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Hanoi
Ha Noi, the capital of Vietnam, is perhaps Asia's most charming capital city, in large parts because of its famous lakes, shaded boulevards and verdant public parks. Hanoi is a city of broad, leafy boulevards, shuttered French villas and colonial-era buildings painted in muted hues of yellows and oranges. The city center is an architectural museum piece, its blocks of ochre buildings retaining the air of a peaceful and austere provincial town, contrary to the fast-living and bustling air of Sai Gon. The city of Ha Noi is a small part now of Greater Ha Noi, which has a land area of 2,139 sq km and a population of about 3,000,000. In the past, Ha Noi was first chosen by King Ly Thai To as the capital of the country and was named Thang Long (Ascending Dragon) in 1010. Through several successive dynasties, it remained as the country's capital city, the heart and soul of the whole nation, and has borne a variety of names, including Dong Kinh (Eastern capital), from which the Europeans derived the name they eventually applied to all of northern Vietnam, Tonkin. The city was finally named Ha Noi (the city in a bend of the river) by Emperor Minh Mang (Nguyen Dynasty) in 1831.
Attractions in Hanoi:
Restored Sword lake (Ho Hoan Kiem or Ho Guom)
Hoan Kiem Lake is located in the heart of the city, a pleasant lake lined with old trees, many of them bent gracefully over the water. Le Loi was a common fisherman who discovered a magical sword that helped him become the heroic Vietnamese military general who defeated the Chinese Ming invaders in the early 1400s. He eventually became the Emperor Le Thai To of Vietnam. It is said that the sword was taken from him while he was boating on the lake by a golden tortoise that returned it to its divine owners, thus giving the lake its name - Lake of the Restored Sword. Ho Guom, an alternate and more commonly used name by locals, means little lake which is how it was referred to by the French (Petit Lac). Early in the morning there are people around the lake doing their morning exercises and in the evening, especially on Sundays and holidays, the lake is festive with music, dressed up families and vendors selling balloons, toys and treats.
Tortoise tower (Thap Rua) and Temple of the jade mound (Den Ngoc Son)
The 18th century Tortoise Tower stands in the middle of the lake (which actually has a number of turtles) and is a popular image used to represent Hanoi. Not far from this tower is a tiny islet where the 19th century Temple of the Jade Mound stands in honor of the national hero Tran Hung Dao and three patron saints - Nguyen Van Xuong of literature, Quan Vu of martial arts and La To of medicine. To get to the islet, one must cross a red arched bridge, the Sunbeam Bridge (The Huc), which is a great place to have a picture taken.
The temple of literature (Van Mieu)
Built in 1070, dedicated to Confucius and used as a school for princes and the sons of mandarins, the Temple of Literature is a rare and relatively well preserved example of traditional Vietnamese architecture. It is about 350m long and 70m wide and surrounded by a vast wall of bricks with 5 courtyards inside. The middle entrance was reserved for the king, one side entrance was for civilian mandarins and the other for military mandarins. There is a pavilion for poetry recitals where the most educated people recited composed poems and made literary comments. 82 stone stelae remain (of the original 117) resting on the backs of stone tortoises, inscribed with the names of the doctors of philosophy who passed the king's examination from 1498 to 1787. Once adjoined by the School of the Elite of the Nation in 1076, it became Vietnam's first national university.
The temple of Quan Thanh
This pagoda is located beside Truc Bach Lake. In the 11th century Ly Thai To had it built and consecrated to Tran Vo, the genie of the North who, according to legend, freed the lake from a terrible nine-tailed fox. Tran Vo bore a Black flag and his symbols were the tortoise and snake. In the 18th century, the temple was renovated and the statue of Tran Vo was cast in bronze. This statue is 3.4m tall and weighs 4 tons. Ho Truc Bach (White Silk Lake) has a little history of its own. In the 18th century the Trinh Lords built a palace next to the lake that was later turned into a reformatory for deviant concubines who were condemned to weave a fine white silk.
The one pillar pagoda (Chua Mot Cot)
Heirless King Ly Thai To dreamt that the Goddess of Mercy, sitting on a lotus flower, handed him a male child. Shortly thereafter he met a peasant girl who bore him a son and heir to the throne. In 1049 to express his gratitude to the goddess, he built a wooden pagoda on a single stone pillar rising out of a pond to represent the pure lotus blossom (the pagoda) rising out of a sea of sorrow. The structure was destroyed and rebuilt a few times - the current pagoda was rebuilt in 1955 after the French blew it up before retreating. Only a few meters away is the lovely Dien Huu Pagoda with a garden courtyard and wood and ceramic alter statues that are unlike those typically found in the south.
