Hải Dương province

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng was a former province in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. Its name derives from the Sino-Vietnamese phrase "ocean sun", though the modern province is in fact landlocked. Located in the Northern Key Economic Region, Hai Duong Province has a dynamic economy with a focus on industrial manufacturing.

On June 12, 2025, HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng was incorporated into Haiphong.

Name

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng is Sino-Vietnamese for "ocean sun" (). The name first appeared officially in 1498. In feudal times, HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng indicated a vast area from east of Hanoi to the South China Sea. The area corresponded to all of modern HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng, HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i PhÃÂ²ng, most of HÃÂ°ng YÃÂªn and the southwestern corner of QuÃ¡ÂºÂ£ng Ninh.

Geography

The province is located in the Red River Delta of north-eastern Vietnam, about mid-distance from Hanoi to Haiphong. Two famous pagodas, CÃÂ´n SÃÂ¡n and KiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿p BÃ¡ÂºÂ¡c, are situated in this province. The province is known for its lychees and for the traditional sweet bÃÂ¡nh ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂu xanh (mung bean paste).

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng is located in the center of North Vietnam. The natural area of the province is , the 51st largest in Vietnam. HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng province borders six provinces: BÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c Ninh, BÃ¡ÂºÂ¯c Giang and QuÃ¡ÂºÂ£ng Ninh in the north; HÃÂ°ng YÃÂªn in the west; HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i PhÃÂ²ng in the east; and ThÃÂ¡i BÃÂ¬nh to the south.

There are important roads and railways running through the province, including Highways No. 5, No. 18, No. 183, No. 37 and HanoiÃ¢ÂÂHaiphong Expressway.

Administrative divisions

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng is subdivided into 12 district-level sub-divisions:

They are further subdivided into 13 commune-level towns (or townlets), 227 communes, and 25 wards.

Climate

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng has a tropical monsoon climate with typical cold winter, potential heat and high humidity. The prevailing winds come from the southeast and northeast. The climate is divided into four distinct seasons. From early February to early April, there is a transition period between the dry and wet seasons in which there is spray and rain. The rainy season lasts from April to October.
The annual average rainfall is between and .
The average temperature 23.3 ÃÂ°C.
The average amount of sunshine annually is 1,524 hours.
The average relative humidity is between 85 and 87%.

Population and demography

According to the Statistical Yearbook of Viet Nam 2021, HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng has an area of 1,668.3 km<sup>2</sup>, with a population of 1,936,800. The population density is 1,161 per/km<sup>2</sup>.

The average population by sex and by region is as follows:
By sex: Male: 966,500; female: 970,300
By region: Urban: 613,200; rural: 1,323,600
The rate of population growth: 1.04%
Number of people at working age: 939,900

Over the last 20 years, HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng province has been experiencing a big change in its demographics. During this period, the rate of fertility decreased dramatically from a high rate at 6.7% to 2.14% between 2000 and 2008. The same pattern is found with the mortality rate. This is a result of the success of the family planning program and the improvement of the health care system in the province as well as innovations in medicine. In addition, life expectancy also increased over time. These changes have taken place at a speed that is much quicker than the world average rate and the rate of many other places in Asia.

The number of persons aged 60 years or older in HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng province is estimated to be 600,000 in 2010. This number is projected to grow to nearly 800,000 by 2050, at which time it will be equal to the population of children under 15. This historic crossover of an increasing share of older persons and a declining share of children will mark the first time that the number of children and older persons are the same.

There are many ethnic groups of which the Kinh make up 99% of the population. Major religions include Buddhism, Catholicism and Protestantism of Christianity, Confucianism, Caodaism and the HÃÂ²a HÃ¡ÂºÂ£o faith. With that being said, ancestor worship is probably the predominant "religion", although they may not realize it.

History

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng is located in the Red River Delta and originated from the civilization of the Red River. HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng has had many name changes throughout history, such as DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng TuyÃ¡Â»Ân (in the period of the HÃÂ¹ng kings), Giao ChÃ¡Â»Â and Giao ChÃÂ¢u (in the 1st millennium), Nam SÃÂ¡ch Lo, HÃ¡Â»Âng Lo (under the Ly and TrÃ¡ÂºÂ§n dynasties), HÃ¡Â»Âng ChÃÂ¢u, Nam SÃÂ¡ch (in the 16th century), ThÃ¡Â»Â«a tuyÃÂªn and HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng (in the 10th year of Quang ThuÃ¡ÂºÂn's reign).
HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng province was established in 1831 and was first called "ThÃÂ nh ÃÂÃÂ´ng" (East Province) which means "the city to the east of ThÃÂng Long citadel".
In the early 20th century, the patriotic movement was expanded in HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng.
In the 1930s, the HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng people carried out two resistance wars against the imperial French and American empires and then achieved victory after prolonged fighting.
In 1968, HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng was merged with HÃÂ°ng YÃÂªn to become HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i HÃÂ°ng Province.
In January 1997, HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i HÃÂ°ng was separated into HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng and HÃÂ°ng YÃÂªn.
In August 1997, the government decided to upgrade HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng from a town to city status. Since 1997, HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng has had 11 districts and a city.
On 12 June 2025, as part of major nationwide reforms, HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng province was dissolved and merged with Haiphong.

Economy

Located in the Northern Key Economic Region, Hai Duong Province has a dynamic economy with a focus on industrial manufacturing.

