Earlier, three investors Sun Group, Vingroup and Geleximco  of the project were allowed to each devise plans and submit them to the municipal authority for selection. They were allowed to invite design consultancy agencies which have experiences in the planning of bank river areas in many countries such as Han River in South Korea, and Huangpu and Qiantang rivers in China to collaborate on their projects. 

China’s Hangzhou Design and Planning Institute have been invited to participate in the planning scheme to develop the areas along the Red River.

In December 2016, Geleximco came to Shanghai to study the planning model of Huangpu and Qiantang rivers’ bank areas which have some similarities to the Red River. Geleximco invited Hangzhou Design and Planning Institute to join the planning scheme to develop a scale 1/5000 plan of the areas along the Red River.

A group from the Chinese institute conducted a survey along the Red River and also worked with the Hanoi Department of Planning and Architecture; the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as a representative from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

At the meetings, the Chinese institute asked the Hanoi departments to provide them with information related to hydrography, water flow and other documents related to the Red River. 

The Hanoi’s People’s Committee has urged municipal departments and agencies to provide the documents about the Red River to Geleximco.

Under the instruction of Hanoi People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung, the planning of the Red River bank areas are aimed to ensure the city’s anti-flood capacity, effectively makes use of land and create a modern urban area along the river. The scheme should give priority to on-site resettlement for local residents and develop waterway transportation and tourism.