The Grand Palais or Grand Palais de l'Exposition ( vi, Nhà Đấu xảo) was an

exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibition ...

and

trade fair A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and c ...

complex in

Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

. It was built for the 1902

Hanoi Exhibition The Hanoi Exhibition (Exposition de Hanoi) was a world's fair held in Hanoi in then French Indochina between November 16, 1902, and February 15 or 16, 1903. Context Hanoi had become the capital of French Indochina earlier in 1902 replacing Saigon. ...

world trade fair, as the city became the capital of

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

. It was completely destroyed by American airstrikes in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

History

Hanoi became the capital of

in 1902 replacing

Saigon , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...

. Earlier activities to mark the change included a festival on 26 February 1902 attended by emperor

Thành Thái Thành Thái (, vi-hantu, 成泰; 14 March 1879 – 20 March 1954) born Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Lân (阮福寶嶙), was the son of Emperor Dục Đức and Empress Dowager Từ Minh. He reigned as emperor for 18 years, from 1889 to 1907. Biog ...

and the

governor general Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

Paul Doumer Joseph Athanase Doumer, commonly known as Paul Doumer (; 22 March 18577 May 1932), was the President of France from 13 June 1931 until his assassination on 7 May 1932. Biography Joseph Athanase Doumer was born in Aurillac, in the Cantal ''dépa ...

and the opening of the Paul Doumer Bridge (now Long Biên Bridge). Paul Doumer also wanted to host a large-scaled world expo in Hanoi. The building was designed by Adolphe Bussy and was completed in 1902 prior to the fair, which lasted between November 1902 and February 1903. The high construction cost of the exhibition palace and the long duration of the fair left Hanoi's budget in deficit for a decade. After the fair, the complex became the ''Maurice Long Museum'', the first and largest economics museum in

. It was named after the 1920s' Governor-General of Indochina."Đấu Xảo Hà Nội 1902"
/ref> When the Japanese took over Vietnam, they based their military and supply in the palace. Later, American air raids at the end of World War II completely destroyed the building. The only remnants of the palace are two big bronze lion statues, which are now placed in front of the Vietnam Central Circus building in the Reunification Park in Hai Bà Trưng District. The modern site of the palace now stands the ''Friendship Cultural Palace'' ( vi, Cung Văn hoá Hữu nghị), a concert venue in southern Hoàn Kiếm District. The concert hall was built by the

Soviets Soviet people ( rus, сове́тский наро́д, r=sovyétsky naród), or citizens of the USSR ( rus, гра́ждане СССР, grázhdanye SSSR), was an umbrella demonym for the population of the Soviet Union. Nationality policy in th ...

Location

The site of the Grand Palais was on Boulevard Gambetta in the French Quarter south of Hoàn Kiếm lake near the

Central Station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

. The modern site is on Trần Hưng Đạo street in Hoàn Kiếm District, a major avenue hosting several foreign embassies, state ministries and corporate headquarters. The French Embassy is located three blocks away from the site, on the same avenue.

References

External links

Poster for the exhibition

Hanoi postcards from turn of the 19th 20th century including several from the exhibition {{authority control French colonial empire World's fair architecture in Asia Historical sites in Hanoi Buildings and structures in Hanoi French colonial architecture in Vietnam