This is part of a project to “build on the systems of books in Indochina” as well as a cultural event to celebrate the grand anniversary of 1000 years of Thang Long-Hanoi.

The exhibition features 54 maps dating back to the years from 1873 to 1965, which are expected to help viewers visualize the changes of the Hanoi area and its surroundings.

The collection is divided into three groups corresponding to the historic stages of Hanoi.

The first group includes 19 maps drawn by Pham Dinh Bach in 1873 and 18 other maps drawn from 1886 to 1888. The maps were not drawn in precise proportions and include illustrative images of pagodas, temples and ponds.

The second group, which is the biggest one, includes the maps drawn and published by the French from 1883 to 1941 according to modern principles of cartography, with precise orientations and proportions. The maps show the significant changes in Hanoi’s appearance during this period. It also includes maps of provinces and cities such as Bac Ninh, Ha Dong, Son Tay, Hai Duong, and Ha Nam and the entire delta of the Red River.

The last group begins with a map drawn in 1945, the first year of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The map is the first with a Vietnamese caption. There are three more maps printed and issued by Vietnamese.

The exhibition will close on October 17.