Urban landscapes of Vietnam ­ connection among the past ­ present and future

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Key theme: 04 Abstracts for which the authors did not indicate a key theme
Date of reception: 05/12/2008

AUTHORS (*Main author)

NGOC NGHIEM, Dao * (Viet Nam) - Association of Planning for urban development of Hanoi
VINH PHUC, Nguyen (Viet Nam) - Historical Association of Hanoi

ABSTRACT

I.Definition of urban landscape
-Human activities for constructing urban and daily life have been gradually converted natural landscape (topography, geology, water surface, creature...) into artificial landscapes.
-The combination of atificial (man-made) and natural elements creates physical environment of urban.
-The human is not only the subject who creates urban landscape but also one of the components of the landscape.
-Urban landscape is one of expressions of cultural landscape and artificial landscape at highest and most complicated level which mainly depends on natural limitation, in contrast, not on administrative boundary.
-Factors changing urban landscape
- Human activities
- Law of nature
- Law of economy
- Law of socio-cultural development

In case of Vietnam, besides above-mentioned factors, urban landscapes even was influent by severe weather conditions and the experienced- wars.

II.Brief introduction of urbanization process in Vietnam
- Urbanization process in Vietnam reflects not only productive forces' activities but also characteristics of community culture and the changes in life style of rural people into urban people.
- Geographical location of Vietnam is on the interference of great civilizations.
- Urban were influent by Confucianism from China and Buddhism from India which set foundation for creating Oriental phylosophy and culture. However, Vietnamese culture still keeps its national characters, therefore, Vietnamese urban also have typical characters.
- Historical phases shaping and developing Vietnamese urban
- Initial phase
- Feudal phase
- French colonial phase
- From August evolution (1945) till now
III.Characteristics of urbanization process of Hanoi
- Being a long-standing habitat and 2300-year-old capital (Co Loa citadel)
From Chinese domination to Xth century : being governor centre via military administration together with developing handicraft professtions.
From 1010 : being Dai Viet's capital, Hanoi clearly manifested 2 components : citadel and market (Thang Long ­ Hanoi citadel and Hanoi Old Quarter ­ 36-street quarter for instance).
- French colonial phase : developing much more industrial urban and cities with consumption- function.
- From August revolution till now : being not only a political, economic, cultural centre but aloso an interantional and domestic trade centre.
Hanoi's historical monuments scattered within natural landscapes of Hanoi. Hanoi is considered to be symbolic historical urban which shows connection between tradition and modern.
Urban landscape is harmony within diversified architecture

REFERENCES