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Hanoi Thành phố Hà Nội
—  Municipality  —
(from left) top: Long Bien Bridge, river near Perfume Pagoda; middle: Turtle Tower, bottom: Temple of Literature, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi Opera House
Official logo of Hanoi Emblem of Hanoi
Provincial location in Vietnam
Coordinates: 21°2′0″N 105°51′00″E / 21.033333°N 105.85°E / 21.033333; 105.85Coordinates: 21°2′0″N 105°51′00″E / 21.033333°N 105.85°E / 21.033333; 105.85
Country	Vietnam
Central city	Hanoi
Founded, Capital of the Đại Việt	1010
Capital of Vietnam	September 2, 1945
Demonym	Hanoians
Government
• Party's Secretary (Bí thư Thành ủy)	Phạm Quang Nghị
• People's Council's President (Chủ tịch Hội đồng Nhân Dân)	Ngô Thị Doãn Thanh
• People's Committee's President (Chủ tịch Ủy ban Nhân Dân)	Nguyễn Thế Thảo
Area
• Municipality	3,344.7 km2 (1,291.4 sq mi)
• Urban	186.22 km2 (71.90 sq mi)
Population (2009)
• Municipality	6,500,000
• Rank	2nd in Vietnam
• Density	1,900/km2 (5,000/sq mi)
Time zone	ICT (UTC+7)
Website	hanoi.gov.vn

Hanoi (Hà Nội;  listen), is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts,^[1] 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction.^[2] From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam. It was eclipsed by Huế during the Nguyen dynasty as the capital of Vietnam, but Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina from 1902 to 1954. From 1954 to 1976, it was the capital of North Vietnam.

The city is located on the right bank of the Red River. Hanoi is located at 1,760 km (1,090 mi) north of Ho Chi Minh City.

October 2010 officially marked 1000 years since the establishment of the city.

History[link]

• 

  Turtle Tower in Hoan Kiem Lake, in central Hanoi

• 

  Emperor Lý Thái Tổ made Thăng Long (Hanoi) his capital in the 11th century

• 

  Colonial Hanoi

• 

  Modern Hanoi

Hanoi has been inhabited since at least 3000 BC. One of the first known permanent settlements is the Co Loa citadel (Cổ Loa) founded around 200 BC.

Hanoi has had many names throughout history, all of them of Sino-Vietnamese origin. During the Chinese domination of Vietnam, it was known first as Long Biên, then Tống Bình (Chinese: 宋平, Sòngpíng, "Song Peace") and Long Đỗ (Chinese: 龍肚, Lóngdù, "Dragonbelly"). In 866, it was turned into a citadel and named Đại La (Chinese: 大羅, Dàluó, "Big Net").

In 1010, Ly Thai To, the first ruler of the Lý Dynasty, moved the capital of Đại Việt to the site of the Đại La Citadel. Claiming to have seen a dragon ascending the Red River, he renamed the site Thăng Long (昇龍, "Rising Dragon") - a name still used poetically to this day. Thăng Long remained the capital of Đại Việt until 1397, when it was moved to Thanh Hóa, then known as Tây Đô (西都), the "Western Capital". Thăng Long then became Đông Đô (東都), the "Eastern Capital."

In 1408, the Chinese Ming Dynasty attacked and occupied Vietnam, changing Đông Đô's name to "Eastern Gateway" (Chinese: 東關, Dōngguān), Đông Quan in Vietnamese. In 1428, the Vietnamese overthrew the Chinese under the leadership of Lê Lợi, who later founded the Lê Dynasty and renamed Đông Quan Đông Kinh (東京, "Eastern Capital") or Tonkin. Right after the end of the Tây Sơn Dynasty, it was named Bắc Thành (北城, "Northern Citadel").

In 1802, when the Nguyễn Dynasty was established and moved the capital to Huế, the old name Thăng Long was modified to become Thăng Long (昇隆, "Ascending & Flourishing"). In 1831, the Nguyễn emperor Minh Mạng renamed it Hà Nội (河内, "Between Rivers" or "River Interior"). Hanoi was occupied by the French in 1873 and passed to them ten years later. As Hanoï, it became the capital of French Indochina after 1887.

