Hanoi
3,359 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
Vietnam
China
Area Comparison
Hanoi is 1.7x larger than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Hanoi has 2.2x fewer people than Shenzhen
Yes — Hanoi is 1.7x larger than Shenzhen by area. Hanoi spans 3,359 km² (1,297 mi²) while Shenzhen covers 1,997 km² (771 mi²) — a difference of 1,362 km².
To put Hanoi's size in perspective, its area of 3,359 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
In more relatable units, Hanoi's 3,359 km² is about 470,000 American football fields, 57 times the area of Manhattan, or 32 times the area of Paris. For Shenzhen, that's about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris.
Hanoi is the capital and second-most populous municipality of Vietnam. It encompasses an area of 3,358.6 km2 (1,296.8 mi2), and as of 2025 has a population of 8,807,523. Hanoi had the second-highest gross regional domestic product of all Vietnamese provinces and municipalities at US$48 billion in 2023, behind Ho Chi Minh City. It hosts 78 foreign embassies, the headquarters of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA), its Vietnam National University system, and other governmental organizations.
Known as "City Between Rivers", Hanoi covers 3,359 km² with a population of 8.1 million. The city was established in 1010. Hanoi is known for Hoan Kiem Lake, Old Quarter, Temple of Literature, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Hanoi Metro.
Hanoi encompasses 3,358.6 square kilometers and had a population of nearly 8.8 million as of 2025.
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.
Also known as "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. The city dates back to 1979. Visitors come for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020
Looking beyond city limits, the Hanoi metropolitan area covers 3,359 km², which is 1.7x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The Shenzhen metro area is also more populous, with 17.6 million people compared to 8.1 million.
Hanoi has a population density of 2,397 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is dramatically more crowded, with 3.7x the population density.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Hanoi (Vietnam) and Shenzhen (China) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Both cities share a humid subtropical climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each.
Density Gap
Shenzhen is 3.7x more densely populated
History
Hanoi is ~969 years older
Hanoi covers 3,359 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Karachi (3,527 km²), Cairo (3,085 km²), Dubai (4,114 km²), Lima (2,672 km²), or Moscow (2,511 km²).
Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 km²).
The straight-line distance from Hanoi to Shenzhen is 866 km (538 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 31m.
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