The army museum (Bao Tang Quan Doi)
This establishment was built at the end of the 20th century. During colonial times it was used as a base for the French army. Later it was transformed into a museum about Vietnam's wars against foreign invaders displaying many photos, weapons, medals, regimental banners, trophies and other vestiges of war including an American B-52 bomber which lays in the courtyard. There are large, detailed models of the battle of Dien Bien Phu and the siege of Saigon.
For those interested in military conflicts or Vietnam's wars and revolutions, there is also the Air Force Museum, the Revolutionary Museum, the Hanoi Hilton prison and the Independence Museum. A visit to any one or all of these should serve to make visitors realize that Vietnam should not be defined by its conflict with the Americans alone but rather by thousands of years of resistance against foreign domination.
The historical museum (Bao Tang Lich Su)
Formerly the French School of the Far East, this building was completed in 1930 and has an impressive collection including relics from the Hung era and Neolithic graves, Bronze age, Funan, Champa and Khmer kingdoms and artifacts from the Vietnamese dynasties. It also has displays about the struggle against Chinese domination and French colonization and on the history of the communist party.
President Hochiminh’s mausoleum
Inaugurated in 1975, this mausoleum is the permanent memorial for Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam where visitors line up respectfully, single-file to visit "Uncle Ho's" embalmed form. This may be the only place a visitor will find an orderly queue in Vietnam. The building is a 21 meter high, grey marble and granite structure erected in Ba Dinh Square where President Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam's independence in 1945. Do not wear shorts or tank tops to visit the mausoleum; inside photographs and videotaping are forbidden and hats must be taken off. Such a formidable structure in a spacious green setting with formally dressed soldiers standing guard gives the mausoleum an air of somber, stately importance.
The old quarter
The Old Quarter is bounded by Hoan Kiem Lake, the Citadel, Dong Xuan Market and the Red River. The area was designated the commercial district when Hanoi was first planned and is where the original 36 artisans and merchants guilds conducted business and lived. Its busy streets bustling with shops and activity still recall the Hanoi of old. Houses in the area are narrow and long, allowing more families to have a store front on the street to conduct business, while leaving the back for domestic use and storage. Some are only a few meters wide. The numerous small streets bear the names of different trades: Cotton Street (Hang Bong), Sugar Street (Hang Duong), Rice Street (Hang Gao), and so on. Dong Xuan Market is located in the north end of the Old Quarter and is a major local market for everyday goods.
Many of the Old Quarter's streets no longer sell the product of their naming while others still do. Here is a guide to what a visitor can find where.
• Antiques, real and otherwise: Hang Khay, Trang Tien
• Art: Trang Tien, Dinh Tien Hoang
• Fried fish: Cha Ca (Fried Fish Street) and Luong Van Can (both streets are an extension of each other)
• Handicrafts: Hang Khay, Hang Gai
• Shoes: Hang Dau and northeast corner of Hoan Kiem Lake
• Silk: Hang Gai (also clothing, embroidery)
• Silver: Hang Bac (Silver Street) for silver and other jewelry
• Souvenirs: Hang Gai and surrounding streets
Dong Xuan market (Cho Dong Xuan )
the largest in the city. Dong Xuan is good for fabrics and souvenirs. A recent innovation is a late night outdoor market and a long line of small food stalls selling a variety of traditional street food. The impromptu pavement ‘Bia hoi’ on the right hand corner that starts up in the late afternoon is an excellent place to drink good beer and watch the world from a Vietnamese viewpoint.
The Coloa citadel
located in 16 km from north of Hanoi in Dong Anh district are the remains of the Co Loa citadel fortress. This was once the ancient capital of the Thuc Dynasty ruled by King An Duong Vuong from 257 to 208 B.C. The walls of the citadel have the ingenious structure of an oyster shell that allowed guards to sound an alert (using a conch shell) that could be amplified, heard anywhere within the city and in surrounding villages. Legend has it that the wall continually failed to stand until a golden tortoise, Kim Quy, came to the king in a dream to tell him that occult forces were responsible. Eventually the king was able to build an indestructible fortress, only to have it be a target for the Chinese. The tortoise returned to give King An Duong a magic crossbow which he used to successfully repel the invading forces.
