“Nearly a thousand years of history have shaped this place.” That is the essence of Phường Ngọc Thụy in Hanoi. This ward carries within it stories from the Lý Dynasty to modern times.
Phường Ngọc Thụy sits in Long Biên district. It is bordered by Thượng Thanh ward to the east. To the west it meets the districts of Tây Hồ and Ba Đình. The southern border touches Hoàn Kiếm district and Ngọc Lâm ward. To the north lies Đông Anh district.
Established in 2003, Phường Ngọc Thụy covers 8.99 square kilometers. In 2022, its population was 39915 people. This makes it the largest ward in Hanoi’s city center.
Once, Phường Ngọc Thụy was a commune in Gia Lâm district. Its history stretches back almost 1000 years. It is the homeland of Thái úy Việt quốc công Lý Thường Kiệt.
Looking back to the Lý Dynasty around 1019, this area belonged to Long Biên. It was part of Gia Lâm district, under Thiên Đức. Later, during the Trần Dynasty, it fell under lộ Bắc Giang.
When the French colonized Vietnam, Gia Lâm became part of Bắc Ninh province. The villages here included Gia Quất, Gia Thượng, and Yên Tân. They were part of tổng Gia Thụy in Bắc Ninh province.
After the August Revolution in 1945, Ngọc Thụy was part of Đặc khu Ngọc Thụy. This special zone was directly under Bắc Ninh province. In March 1949, it was moved to Hưng Yên province. Later, it returned to Gia Lâm in Bắc Ninh. The area was then divided into Ngọc Thụy and Hồng Tiến communes.
In October 1954, Ngọc Thụy commune was transferred to quận VIII of Hanoi’s outskirts. Land reforms led to the splitting of Ngọc Thụy into two communes. These were Ngọc Thụy and Thượng Thanh.
In 1961, Hanoi expanded. Ngọc Thụy, along with other areas, joined the city. That May, Ngọc Thụy became one of 31 communes in Gia Lâm district.
The road running through Ngọc Thụy is named Ngọc Thụy. It stretches 3.8 kilometers. It runs from north of Long Biên bridge to Đông Trù bridge. The road follows the Hữu Dương dike. It received its name in December 2006.
Here in Ngọc Thụy are several schools. These include Mầm non Bắc Biên, Mầm non Ngọc Thụy and Mầm non Bắc Cầu. Also here are Tiểu học Ngọc Thụy, Tiểu học Gia Thượng and Tiểu học Lý Thường Kiệt. Further education is provided by THCS Ngọc Thụy and THCS Lý Thường Kiệt. Additionally, the Học viện Hậu Cần and the Trường Việt Pháp ALEXANDRE YERSIN are located here.
Phường Ngọc Thụy carries echoes of the past. It has transformed from ancient villages to a modern ward. Its story reflects the changes and resilience of Hanoi itself.