This list of historical capitals of Vietnam includes former capital cities as well as the current capital of Vietnam which is Hanoi in time order. The capitals in bold indicate those of independent periods while the capitals in italic indicate those of occupied or invaded periods.
Some secondary unofficial capitals also existed throughout Vietnamese history. These secondary capitals were established by dynasty founders merely as symbolic capitals to pay tribute to their ancestors.
Hanoi is the capital and second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river," – Hanoi is bordered by the Red and Black Rivers. As a municipality, Hanoi consists of 12 urban districts, 17 rural districts, and one district-level town. The city encompasses an area of 3,359.84 km2 (1,297.24 sq mi) and as of 2023, a population of 8,587,100. Hanoi had the second-highest gross regional domestic product of all Vietnamese provinces and municipalities at US$51.4 billion in 2022, behind Ho Chi Minh City.
Tonkin, also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain Đàng Ngoài under Trịnh lords' control, including both the Northern and Thanh-Nghệ regions, north of the Gianh River. From 1884 to 1949, this term was used for the French protectorate of Tonkin, composed of only present-day Northern Vietnam.
Articles related to Vietnam and Vietnamese culture include:
Bắc Ninh is a province of Vietnam, located in the Red River Delta of the northern part of the country. It is the smallest province of Vietnam by area and is situated to the east of the nation's capital, Hanoi, and borders Bắc Giang province, Hưng Yên province, Hải Dương province and Hanoi.
Buddhism in Vietnam, as practiced by the Vietnamese people, is a form of East Asian Mahayana Buddhism. It is the main religion in Vietnam. Vietnamese Buddhism is generally inclusive and syncretic, drawing on the main Chinese Buddhist traditions, such as Tiantai and Huayan, Zen (Thiền), and Pure Land.
Hưng Yên is a province in the Red River Delta of the Northern Vietnam.
Phú Thọ is a province in northern Vietnam. Its capital is Việt Trì, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Hanoi and 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Nội Bài International Airport. The province covers an area of 3,534.56 km2 (1,364.70 sq mi) and, as of 2023, it had a population of 1,530,800.
The Hồng Bàng period, also called the Hồng Bàng dynasty, was a legendary ancient period in Vietnamese historiography, spanning from the beginning of the rule of Kinh Dương Vương over the kingdom of Văn Lang in 2879 BC until the conquest of the state by An Dương Vương in 258 BC. Vietnamese history textbooks claim that this state was established in the 7th century BC on the basis of the Dong Son culture.
Sơn Tây is a district-level town in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It was the capital of Sơn Tây province before merging with Hà Đông province to form Hà Tây province in 1965. Sơn Tây lies 35 kilometres (22 mi) west of the capital Hanoi. It had a city status in Hà Tây province. However, when Hà Tây was absorbed into Hanoi, Sơn Tây was demoted from a city to a town.
Nghệ An is a coastal province near the northernmost part of the North Central Coast region, Central Vietnam. It borders Thanh Hóa to the north, Hà Tĩnh to the south, Xiangkhouang, Bolikhamsai and Houaphan of Laos to the west, and the South China Sea to the east.
The Trần Cao rebellion in 1516 is a rebellion in 16th century Vietnam, led by Trần Cao against the Lê dynasty and is regarded as an important factor leading to the collapse of the Early period Lê. It was the second rebellion led against the Lê, following an uprising led by Trần Tuân in 1511.
Cầu Giấy is an urban district of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. It is located roughly to the west of urban Hanoi. Cầu Giấy has a unique urban landscape, with new urban developments interlacing old historical artisan villages. The most well-known of them is a cluster of Dịch Vọng villages with its popular cốm dessert.
Khoái Châu is a rural district of Hưng Yên province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam.
Yên Mỹ [iən˧˧:miʔi˧˥] is a rural district of Hưng Yên province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam.
Hưng Yên is a city in Vietnam. It is the provincial capital of Hưng Yên Province and is a third-graded city according to Vietnam's city classification table.
The Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long is a complex of historic buildings associated with the history of Vietnam located in the centre of Hanoi, Vietnam. Its construction began in 1010 and was completed in early 1011 under the reign of Emperor Lý Thái Tổ of the Lý dynasty. Most of the existing structure is dated to the extensive reconstruction of the old Imperial Citadel ordered by Gia Long in 1805, but the Citadel was largely demolished by the French to allow more land for offices and barracks.
Cao Bằng is a province of the Northeast region of Vietnam. The province has borders with Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Bắc Kạn, and Lạng Sơn provinces within Vietnam. It also has a common international border with Guangxi province in China. The province covers 6,700.39 km2 (2,587.04 sq mi) and, as of 2023, its population was 547,849 people.
The following is a timeline of the history of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam:
The Revival Lê dynasty, also called the Later Lê Restoration in historiography, officially Đại Việt, was a Vietnamese dynasty that existed between 1533 and 1789. The Primal Lê dynasty (1428–1527) and the Revival Lê dynasty (1533–1789) collectively formed the Later Lê dynasty.
The Lê–Mạc War was a civil war waged between two Vietnamese dynasties, the Mạc and Revival Lê, during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period of Vietnamese history.