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- Major Cities' Cutting-Edge Approaches
| An Introduction of Cutting-Edge Approaches Taken by ANMC 21 Member Cities |
From Hanoi: Thang Long, Hanoi Founding Millennial Celebration
| 2010 marks the 1000th year since the founding of the city of Hanoi. The Vice Governor of Tokyo attended as a representative of Governor Ishihara, who was invited by the mayor of Hanoi to the ceremony held on October 10th. Mr. Hideaki Yazawa of the Headquarters of the Governor of Tokyo, International Affairs Division participated in the visiting group, and has been kind enough to provide a report on the events of Hanoi's millennial celebration. |
Report Thang Long, Hanoi Founding Millennial Celebration
1. Largest National Event in the History of Viet Nam
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On October 10th, I visited Hanoi for Thang Long, the Hanoi Founding Millennial Celebration. By the middle of the 10th century, Vietnam gained its independence from a long period of Chinese control, and in 1010 Ly Dynasty named its capital “Thang Long,” which would become the current day Hanoi. This year's festival was held as a national event honoring the 1000th year since the city's founding. Many visitors gathered from foreign countries, Vietnamese citizens from all regions flowed into the city, and with Viet Nam's three highest authorities (President Triet, Communist Party Leader Manh, and Prime Minister Dung) in attendance, the ceremony and events brought the nation together in a splendid festival. After Tokyo received an invitation from the President of the People's Committee of Hanoi Tao (equivalent to mayor of Hanoi), Vice Governor Yoshikawa participated, conversing with the mayor of Hanoi and reaffirming the continual development of positive relations between Tokyo and Hanoi. |
2. Festive Hanoi
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My first glance of the Millennial Celebration put a smile on my face: Entire families of Vietnamese citizens riding towards the capital city on Japanese motorcycles (in Viet Nam, all motorcycles are referred to as “Hondas.”) I also soon glimpsed the enthusiasm of all those eager to take part in a celebration of the country's history. I was impressed by a sense of excitement from the people, and felt the power of their solidarity between the government and citizens. Perhaps to Japanese citizens, a comparable phenomenon was the 1970 Osaka Expo that marked the growth of the Japanese economy. Although I hadn't been born yet at that time, the Hanoi Millennial Celebration all the same provoked a unique sense of déjà vu. |
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| Families travel towards the capital |
Student volunteers act as guides |
Festive streets glimpsed from a car window |
3. Our Partner, Viet Nam
| With over half of its current population under age 30, Viet Nam is expected to soon approach a population close to that of Japan. The nation has a slightly smaller area than Japan, and despite being a communist nation, Buddhism is its primary religion. The streets are clean and safe, and the people tend to be hard-working and polite. This country, which seems to hold a great deal in common with Japan, is being eyed by new investors from foreign industries and fame it has gained for its rich deposits of rare earth metals. Having marked its 1000th anniversary, as this country continues to flourish like the rising dragon from which the capital city gained its name, we believe that a deepening of relations on all fronts will bring about prosperity to both our countries. |
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We hope that as fellow members of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21, Tokyo and Hanoi will continue to strengthen their mutual understanding, and build upon cooperative relations in a variety of areas. |
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