Since 2000, Hanoi has welcomed four US Presidents with five historic visits. No matter who the President is, they are warmly and sincerely welcomed by the people.

 Going back further in time, in 1993, a Western head of state came to Vietnam for the first time since 1975 - French President Francois Mitterrand also walked around Hanoi's Old Quarter without being separated by too many guards.

25 years after the end of the war, US President Bill Clinton visited Hanoi. This event was even more meaningful because it was US President Bill Clinton who declared the lifting of the trade embargo against Vietnam, which paved the way for the normalisation of relations in 1995, and the signing of the Bilateral Trade Agreement.

After high-level meetings with leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State, US President Bill Clinton said he wanted to visit some places to learn about the culture and customs of Hanoi and Vietnam. The chosen places included the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, and the Vietnam National University - Hanoi.

The image of the US President comfortably and leisurely walking to Khue Van Cac (Constellation of Literature Pavilion) in the warm welcome of the Vietnamese people created good impressions for participants at the event.

Not only the US Presidents, but the heads of state of other countries also felt the peace while visiting Hanoi. Those who love the city for peace, the heart of Vietnam, have recorded the "excursions" of international politicians around Hanoi. They included the Australian Prime Minister, the Canadian Prime Minister jogging at Hoan Kiem Lake, comfortably walking and having fun at tourist, cultural and street spots in Vietnam.

No one could forget the journey through the “heart of Hanoi” made by Prince William of the United Kingdom and the Duke of Cambridge in 2016. He stopped at a small street-side coffee shop on Thuoc Bac Street, where he had a warm conversation with singer Hong Nhung, musician Thanh Bui, and actor Xuan Bac before continuing his walk to Ngoc Son Temple.

In the same year, a video of the Hanoi tour by the Ambassadors of the European Union, France, the UK, and Romania went viral across social media platforms worldwide. The clip began with the EU Ambassador to Vietnam, Bruno Angelet, the UK Ambassador, Giles Lever, the French Ambassador, Jean-Noel Poirier, and the Romanian Ambassador, Valeriu Arteni, sitting together, warmly enjoying steaming bowls of pho. Then, it showed these senior European leaders walking along the streets, stopping by flower vendors to select lilies and peach blossoms and haggling over prices with local sellers.

In mid-April 2023, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his first visit to Vietnam as the head of US diplomacy. The visit took place in the context of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership between the US and Vietnam.

Despite his packed schedule, on the evening of April 15, Blinken had some time to relax, strolling and dining in Hanoi. He visited the Binh Minh Jazz Club at No. 1 Trang Tien Street, enjoying music with an old friend, former Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Vinh.

Afterwards, he and his colleagues had dinner at Com Tay Cam, a restaurant in a small alley near the Hanoi Opera House, Trang Tien Alley. A local menu featuring dishes like shrimp spring rolls, white rice, and shrimp simmered in coconut water was chosen and ordered in advance by Blinken himself. He also added more dishes when dining at the restaurant.

Later, Blinken shared his experience on Twitter, writing: “You can’t visit Vietnam and not sample the food. Vietnamese cuisine has some of the freshest flavours, and we see its influence across the US in our restaurants. Thank you to Com Tay Cam for allowing me to sample your incredible food…” He even added a comment in Vietnamese: “Quá ngon! (So delicious!)”

Most recently, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, during his third visit to Vietnam on November 1-2, 2023, had a special journey with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh around the streets of Hanoi. Despite a busy schedule, the two leaders took time to ride bicycles together to experience the beauty of Hanoi's autumn and to share important messages.

According to Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thanh, Chairwoman of the Hanoi Peace Committee, the peaceful environment, political stability, and friendly people have long made Hanoi a prime location for hosting major international events such as the APEC Summit, the 2nd US - Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Summit, and the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Dao Quyen Truong, Deputy Director of the Department for Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that possessing UNESCO titles is not only the recognition of a locality or country’s cultural, historical and natural values but also an important component forming the brand of each country and locality.

He emphasised that this title also makes important contributions to socio-economic development by drawing visitors, changing the economic structure, and fostering the green and sustainable growth model.

For Hanoi, the title enhances the position and reputation of Hanoi in particular and Vietnam in general in the region and on the international stage, promoting Hanoi to the world, thereby strengthening friendship and international cooperation with other countries.

In fact, since receiving this title, Hanoi has implemented many projects on culture, traditional education and environmental protection. Many goals, programmes and projects have been completed, promoting socio-economic development and improving people’s living standards.

Thanks to such efforts, a series of projects have been completed in the past 25 years, especially since Hanoi’s geographical boundary was expanded, including Thanh Tri Bridge, Vinh Tuy Bridge, Thang Long Boulevard, Nhat Tan Bridge, Vinh Thinh Bridge, the 3rd Ring Road, the 2nd Ring Road, Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway, Hanoi-Thai Nguyen Expressway, Noi Bai International Airport’s T2 Terminal and the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line.

The capital, Hanoi, has also become increasingly civilised and modern. Hanoi is not only the country’s political, cultural and economic centre but also the centre of international exchange. According to Tran Nghia Hoa, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of External Affairs, Hanoi currently has relationships with 100 cities and capitals of countries in the world. Among them, Hanoi has signed cooperation agreements with 61 capitals and cities, has economic and trade relations with nearly 200 countries and territories, and is an active member of many prestigious international organisations.

Regarding tourism, international arrivals to Hanoi have been increasing over the years. According to the Hanoi Department of Tourism, the total number of visitors to Hanoi in 2023 reached 24.73 million, up 30.93% compared to 2022. The figure for the first six months of 2024 was 13.92 million, up 12.7% over the same period last year.

Among visitors to Hanoi, the number of foreign visitors in 2023 was 4.72 million, a 2.8-fold increase from 2022. The figure is even more impressive in the first half of 2024 at 3 million, up 50% year on year.

Notably, the total revenue from tourists in the above periods has also increased continuously. The position and reputation of the capital's tourism in the international arena are increasingly affirmed and enhanced. From 2023 to 2024, Hanoi continues to be highly appreciated by prestigious travel magazines and websites for its attractiveness. Typical titles include Asia's leading city tourism destination in 2023, Asia's leading city tourism destination for short breaks in 2023, and Asia's leading city tourism management agency. Hanoi is also in the top 10 most beautiful destinations in Southeast Asia, top 17 in the list of 25 famous places to travel globally and top 3/20 in the list of destinations for world food lovers.

“The above figures represent the impressive growth of the capital, Hanoi has been and is being known not only as a dynamic, modern city but also as an attractive cultural destination, a place that preserves precious traditional values,” Dr Dao Quyen Truong emphasised.

More specifically, in the eyes of international visitors, Hanoi from the city of Peace and for Peace has become a model and an inspirational symbol.

Ms Jane Runkat - Charge d’Affaires of the Indonesian Embassy, shared: Hanoi has turned historical difficulties into today’s competitiveness, becoming a centre of education, science, technology and culture in the region. Hanoi's efforts in sustainable development also demonstrate that the capital is worthy of the title, with many initiatives to address environmental challenges.

“The recognition of Hanoi as a UNESCO City for Peace can inspire other cities to pursue the path of peace and development,” said Jane Runkat.