A truce between the invading Chinese General and the king resulted in the marriage of the king's daughter My Chau to the general's son Trong Thuy, who tricked his new wife into handing over the magic crossbow, which he gave to his father. With the magic crossbow, the Chinese were able to defeat the king's forces and Vietnam was once again under Chinese rule. The king was so angry he had his daughter beheaded and a statue of a headless woman is now enshrined next to an old banyan tree. There is also a well in memory of Trong Thuy who was so distraught he drowned himself. Such is the Vietnamese admiration of people who resist foreign invaders that on the 6th of January every year, people gather at a temple dedicated to King An Duong Vuong to honor him and his efforts toward an independent Vietnam.
St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Built in European neo-Gothic style St. Joseph's Cathedral dominates a small square in the heart of Hanoi's tourist area facing a street of restaurants and boutiques.
It was one of the first buildings erected by the French colonists, and was completed in 1886 – many of the materials and most of the craftspeople were imported from France. Most of the stained glass windows are original and good examples of the craft.
Mass is held twice daily (5am-7am and 5pm-7pm), but visitors can enter through a side door when the main doors are closed.
The Hanoi Citadel
The Hanoi Citadel complex is in the process of being released by the Army - two buildings are now accessible, and more are to follow. A visit is recommended!
Originally known as the Dai La Citadel, King Ly Thai To renamed it Thang Long (Ascending Dragon – the old name of Hanoi) Citadel when he chose it as his capital in 1010. Over many centuries various monarchs moved the capital to other places and their successors moved it back again to Hanoi often modifying and rebuilding elements of the Citadel several times.
In 1888 the defeated Nguyen Dynasty surrendered the Hanoi Citadel to the French colonialists. Hanoi became a colonial city 66 years until the French were expelled in 1954. During their occupancy, the colonists broke down the walls of Citadel and destroyed most of the buildings inside. The old Watchtower remains, and offers an excellent view of the whole complex.
In 2003, excavations on the site of a proposed new National Assembly building unearthed the remains of King Ly Thai To’s Palace, and with it a wealth of relicts, foundations building, wells, kilns and other remains that shed new light on the early history of Thanh Long and the complex relationship between the cultures of Vietnam and China. The future destiny of the site is not yet clear, but the archeological treasures that have been discovered are being catalogued and put on display.
The French Quarter
A misnomer, really! During the earlier years of colonization, building development was on ‘concession’ land ‘leased’ by the Vietnamese authorities, the first near what is now the Opera House and another near the railway station.
However, this face-saving pretence was soon abandoned and French administration, military officials and civil servants built more or less where they wished, tearing down existing buildings if necessary.
The result is a rich heritage of magnificent mansions, villas and public buildings throughout Hanoi’s central area. For anyone interested in architecture, a visit to some of the best examples is a must! Early civil constructions such as the Opera House and St. Joseph’s Cathedral were smaller replicas of their equivalent in France. To build the Cathedral, a miniature of Notre Dame, one of Hanoi’s oldest pagodas was destroyed to make the foundations.
By the early years of the twentieth century, the style began to diverge from the French mainstream by incorporating Vietnamese and oriental elements to create a distinct architectural genre.
A stroll around the centre of Hanoi takes in buildings such the Opera House, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidential Palace and the Chinese Embassy. With a LIT specialist guide, you'll gain an comprehensive overview of Hanoi’s colonial architectural heritage.
Hoa Lo Prison
Better known by its former inmates as ‘The Hanoi Hilton’ it became famous during the American War as many US POWs were incarcerated here. Notable prisoners included Republican senator John McCain and Douglas Peterson who later became the first post-war US Ambassador to Vietnam.
Museum of Ethnology
Hanoi’s Ethnology Museum stands out as Vietnam’s best-managed cultural institution. Despite its location in the suburbs about a half hour’s drive from the city centre, it attracts streams of visitors. It is a must-to-see place for anyone who intends to visit either Mai Chau or Sapa in particular. This museum is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples. As well as the comprehensive array of exhibits inside, there are also traditional tribal houses reconstructed within the grounds.
Water Puppet Theatre
This is a uniquely Vietnamese creation with its origins dating back nearly a thousand years. Originally these plays would have taken place on lakes and ponds during the monsoon season, depicting daily life as well as numerous tales and legends. The stories remain the same but now the production takes place in a specially designed theatre with a stage knee-deep in water. The puppeteers are hidden behind a bamboo screen and the whole experience is both entertaining and amusing.
