Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 46, No. 4, March 2009

Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and20th Centuries: An Area Informatics Approach

SHIBAYAMA Mamoru*

Abstract
The project Development of Area Informatics: With Emphasis on Southeast Asia (FY2005-09)[Shibayama 2005: 1] aims to create a new discipline called “area informatics,” an approach that
integrates the interdisciplinary ﬁeld of informatics with area studies, which encompasses allacademic disciplines, including natural ecology, environmental studies, human ecology, sociology,
history, cultural studies, economics and political science. One of the core research topics of thisproject is the process of urban formation in Hanoi in the 19th and 20th centuries. This researchaims to explain the history of urban development in Hanoi, which has been the capital of Vietnam
for 1,000 years, and to digitize the research process and its results for publication. To explain theprocess of Hanoi’s urban development and transformation based on the hypothesis “Throughthe continual ﬁlling in of lakes and ponds formed by the riverbed of the old Red River, Hanoi
achieved signiﬁcant urban development and transformation during the Nguyen Dynasty
period”
generated by Sakurai [Sakurai and Shibayama 2007: 37], research into this process was
furthered through spatial analyses of various data gathered during the project, including maps,
satellite images, cadastral maps and historic ruins and vestiges, carried out using GIS(Geographical Information Systems) and RS (Remote Sensing) technologies. This paper discusses
the analyses of urban transformation in the 19th and 20th centuries with the main emphasis on theurbanized city, water areas, and pre-colonial villages.
Keywords : Hanoi, urbanization, area informatics, French colonial period, Historical GIS

I

Urban Formation and Transformation in Hanoi
in the 19th and 20th Centuries

Sakurai and Shibayama are conducting research into the process of urban formation andtransformation from the 19th century through 21st century in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam[Sakurai and Shibayama 2007: 37; Shibayama and Yonezawa 2008: 222].

The source materials

used in this research include various geographical materials, such as maps and a cadastral
document [Phan 2006] that the project researchers have gathered, data from 150 vestige andhistoric sites, information about ancient structures that have survived [Yonezawa and* 柴山

守，Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University
e-mail: sibayama@cseas.kyoto-u.ac.jp496

SHIBAYAMA M. : Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and 20th Centuries

Shibayama et al. 2008: 27], information about modern architecture from the French colonial
period and later [Ota 2006], and historic relics [Sakurai and Shibayama 2007: 37], based on ﬁeld
research conducted in the old quarter (Pho Co district).

Based on these materials, individual

studies have been conducted employing different methods.

Sakurai used a historical area

study approach, while Shibayama used an informatics approach.

In this paper, the author

attempts to prove Sakurai’s hypotheses using an informatics approach.
Sakurai has generated the following hypothesis concerning the urbanization andtransformation of Hanoi from the latter half of the 19th century through the beginning of the20th century based on maps and other materials that were gathered [ibid. 2007: 37].
Hanoi was positioned on a natural embankment in the center of the Red River Delta, and manylakes and ponds formed by the riverbed of the old Red River remained at the base of the naturalembankment.

Through the continual ﬁlling in of these lakes and ponds, Hanoi achieved signiﬁcanturban development and transformation during the Nguyen Dynasty period (1802-1945).

To prove this hypothesis, the author used spatial information technology from GIS and RS
as well as informatics to analyze basic materials such as maps [Shibayama 2005: 1], satellite
images, a cadastral document and an illustrated village map [Yonezawa and Shibayama et al.
2008: 27].

The speciﬁc methods and procedures for proving the hypothesis are as follows.

First, a broad survey of urbanization and transformation from the latter half of the 19th century
through the beginning of the 20th century was undertaken.

Second, the evidence for andsubstance of “signiﬁcant urban development and transformation” had to be investigated.

To

do this, (1) ﬁrst a 1: 2,000 vector map (digital map that can be handled in the GIS system) thatwould serve as a reference was created based on maps and satellite images.

Then GIS

technologies were used to compare and analyze such features as buildings, levees and land
cover in the period 1873-1936.

In addition, (2) in order to look down and understandcharacteristics of Hanoi’s transformation on descriptions and events described in the cadastral
document with corresponding to historical maps based on the viewpoint of spatiotemporaltransition, it was necessary to accurately grasp the administrative classiﬁcations, especiallyvillage locations and boundaries that existed in the pre-colonial period and the French colonial
period onward.

To do this, the relative geographical positions of the villages in 1888 based on

the cadastral document were established. An informatics approach including GIS technology
and Network theory*1 were attempted in order to restore the districts, wards and villages.
Next, (3) the geographical and topographical environment and conditions required for a
discussion of Hanoi’ s urban formation were investigated.