The city was occupied by the Japanese in 1940 and liberated in 1945, when it briefly became the seat of the Viet Minh government after Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independence of Vietnam. However, the French returned and reoccupied the city in 1946. After nine years of fighting between the French and Viet Minh forces, Hanoi became the capital of an independent North Vietnam in 1954.

During the Vietnam War, Hanoi's transportation facilities were disrupted by the bombing of bridges and railways. These were all, however, promptly repaired. Following the end of the war, Hanoi became the capital of a reunified Vietnam when North and South Vietnam were reunited on July 2, 1976.

On May 29, 2008, it was decided that Ha Tay Province, Vĩnh Phúc's Mê Linh district and 4 communes of Lương Sơn District, Hoa Binh be merged into the metropolitan area of Hanoi from August 1, 2008.^[3] Hanoi's total area then increased to 334,470 hectares in 29 subdivisions^[4] with the new population being 6,232,940.^[4], effectively tripling its size. The Hanoi Capital Region (Vùng Thủ đô Hà Nội), a metropolitan area covering Hanoi and 6 surrounding provinces under its administration, will have an area of 13,436 square kilometers with a population of 15 million by 2020.^[5]

Climate[link]

Hanoi seen from Spot Satellite

Hanoi features a warm humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) with plentiful precipitation. The city experiences the typical climate of northern Vietnam, where summers are hot and humid, and winters are, by national standards, relatively cool and dry. Summers, lasting from May to September, are hot and humid, receiving the majority of the annual 1,680 millimetres (66.1 in) of rainfall. The winters are short, relatively dry, and mild, while spring can bring light rains.

Education[link]

Indochina Medical College in the early 20th century, today the Hanoi Medical University

Hanoi University of Technology students wearing áo dài

Hanoi, as the capital of French Indochina, was home to the first Western-style universities in Indochina, including: Indochina Medical College (1902) - now Hanoi Medical University, Indochina University (1904) - now Hanoi National University, and École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de L'Indochine (1925) - now Hanoi University of Fine Art.

After the Communist Party took control over Hanoi in 1954 with support from the Soviet Union, many new universities were built, among them, Hanoi University of Technology remains the largest technical university in Vietnam.

Hanoi is the largest centre of education in Vietnam. It is estimated that 62% of the scientists in the whole country are living and working in Hanoi.^[8] Admissions to undergraduate study are through entrance examinations, which are conducted annually and open for everyone (who has successfully completed his/her secondary education) in the country. The majority of universities in Hanoi are public, although in recent years a number of private universities have started their operation. Thăng Long University, founded in 1988, by some Vietnamese mathematics professors in Hanoi and France^[9] is the first private university in Vietnam.

Because many of Vietnam's major universities are located in Hanoi, students from other provinces (especially in the northern part of the country) wishing to enter university often travel to Hanoi for the annual entrance examination. Such events often take place in June and July, during which a large number of students and their families converge on the city for several weeks around this intense examination period. In recent years, these entrance exams have been centrally coordinated by the Ministry of Education, but passing marks are decided independently by each university.

Although there are state owned kindergartens, there are also many private ventures that serve both local and international needs. Pre-tertiary (elementary and secondary) schools in Hanoi are generally state run although there are some independent schools. Education is equivalent to the K–12 system in the US, with elementary school between grades 1 and 5, middle school (or junior high) between grades 6 and 9, and high school from grades 10 to 12.