Hanoi Opera House
The Hanoi Opera House is one of Hanoi's most memorable landmarks. Designed by French architects, the Opera House is one of Vietnam's grandest buildings. The building's exterior is a delightful mix of shuttered windows, wrought iron balconies, and tiles friezes. The construction of Hanoi Opera House started in 1901 and was completed in 1911. The Opera House was completely restored in 2000.
The West Lake
Also known as Ho Tay, the West Lake was formed due the changes in the course of the Red River. Getto know the famous legends about the West Lake during your Sightseeing Tour in Hanoi.
Tran Quoc Pagoda
Known as the cultural symbol of Vietnamese Buddhism, Tran Quoc Pillar was built by King Ly Nam De under the original name of Khai Quoc (National Founder). Originally built on the bank of the Red River, Tran Quoc Pagoda was shifted to the Kim Hgu Islet due river crumbling.
Truc Bach Lake
Formed in the 17th century, Truc Bach Lake was originally called Co Ngu. When you visit the Truc Bach Lake, make sure to have a look at the Truc Lam Palace that built on the site of this beautiful lake in Vietnam.
Restored Sword lake (Ho Hoan Kiem or Ho Guom)
Hoan Kiem Lake is located in the heart of the city, a pleasant lake lined with old trees, many of them bent gracefully over the water. Le Loi was a common fisherman who discovered a magical sword that helped him become the heroic Vietnamese military general who defeated the Chinese Ming invaders in the early 1400s. He eventually became the Emperor Le Thai To of Vietnam. It is said that the sword was taken from him while he was boating on the lake by a golden tortoise that returned it to its divine owners, thus giving the lake its name - Lake of the Restored Sword. Ho Guom, an alternate and more commonly used name by locals, means little lake which is how it was referred to by the French (Petit Lac). Early in the morning there are people around the lake doing their morning exercises and in the evening, especially on Sundays and holidays, the lake is festive with music, dressed up families and vendors selling balloons, toys and treats.
Tortoise tower (Thap Rua) and Temple of the jade mound (Den Ngoc Son)
The 18th century Tortoise Tower stands in the middle of the lake (which actually has a number of turtles) and is a popular image used to represent Hanoi. Not far from this tower is a tiny islet where the 19th century Temple of the Jade Mound stands in honor of the national hero Tran Hung Dao and three patron saints - Nguyen Van Xuong of literature, Quan Vu of martial arts and La To of medicine. To get to the islet, one must cross a red arched bridge, the Sunbeam Bridge (The Huc), which is a great place to have a picture taken.
The temple of literature (Van Mieu)
Built in 1070, dedicated to Confucius and used as a school for princes and the sons of mandarins, the Temple of Literature is a rare and relatively well preserved example of traditional Vietnamese architecture. It is about 350m long and 70m wide and surrounded by a vast wall of bricks with 5 courtyards inside. The middle entrance was reserved for the king, one side entrance was for civilian mandarins and the other for military mandarins. There is a pavilion for poetry recitals where the most educated people recited composed poems and made literary comments. 82 stone stelae remain (of the original 117) resting on the backs of stone tortoises, inscribed with the names of the doctors of philosophy who passed the king's examination from 1498 to 1787. Once adjoined by the School of the Elite of the Nation in 1076, it became Vietnam's first national university.
The temple of Quan Thanh
This pagoda is located beside Truc Bach Lake. In the 11th century Ly Thai To had it built and consecrated to Tran Vo, the genie of the North who, according to legend, freed the lake from a terrible nine-tailed fox. Tran Vo bore a Black flag and his symbols were the tortoise and snake. In the 18th century, the temple was renovated and the statue of Tran Vo was cast in bronze. This statue is 3.4m tall and weighs 4 tons. Ho Truc Bach (White Silk Lake) has a little history of its own. In the 18th century the Trinh Lords built a palace next to the lake that was later turned into a reformatory for deviant concubines who were condemned to weave a fine white silk.
