Hanoi is evolving into a modern-day metropolis and its people are witness to changes taking place all over the city. Architect Quang Van Nguyen has spent the last four years on a mission to develop an ambitious housing plan he calls the “Utopia Project.” His vision is to build a self-sustainable city fuelled by renewable technology. In time, he hopes to pitch it to city planners with the power to decide the future of Hanoi’s changing landscape. A living example of such a change can be found in the East Gate, the last standing gate of ancient Hanoi. For 40 years, Madam Nhan has lived in a tiny opening in its wall. She will soon have to move as authorities begin restoration work on the gate in anticipation of the Hanoi Millennium. Meanwhile, contemporary artist Dao Anh Khanh prepares to stage a performance that will be his personal tribute to the city. He calls it the ‘Bridge of Sound’ - a large bamboo stage that acts as a physical metaphor for the old and the new. It is his artistic salute to Hanoi, a city frothing at the brim of modernity.