Landmarks[link]

North gate of Hanoi Citadel from inside (19th century)

As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, Hanoi is considered one of the main cultural centres of Vietnam, where most Vietnamese dynasties have left their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike. Even when the nation's capital moved to Huế under the Nguyễn Dynasty in 1802, the city of Hanoi continued to flourish, especially after the French took control in 1888 and modeled the city's architecture to their tastes, lending an important aesthetic to the city's rich stylistic heritage. The city hosts more cultural sites than any city in Vietnam,^[10] and boasts more than 1,000 years of history, and that of the past few hundred years has been well preserved.^[11]

Old Quarter[link]

Main gate to the Temple of Literature

Hoan Kiem lake by night

The Old Quarter, near Hoan Kiem lake, has the original street layout and architecture of old Hanoi. At the beginning of the 20th century the city consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the old quarter. Each street then had merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewellery, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. The area is famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops. Local cuisine specialties as well as several clubs and bars can be found here also. A night market (near Đồng Xuân market) in the heart of the district opens for business every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening with a variety of clothing, souvenirs and food.

Some others prominent places are: The Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu), site of the oldest university in Vietnam 1010; One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột); Flag Tower of Hanoi (Cột cờ Hà Nội). In 2004, a massive part of the 900 year old Hanoi Citadel was discovered in central Hanoi, near the site of Ba Dinh Square.^[12]

Lakes[link]

A city between the rivers, built from lowland, Hanoi has many scenic lakes and it is sometimes called "city of lakes". Among its lakes, the most famous are Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, Halais Lake (Hồ Thiền Quang in Vietnamese), and Bay Mau Lake. Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as Sword Lake, is the historical and cultural center of Hanoi, and is linked to the legend of the magic sword. West Lake (Hồ Tây) is a popular place for people to spend time. It is the largest lake in Hanoi and there are many temples in the area. There are small boats for hire and a floating restaurant.

Colonial Hanoi[link]

Hotel Metropole in colonial Hanoi

Under French rule, as an administrative centre for the French colony of Indochina, the French colonial architecture style became dominant, many examples remain today: the tree-lined boulevards (e.g. Phan Dinh Phung street) and its many villas and mansions, Grand Opera House, State Bank of Vietnam (formerly The Bank of Indochina), Presidential Palace (formerly Palace of the Governor-General of French Indochina), Saint Joseph Cathedral, and the historic Hotel Metropole. Many of the colonial structures are an eclectic mixture of French and traditional Vietnamese architectural styles, such as the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts and the old Indochina Medical College.

Museums[link]

Hanoi is also home to a number of museums:

• National Museum of Vietnamese History
• Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts
• Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
• Vietnam Museum of Revolution
• Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Lo Prison)
• Ho Chi Minh Museum
• Contemporary Arts Centre
• Vietnam Military History Museum
• The Hanoi Museum (currently under construction until 2010)

Entertainment[link]

Performance of the water puppet theatre Thăng Long

A variety of options for entertainment in Hanoi can be found throughout the city. Modern and traditional theaters, cinemas, karaoke bars, dance clubs, bowling alleys, and an abundance of opportunities for shopping provide leisure activity for both locals and tourists. Hanoi has been named as one of the top 10 cities for shopping in Asia by Smart Travel Asia.^[13] The number of art galleries exhibiting Vietnamese art has dramatically increased in recent years, including galleries such as "Nhat Huy" of Huynh Thong Nhat.

A popular traditional form of entertainment is water puppetry, which is shown for example at the Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre.

Shopping[link]

With its rapid growth and extremely high population density, several modern shopping centers have been built in Hanoi. Major centers include:

• Trang Tien Plaza, Hoan Kiem District
• Vincom City Towers, Ba Trieu Street, Hai Ba Trung District
• Ruby Plaza, 44 Le Ngoc Han Street, Hai Ba Trung District
• Parkson Department Store, Tây Sơn Street, Viet Tower, Dong Da District
• Big C Thăng Long Supercenter, Cau Giay District
• Metro AG, Tu Liem District
• [[The Garden Shopping Center]], Me Tri - My Dinh, Tu Liem District
• Vincom Shopping Galleries, Vincom Park Place, Hai Ba Trung District
• Ciputra Mall, Ciputra urban area, Tay Ho District (currently under construction)
• Yen So Shopping Mall, Hoang Mai District (currently under construction)

Cuisine[link]

Bánh cuốn Thanh Tri dish

Hanoi has rich food traditions and many of Vietnam's most famous dishes, such as phở, chả cá, bánh cuốn and cốm are thought to come from Hanoi. Perhaps most widely known is Phở, a simple rice noodle soup often eaten as a breakfast dish in the home or at streetside cafes, but also served in restaurants as a meal. Two varieties dominate the Hanoi scene: Phở Bò, containing beef, and Phở Gà, containing chicken.

