Hai Phong has existed as a significant port city for at least several centuries, and was one of Vietnam's principal trading centres. When Vietnam was invaded by the French, the city became France's main naval base in Indochina. After World War II, when Vietnam attempted to regain its independence, Hai Phong was the site of the first military action undertaken by the French, being shelled by the French heavy cruiser Suffren which resulted in more than two thousand casualties.[citation needed] Later, in the Vietnam War, the city was subjected to heavy bombing by US Navy and Air Force strike aircraft due to its status as North Vietnam's only major port. After the war, the city was built up as a significant industrial centre.

Today, known as a port city, it serves the entire northern region of Vietnam and has managed to attract large FDIs that fueled economic rates of growth exceeding 12% per annum over the last decade.

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