Hai Phong Overview
Hai Phong is one of the most important cities of portal services in Vietnam; with the advantage of having deep-watered ports, maritime transport there is very developed. Hai Phong is also the 3rd largest city in Vietnam. The name means "coastal defense". Hai Phong is also called "The City of the Red Flamboyant" because of having a lot of flamboyant trees planted in the city. The city shares the same border with Quang Ninh in the north, Hai Duong in the west, and with Thai Binh in the south.
Topography
In Hai Phong, hills account for 15%, mainly located in the north, forming a midland geological structure of plains along with hills alternately; southern terrain is low and flat, a typical delta sloping to the sea, with the elevations from 0.7 to 1.7 m above the sea level. The sea is bestowed with Cat Ba Island known as the pearl of Hai Phong, comprising of over 360 small and large islands adjacent to Ha Long Bay. Cat Ba Island is at an altitude of 200m above sea level, covering an area of about 100 km2, 30 nautical miles from the city centre.
Climate
Hai Phong features a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and warm, dry winters. The city is noticeably wetter from April through October. There is a noticeable difference in temperatures between the city’s winters and summers. Hai Phong’s coolest months, January and February, sees average high temperatures reach 20°C and average low temperatures at around 14oC. Its warmest months, June and July, sees average high temperatures hover around 33oC and average low temperatures at around 26°C. Sea temperatures range from a low of 21°C in February to a high of 30°C during the months of July and August.
Tourism
With the flourishing economy plus beautiful natural landscape, Hai Phong is not only an economic center but also a great tourist attraction. Staying at Hai Phong – the seaport city, visitors can enjoy many beauty spots (Cat Ba Island, Monkey Island, Do Son beach, etc.) as well as interesting festivals such as the buffalo fight festival. Besides, Hai Phong has many pagodas, temples, mausoleums and shrines namely Du Hang pagoda, Nghe temple, Hang Kenh communal house, etc. Hai Phong lies on the tourism route: Hanoi – Hai Phong – Halong Bay, which is convenient for the city to develop tourism. Visiting Hai Phong, tourists will not only have opportunity to visit the well-known tourist attractions, but also take chance to enjoy the local seafood and specialties. Hai Phong welcomes any tourists and it is becoming a great destination for relaxation and recreation after hard working days in noisy cities.
Transportation
Hai Phong is served by an important transportation network of sea routes, roads, railways, and airlines. Hai Phong is 102km from Hanoi. The National Highway No. 10 links Hai Phong to the provinces of Quang Ninh, Thai Binh and Thanh Hoa. In addition, there are connecting daily flights with Ho Chi Minh City, departed from Cat Bi Airport. Besides, daily ferries from the dock on Ben Binh St. for other destinations.The ferry runs from Haiphong to Cat Ba Island several times a day. The hydrofoil boats run between Hai Phong - Cat Ba and Hai Phong - Hon Gai.
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