Son Tay

Son Tay

Coordinates: 21°08′N 105°30′E / 21.133°N 105.500°E / 21.133; 105.500

Sơn Tây ( listen) is an urban district and city in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It was the capital of Son Tay province before merging with Ha Dong province in 1965. Son Tay lies 35 km west of the capital Hanoi and is often referred to as “soldier town” due to the proliferation of army barracks and military institutions that surrounds the town, including the Vietnamese People's Army Infantry Academy.

A U.S. military prisoner-of-war rescue attempt occurred here in the early morning hours of November 21, 1970. A special task force of Green Berets, supported by Air Force and Navy assets, raided a POW camp located in the province. The raid failed when it was discovered there were no prisoners there, but managed to depart with minimal loss in equipment and no loss of life for the raiding force.

Son Tay’s future is seen as being very much that of a satellite city of Hanoi and as a result there are plans to relocate universities and other public facilities to Son Tay where land is cheaper and more plentiful. The government have commenced this ambitious program by duplicating the main Hanoi—Sơn Tây carriageway which was expected to be completed in 2009.