Directory_and_Chronicle_1907 — Page 1197

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HANOI

Here the broad and well-kept streets planted with trees, numerous imposing public and private buildings, present a very nice European town of modern style. The city is lighted by electricity and abundantly supplied with good drinkable water by enormous waterworks. Three lines of electric tramways run through the town over a distance of eight miles. A special attraction is the "Petit lac," a lake of nearly half a square mile in the middle of the town, rendered picturesque by the quaint pagodas, occupying the small islands which adorn it and surrounded by promenades. Facing the lake there is the Square Paul Bert, with a fine bronze statue of Paul Bert unveiled on the 14th July, 1890, and a bandstand in the middle. Close to the square there are the Mairie, Treasury, Post Office, Cercle Union, Bank of Indo-China, Résidence Supérieur and the Hotel Metropole. Other public buildings, as the residences of the Governor- General and Commander of the Troops, the Government Offices, the Hospital and others are situated on what was formerly the "Concession," close to the river bank. There is a large Cathedral of the Roman Catholics and a handsome small Protestant church. The imposing palace of the Governor-General stands at the entrance of the Botanic Garden, and other fine buildings in the town are the Theatre, Museum, Palais de Justice, Terminus, etc. There are two first-class Hotels, the Hotel Metropole, with a front of nearly 300 feet, and the Hanoi Hotel, as well as some smaller ones. The "Cercle de l'Union," Société Philharmonique and the Masonic lodge possess their own buildings. A race course opened in 1890, is situated just outside the new town. Several daily and periodical French papers are published at Hanoi. The citadel occupies the highest site and is surrounded by a brick wall twelve feet high, and a moat. It contains the buildings for the troops, arsenals, magazines, etc., and the Royal Pagoda stands within its enclosure.

The ancient city is situated between the citadel and the river and presents a novel appearance, owing to the singular architecture of the houses. Since the occupation by the French great improvements have been effected in the laying out of the town and the formation of roads and streets, of which over 50 miles are already drained, electric lighted, and, even in the native city, well kept and very clean as compared with those of other Eastern cities. Of the numerous temples and pagodas that of the "Grand Buddha," situated on the shore of the large lake, is the most important and interesting for visitors on account of its colossal bronze statue of the idol.

Halls of iron construction, each 160 by 60 feet, for the native markets have been erected in different quarters.

Export and Import trade is steadily increasing and besides many important mercantile houses there is also a development of industries in this town. A cotton-spinning mill, ice factory, match manufactory, paper manufactory, some distilleries, furniture-shops and a brewery are in full swing.

In

The transit trade will have the greatest development when the different railway lines are opened which connect Indo-China and Tonkin with the Yunnan. July, 1902, the first part, connecting Haiphong with Hanoi, was opened and the line enters the capital by a magnificent bridge 5,100 feet in length over the Red River. A railway runs from Hanoi to Dongdang, near the Chinese frontier, and rapid progress is being made with other lines. The Yunnan line has been opened for traffic as far as to the frontier station of Laokay.

In November, 1902, a colonial exhibition on a large scale was opened at Hanoi and proved a great success. The Botanic Garden of Hanoi occupies a very fine site and is one of the nicest in the Far East. It contains over 3,000 various species of plants. The climate has undergone a very favourable change by many sanitary works executed by the French, such as drains through the whole European and native city, filling up of pools, marshes, etc. There is distinction of season; the summer begins in April, the winter about October. The highest degree of temperature in summer is 35° centigrade, the lowest in winter about 6 centigrade. The population of Hanoi is about 150,000; 3,075 of whom are Europeans (exclusive of the military), 140,000 Annamites 8,000 Chinese, 50 Japanese, and 200 Indians.

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