According to the ‘Ha Noi Nua Dau The Ky 20’ book (Hanoi in the first half of the 20th century) by Nguyen Van Uan, released by the Hanoi Publishing House in 1995, in the late 19th century, the west bank of Guom (Sword) Lake was home to Bao Khanh, Tu Thap, Nam Huong, Vu Thach, and Phuc To villages.
When the French colonialists built a road around the lake, the villagers had to move to other places and several relics in the areas were removed, including the Ho Dinh school of Vu Tong Phan (1804 - 1862). The school was located on the site of the modern-day Nhan Dan Newspaper.
Under French rule, the school was replaced with large buildings, which served as the headquarters of major institutions, including the Bank of Indochina, the Indochina Department of Finance, and the General Post Office.
Hanoi people nicknamed this mansion as the “house of Deputy Governor General” as it was the house of the Deputy Governor General of Indochina. The last Deputy Governor General of Indochina who lived at 71 Hang Trong before 1945 was Georges Gautier, thus many Hanoians called the mansion “house of Gautier”.
In early 1945 when Japan ousted the French administration in Vietnam, the mansion was managed by the Japanese. In September 1945, the house welcomed a group from the US Office of Strategic Services officers led by Major L.A. Patty, who had met President Ho Chi Minh in Kunming before the August Revolution. Patty is the author of the famous book ‘Why Vietnam?: Prelude to America's Albatross’ (1980).
After the signing of the Accord between France and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on March 6, 1946, Major General Louis Morlière, commander of French forces in northern Vietnam, moved to live at 71 Hang Trong, and thereafter his successor, René Cogny.
In July 1954, the Geneva Agreement was signed. Following the agreement, under which the French agreed to withdraw their troops from northern Vietnam, a meeting was held at 71 Hang Trong between a delegation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam led by comrade Tran Danh Tuyen and the French side to discuss details of the takeover of the capital.
On October 14, 1954, Nhan Dan Newspaper’s headquarters were relocated from Son Tay to Don Thuy Hospital, now the Friendship Huu Nghi Hospital, before setting up at 71 Hang Trong. Since issue No. 246, October 26, 1954, the heading of the newspaper reads “Newspaper headquarters: 71 Hang Trong, Hanoi”.
Since it was relocated to 71 Hang Trong, Nhan Dan newspaper has welcomed visits by many Party and State leaders, including a visit made by President Ho Chi Minh in spring 1957.