For this purpose, a three-dimensional (3D) landscape model was built based on elevation data (DEM: Digital Elevation
Model) obtained from maps.

A 3D landscape model makes it easier for readers to understandurbanization through visualizing the features on the ground such as buildings, roads, water
streams, and so on from all angles.

497

東南アジア研究II

46巻 4 号

Urban Transformation during the French Colonial Period:
Spatial Analyses Using Map Comparisons

Using maps from 1873, 1885, 1890, 1894, 1898, 1902 and 1936, it was possible to clarify thefollowing features by roughly dividing the Hanoi area into three areas as shown in Fig. 1: (i)Thang Long citadel and the surrounding area, enclosed in solid square in Fig. 1, (ii) the oldquarter on the east side of the citadel (Pho Co district), between the citadel and the Red River,and (iii) the natural embankment positioned in the area from the west bank of the Red River tothe area south of Thang Long citadel, as shown by the thin solid line in Fig. 1.
Analyses on evidence for and substance of “signiﬁcant urban development andtransformation” described above had been carried out by focusing on features that particularly
differentiate the French colonial period from other periods.

Such features are as follows.

(1)

Urban development planning progressed in the Thang Long citadel and its surroundings during
the French colonial period, and in the 1890s, the walls and moats around the citadel disappeared.
(2) Ponds and lakes in the old quarter in the Pho Co district decreased in the 1890s, and newstreets and urban development emerged.

Also, during this period, levee construction provided

greater protection against catastrophic ﬂooding, and the development of the old quarter
proceeded at an accelerated rate.

(3) During the approximately 10 years from 1890 to 1900,

urbanization rapidly proceeded westward from the west bank of the Red River to the south sideof the Thang Long citadel.

(4) The current streets in Hanoi were created during the urban

東南ア4604-2,1

Fig. 1

498

Three Areas in Central Hanoi

東南ア4604-2,2b

Fig. 2(a)Citadel in 1885 with Current Roads(dotted lines) in 2005

SHIBAYAMA M. : Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and 20th Centuries

東南ア4604-2,2b

東南ア4604-2,2cFig. 2(b)Fig. 2(c)Citadel in 1894 with Current Roads(dotted lines) in 2005

Citadel in 1902 with Current Roads
in 2005

development from the French colonial period onward and were mostly completed by 1936,
except for the area near Bay Mau lake, south side of the citadel.
Survival of Thang Long Citadel
To examine the survival of Thang Long citadel, the maps from 1885 to 1902 were superimposedon the 2005 digital map.

The differences are shown in Fig. 2.

immediately after the French colonial period started.

The year 1885 in Fig. 2 (a) was

The fortress of the Thang Long citadel isaccurately depicted in the 1885 map, but no evidence of the fortress or the moat remains inpresent-day Hanoi, other than the square pattern of the streets (see the dotted lines in Fig. 2 (a)).
The fortress of the Thang Long citadel is also depicted in Fig. 2 (a); and in the next decade,barracks and the military plant were increasing inside the citadel along Phung Hung Str., asshown in Fig. 2 (b).

By 1902, the wall and moat of the fortress had completely disappeared,

although the barracks and military plant inside the right side of the citadel remained, as shownin Fig. 2 (c).

Therefore, the destruction of the wall and moat progressed rapidly in the decadeor so after the year 1890.
Transformation in the Old Quarter, the Pho Co District
Urban transformation between 1885 and 1902 is shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 (a) reveals thepresence of many ponds and marshes in 1885, but few differences in the layout of roads
compared with nowadays. Nine years later, in 1894, the area of water bodies such as ponds and499

東南アジア研究46巻 4 号

東南ア4604-2,3a

東南ア4604-2,3b

Fig. 3(a)Fig. 3(b)Old Quarter in 1885 with Current
Roads in 2005

Old Quarter in 1894 with Current
Roads in 2005

東南ア4604-2,3c

東南ア4604-2,4aFig. 3(c)Fig. 4(a)500

Old Quarter in 1902 with Current
Roads in 2005

South Side of Citadel in 1890 withCurrent Roads in 2005
Note: Road plan is shown by dotted lines.

SHIBAYAMA M. : Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and 20th Centuries

marshes had slightly decreased, while houses had increased (Fig. 3 (b)).

These changes

probably resulted from the continual ﬁlling in of the water bodies, which progressed in thesubsequent decade to produce the situation shown Fig. 3 (c).

For example, a pond located to

the north of Hoan Kiem lake disappeared, and some houses were built.
was nearly parallel with the current situation.

