According to various records, from the 1880s to the end of the 1910s, there were three significant storms that swept through Hanoi, causing severe damage to the city.
Specifically, from the 1880s until the end of the first decade of the 20th century, three major storms hit Hanoi [1]:
– The first storm struck Hanoi on the night of October 5 to the early morning of October 6, 1881. This storm destroyed numerous houses and trees in the French Concession area (now Pham Ngu Lao Street). It is estimated that the storm caused damages amounting to approximately 7,000 to 8,000 French francs [2].
Not stopping there, the flood in Hanoi in 1884 washed away a 60-meter wide and 3-kilometer long stretch of land in the French Concession. This area, built in the southeast of the city, right along the banks of the Red River, has historically faced flooding and devastation from floodwaters [3].
A year later, the flood of 1885 continued to wash away a significant portion of several thousand cubic meters of land from the Concession area. Government buildings such as the Governor-General’s Office, the Commander-in-Chief’s Residence, and the General Staff Office were nearly washed away into the Red River [4].
Temple and statue of King Le before the storm in July 1902. (Photo: Edgard Imberd).
– The second storm hit Hanoi in July 1902, damaging the temple and statue of King Le at the corner of Beauchamps Street (now Le Thai To Street) and Jules Ferry Street (now Hang Trong Street). To repair the damage caused by the storm, the Hanoi Prefect received 250 Indochinese dollars (as per Chapter XI, Article 6, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Northern Budget) to restore the statue of King Le [5].
Around Ho Guom after the storm in June 1903. (Image collection).
– The third storm occurred at the end of June 1903 and was also a significant storm, which contemporary newspapers referred to as a “major storm.” Not only was De Lanessan Hospital severely damaged, but the 1903 storm also destroyed several other structures in Hanoi, including the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam.
De Lanessan Hospital after the storm in June 1903. (Image collection).
In May 1904, Hoang Cao Khai (then Governor of Northern Vietnam, who had retired) sent a letter to the Northern Governor requesting funding to repair damage caused by the storm to the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam.
Two years after the storm, in 1905, the Hanoi Prefect received 3,000 dollars from the local budget to remedy the damages at the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam and 700 dollars for the restoration of worship items at the temple [6].
Paul Bert Square (now Ly Thai To Flower Garden) after the storm in June 1903. (Image collection).
Today, due to significant global climate change, the occurrence of major storms hitting Hanoi is inevitable. However, with a proactive approach to prevent and respond to storms and natural disasters, both the government and our people have significantly mitigated the loss of life and property.
[1] Excluding smaller storms that did not cause damage to life and property.
[2] André Masson, Hanoï pendant la période héroïque (1873-1888), Paris, 1929, p. 101.
[3] André Masson, Hanoï pendant la période héroïque (1873-1888), Paris, 1929, p. 107.
[4] Pham Xuan Hang – Phan Phuong Thao (Co-editors), Chronology of Thang Long – Hanoi, Hanoi Publishing House, 2010, p. 367.
[5] RST, hs: 26842. Repair of the monument of King Le located at Avenue Beauchamps in Hanoi 1902.
[6] RST, hs: 56737. Repairs to the Temple of Literature (Pagoda of Crows) Hanoi 1904-1905.
