Social and cultural changes in the suburban countryside of Hanoi: The case of Dong But village, Ngoc Liep commune, Quoc Oai district

Abstract

The Doi moi policy introduced at the 6th National Party Congress in December 1986 was a major breakthrough decision that brought the country into a new stage of development. Along with the reform policy, the urbanization process was taking place for decades in large cities, which is the fundamental and direct driving force for changes in the rural areas on the outskirts of urban areas, including the rural areas in the vicinity of Hanoi. Dong But village is located in the west of Hanoi. From the end of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century, this area has undergone many changes due to the planning and development policies of the capital city. More importantly, from 2008, the entire area of Ha Tay province was annexed into Hanoi, which has created more dynamics for this area to change, including the Dong But region. This article takes Dong But village, Ngoc Liep commune, Quoc Oai district, Hanoi as a research point, with a focus on the time frame from the 1990s to the first 20 years of the 21st century. On that ground, the author focuses on studying social and cultural shifts, and relocating these changes in Dong But in a larger framework of outskirt Hanoi’s rural space.