Street layout in 1902

Also, the Dong Xuan market place (at the upper,

central part of Fig. 3 (c)) in the Pho Co district can be recognized in 1902.
Urban Development in the South Side under the French
A practical development plan spanning approximately 15 years from the start of the Frenchcolonial period can be understood by comparing the 1890, 1898, and 1902 digital maps with the2005 digital map.

In the 1890 and the 1898 maps, the existing streets at that time and theplanned streets are distinguished from each other and marked.

Therefore, by using GIS

technologies to extract only the existing streets of that time and the planned routes, thedevelopment plan of the period can be extracted and be compared on the timeline.
planned streets in 1890 are indicated by dotted lines, as shown in Fig. 4 (a).

The

By comparing thatto 1898, it was found that the plan for street development on the south side of Thang Long
citadel had changed, and some planned streets had disappeared by 1898.
considered to have been aborted.

These plans can be

In addition, the 1898 map shows a plan for a straight street

running diagonally from the west side of the citadel toward the south of Hoan Kiem lake along
Dien Bien Phu Str., but this does not match the current streets on the 2005 digital map, as shownin Fig. 4 (b).

For example, a street running obliquely downward from left to right in the citadel

東南ア4604-2,4b

東南ア4604-2,4cFig. 4(b)Fig. 4(c)Planned Roads and Existing Roads
in 1898

South Side of Hoan Kiem Lake in1902 with Current Roads in 2005
501

東南アジア研究

does not parallel the current street.

46巻 4 号

This could be another example of an aborted plan.

Onthe other hand, the comparison also reveals that the development plan for new streets
progressed steadily from 1898 to 1902.

The construction generally proceed from east to west.

Urban Change in and after the 20th Century
How has the city of Hanoi changed since the beginning of the 20th century?

This change canbe recognized by comparing the maps from 1900 and later with the 2005 digital map, as shownin Fig.4 (c).

The walls and moats of Thang Long citadel that were observed in the 1885 and1890 maps had disappeared by 1902, as described above. In addition, several ponds and lakes
that existed in 1890 and 1898 on the east and south sides of the citadel had disappeared by 1902,
and a line of new buildings in that area can be seen.
not appear in 1898 are visible in the 1902 map.

Furthermore, railways and tracks that do

It is considered that the railways that today run

from Hanoi to northern Vietnam were built during this period.

The present-day streets shownin the 2005 digital map match those in 1936 in the old quarter and south side of Hoan Kiem lake,as shown in Fig. 5.

Therefore, the streets next to Hoan Kiem lake in Hanoi today werecompleted by 1936, while the area east and north of the Bay Mau lake and Kim Lien district
were planned for development, as shown in Fig. 5.
The Boundary between the Old Quarter and the Citadel
Uncertainty about the boundary between the old quarter on the east side of the citadel and thecitadel itself has given rise to debate among historians.

However, it was possible to conﬁrm

東南ア4604-2,5Fig. 5502

Old Quarter and Area Near Bay Mau Lake in 1936

SHIBAYAMA M. : Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and 20th Centuries

and verify the border using spatial analysis of maps and satellite images superimposed in a GIS
system.

The results of overlaying the 1885 map with the satellite image of 2005 are shown in

Figs. 6 (a) and 6 (c), which indicate north and east sides of the citadel, respectively.
By overlaying the 1885 and 2005 digital maps as in Fig. 6 (a), signs of the wall and moat
intersected Dang Dung Str. at the north side of the citadel can be recognized on the current map
at the points marked A, B, and C in Fig. 6 (b).
The position of the wall and moat at the east side of the citadel between Phung Hung Str.
and Hang Ga Str., which is the boundary between the old quarter and the citadel, can be
estimated by overlaying the 1885 and 2005 maps as shown in Fig. 6 (c).

The evidence, where

the moat was once existed as shown in Fig. 6 (d) and Fig. 6 (e), was obtained from interviews

東南ア4604-2,6a

東南ア4604-2,6bFig. 6(a)Fig. 6(b)North Wall and Moat of the Citadel
in 1885 on the Satellite Image in2005

Range of Houses on the Current
Map in 2005

東南ア4604-2,6c

東南ア4604-2,6dFig. 6(c)Fig. 6(d)East Wall and Moat of the Citadel in1885 on the Satellite Image in 2005

Range of Houses on the Current
Map in 2005503

東南アジア研究46巻 4 号

東南ア4604-2,6eFig. 6(e)Houses at Point in Fig. 6 (d): A

with local people in a ﬁeld survey.
Continual Filling in of Lakes, Ponds, and Marshes
The change in the area of water bodies from 1885 to 2005 in central Hanoi was examinedthrough the extraction of lakes, ponds, and mashes on the 1885, 1890, 1898, 1936, and 2005 maps.
The basis for calculation is the 1885 map as shown in Fig. 7 (a).
bodies is outlined in Figs. 7 (b)-(f).
area.

