At the floating village of Kenh Ga or 鈥楥hicken Canal'; just about the entire community spend their lives on the water; and the village is accessible only by boat.

Northern Vietnam; the area centred on the Red River Delta with its capital at Hanoi; extends from the Chinese frontier in the north to the Ma River in Thanh Hoa Province to the south. In the west; the Truong Son or 鈥楲ong Mountains' and the Lao frontier form the border; while to the east lies Vinh Bac Bo; the 鈥楴orthern Gulf'.

In earlier times Europeans generally called northern Vietnam Tonkin; a term originating from a 17th century name for Hanoi derived from the Chinese Dong Kinh; or 鈥楨astern Capital'. Even today; Vinh Bac Bo is known internationally as the Gulf of Tonkin.