While Hà Nội residents fight to save their thousand-year-old villages, the politicians who “spoke,” “promised,” and “committed” to protect them during the most recent National Assembly election have gone silent.
The Latest: Residents of historic riverside communities are mounting widespread protests against the Red River Landscape Boulevard Project, taking to social media and the streets to oppose mass clearances.
Despite growing public outcry and direct appeals from residents in affected areas, not a single deputy of the 16th National Assembly has publicly addressed the issue or spoken up for the residents of the Red River area.
Voices From the Community: Opposition to the clearance of riverside communities has intensified recently.
- On May 28, an account named Đặng Thùy Chi posted photos of village banners on social media, writing that Thúy Lĩnh Village in Lĩnh Nam Ward is “not only a place to live, but also the memory, tradition, and livelihood of generations of residents.” The post received nearly 800 interactions.
- That same day, a Facebook account named Đặng Thị Hải posted a video of the Đại Lan communal house in Nam Phù Commune, a nationally recognized historical and cultural relic.
- The video’s narration stated: “Even amid the brutality of war, the people of ancient Đại Lan Village were never afraid. They stayed on their land and preserved their village until today. Yet now, the state wants to erase our ancient Đại Lan Village and move us elsewhere. In the name of social development, it is turning its back on the past, denying the past, and forcing us to sacrifice the blood and bones of our ancestors.”
- Residents of the ancient Thúy Lĩnh Village called for authorities to “preserve Hà Nội’s suburban culture,” “renovate the area under the model of ‘a village within the city, a city within the village,’” and “properly implement the directive of General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm: Do not let people’s opinions sink into silence.”
- Since the evening of May 27, accounts in the Facebook group “Làng Đại Lan – xã Nam Phù” have shared photos of residents’ banners.
- One banner read: “The people of the Red River area in Đại Lan Hamlet, Nam Phù Commune, firmly petition all levels of government to consider the people’s thoughts and aspirations and preserve the existing residential area for the livelihood of thousands and tens of thousands of households.”
- Another read: “Each person has only one homeland and ancestral root. To lose it is to lose everything.”
- Days earlier, residents of the ancient Bắc Biên Village in Bồ Đề Ward expressed similar concerns.
- Chu Văn Uông, a village elder, stated: “Our history is closely tied to the river. Now that there is information that the planning will clear the area and move residents elsewhere, we are extremely worried. Relocating the village could dissolve the entire structure of our clans and sever the strong bonds of our community. What are we supposed to say to our ancestors? If residents are moved elsewhere, who will light incense every day under the communal house roof that worships Lý Thường Kiệt? Who will preserve the thousand-year soul of our forefathers?”
- Nguyễn Văn Chính, a local history expert in Bắc Biên Village—home to the An Xá ancient bronze bell, a national treasure—added: “The value of a national treasure or a cluster of nationally recognized relics can only be fully realized when it exists in an organic relationship with the local community — the people who look after it every day, practice its beliefs, and pass down its village codes. If the village disappears, the relics will become cold, soulless architectural blocks, stripped of the human roots that created their thousand-year historical value.”
Recent Actions: Residents in affected localities have carried out multiple actions in recent weeks in opposition to the project.
- During the recent Vesak holiday, residents of the ancient Hải Bối Village in the former Đông Anh District wore matching shirts printed with slogans and visited communal houses and pagodas to pray that the gods and spirits would protect their village.
- Prior to this, residents along the Red River repeatedly sent petitions, open letters, heartfelt appeals, and public pleas. They also hung banners calling for authorities not to clear entire communities, demanding fair compensation and the preservation of existing villages.
- Recently, a nonprofit website called “Cộng đồng ven sông Hồng” emerged to provide residents with information and guidance on how to file petitions.
Statements From the Deputies: During the most recent National Assembly election, several deputies made specific commitments regarding cultural preservation and infrastructure.
- National Assembly deputy Bùi Hoài Sơn told Hà Nội Mới that “a livable city [Hà Nội] is not built only on modern infrastructure, but also on a healthy cultural environment, civilized conduct, and humane public spaces.”
- Sơn, now a deputy of the 16th National Assembly representing Constituency No. 5—which includes the affected wards of Đông Ngạc, Thượng Cát, and Ô Diên—stated that cultural values are a “soft brand” that helps Hà Nội attract tourists, investors, and high-quality human resources.
- He emphasized the need to maintain “a balance between modernity and tradition,” noting that Hà Nội must develop quickly without losing its “urban memory,” while promoting innovation without sacrificing the “soul of Thăng Long—Hà Nội.”
- According to Sơn, achieving this turns culture into an “internal strength,” a “competitive advantage,” and “a foundation for the capital’s sustainable development in a new era.”
- Lê Hồng Hà, another 16th-tenure National Assembly deputy elected from Constituency No. 5, stated in his campaign platform that he would “contribute to the development of synchronized infrastructure and effective regional connectivity,” while also “recommending improvements to mechanisms and policies to better exploit the capital’s strategic gateways.”
Why It Matters: Under Article 21 of the current Law on the Organization of the National Assembly, deputies are required to serve as representatives of the will and aspirations of the people in the constituencies that elected them, as well as the people nationwide.
Lăng Nguyên wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on June 3, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.
