Vinh

Vinh (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Vietnamese: [viŋ̟] ⓘ) is the capital of Nghệ An province and an economic and cultural center of North-Central Vietnam.[1] A key point in the East–West economic corridor linking Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, the city is situated in the Southeast of the province, alongside the Lam River and is located on the main North–South transportation route of Vietnam, making it accessible by highway, railroad, boat and air. The Vinh International Airport is served daily by four carriers: Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, Bamboo Airways and Jetstar Pacific.[2] On September 5, 2008, it was upgraded from Grade-II city to Grade-I city, the fifth city to hold the status, after Haiphong, Đà Nẵng and Huế. Vinh is the most populous city in the North Central Coastal region, with over 502,140 residents as of 2018. The city is bordered by Nghi Lộc district to the North and East, Hưng Nguyên district to the West, and Nghi Xuân district of Hà Tĩnh Province to the South across the Lam River. Vinh is about 300 kilometres (190 mi) South of Hanoi and 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) North of Ho Chi Minh City. The total area of Vinh city is 104.97 square kilometres (40.53 sq mi), divided administratively into 16 wards and 9 communes. Vinh was originally known as Ke Van. Later, this successively became Ke Vinh, Vinh Giang, Vinh Doanh, and then Vinh Thi. Eventually, in 1789, the official name became simply Vinh, probably under European influence. The name has remained the same ever since. At various times, Vinh has been of considerable military and political significance. The Vietnamese nation began in the north, and only gradually expanded to cover its current territories – as such, Vinh was sometimes seen as a "gateway to the south". The Tây Sơn dynasty (1788–1802) is believed to have considered Vinh as a possible capital of Vietnam, but the short duration of the dynasty meant that any plans did not come to fruition. Tây Sơn interest in the city did, however, result in considerable construction and development there. Under French rule of Vietnam, Vinh was further developed as an industrial center, and became well known for its factories.