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng province is located in the center of the Red River Delta, which has good conditions in transportation, agriculture and industrial production. HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng province has an important role in the social economic development of the country. Its natural land area and sources are favorable for developing the economy. More than 800,000 of the 1.7 million people are employed, with over 500,000 employed in the agriculture industry. This is a benefit for the social and economic development of HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng.
HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng has prioritized developing agriculture and industrial production. HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng received domestic and international investment in over 50 industrial areas in the whole province. There are foreign business partners from places such as Britain, Germany, France and Hong Kong. HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng also developed agriculture in the direction of economic, industrialization and modernization.
For the past few years, HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng has provided big cities such as Hanoi, Haiphong, and also consumers throughout Vietnam, with special produce such as lychee or traditional specialties such as green bean cake.
In recent years, agriculture in HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng has developed quickly and steadily.

On Vietnam's Provincial Competitiveness Index 2023, a key tool for evaluating the business environment in VietnamÃ¢ÂÂs provinces, Hai Duong received a score of 68.68. This was a slight improvement from 2022 in which the province received a score of 65.22. In 2023, the province received its highest scores on the 'Access To Land' and 'Law and OrderÃ¢ÂÂ criteria and lowest on 'Transparency' and Ã¢ÂÂBusiness Support PolicyÃ¢ÂÂ.

New urban areas

Presently HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng City has two new urban areas. The first one is located in eastern HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng, with an area of 108 ha and consists of two wards: NgÃ¡Â»Âc ChÃÂ¢u and HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i TÃÂ¢n. The second is in western HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng, and has an area of 433 ha. It is located in the territory of Thanh BÃÂ¬nh ward and TÃ¡Â»Â© Minh commune. Both of the two new urban areas are invested by Nam Cuong Group. Currently there are many families living here but the cost of land and the cost of building the homes is quite high in comparison with living standard in HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng. The two new urban area expanding HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng City is one of main reasons HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng City became a second level city on May 16, 2009.

Education system

At present HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng provincial education consists of:

1 Department of Education and Training
12 Offices of Education
13 Education Centers
12 Vocational Centers

There are a number of schools, listed by province and type:

Public health

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng was one of the first six provinces in Vietnam to construct a public safety program for children. A public safety site for children was constructed in ÃÂÃ¡Â»Â©c ChÃÂnh village, CÃ¡ÂºÂ©m GiÃÂ ng district. As the injury/accident rate amongst children had decreased significantly after only one year, this experimental trial project seems to have had a positive impact.

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng city has a public general hospital on NguyÃ¡Â»Ân LÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng BÃ¡ÂºÂ±ng street.

Transportation

12 year ago (1997), nobody in HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng province believed that the agricultural products of HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng Province, after a few hours of being transported, could be readied for sale in Hanoi. Nowadays, however, it only takes about one hour to go to Hanoi from HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng. This big change is due to the outstanding development in the traffic network.

In fact, transport in HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng province developed very fast. During the last 5 years, the whole land transportation in HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng was upgraded and improved with various projects. In 1999, the National Road No. 5 connecting Hanoi and Haiphong was upgraded to first-class status.
Today, there are 649 km of roads under the central management including National Road Nos. 5, 18, 183 and 37 that have been completely built or upgraded. These roads are favorable for traveling and goods transportation within the HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng province. Furthermore, there are 11 provincial asphalt land routes with a total length of 258 km and 27 land routes at district level with a total length of 352 km, of which 70% have been asphalt.
HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng has 10 waterways with a total length of nearly 300 km under the central management and six waterways with a total length of 140 km under local management. However, most of the transport operations on these waterways have not been planned yet.
HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng also has 70 km of railway (including 15 km of railways serving for the PhÃ¡ÂºÂ£ LÃ¡ÂºÂ¡i company)

Media, culture, and entertainment

At present, HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng has one provincial newspaper, publishing daily, weekend, and monthly editions. There are additional magazines published by different departments of the province in related fields. E-newspapers such as at www.haiduong.gov.vn and www.truyenhinhhaiduong.com.vn have made it easier to get information about the province than ever before.

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng Provincial People's Voice and Television Broadcasting Center is known as one of the most developed in the northern region. Cable TV networks have also been installed, providing customers with more than 40 international channels.

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng is famous for being a "sacred land with pre-eminent people" with hundreds of well-known historical, cultural relics and scenic beauty areas such as CÃÂ´n SÃÂ¡n - KiÃ¡ÂºÂ¿p BÃ¡ÂºÂ¡c, NguyÃ¡Â»Ân TrÃÂ£i Temple and Chi LÃÂng Nam Storks island. The province is also a place of many traditional handicraft villages with well-known products for centuries. Cultural festivals are organized annually during spring and autumn, attracting visitors from all over the nation.

HÃ¡ÂºÂ£i DÃÂ°ÃÂ¡ng has over 100 hotels ranging from 2 stars to 4 stars and many are motels or guest-houses. Restaurants serving traditional food can be found on almost every street in the city center, but visitors may also enjoy foreign cuisines at specialty restaurants around BÃ¡ÂºÂ¡ch ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂ±ng Lake. International restaurants are getting more popular and choices expanding, and you may find Chinese, Korean, and Japanese restaurants here.

Cuisine

BÃÂ¡nh ÃÂÃ¡ÂºÂu xanh, a sweet mung bean cake, and RÃÂ°Ã¡Â»Â£u PhÃÂº LÃ¡Â»Âc are local specialties.