Hanoi Issues New Rural Criteria, Accelerates Land Data Development

Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, has issued a decree establishing new "new rural" criteria for the period 2026-2030. These criteria will serve as the basis for evaluating the current status and achievements of each xã (administrative unit) within the city and for recognizing them as new rural areas. The new standards encompass 10 specific areas: planning, economic and social infrastructure, rural economic development, rural human resource training, culture-education-health, poverty reduction and social security, science-technology and digital transformation, rural environment and landscape, political system and public administration, access to law, and security-national defense. Concurrently, Hanoi is accelerating the development of its land database. A data cleaning campaign is currently underway, and while approximately 3.25 million land parcels have been collected in 45 days, a substantial amount of work remains. The city aims to complete the collection of land data by September 15, 2026. To expedite progress, weekly progress review meetings will continue, with the goal of completing the database by September 2026. This synchronized data will support state management, administrative reform, digital transformation, and the development of a digital government for the capital. Economically, Hanoi welcomed approximately 904,000 tourists during the National Day holiday on September 2. Of these, an estimated 94,000 were international visitors, generating an estimated total tourism revenue of over 3 trillion Vietnamese Dong (approximately USD 120 million). Visitor numbers significantly increased at historical sites and museums managed by the city. On September 2, admission to paid historical sites and museums was free for Vietnamese visitors. This year, residents tended to opt for short-term trips to nearby destinations and prioritize experiential tourism.