The distribution of water

Table 1 and Fig. 7 (g) indicate the numerical change in the

The water area decreased to 89.1%, 72.2%, 44.2%, and 22.8% in 1890, 1898, 1936, and2005 respectively compared with 100% in 1885.

Namely, the area decreased by 27.8% in the

東南ア4604-2,7a

東南ア4604-2,7b

Fig. 7(a)504

The Target Area

Fig. 7(b)Water Area in 1885

SHIBAYAMA M. : Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and 20th Centuries

東南ア4604-2,7cFig. 7(c)東南ア4604-2,7d

Water Area in 1890

東南ア4604-2,7eFig. 7(e)Fig. 7(d)Water Area in 1898

東南ア4604-2,7f

Water Area in 1936

Fig. 7(f)Water Area in 2005505

東南アジア研究46巻 4 号

東南ア4604-2,7g

Fig. 7(g)Change in Area of Water Bodies

Table 1

Change in Area of Water Bodies

Variation in Lakes, Ponds, and Marshes (Basis: 10.591 Sq. Km)
District

1885
N

Ba Dinh*
Dong Da*

1890

1898

1936

Sq.

N

Sq.

N

Sq.

2005

N

Sq.

N

Sq.

37

0.706

47

0.588

21

0.355

3

0.261

4

0.223

Hoan Kiem
Hai Ba Trung

165
159
244

0.563
0.576
0.908

67
97
55

0.297
0.819
0.749

50
45
88

0.628
0.242
0.763

44
1
106

0.192
0.117
0.648

3
1
3

0.042
0.105
0.257

Total Area

605

2.753
100.0%

266

2.453
89.1%

204

1.988
72.2%

154

1.218
44.2%

11

0.627
22.8%

Note: * Partial area

Unit.: Sq. Km

14 years from 1885 to 1898.

A further 28.0% was lost in the 38 years from 1899 to 1936.

1936, 55.8% of the area had been ﬁlled in.

By

As a result, the ﬁlling in of lakes, ponds, and marshes

progressed rapidly between 1885 and 1898 compared with the beginning of the 20th century.

III Positions of the Old Hanoi Villages:
Spatial Estimates Using GIS Technology
A map of 1873 gives an overview of the old villages in central Hanoi in the pre-colonial period,
but it is difﬁcult to estimate accurately the location and range of roads and buildings in thosedays because the map is hand-drawn.

This also makes it difﬁcult to investigate theincorporation of the villages into the city.

The 1873 map was an image map, converted into a

numerical map, and rectiﬁed against the 2005 base map and the satellite image of 2005 using the
GIS system.

The result of superimposition is shown in Figs. 8 (a) and 8 (b).

Using the numerical map on the GIS system, users can calculate the number of buildings,
the length of streets, and the area of water bodies on the map, as shown in Fig. 8 (a).
506

The result

SHIBAYAMA M. : Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and 20th Centuries

東南ア4604-2,8aFig. 8(a)東南ア4604-2,8bDistribution of Houses in 1873

Fig. 8(b)Houses in 1873 on the Satellite
Image in 2005

of overlaying that onto the satellite image of 2005 is shown in Fig. 8 (b).

The result allows

readers to understand and overview the range of roads and houses in those days compared withthe present-day.

It is also appropriate to consider the incorporation of villages into the city.

For example, the difference of brick or wooden house as building material can be identiﬁed by
calculation of the number for it.

However, the rectifying method in the GIS system might not

be accurate in terms of location, depending on the accuracy of the source data.
estimation can be available.

But, theThen, the rectiﬁed 1873 digital map can be used as a base map toestimate the position of village before the French period on the GIS system.
Estimated Positions of Old Villages, Prefectures and Districts
To understand the signiﬁcant transition to urbanization from the beginning of the French
Table 2

Transition of Villages

District

Ward

1820

1831

1888

Tho Xuong

Thanh Nhan
Yen Hoa
Kim Lien
Vinh Xuong
Dong Xuan
Dong Tho
Phuc Lam
Thuan My

20
26
23
30
17
19
29
29

19
26
23
30
17
19
29
30

8
11
15
15
14
13
18
22

Vinh Thanh

Yen ThanhNoiThuong
Trung
Ha

26
10
7
6
7

24
10
7
6
7

12
9
7
6
6

249

247

156

Total

Source: Nguyen Vinh Phuc, Duong va Pho Ha Noi, NXBB Giao Thong
Vantoi 2004
507

東南アジア研究東南ア4604-2,9aFig. 9(a)46巻 4 号

東南ア4604-2,8bCadastral Document in 1805-1837

Fig. 9(b)Historical Villages in 1888

colonial period, it is necessary as a basic premise to accurately grasp the positions anddistribution of the old villages and streets in the pre-colonial period.

