Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant

Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant is a major hydroelectric facility on the Da River in Hoa Binh City, Phu Tho Province, about 75 km southwest of Hanoi. Completed in 1994 after 15 years of construction with Soviet assistance, it was once Southeast Asia's largest hydropower plant with 1,920 MW capacity. The site includes a large dam, reservoir, underground turbine hall and memorials, and now functions as both an operational power station and a popular industrial tourism attraction.

Visitors can view the massive concrete gravity dam across the Da River, the expansive Hoa Binh Reservoir, and the underground turbine hall with eight turbines. The site includes an exhibition area, a memorial to 11 workers, a Soviet-Vietnam friendship monument, and a letter to future generations monument. Surroundings offer panoramic views of the river, lake and mountains, with opportunities for photography, guided tours of the plant facilities, and boat trips on the reservoir.

Constructed between 1979 and 1994 with financial and technical assistance from the Soviet Union, Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant was the largest hydropower project in Vietnam and Southeast Asia at the time of completion. It has an installed capacity of 1,920 MW with eight turbines and played a key role in Vietnam's post-war industrialization and electrification. A memorial honors 11 Vietnamese and Soviet experts who died during construction.

The plant is regarded as a symbol of Vietnam-Soviet friendship and cooperation, featuring monuments, a memorial stele and a letter to future generations to be opened in 2100. It is also an important industrial heritage site and educational destination illustrating Vietnam's energy development.