Hanoi has been selected as one of the top 10 cities for food in the world by Shermans Travel.^[14] Vietnam's national dish Phở has been also named as one of the Top5 streetfood in the world by globalpost.^[15]

Hanoi has a restaurant about the insect food, in Khuong Thuong village, Hanoi. The most special cuisines at his restaurant are those processed from ant-eggs, in the styles of Thai people or Muong and Tay ethnic people in Vietnam.

Population[link]

Hanoian girls wearing traditional costume Áo dài during APEC Summit 2006

Hanoi's population is constantly growing (about 3.5% per year^[16]), a reflection of the fact that the city is both a major metropolitan area of Northern Vietnam, and also the country's political centre. This population growth also puts a lot of pressure onto the infrastructure, some of which is antiquated and dates back from the early 20th century.

The number of Hanoians who settled down for more than three generations is likely to be very small as compared to the overall population of the city. Even in the Old Quarter, where commerce started hundreds years ago and was mostly a family business, many of the street-front stores nowadays are owned by merchants and retailers from other provinces. The original owner family may have either rented out the store and moved to live further inside the house, or just moved out of the neighbourhood altogether. The pace of change has especially escalated after the abandonment of central-planning economic policies, and relaxing of the district-based household registrar system.^{[citation needed]}

Hanoi's telephone numbers have been increased to 8 digits to cope with demand (October 2008). Subscribers telephone numbers have been changed in a haphazard way.

[edit] Transport

Motor scooters dominate the roads in the Old Quarter (2007)

Hanoi is served by Noi Bai International Airport, located in the Soc Son District, approximately 40 km (25 mi) north of Hanoi. Noi Bai is the only international airport for the northern regions of Vietnam.

Hanoi will have additionally another international airport, which will cost $8 billion, being the highest foreign investment so far in the history of Vietnam.^[17] The construction will be carried out in three stages,the first phase will start in 2011 until 2015.

There are two main highways linking the airport and city. The route to the city via Thăng Long Bridge is more direct than Highway 1, which runs along the outskirts of the city. The main highways are shared by cars, motor scooters, with separate lanes by the side for bicycles. Taxis are plentiful and usually have trip meters, although it is also common to agree on the trip price before taking a taxi from airport to the city centre. Tourists also sometimes tour the city on cyclos especially in the Old Quarter.

Hanoi is also the origin departure point for many Vietnam Railways train routes in the country. The Reunification Express (tàu Thống Nhất) runs from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City from Hanoi station (formerly Hang Co station), with stops at cities and provinces along the line. Trains also depart Hanoi frequently for Hai Phong and other northern cities.

The main means of transport within the city are motorbikes, buses, taxis, and bicycles. Motorbikes remain the most common way to move around the city.^{[citation needed]} Public buses run on many routes and fare can be purchased on the bus. For short trips, "xe ôm" (literally, "hug vehicle") motorcycle taxis are available where the passenger sits at the rear of a motorbike.

Economy[link]

Hanoi has the highest Human Development Index among the cities in Vietnam.^{[citation needed]} According to a recent ranking by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hanoi will be the fastest growing city in the world in term of GDP growth from 2008 to 2025.^[18]

Hanoi new urban zone - My Dinh

Kim Ma Street

Industrial production in the city has experienced a rapid boom since the 1990s, with average annual growth of 19.1 percent from 1991–95, 15.9 percent from 1996–2000, and 20.9 percent during 2001–2003.^{[citation needed]} In addition to eight existing industrial parks, Hanoi is building five new large-scale industrial parks and 16 small- and medium-sized industrial clusters. The non-state economic sector is expanding fast, with more than 48,000 businesses currently operating under the Enterprise Law (as of 3/2007).^[19]

Trade is another strong sector of the city. In 2003, Hanoi had 2,000 businesses engaged in foreign trade, having established ties with 161 countries and territories. The city's export value grew by an average 11.6 percent each year from 1996–2000 and 9.1 percent during 2001–2003.^{[citation needed]} The economic structure also underwent important shifts, with tourism, finance, and banking now playing an increasingly important role.

