Bắc Ninh

History

In March 1884, Bắc Ninh was the site of a decisive campaign in the wars between France and assorted Black Flag Army forces, and the town fell to the French. Thereafter under French protectorate, the town was confirmed as the center of all political, economic, cultural offices of colonial administration in the province. The land of the Bắc Ninh Citadel, within Yên, Niem and Do Villages, was occupied by French troops. At this time Bắc Ninh became known in Europe for its lacquer work and mother-of-pearl inlaid black-wood screens, cabinets, trays, and boxes. Bắc Ninh Railway Station opened after 1904. An ambush of French troops by the Việt Minh occurred at Bắc Ninh while the 1946 Fontainebleau Conference was ongoing.

The city's name means "northern serenity".

Buildings

The city is home to the Banking Academy of Vietnam, Bắc Ninh campus (Học viện Ngân hàng), the Kinh Bắc International School, and the Military Academy of Politics main campus (Học viện Chính trị Quân sự), and Bắc Ninh Railway Station. There is a shrine to Bà Chúa Kho.

Administrative subdivisions ==

The city is administratively divided into 19 units, including 19 urban wards (phường) - Đáp Cầu, Hạp Lĩnh, Khắc Niệm, Phong Khê, Khúc Xuyên, Thị Cầu, Vũ Ninh, Suối Hoa, Tiền An, Ninh Xá, Vân Dương, Vạn An, Vệ An, Kinh Bắc, Đại Phúc, Võ Cường, Hoà Long, Kim Chân and Nam Sơn.

Business environment

On Vietnam's Provincial Competitiveness Index 2023, a key tool for evaluating the business environment in Vietnam’s provinces, Bac Ninh received a score of 67.53. This was an improvement from 2022 in which the province received a score of 69.08. In 2023, the province received its highest scores on the 'Entry Costs' and 'Time Costs' criterion and lowest on 'Business Support Policy' and 'Policy Bias'.

Notable people

• Tùng Dương, born 1983, singer
• Mai Duong Kieu was born here in 1987. She acts in German films and TV.
• Tôn Đức Lượng (1925–2023), painter
• Hòa Minzy born 1995, birth name Nguyễn Thị Hoà. Famous Vietnamese singer paid homage to her hometown with her hit music video Bắc Bling in 2025.

Gallery

File:Flickr - …trialsanderrors - The governor of Bac-Ninh, collecting cards, ca. 1890.jpg|Collecting cards depicting a story about a "Chinese" governor of "Bắc Ninh", who, while relaxing on a hill with his rabbits, is frightened by an approaching balloon carrying sailors File:Nhà Thờ Chính Tòa Bắc Ninh.jpg|Cathedral of Bắc Ninh

References

References

1. "Bắc Ninh (District-level City, Bắc Ninh, Vietnam) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location".
2. "From July 1, 87 cities across Vietnam will no longer exist". Vietnamnet.
3. Jack D. Ellis ''The early life of Georges Clemenceau, 1841-1893'' 1980 Page 115 "By March the town of Bac-Ninh fell to the French, but contrary to Clemenceau's prediction, no major war with China ensued. By June, Ferry finally received Chinese recognition of France's rights in Tonkin, but a palace coup in Peking brought ..."
4. ''Viet Nam Social Sciences '' Ủy ban khoa học xã hội Việt Nam Numéros 1 à 3 2006- Page 29 "In French domination, Bac Ninh Town was still the town of Bac Ninh province with all political, economic, cultural offices etc. of colonial administration. The land of Bac Ninh Citadel belonging to Yen, Niem and Do Villages were occupied by .. "
5. Alfred Cunningham ''The French in Tonkin and South China'' 1902 - Page 76 "The best native work produced is mother-of-pearl inlaid in native black-wood, of which remarkably handsome specimens may be obtained in the form of screens, cabinets, trays, boxes, etc. The home of this work is really the town of Bac-ninh."
6. ''Viet Nam; the origins of revolution'', 1885-1946 - Page 140 John T. McAlister, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Center of International Studies, American University (Washington, D.C.). Center for Research in Social Systems - 1968 "The tense atmosphere of the conference was heightened further after an ambush of French troops by the Viet Minh in the north Viet Nam town of Bac Ninh on August 4, in which 12 French soldiers were killed and 41 wounded."
7. ''China Monthly Review'' Volumes 102 à 103 - Page 258 1946 "French troops and Annamite forces, said to have included both soldiers and civilian irregulars, fought for nine hours early this week in the streets 6f the Indo-Chinese town of Bac Ninh, 19 miles north-east of Hanoi."
8. Pattana Kitiarsa ''Religious commodifications in Asia: marketing gods'' Page 155 2008 "rapidly growing popularity of the Granary/Treasury Queen' (Bà Chúa Kho) near Bắc Ninh town, Ngô Ðức Thịnh relates this phenomenon to Vietnam's transition to a market economy."
9. the-shiv. (2024-08-15). "Doing Business in Bac Ninh, Vietnam 2024".
10. Le, Nhi. (2019-08-04). "Mai Duong Kieu über Diversität in Serien: "Man muss ein dickes Fell haben"". Die Tageszeitung: taz.
11. thanhnienviet.vn. (2025-04-16). "Ca sĩ nhí Phong Thiên tỏa sáng khi thể hiện "Bắc Bling" của Hòa Minzy trước 20 nghìn khán giả".