Hanoi is situated along the Red River at a site determined in 1010 AD when King Ly Thai of Vietnam saw a cloud in the shape of a dragon arising from the water. He proclaimed that the vision made the place an auspicious site for the new capitol of Vietnam. Nonetheless, during the rainy season, fed by mountain streams, the Red River would regularly flood Hanoi. An early “public works” program constructed a long earthen dyke along the river to protect the city from flooding. In 1990 the urban part of the dyke was reinforced with concrete, improving the effectiveness as the wall ran through the city of Hanoi. Last year, nearly 3½ miles of this dyke became the focus of the current project by Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural program in anticipation of the 1000 year anniversary of the founding of Hanoi in 2010.

A portion of the dike wall.

Jon