The change in the numberof villages is shown in Table 2, focusing on the inside of citadel as shown in Fig. 1.

The name ofeach village in the pre-colonial period can be found the land registers from the old village map in
1888 (data count: 168 villages) [Phan 2006].

These land registers and the “Districts of Tho

Xuong and Vinh Thuan” map in Figs. 9 (a) and 9 (b) were used to map the individual villages
onto the rectiﬁed 1873 map.

Village names are shown only in Chinese-characters on the map.

However, based on investigation using only materials above, there is no way to indicate such avillage as an area with squares onto the digital map. Therefore, to accurately grasp the
positional relationships between the 168 villages that were plotted, an informatics approach wasapplied.
First, the Voronoi distribution analysis method, which divides a region into several subregions in a way that is totally determined by the conﬁguration of the data points, was applied toestimate the area of each village, as shown in Fig. 10.

From these results, it was possible toestimate the land area of each of the villages and the adjacent relationships among the villages,
and it was an effective method for comparing the scale of the villages using land area.

Then,

the result of combining this village mapping with the administrative classiﬁcations (districts,
wards, villages) recorded in the cadastral document, is shown in Fig. 11.

These results make itpossible to estimate the positions and sizes of the districts, which are a higher order spatial unit
than the villages.

However, since this is a result of estimating areas through the geo-

informatics approach, the boundaries of villages are not accurate.
508

SHIBAYAMA M. : Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and 20th Centuries

東南ア4604-2,10

東南ア4604-2,11

Fig. 10

Fig. 11

Estimation of Village Locations in1888 using Voronoi Diagram

Village and District Mapping in 1888

In order to prove the result, the village names written in the maps between 1885 and 1936
have to be compared together with the ﬁeld survey.

This investigation is beyond the scope of

this paper.
Network Analysis of Village Positions
Next, in order to conﬁrm the relationship between the 168 villages that were plotted, theNetwork theory,*1 which indicates the relationship between keywords, here is the name ofvillage extracted from the land register using a computer program, with a matrix consisting of
東南ア4604-2,12Fig. 12 Translation of Cadastral Document (see Fig. 9 (a))
Note: Translation: Yano Masataka
509

東南アジア研究013［望河］（Vaong Hà)̇
031［回美］（Hồi My~)041［武石］（Vũ Thach)̇

46巻 4 号

東―[接]: 大羅城脚地本總舊樓村寺地，luy~ trexanh，東安村地分と官路
南―[接]: Tả Vong 湖 本 總 舊 樓 村 佛 寺 土，luy~
̇ と安忠上村公土
tre xanh
東―[接]: 本縣東壽總舊樓村地分
西―[対]: 復古坊，舊樓村地分
北―[接]: 東壽總舊樓村
東―[接]: 本縣東壽總舊樓村地分本總回美村[界]: 舊樓村官湖と本村公土

東南ア4604-2,14

南―[接]: 東壽總舊樓村本總回美村，永昌總安
集村地分[界]: 舊樓村官湖から，本村民居籬沿い，
公湖公土沿い曲折る官路に沿い，安集村土居
北―[接]: 順美總福蘇村永昌總安忠上村，本縣東壽總舊樓村，本總回美村地分
北―[接]: 東壽總舊樓村地分官路

068［望德］（Vọng Đức)105［安忠上］ 東―[接]: 舊樓村民居（Yên Trung Thượng)Fig. 13

Keywords for Boundaries of Villages

keywords, was introduced.

Fig. 14

Spatial Relationships between Village

The keywords for the neighboring, bordering and facing villages,

streets and buildings indicated on the north, south, east and west lines in the land registers
based on Fig. 12 were taken as a ﬁrst step, and then the positional relationships between them isinferred.

Based on the results of extracting the keywords as shown in Fig. 13 using self-madecomputer program, it was possible to use Network theory*1 to visualize the spatial relationships
between the old villages as shown in Fig. 14.

By comparing and examining these

東南ア4604-2,15Fig. 15 Typical Record of 150 Sites of Vestiges and Ruins in Hanoi
Note: Translation: Yano Masataka
510

SHIBAYAMA M. : Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and 20th Centuries

results superimposed with the Voronoi diagram, it
became possible to more accurately estimate the

東南ア4604-2,16

positional relationships of the villages.
Historical Mapping of Vestiges, Ruins, and Relics
Vestiges and ruins are generally considered to occupy
more than 2,000 sites in central Hanoi.
famoussites

indicatedby

HPC

The 150 most(Hanoi

People’sCommittee) and an example of relics provided by Sakurai
are shown in Figs. 15 and 16 respectively.

