... That is also the simple logic that many cities in the world have gone ahead and achieved many successes.

Looking at three key projects: a smart city, a large bridge, an exhibition center, we can recognize three layers of intertwined meanings. First of all, the functional meaning, they solve the problem of traffic, space, utilities, direct traffic flow, reduce inner-city density, and improve the quality of life. Next is the socio-economic meaning, these projects activate resources, open up growth poles, create more jobs, raise service standards, and thicken the production and consumption network. And above all, the cultural symbolic meaning, from the idea of "Sun Gate" imbued with the philosophy of heaven - earth - human to the 108-storey tower as a milestone of trust in the financial and commercial center on the other side of the Red River. When this layer of meaning is awakened, infrastructure is no longer individual roads, bridges, or buildings, but becomes a collective story, a source of spiritual energy that nourishes the next projects.

Extending the August spirit, continuing the Thang Long aspiration

The above projects do not stand alone. They are in line with the strategy for developing the capital until 2045, with a vision to 2065, focusing on infrastructure as a breakthrough: the “key” to liberating resources, expanding space, and increasing total productivity. When space is opened, inner-city bottlenecks are eased, and new growth engines will be formed.

That is also how Hanoi keeps the rhythm of tradition, culture does not oppose modernity, identity does not contradict integration. New bridges do not “break” the river, but bring the two banks closer together; a smart metropolis opens the horizon for the story of Thang Long in the digital age; an exhibition center does not “overwhelm” the cultural space, but creates a stage for culture, commerce, and technology to meet.

The Red River is a special advantage for Hanoi. The construction of a new bridge system will not only solve traffic problems, but also help develop the balance of both the left and right banks. When the three bridges Tu Lien, Ngoc Hoi and Tran Hung Dao are completed, the capital will open a new era of development: modern, dynamic and sustainable.

Dr. Architect Dao Ngoc Nghiem, Vice President of Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association

The history of Hanoi is associated with bridges. Each bridge is a milestone of a time: from the durable steel spans of the past to the architectural curves of today. Ngoc Hoi, Tu Lien, Tran Hung Dao - three bridges approved by Hanoi for investment (February 2025) with a total capital of nearly 48,000 billion VND will continue that story. When they join the radial axes and belts, Hanoi will have a new circulatory system: clear, airy, and balanced between the left and right banks.

Newly launched infrastructure projects are also a convergence point of economic diplomacy. Mr. Ito Naoki, Ambassador of Japan to Vietnam, said: infrastructure projects continue to affirm the effective cooperation between Vietnam and Japan and the expectation of sustainable cooperation in the future. It is not just capital flows, technology or management standards, but mutual trust. When trust is built with specific projects, the flow of cooperation will be more durable than general statements.

Hanoi is therefore not outside the regional “meeting map”. The National Exhibition and Fair Center will welcome delegations and goods, where ideas, people, and products meet to create new alliances. The smart metropolis will act as a destination for high-level financial, commercial, and technological services. A city that welcomes, retains, and treats well will retain talent and attract projects.

It is no coincidence that the groundbreaking and inauguration milestones are placed on the timeline of the August Revolution and National Day September 2. This is a way to extend the tradition of building with concrete actions today. The spirit of 80 years ago to regain mastery has been transformed into the spirit of the new era: mastering space, mastering technology, mastering the future.

If in the past, a flag raised on Ba Dinh signaled the era of independence, today, a gate stretching across the river, a skyscraper, an exhibition center "catching the wind" from all four directions are the signals of the times. They speak softly but resound far: Hanoi is ready to rise. And above all, it affirms the mettle of a nation after 80 years of independence: constantly reaching for the future.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/ha-noi-vuon-minh-voi-nhung-cong-trinh-moi-d374562.html