Nhue Giang River, irrigation canal in northern Vietnam. The Nhue Giang River flows north-south for about 113 km (70 miles) through the Ha Dong–Phu Ly region. It was built just before World War II by the French colonial government to regulate the flow of water in the wet-rice farming area south of Hanoi, which covers about 1,100 square km (425 square miles) between the Red River (Song Hong) and the Day River. The creation of the canal and of the large Day River barrage, 260 metres (853 feet) wide, ensured what is known to the Vietnamese as a “tenth-month” (i.e., autumn) harvest by draining the water. Irrigation water for “fifth-month” (spring) crops is supplied by a catch basin and distributed via the canal.