Analysis ofthese historical sources is expected to play an importantrole in investigating the urbanization from the viewpointof social, political and anthropological aspects of humanbehavior in those days.

Fig. 16 Historical Inscription
Source: Sakurai Yumio

Mapping as a thematic map for

those sites is also in progress.

As a result of mapping,

the distribution by age of sites in Fig. 15 is shown in
Table 3.
Table 3Distribution by Age of Historical Places and Archeological Sites (Total: 132)

Year＜1000＜＜1200＜＜1400＜＜1600＜＜1800＜＜2000

Number

9

18

7

18

35

45

Note: Year: established

Identifying of the Old Gates of the Thang Long Area
The boundaries of the old Thang Long area are yet to be established.

It is necessary to clarify

the boundaries and gates of the area in order to investigate the urbanization from the view point

東南ア4604-2,17a

東南ア4604-2,17b

Fig. 17(a)Fig. 17(b)Estimation of Gates and ThangLong Area

Estimation of Gate Positions(expectation: (12) and (13))
511

東南アジア研究46巻 4 号
Table 4

東南ア4604-2,17c

Fig. 17(c)Position of Old Gates

Loaction

Street Name and Intersection

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)

Thanh Nien and Duong Nghi Tam
Bac and Nguyen K. Nhu
Nguyen Thiep and H. Dau
H. Chieu and Dao D.Tu
Ma MayH. Bac and Ng. Huu Huan
Lo Su and Ng. Huu Huan
Trang Tien and Ng. Huu Huan
Lo Duc and Tran Khat Chan
Pho Hue and Tran Khat Chan
Le Duan and Dai Co Viet
Ton Duc Thang and La Thanh*

(13)
(14)
(15)

Giang Vo and La Thanh*
Ngoc Ha and Son Tay
Thuy Khue and nearby Hung Vuong

Note: * Presumed by Shibayama based on the1888 village map (Fig. 9 (b))

Wall Remaining in 1902

partially seen on the 1885 map, and it should therefore be effective to superimpose the 1885
digital map on the 2005 digital map.

The result of superimposing the 1885 map onto current

roads in 2005 is shown in Fig. 17 (a).

According to the village map of 1888 discussed in theprevious section, the Tang Long area had 15 gates; and 13 of these gates can be identiﬁed basedon the 1885 map as shown in Fig. 17 (b).

The current position of each gate was estimated asshown in Fig. 17 (b) on the GIS system, and identiﬁed as shown in Table 4.
To prove the above estimation, I conducted a ﬁeld survey together with Sakurai as shownin Figs. 18 (a)-18 (d). Fig. 18 (a) shows the extant gate at a position (4) in Fig. 17 (b). And, Fig. 18 (b)shows position (11) in Fig. 17 (b).

Sakurai also discovered the site of an old wall as shown in

Fig. 17 (c), near the route from position (9) to (10) as shown in Figs. 18 (c) and 18 (d) respectively.

東南ア4604-2,18aFig. 18(a)512

東南ア4604-2,18b

Extant Gate at Position (4)Fig. 18(b)Scenery at Position (11)SHIBAYAMA M. : Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and 20th Centuries

東南ア4604-2,18c

Fig. 18(c)IV

東南ア4604-2,18d

Ruin of Wall at Position (9)Fig. 18(d)Ruin of Wall at Position (9)Three-dimensional Topographical Landscape Model

Three-dimensional (3D) spatial analysis can contribute to understanding the problems of how somany lakes and ponds disappeared, by what processes the construction of the levees on thewest bank of the Red River progressed, and how these affected all of the transformations of theurban environment during urbanization from the latter half of the 19th century through to thebeginning of the 20th century.

Therefore, an attempt was able to create a 3D landscape model

for understanding the difference between 1885 and 2005 from a bird’ s-eye perspective[Yonezawa and Shibayama 2008: 228].
Construction of a Three-dimensional Urban Landscape ModelIn the 2005 map, the number of stories of the houses, which indicates their height, is listed foreach block of houses.

If these blocks and the number of stories are entered into a GIS system

as three-dimensional data (called a “feature” in the GIS system), it is possible to generate a threedimensional urban landscape model as shown in Figs. 19 and 20.

