Hải Dương city was built in 1804, and was first called "Thành Đông", referring to the citadel east of Vietnam's capital, Hanoi. During the French colonial period, Hải Dương was a town. Before 1968, Hải Dương was a town in the Hải Dương Province, except from 1968 until 1996 during which time it was a town in the Hai Hung Province, because the Hai Hung Province was merged with the Province of Hải Dương and the Hưng Yên Province at that time. On November 6, 1996, Hải Dương became the capital of the Hải Dương Province as it had been before. On August 6, 1997, Hải Dương was established as a city