Hanoi's business districts are traditionally Hoan Kiem and the neighborhood; and a newly developing Trung Hoa Nhan Chinh in the southwestern part.

Similar to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi enjoys a rapidly developing real estate market.^[20] The metropolis's economy growth does not seem correlative to its infrastructure. Overloading population requires a much larger supply of accommodations, while the constructing celerities of both transport system and new urban areas are too low.^[21] Not surprisingly, as an effect of this problem, the apartment and real estate fever occur severely during the time.^[22] More widespread, the fever even influences Ha Tay, the neighboring province, considered the future development space of the capital.^[23] The current most notable new urban areas are central Trung Hoa Nhan Chinh, My Dinh, the luxurious zones of The Manor and Ciputra.

Agriculture, previously a pillar in Hanoi's economy, has striven to reform itself, introducing new high-yield plant varieties and livestock, and applying modern farming techniques.^{[citation needed]}

Together with economic growth, Hanoi's appearance has also changed significantly, especially in recent years. Infrastructure is constantly being upgraded, with new roads and an improved public transportation system.^{[citation needed]}

Sport centers[link]

My Dinh National Stadium

There are several gymnasiums and stadiums throughout the city of Ha Noi. The biggest ones are My Dinh National Stadium (Le Duc Tho Boulevard), Quan Ngua Sporting Palace (Van Cao Avenue), Hanoi Water Sport Complex and My Dinh Indoor Athletics Gymnasium. The others include Ha Noi stadium (as known as Hang Day stadium). The third Asian Indoor Games was held at Hanoi in 2009.

Health care and other facilities[link]

Some medical facilities in Hanoi:

• Bach Mai Hospital
• Viet Duc Hospital
• Saint Paul Hospital
• 108 Hospital
• L'Hôpital Français De Hanoï
• International SOS

Districts[link]

Hanoi is divided into 10 inner districts, 1 town and 18 outer districts.^[24] ( Hà Đông has been transform to an inner district, and Sơn Tây has been degraded to a town)

International relations[link]

Twin towns and sister cities[link]

Hanoi is twinned with:

• Hong Kong
• Ankara, Turkey
• Warsaw, Poland^[25]
• Toulouse, France
• Bangkok, Thailand
• Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
• Moscow, Russia^[26]
• Beijing, People's Republic of China
• Manila, Philippines
• Seoul, South Korea
• Phnom Penh, Cambodia^[27]
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Isfahan, Iran

Gallery[link]

This section looks like an image gallery. Wikipedia policy discourages galleries of random images of the article subject; please improve or remove the section accordingly, moving freely licensed images to Wikimedia Commons if not already hosted there.

See also[link]

Vietnam portal

• Gioi Market
• Ho Chi Minh City
• List of historical capitals of Vietnam

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hanoi

• Official Site of Hanoi Government
• An article in New York Times about Hanoi
• Hanoi - The Vietnam Guide
• NewHanoian.com - Community information with user-created content, interactive maps, and reviews
• Hanoi travel guide from Wikitravel

