IV.

The Urban Landscape

Metropolitan Hanoi covers an area of 2146 sq km (829 sq mi). The city proper is divided into four administrative sectors: Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Dong Da, and Hai Ba Trung. Hoan Kiem, the oldest and most densely populated sector, is located on the bank of the Red River. This area is characterized by French colonial-style buildings and wide boulevards. Picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake is located here, and Turtle Pagoda stands on one of the lake's two islands. Northwest of Hoan Kiem is the Ba Dinh sector, where the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the tomb of the 20th-century Vietnamese Communist leader Ho Chi Minh, is located. The National Assembly and Party Headquarters buildings and Tran Quoc Pagoda, are also located in Ba Dinh. South of Ba Dinh is Dong Da, the largest sector of metropolitan Hanoi, noted for its hospitals and schools. The Hai Ba Trung sector lies east of Dong Da and south of Hoan Kiem along the Red River bank.