Hommel Beer Factory
BIA HOI CULTURE'S ORIGIN: FROM A COLONICAL DRINKING TO A CULTURE OF URBAN DWELLERS
Introduction
Before the French colonization, Vietnam had a long history of rice alcohol production. The beer industry was created in 1892 by Alfred Hommel, founder of Hommel Brewery (Brasserie Hommel) in Hanoi. Along with the Larue Brewery (Brasserie Larue) in Saigon, the Hommel Brewery was one of the two biggest breweries in Indochina.
Beer was the drink that seemed most suitable in the Indochina climate. At first, beer was mainly consumed by the French, then it became more and more popular with local Vietnamese people.
Besides water, the ingredients used by the Hommel Brewery were malted barley and hops imported from Europe and a proportion of rice (preferably denitrogenated). The difficulty was not in the purchase of ingredients of first quality, but in purifying water used, acquiring expensive brewing equipment, and adapting it to the hot and humid climate of Hanoi. Another challenge for the production of bottled beer was transportation. The brewery came up with the idea of producing a draft beer called bia hoi sold in kegs instead of bottles. Over time, bia hoi became a staple of Vietnamese culture and it remains so to this day.
Name: Brasserie Hommel / Société de la Brasserie Hommel / Société des Brasseries et Glacières de l'Indochine / Hanoi Brewery / Hanoi Brewery Company / Hanoi Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation (Habeco)
Location: 183 Hoang Hoa Tham, Ha Noi
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Chronological timeline
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Agents
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Investigations
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Architectural and Urban preliminary assessment
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Perspective / Thematic / Narrative point of view
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Bibliography
March Eight Textile Factory: Weaving Socialism
“The state-owned factory in a communist economy
is less an economic enterprise than a social institution”
(Walder 1986, 28)
Born into the early years of the new Socialist Regime, March Eighth Textile Factory was the embodiment of socialist ideals in the second half of the 20th Century. The Factory was built to fulfill both the industrial and the ideological ambitions of the Communist Party: the meticulous establishment of union structures, rigorous production campaigns along with programs to educate a new class of socialist proletariat. From 1965 to the end of the 20th Century, the Factory went through waves of American bombings, political fallout with Chinese allies, changes in the socialist economy; and most importantly, the rise and fall of the socialist spirit. Today, rapid urban transformations pushed the enterprise to relocate production to factories outside of Hanoi.
Name: 8-3 Textile Factory/ Nha May Det 8-3/ Cong Ty TNHH Mot Thanh Vien Det 8-3
Location: 460 Minh Khai Street, Vinh Tuy, Hai Ba Trung District, Ha Noi