	Vinh Phuc province	Thai Nguyen province	Bac Giang province
	Phu Tho province		Bac Ninh province
		Hanoi    East
	Hoa Binh province	Ha Nam province	Hung Yen province

v t e Hanoi Urban districts Ba Dinh Cau Giay Dong Da Ha Dong Hai Ba Trung Hoan Kiem Hoang Mai Long Bien Tay Ho Thanh Xuan Provincial towns Son Tay Rural districts Ba Vi Chuong My Dan Phuong Dong Anh Gia Lam Hoai Duc Me Linh My Duc Phu Xuyen Phuc Tho Quoc Oai Soc Son Thach That Thanh Oai Thanh Tri Thuong Tin Tu Liem Ung Hoa

v t e Cities in Vietnam Centrally-controlled cities Special-class Hanoi Ho Chi Minh 1st-class Can Tho Da Nang Hai Phong Provincial cities 1st-class Buon Ma Thuot Da Lat Huế Nam Dinh Nha Trang Qui Nhon Thai Nguyen Viet Tri Vinh 2nd-class Bien Hoa Ca Mau Ha Long Hai Duong Long Xuyen My Tho Phan Thiet Pleiku Thanh Hoa Vung Tau 3rd-class Bac Lieu Bac Giang Bac Ninh Bao Loc Ben Tre Cao Lanh Cam Ranh Dong Ha Dong Hoi Dien Bien Phu Ha Tinh Hoa Binh Hoi An Hung Yen Kon Tum Lang Son Lao Cai Mong Cai Ninh Binh Phan Rang-Thap Cham Phu Ly Quang Ngai Rach Gia Soc Trang Son La Tam Ky Tan An Thai Binh Tra Vinh Tuy Hoa Tuyen Quang Vi Thanh Vinh Long Vinh Yen Yen Bai

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since August 2010. It is written like an advertisement and needs to be rewritten from a neutral point of view. Tagged since August 2010. It may have been edited by a contributor who has a close connection with its subject. Tagged since August 2010. Its tone or style may not reflect the formal tone used on Wikipedia. Tagged since August 2010.

Max Azria
Max Azria at the Spring 2009 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
Born	(1949-01-01) January 1, 1949 (age 63) Sfax, Tunisia
Nationality	French
Occupation	Fashion designer
Spouse	Lubov Azria
Labels	BCBGMAXAZRIA BCBGMAXAZRIA Runway Hervé Léger by Max Azria Max Azria BCBGeneration Miley Cyrus & Max Azria

Max Azria (born January 1, 1949) is a Tunisian fashion designer who founded the contemporary women's clothing brand BCBGMAXAZRIA. Azria is also the designer, chairman and CEO^[1] of BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP, a global fashion house that encompasses over 20 brands.^[2] He is based in Los Angeles.

Background[link]

Max Azria was born in Sfax, Tunisia,^[3] as the youngest of 6 children. As a child, Max was educated in southeastern France before his family relocated to Paris, France, in 1963.

Career[link]

After 11 years of designing a line of women's apparel in Paris, Azria moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1981^[3] and launched Jess, a series of new-concept retail boutiques for women's apparel.

BCBGMAXAZRIA[link]

In 1989, Azria launched BCBGMAXAZRIA,^[1] named for the French phrase "bon chic, bon genre," a Parisian slang meaning "good style, good attitude".^[1] Azria was credited for offering designer fashion at affordable price points and, as a result, was inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 1998.^[4] The BCBGMAXAZRIA Runway collection was first presented at New York Fashion Week in 1996.^[5]

Azria also maintains two eponymous designer collections, Max Azria Atelier and Max Azria. Launched in February 2004, Max Azria Atelier^[1] is a collection of couture gowns created for celebrity clients and red-carpet events. Sharon Stone,^[6] Halle Berry,^[7] Fergie^[8] and Alicia Keys^[8] have worn the label on the red carpet. In February 2006, Azria debuted Max Azria, a ready-to-wear collection with a directional aesthetic, on the runway at New York Fashion Week.^[9] During the 2009 awards season, Angelina Jolie wore Max Azria to the 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards^[10] and the 2009 Critics Choice Awards.^[11]

Azria acquired the Hervé Léger fashion house in 1998,^[4] marking the first time in history that an American designer had acquired a French couturier.^[12] In early 2007, Azria relaunched the Hervé Léger label with his own designs, which were quickly embraced by celebrities and trendsetters worldwide.^[4] Beyoncé Knowles,^[13] Jennifer Lopez,^[14] Catherine Zeta-Jones^[15] and Kate Winslet^[15] are among the celebrities who have worn the label for red carpet events.

