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Destinations >> Red River Delta :> Red River Delta - Hai Phong Hai Phong is one of the largest cities in Vietnam after Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. It is situated 102 kilometers east of Hanoi and connected with the sea by a narrow access channel. Haiphong was officially founded in 1888. The city lies on the bank of the Cam River and is a major international seaport of the North. It was already a commercial port some centuries ago when merchants from China, Japan, France, Spain and Portugal came to trade. As a major port of Vietnam and one of the largest ports in Southeast Asia, Haiphong was developed by the French in 1974 and became the chief naval of base of French Indochina. A shipbuilding industry and cement, glass, porcelain, and textile works were established by the French. At the beginning of the French-Indochina War in November 1946, French naval vessels shelled the city, killing thousands of Vietnamese. After the French departed and the state of North Vietnam was created (1954), the silted-up harbour was reconstructed with Chinese and Soviet aid, and the docks and shipbuilding yards were repaired and modernized. The old French cement plant was enlarged, and fish-canning, chemical-fertilizer, machine-tool, and additional textile industries were established. During the Vietnam War, Hai Phong was severely bombed by the United States; the shipyards and the industrial section of the city were devastated, rail connections with Hanoi were disrupted, and thousands of homes were destroyed. The harbour was mined by U.S. naval planes in May, 1972, and effectively sealed until the mines were swept by U.S. forces after the cease-fire agreement in 1973. Reconstruction, while slow, was aided by the dismantling and relocation of many of the factories during the bombings; when returned to Haiphong, much of the machinery was able to function in ruined structures. Hai Phong has been substantially rebuilt; a steel plant was built there in the mid-1990s. Nowadays, Hai Phong is joining the whole country in the renovation, speeding up the implementation of its own economic to build export processing and industrial zones to develop the city's local industries. Besides its naturally beautiful seascapes, Hai Phong also attracts people keen on its unique traditional festivals, ceremonies, and places of historic and cultural interest. :> Puppet Shows Puppet shows is one of old arts of village festivities. In Haiphong, this art originated seven generations ago from Bao Ha village, Dong Minh commune, Vinh Bao district, 30 kilometers from the center of the city. The pretty puppets of Bao Ha are 30cm high. Their bodies are simply made of wood and their hands of cotton cloth. Nowadays, Bao Ha puppet shows become more attractive with the accompaniment of music, speech and songs. In Vinh Bao district, the water puppet shows of Nhan Hoa village are also renowned. The natural beauty of the environment and the explosion of firecrackers made the performances very attractive. Nhan Hoa puppets are made of wood and undressed, but covered by traditional paints. Usually, the places of performance are lakes and ponds. Nowadays in the theaters, water tanks are made to serve the shows.
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