Hà Giang

Hà Giang ( listen) is a city located on the banks of the Lô River in the north-east region of Vietnam. It is the capital of Hà Giang Province. The city has an area of 135.33 km² and a population of 71,689 inhabitants. The population is composed of 22 different ethnicities, of which 55.7% are Kinh and Tày people.

History

Up until the 19th century the settlement of Vị Xuyên, to the south of Hà Giang (chu Han: 河江), was the principal market town in the area. Under the Nguyễn dynasty the town of Hà Giang, in what is now the Trần Phú District, began to grow in size. In 1842 the town was included in the former Tuyên Quang Province. The town became an important French military outpost after 1886.

On August 12, 1991, The province of Hà Giang was re-established and separated from Tuyên Quang Province. When separated, Hà Giang Province contained 10 administrative units, and Ha Giang town became the provincial town of Hà Giang.

On September 27 of 2010, Hà Giang town was officially upgraded into a provincial city.