In Fall 2008, Max Azria presented BCBGMAXAZRIA Runway, Max Azria and Hervé Léger by Max Azria at New York Fashion Week, marking the first time an American designer produced three major fashion shows during one New York Fashion Week.^[16]

Azria launched a young contemporary collection called BCBGeneration in 2008.^[17] In June 2009, Azria teamed up with Miley Cyrus to create a line for Walmart called Miley Cyrus & Max Azria.^[2] Azria also designed clothing for Cyrus' 2009 American tour.

Max Azria's Collection.

Company[link]

BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP is a global fashion house with a portfolio including more than 20 brands.^[2] Max Azria is the CEO, chairman and head designer alongside his wife, Lubov Azria, who acts as chief creative officer.^[1]

There are currently over 550 BCBGMAXAZRIA boutiques worldwide, including locations in London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.^[1] Azria’s collections are also sold in specialty stores and major department stores across the globe, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, the UK’s Harvey Nichols, Hong Kong’s Lane Crawford, Taiwan’s Mitsukoshi and Singapore’s Takashimaya stores.^[1]

BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP campaigns regularly feature notable models, including Eva Herzigova,^[18] Karen Elson^[19] and Jessica Stam.^[20] The company frequently works with internationally renowned photographers such as Patrick Demarchelier,^[18] Paolo Roversi and David Sims.^[21] BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP clothing are frequently featured in major fashion publications such as Vogue, InStyle and Vanity Fair.^[22] As well as online sites such as Style.com and iFashion Network

Awards and honors[link]

Azria has received many awards throughout his career, including the California Designer of the Year (1995), Atlanta Designer of the Year (1996), The Fashion Performance Award (1997), The Otis Fashion Achievement Award (2000), Hollywood Life’s Breakthrough Award (2004) and The Dallas Fashion Award (2005). Azria also received the Wells Fargo Century Fashion Achievement Award at the 2007 L.A. Fashion Awards^[23] and the 2008 Fashion Excellence Award at the 33rd Annual Dallas Fashion Awards.^[24] He received the latter in recognition of the successful relaunch of his Hervé Léger brand.

Personal life[link]

Max Azria is married to Lubov Azria, chief creative officer for BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP.^[25] He has six children, including Joyce Azria, who was named creative director of BCBGeneration in 2009.^[26] He and his family currently reside in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California.^[27]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Max Azria designer profile at Fashion Model Directory

Overseas Vietnamese
Người Việt Hải Ngoại

Total population
~4,000,000 (estimates)
Regions with significant populations
United States 1,799,632 (2010) [1]  Cambodia 600,000 [2]  Laos 150,000  France 250,000 [3]  Australia 159,848 (2006) [4]  Canada 151,410 (2001) [5]  Taiwan 120,000 –200,000 [6][7]  Russia up to 150,000 [8]  Germany up to 125.000 (2008) [9][10]  South Korea 116,219 (2011)[11]  Czech Republic 60,000 (2008) [12]  United Kingdom 55,000 [13]  Japan 41,136 (2008) [14]  United Arab Emirates 20,000 [15]  China 20,000 [8]  Netherlands 18,913 [16]  Norway 18,333 (2006) [17]  Sweden 11,771 (2003) [18]  Poland 10,000 [8]  Thailand 10,000 [19]  Denmark 8,575 (2002) [18]  Switzerland 8,173 (2008) [20]  Qatar 8,000  Belgium 7,151 (2001) [18]  New Zealand 4,875 (2006) [21]  Ukraine 3,274 (2001) [22]  Hungary 1,020 (2001) [23]  Finland 4,000 [24]  Slovakia 2,000 [25]  Brazil 1,000  Italy 3,000 Elsewhere 400,000

Overseas Vietnamese (Vietnamese: Người Việt Hải Ngoại, which literally means "Overseas Vietnamese", or Việt Kiều, a Sino-Vietnamese word literally translating to "Vietnamese sojourner") refers to Vietnamese people living outside Vietnam in a diaspora. Of the about 3 million Overseas Vietnamese, a majority left Vietnam as refugees after 1975 as a result of the Fall of Saigon and the resulting takeover by the Communist regime.

