Hoan Kiem Lake area and vicinity. Photo: DUY LINH
Also this year, a video about the Hanoi tour of the Ambassadors of the Delegations of the European Union, France, the UK and Romania was shared rapidly on social networking platforms around the world. The clip begins with the scene of Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam Bruno Angelet, British Ambassador Giles Lever, French Ambassador Jean Noel Poirier and Romanian Ambassador Valeriu Arteni sitting together and enjoying hot bowls of pho... Then there is the scene of high-ranking European leaders walking on the street, stopping at flower stalls to choose lilies, peach blossoms and bargaining with the vendors...
In mid-April 2023, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his first visit to Vietnam as the US's top diplomat. The visit took place in the context of the US and Vietnam celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership.
Despite his busy schedule, on the evening of April 15, Mr. Blinken still had some time to relax, take a walk and have dinner in Hanoi. He went to Binh Minh jazz bar at 1 Trang Tien, and enjoyed music with an old friend, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Vinh.
Afterwards, he and his colleagues continued to have dinner at Com Tay Cam restaurant located in a small alley near the Hanoi Opera House, Trang Tien alley. A local menu with shrimp spring rolls, white rice, and shrimp braised in coconut water, was selected and pre-ordered by the Secretary of State of the United States of America. In addition, Mr. Blinken also proactively ordered other dishes when enjoying them directly at the restaurant...
West Lake area. Photo: DUY LINH
These experiences were later tweeted by him: “You cannot miss Vietnamese cuisine when visiting Vietnam. Vietnamese cuisine has very fresh flavors and we have seen its influence in many restaurants across the US. Thank you Com Tay Cam for letting me taste your wonderful food…”
“So delicious!” – that was Mr. Blinken's comment about that meal, in Vietnamese!
Most recently, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, during his third visit to Vietnam on November 1-2, 2023, had a very special journey with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the streets of Hanoi. Despite their busy schedules, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Mark Rutte took the time to cycle around the streets to experience Hanoi's autumn and at the same time convey some remarkable messages.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thanh - Chairwoman of the Hanoi Peace Committee, it is the peaceful environment, political stability, and friendly people that have long been chosen as the venue for major international events such as the APEC Summit, the 2nd US-North Korea Summit, the Inter-Parliamentary Union General Assembly, etc.
Dr. Dao Quyen Truong, Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Member of the Secretariat of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO) commented that owning a UNESCO title is not only a recognition of the cultural, historical and natural values of a locality or a country, but also an important component in forming the brand of each country and locality.
The member of the Secretariat of the National Commission for UNESCO affirmed that this title has also made an important contribution to socio-economic development through attracting tourists, transforming economic development structure, and promoting green and sustainable growth models.
For Hanoi, the titles contribute to enhancing the position and prestige of Hanoi in particular and Vietnam in general in the region and on the international arena, contributing to promoting and introducing Hanoi to the world, thereby strengthening friendly relations and international cooperation with other countries.
A street corner of Hanoi. Photo: THANH DAT
In fact, since receiving this title, Hanoi has implemented many projects on culture, traditional education, environmental protection, etc. Many goals, programs and projects have been completed, promoting economic and social development, contributing to improving people's lives.
Thanks to that effort, over the past 25 years, especially after the expansion of administrative boundaries, a series of typical projects such as Thanh Tri Bridge, Vinh Tuy Bridge, Thang Long Avenue, Nhat Tan Bridge, Vinh Thinh Bridge, Ring Road 3 and Ring Road 3 overhead, Ring Road 2, Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway, Hanoi-Thai Nguyen Expressway, Terminal T2 of Noi Bai International Airport, Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway... have been completed and put into use.
The capital Hanoi is also being built to become more civilized and modern. Hanoi is not only the political, cultural and economic center of the country but also the center of international exchange. In the field of international cooperation, according to comrade Tran Nghia Hoa, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Foreign Affairs, to date, Hanoi has established relations with more than 100 cities and capitals of other countries. Of these, Hanoi has signed cooperation agreements with 61 capitals and cities of other countries; has economic and trade relations with nearly 200 countries and territories; and is an active member of many prestigious international organizations.
Regarding tourism, the number of international visitors to Hanoi has also been increasing every year. According to the report of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, in 2023 alone, the total number of visitors to Hanoi will reach 24.73 million, an increase of 30.93% compared to 2022. In the first 6 months of 2024, the total number of tourists to Hanoi will reach 13.92 million, an increase of 12.7% over the same period last year.
Of these, in 2023, the number of international visitors reached 4.72 million; an increase of 2.8 times compared to 2022. The number recorded in the first 6 months of this year is even more impressive when international visitors reached the milestone of more than 3 million, an increase of nearly 50% over the same period last year.
The number of international visitors to Hanoi has also increased continuously every year. Photo: THANH DAT
Notably, total revenue from tourists in the above periods also increased continuously. The position and reputation of the capital's tourism in the international arena are increasingly affirmed and enhanced. In the period of 2023-2024, Hanoi continues to be highly appreciated by prestigious travel magazines and websites for its attractiveness. Typical titles include: Asia's leading city tourism destination in 2023; Asia's leading city tourism destination for short breaks in 2023; Asia's leading city tourism management agency. Hanoi is also in the top 10 most beautiful destinations in Southeast Asia; top 17 in the list of 25 famous places to travel globally and top 3/20 in the list of destinations for world food lovers.
“The above figures represent the impressive growth of the capital. Hanoi has been and is known not only as a dynamic, modern city but also as an attractive cultural destination, a place that preserves precious traditional values,” Dr. Dao Quyen Truong emphasized.
More specifically, in the eyes of international children, Hanoi, from the city of Peace and for Peace, has become a model and an inspirational symbol.
Ms. Jane Runkat – Charge d’Affaires of the Indonesian Embassy shared: Hanoi has turned historical difficulties into today’s competitiveness, becoming a regional center of education, science, technology and culture. Hanoi’s efforts in sustainable development also prove that the capital is worthy of the title, with many initiatives to address environmental challenges.
“The recognition of Hanoi as a UNESCO City for Peace can inspire other cities to pursue the path of peace and development,” said Ms. Jane Runkat.
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