Linh Đàm

Linh Đàm is a neighborhood located in Hoàng Mai district, Hanoi. With a population of about 80,000 people, Linh Đàm is among the most densely populated neighborhoods in Vietnam. First settled in around the early 1600s, the area was mostly a swamp and sparsely-populated area until the early 1990s, when it was planned to relieve overpopulation in the urban core of Hanoi. The neighborhood is characterized by tall buildings and the Linh Đàm lake serving the community.

Linh Đàm Linh Đàm
Neighborhood and Planning Area (khu đô thị mới)
Linh Đàm Linh Đàm
Coordinates: 20°58′03″N 105°50′11″E
Country	Vietnam
Municipality	Hanoi
District	Hoàng Mai
Area
• Total	1.84 km2 (0.71 sq mi)
• Water	0.74 km2 (0.29 sq mi)

History

Early history

Linh Đàm in 1983, showing the area was mostly rice field and uninhabited.

Some of the earliest record of permanent settlement in this area show that what was now Linh Đàm was first inhabited in the early 1600s, when the Linh Đàm pagoda was built. The first mention of the name "Linh Đàm" on official maps was in 1882, when the Đại Nam nhất thống chí (Đại Nam Comprehensive Encyclopaedia) was published, showing the area as "Đàm Linh Đường", later simply became "Linh Đàm". The villages surrounding this area was once known for producing fine rice products, such as rice vermicelli.

The origin of the name "Linh Đàm" can be traced back to a 14th-century folk legend. According to the tale, the present-day area of Linh Đàm and its neighboring community, Thanh Liệt, once served as the residence of Chu Văn An, a highly esteemed teacher and mandarin during the Trần dynasty. Renowned for his uprightness, Chu Văn An instructed numerous influential officials of the Trần dynasty. Legend has it that one of his students possessed the extraordinary ability to summon rain and was sent by the Jade Emperor to pursue studies in this region. When called upon to bring rain and alleviate a drought-stricken village, the student agreed but faced severe consequences—ultimately meeting his demise at the hands of the Jade Emperor. In commemoration of the student's sacrificial act, Chu Văn An and the villagers erected a shrine named "Long Đàm." Over time, the appellation transformed into "Lân đàm" and eventually evolved into the contemporary name "Linh Đàm."

In 1698, the Linh Đàm communal house (đình làng Linh Đàm) was completed, marking an important milestone, as in Vietnamese culture, a settlement was only considered a "proper" village when it had a communal house. The communal house was built with significant contribution from a wealthy local who contributed 800 taels of silver and 5 acre of farmland.

By the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, Linh Đàm and the surrounding area were used as a military warehouse for the PAVN. As a result, during the Linebacker II operation, Linh Đàm and nearby area were frequently targeted by B-52 bombers.

Development began (late 1990s)

After economic reforms in the late 1980s, commonly known as Đổi mới, Hanoi's population began to steadily rise, from 2 million in 1990 to around 2.6 million people in 1999, averaging 3.05% population increase between 1990 and 1995. To combat the problem, the National Government issued several master plans for Hanoi in 1992 and 1998, which called for the development of new planning areas (khu đô thị mới) to reduce overcrowding in central Hanoi.

A memorial stele honors the contribution of wealthy locals who helped contributed to the construction of Linh Đàm communal house, erected in December 1698.