The term "Việt Kiều" is used by people in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to refer to ethnic Vietnamese living outside of the country, and is not a term of self-identification.^[26] The Overseas Vietnamese community itself rarely use this for self-identification, instead, most prefer the technically correct term of Người Việt Hải Ngoại (literally translating to Overseas Vietnamese), or occasionally Người Việt Tự Do (Free Vietnamese).

Vietnamese worldwide[link]

Overseas Vietnamese can be generally divided into four distinct categories that rarely interact with each other. The first category consists of people who have been living in territories outside of Vietnam prior to 1975; they usually reside in neighboring countries, such as Cambodia, Laos, and China. These people are not usually considered "Việt Kiều" by people residing in Vietnam. During French colonialism, some also migrated to France and some French-speaking areas, such as Québec. The second category, consisting of the vast majority of overseas Vietnamese, are those who escaped Vietnam after 1975 as refugees and their descendants. They usually reside in industrialized countries in North America, Western Europe, Hong Kong, Guangdong, Fujian and Australia. The third category consists of Vietnamese working and studying in the Soviet bloc who opted to stay there after the Soviet collapse. This group is found mainly in Central, Eastern Europe, and Russia. The last category consists of recent economic migrants who work in regional Asian countries such as Taiwan and Japan. They also include women who married men from Taiwan and South Korea through marriage agencies. These brides usually follow their husbands to live in those countries. In Taiwan, Vietnamese economic migrants count about half of overseas Vietnamese there, and the brides cover the rest. There is much social tensions, controversy and criticism about the latter group in Vietnam, saying them being "blinded by money" (of their foreign husband). Many are beaten.^[27] Recently a new group of Vietnamese have been emerging. These are naturally born Vietnamese who attended high school and college in the U.S. or other developed nation, or international student, called by natives as "du học sinh". After which they stay in those countries and work and live as permanent residents.

United States[link]

According to the 2010 census, near 1.8 million people who are of Vietnamese origin live in the United States, constituting about a half of all overseas Vietnamese. Out of 1,132,031 people of 25 years old or over, 30.2% doesn't have a high school diploma,21.5% are high school graduate or equivalent, 18.6% got bachelor degree, 22.8% got some college or associate's degree, 6.9% got graduate or professional degree^[1]. They tend to live in metropolitan areas in the West, especially in California and Texas. Significant areas where they are well-represented include Orange County, California, San Jose, California, and Houston, Texas. As almost all of them left Vietnam after 1975 to escape the communist Vietnamese government, they are generally antagonistic towards the current government of Vietnam.^[28][29]

As of 2010, the Vietnamese American population has grown to near 1.8 million.^[1]

Cambodia[link]

The Vietnamese constitute about 5% of the population of Cambodia<ref="cambodia"/>, and is the largest ethnic minority. Vietnamese people began migrating to Cambodia as early as the 17th century. In 1863, when Cambodia became a French colony, many Vietnamese were brought to Cambodia by the French to work on plantations and occupy civil servant positions. During the Lon Nol Regime (1970–1975) and Pol Pot regime (1975–1979), many of the Vietnamese living in Cambodia were killed. Others were either repatriated or escaped to Vietnam or Thailand. During the ten year Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia from 1979 until 1989 many of the Vietnamese who had previously lived in Cambodia returned. Along with them came friends and relatives. Also, many former South Vietnamese soldiers came to Cambodia fleeing persecution from the communist government.

Many living in Cambodia usually speak Vietnamese as their first language and have introduced the Cao Dai religion with 2 temples built in Cambodia. Many Cambodians learned Vietnamese as a result. They are concentrated in the Kratie and Takeo provinces of Cambodia, where there are villages predominate of ethnic Vietnamese.

Vietnamese people are also the top tourist in Cambodia, with 130,831, up 19 percent as of 2011.^[30]

Europe[link]

France[link]