Yonezawa is currently

entering approximately 700,000 data points as the number of stories with their position

東南ア4604-2,19
東南ア4604-2,20

Fig. 19 Topographic Map Using DEM
Source: Yonezawa Go

Fig. 20 3D Hanoi Landscape Model
Source: Yonezawa Go
513

東南アジア研究46巻 4 号

東南ア4604-2,21a

東南ア4604-2,2b

Fig. 21(a)Fig. 21(b) Houses in the Old Quarter in 1885
Source: Ota Shoichi

Building Data in the Old Quarterin 2005

東南ア4604-2,22aFig. 22(a)東南ア4604-2,22b

3D Model of Landscape in 2005

[Yonezawa and Shibayama et al. 2008].

Fig. 22(b)Expressing each feature using a timeline makes it

possible to restore the urban landscape of that time.
and wood homes, as described above.

3D Model of Landscape in 1885

This includes the distribution of thatch

In addition, it becomes possible to create an overview of

how the current urbanization is advancing in the places where the lakes and ponds existed in
the past.
The density of the blocks of houses as a 2D expression is shown in Fig. 21 (a) for 2005 andFig. 21 (b) for 1885.

Fig. 22 (a) shows the landscape in 2005 as a bird’s view eye after entering

the appropriate height value for each block of buildings.

Fig. 22 (b) shows an urban restoration

derived by modeling based on the 1885 digital map shown in Fig. 21 (b).

Here, it is assumed

that the height of the blocks of buildings is the same in all the blocks.
Comparing the landscapes in 2005 and 1885, it is evident that (1) the water area decreased
as greatly described above.

In particular, the citadel moat disappeared along with the wall.

(2) The density of building per unit area in 2005, of course, differs from that in 1885.

V

Discussion

In the previous section, urban transformation from the latter part of the 19th century throughthe beginning of the 20th century was observed using an area informatics approach.
514

The

SHIBAYAMA M. : Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and 20th Centuries

transformation consisted of changes in Thang Long citadel, the old quarter, and the south side of
the citadel, and changes in the 20th century and later.

Such observations clariﬁed what sort ofdevelopment occurred, especially, in relation to Sakurai’ s hypothesis that “signiﬁcant urban
development and transformation” occurred in those days.
Signiﬁcant Urban Development and Transformation
From the results of various observations, it can be concluded that “signiﬁcant urban
development” proceeded for approximately 10 years between 1890 and 1900.

The conclusion

rests on the following points.
(a) Changes in Thang Long citadel: Increase of military plant and barracks can be seen bycomparing the digital maps of 1885, 1890, and 1902.

This result supports the hypothesis

generated by Sakurai.
(b) Transformation in the old quarter: the continual ﬁlling in of ponds and marshes expanded in
the same period.

In particular, the citadel wall and moat were clearly destroyed by the

French. Also, a railway line was constructed along with the east side of the citadel.
(c) Urbanization in the south side of citadel: Observation and comparison of the three maps of1885, 1898, and 1902 reveals that several urban development plans were attempted by the
French.

Such development rapidly progressed westward from the west bank of Red Riverto the south side of Hoan Kiem lake and Thang Long citadel, together with settling newvillages on the river bank.

These developments also progressed during the same period.

However, the area near Bay Mau lake and Kim Lien district were developed after the startof the 20th century, because the map of 1902 shows no development plans there.
(d) Gates positioned at the border of Thang Long area: All 15 gates shown in the historical map
in 1888 and the map of 1885 had clearly disappeared by 1902.

It is concluded that thedisappearance was caused by the development of new roads and residential areas in thesame period.
New Findings on Area Informatics Approach
Several new ﬁndings on the geo-informatics approach were also derived in this study.

Geo-

informatics can be considered in part to be subsumed in area informatics, a discussion of whichlies beyond the scope of this paper. Thus, only new ﬁndings on the spatial analyses are described
here.

Research on geo-informatics using the GIS/RS, which employs spatial analyses and thefunction of visualization generally, can be effective and useful in area studies for gaining an
overview and understanding of transformations and topographic features in a speciﬁc area.
Such new ﬁndings were as follows.

(1) Several plans for road construction on the timelinefrom 1885 to 1902 were found to have been aborted.

This result came out of GIS technology,

which allows the superimposing of a shape described on one map onto another map.

When theplans for the road development together with the existing roads were extracted from the mapof 1885 and superimposed on the map of 1898, it was found that several planned roads had
disappeared in 1898 and 1902.

(2) Uncertainty about the boundary between the old quarter on515

東南アジア研究46巻 4 号

the east side of the citadel and the citadel itself had been a source of debate among historians,
but it was possible to conﬁrm and verify the border using the spatial analysis of maps andsatellite images superimposed on the GIS as shown in Fig. 6.
superimposing the maps of 1885 and 2005.

The same result was derived by(3) A new hypothesis was introduced by generatinga bird’s-eye view at the old quarter using 3D modeling.

