High hopes for Haiphong

Trip report and construction update from this underrated historic port city.

This is my second time in Haiphong, and things have changed since my last visit in 2019.

I’m putting together a Future Haiphong fact sheet while I’m here, which involves walking around the major construction sites.

Haiphong is home to the largest port in Vietnam, and it is one of the most interesting port cities in Southeast Asia (if you compare the largest port cities of each country). No one is beating down the door to visit places like Laem Chabang in Chonburi, or Klang for Klang Port in Malaysia. There is Singapore, of course, but no one goes there to hang out at Tuas Port. Perhaps Yangon is the most interesting, with Haiphong second.

Haiphong has a decent collection of colonial-era architecture, and the old tree-lined streets feel like a mini Hanoi. Haiphong is basically the port for Hanoi, so it makes sense that it feels like an extension of Hanoi. Many of the old villas are in bad shape, which adds to the charm of the city, but they will soon be gone if they are not restored.

Haiphong is near Ha Long Bay, but most visitors go straight there from Hanoi. When I first visited Haiphong, I saw very few foreigners, and this time around, I haven’t seen any obvious tourists.

It appears that the government is leaning into the city being an industrial and business hub. It is the biggest port after all, and the gateway for the industrial Red River Delta region.

Its position as a business city is evident, with some big-name hotels being built at the moment. Here is the nearly complete Pullman Hotel.

[Pullman Hotel Hai Phong.]

Nearby is the Hilton Hotel, which shares the space with BRG Legend (serviced apartments).

[Old and new Haiphong (Hilton project in the background).]

And near the landmark opera house, the Hyatt Place is creating its own landmark presence on the city skyline.

[Hyatt Place under construction, and the Haiphong Opera House.]

I didn’t know about this one until I got here. There is no mention of it in the media, and the construction company Hoa Binh hasn’t listed it on its website. Hoa Binh is one of the biggest construction companies in Vietnam, yet many of these companies do not keep their websites updated. This is why I do this.

I saw another big construction project, but after seeing what it was, I was not going to take any photos of it. Haiphong is the headquarters for the Vietnam People’s Navy, and there is a big headquarters being built here. This photo is of To Huu Park, and you can see the HQ building in the distance.

[New HQ in the background.]

The project I was most interested in visiting was the site of what was going to be one of the tallest buildings in Vietnam. FLC Diamond 72 Tower broke ground in 2020, at a time when FLC Group was expanding in Vietnam (this was early in the pandemic). The project has since been cancelled, and the chairman of FLC Group was arrested for stock manipulation. The project has now been taken over by Vivaland, which will build a smaller tower on the site. Vivaland are from Hanoi, but they have made a name for themselves in Saigon by taking over two stalled projects.

Vivaland has now put their logo on the site, so I will keep track of how this is going in the future.

[Vivaland site at the former FLC site.]

One thing that would change the fortunes of Haiphong would be if they upgraded the railway to Hanoi. The current train takes 2h 35m for the 102 km journey, for an average speed of about 40km/h. This should be an intercity commuter railway with regular service throughout the day. A train with a speed of 160 km/h would make the trip about 38 minutes. That would make Haiphong a commuter city, and it might entice more visitors to the city as well.

[Hai Phong Railway Station]

Speaking of the railway, I will be going to Hanoi via the Hanoi-Haiphong Railway. I will be looking into the railways surrounding the capital and what Vietnam needs to do to improve the railway system.