Tune Hong, the Red River, is northern Vietnam’s largest river. It rises in China’s Yunnan province and flows 1, a hundred seventy five km southeast by deep, slender gorges to enter Vietnam and discharge into the Gulf of Tonkin by way of an ideal delta. The silt it carries is rich in iron oxide, making its water red and giving it its name.  

The Red River delta is about 120 km long and 140km vast, and is increasing an astonishing 100 metres a year. It's the economic centre of northern Vietnam - Hai Phong, Vietnam’s essential port, lies on a department of the delta.

The amount of water flowing down the river averages 500 million cubic meters per second, however might increase by more than 60 times on the peak of the rainy season. 

The entire delta region is not more than three metres above sea level, and much of its one metre or less. The area is topic to frequent flooding: at some locations the excessive-water mark is fourteen metres above the surrounding nationwide. Dikes and canals protect the delta from the floodwaters. 

A serious freeway crosses the delta and the coastal strip past, a vital transportation route linking China and Vietnam.  

As we speak, around fifteen million individuals inhabit the area, one of the highest inhabitant’s densities in the world. Rice is the principal crop of the delta, however wheat,

Beans, rapeseed, corn, and subtropical crops are additionally grown. 

Historically, the delta has produced a large variety of skilled craftspeople. The annual rice-growing cycle featured an interval the place farmers left the land fallow, thus liberating them to pursue different money-making ventures.