Namely, an outstanding feature of thebuildings constructed after the ﬁlling in of ponds, marshes, and lakes is that they were muchhigher than the buildings that existed in 1885, as shown in Fig. 22 (a).
Additional Discussion for Area Informatics Approach
Applying geo-informatics for analyzing speciﬁc area can be effective and useful from theviewpoint of allowing easier map comparison and overlaying, the discrimination of features on
the map, the numerical calculation of the areas and the distances, the locations, and so on, and
3D modeling.

The typical functions used in this study were the map comparison on thetimeline, the square calculation for water area, and 3D modeling for comparing landscapes. In
addition, simulation methods such as the Voronoi diagram and Network theory*1 were used foranalyzing village locations and the relation between adjacent villages.

Through this study, it

can be said that geo-informatics was very effective in investigating the urbanization of Hanoi as
described above.

However, in the observation of the transition of villages on the periphery of

the citadel, the relationship between development and the transition of villages remains to beclariﬁed through estimation on the maps and conﬁrmation by ﬁeld survey.

VI

Conclusion: The Area Informatics Approach

In the research on the formation of the city of Hanoi described in the previous section, a basemap based on 2005 satellite images was created, and six maps from 1885 through 1936 weresuperimposed on the base map.
examine urban transformation.

Then, spatial analyses were carried out to compare andThis is a real-world example of identifying spatial positions on

numerous target maps and eliminating arbitrariness to decipher the temporal changes in thephenomena expressed on the maps.

Next, the accurate superimposition of the maps,

accompanied by ﬁeld research, yielded some conclusions regarding the history and location of
the border between the old citadel and the old quarter, which have been in dispute among
historians.

In addition, quantitative analyses and estimates were also possible of the land areasof the Thang Long citadel and villages, the distances between the villages, the distribution,
densities and positions of the villages based on an 1888 illustrated map, the differentiation
between wood or brick in home-building materials in 1873, a timeline of the construction of thelevees and the disappearance of lakes and ponds, as well as the distribution of ruins andhistorical sites and the distribution of historical relics and inscriptions.

By building a three-dimensional topographical model, it also was able to clearly see the landscape with a bird’s-eyeview.
We believe that research on the process of urban formation in Hanoi as well as research on
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SHIBAYAMA M. : Hanoi’s Urban Transformation in the 19th and 20th Centuries

the topographical changes from 1885 onward make it possible to comprehensively and multidimensionally survey the Hanoi area by creating relationships between the “place” and “time”
of individual events and phenomena, including approximately 2,000 historical sites, many
thousands of monument inscriptions and sociological data.

In other words, the individual

events and phenomena (hereinafter, “phenomena”) within the expanse of space and time can bemapped, and the mutual relationships between these phenomena can be understood.

Whenthese phenomena are viewed from the perspective of spatial informatics, they are expressed interms of “position” and “elevation,” as shown in the landscape of Hanoi.

In other words, they

are expressed in three-dimensional space.

When a temporal axis is added, a four dimensional

spatiotemporal model can be implemented.

We have introduced informatics to area studies,

and we believe that this makes it possible to more clearly understand the structure and functionof areas within a four dimensional spatiotemporal model.

This is because we believe this may

allow us to see the overall movement and dynamism of areas.

The task is to investigate thethvillage transition in the latter part of the 19 century and the transformation of Hanoi after theyear 1900 by means of an area informatics approach.
Acknowledgement
The author is grateful to Prof. Yumio Sakurai, Emeritus Professor of the University of Tokyo, Dr. Go
Yonezawa, the Institute of Sustainability, Kyoto University, Dr. Shoichi Ota, The University of Tokyo, Dr.
Truong Xuan Luan, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, Vietnam, Dr. Ho Dinh Duan, the Institute ofGeography, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, Vietnam, Prof. Venkatesh Raghavan, Osaka
City University, Dr. Hoang Minh Hien, the Ministry of Resources and Environment, Vietnam, and otherrelated colleagues for many frequent discussions.
This research is based on “Development of Area Informatics: With Emphasis on Southeast Asia” in
Scientiﬁc Research (S) (Issue No. 17101008, Mamoru Shibayama, Kyoto University, Principal Researcher).
Note: *1: Network theory is an area of applied mathematics and part of graph theory which is the study ofgraphs: mathematical structures used to model pair-wise relations between objects from a certain
collection. The Network theory concerns itself with the study of graphs as a representation of either
symmetric relations or, more generally, of asymmetric relations between discrete objects. Examples ofwhich include logistical networks, social networks, and so on. In this paper, an object corresponds to avillage in the cadastral document.
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