The one pillar pagoda (Chua Mot Cot)
Heirless King Ly Thai To dreamt that the Goddess of Mercy, sitting on a lotus flower, handed him a male child. Shortly thereafter he met a peasant girl who bore him a son and heir to the throne. In 1049 to express his gratitude to the goddess, he built a wooden pagoda on a single stone pillar rising out of a pond to represent the pure lotus blossom (the pagoda) rising out of a sea of sorrow. The structure was destroyed and rebuilt a few times - the current pagoda was rebuilt in 1955 after the French blew it up before retreating. Only a few meters away is the lovely Dien Huu Pagoda with a garden courtyard and wood and ceramic alter statues that are unlike those typically found in the south.
The army museum (Bao Tang Quan Doi)
This establishment was built at the end of the 20th century. During colonial times it was used as a base for the French army. Later it was transformed into a museum about Vietnam's wars against foreign invaders displaying many photos, weapons, medals, regimental banners, trophies and other vestiges of war including an American B-52 bomber which lays in the courtyard. There are large, detailed models of the battle of Dien Bien Phu and the siege of Saigon.
For those interested in military conflicts or Vietnam's wars and revolutions, there is also the Air Force Museum, the Revolutionary Museum, the Hanoi Hilton prison and the Independence Museum. A visit to any one or all of these should serve to make visitors realize that Vietnam should not be defined by its conflict with the Americans alone but rather by thousands of years of resistance against foreign domination.
The historical museum (Bao Tang Lich Su)
Formerly the French School of the Far East, this building was completed in 1930 and has an impressive collection including relics from the Hung era and Neolithic graves, Bronze age, Funan, Champa and Khmer kingdoms and artifacts from the Vietnamese dynasties. It also has displays about the struggle against Chinese domination and French colonization and on the history of the communist party.
President Hochiminh’s mausoleum
Inaugurated in 1975, this mausoleum is the permanent memorial for Ho Chi Minh, the founder of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam where visitors line up respectfully, single-file to visit "Uncle Ho's" embalmed form. This may be the only place a visitor will find an orderly queue in Vietnam. The building is a 21 meter high, grey marble and granite structure erected in Ba Dinh Square where President Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam's independence in 1945. Do not wear shorts or tank tops to visit the mausoleum; inside photographs and videotaping are forbidden and hats must be taken off. Such a formidable structure in a spacious green setting with formally dressed soldiers standing guard gives the mausoleum an air of somber, stately importance.
The old quarter
The Old Quarter is bounded by Hoan Kiem Lake, the Citadel, Dong Xuan Market and the Red River. The area was designated the commercial district when Hanoi was first planned and is where the original 36 artisans and merchants guilds conducted business and lived. Its busy streets bustling with shops and activity still recall the Hanoi of old. Houses in the area are narrow and long, allowing more families to have a store front on the street to conduct business, while leaving the back for domestic use and storage. Some are only a few meters wide. The numerous small streets bear the names of different trades: Cotton Street (Hang Bong), Sugar Street (Hang Duong), Rice Street (Hang Gao), and so on. Dong Xuan Market is located in the north end of the Old Quarter and is a major local market for everyday goods.
Many of the Old Quarter's streets no longer sell the product of their naming while others still do. Here is a guide to what a visitor can find where.
• Antiques, real and otherwise: Hang Khay, Trang Tien
• Art: Trang Tien, Dinh Tien Hoang
• Fried fish: Cha Ca (Fried Fish Street) and Luong Van Can (both streets are an extension of each other)
• Handicrafts: Hang Khay, Hang Gai
• Shoes: Hang Dau and northeast corner of Hoan Kiem Lake
• Silk: Hang Gai (also clothing, embroidery)
• Silver: Hang Bac (Silver Street) for silver and other jewelry
• Souvenirs: Hang Gai and surrounding streets
Dong Xuan market (Cho Dong Xuan )
the largest in the city. Dong Xuan is good for fabrics and souvenirs. A recent innovation is a late night outdoor market and a long line of small food stalls selling a variety of traditional street food. The impromptu pavement ‘Bia hoi’ on the right hand corner that starts up in the late afternoon is an excellent place to drink good beer and watch the world from a Vietnamese viewpoint.
The Coloa citadel
located in 16 km from north of Hanoi in Dong Anh district are the remains of the Co Loa citadel fortress. This was once the ancient capital of the Thuc Dynasty ruled by King An Duong Vuong from 257 to 208 B.C. The walls of the citadel have the ingenious structure of an oyster shell that allowed guards to sound an alert (using a conch shell) that could be amplified, heard anywhere within the city and in surrounding villages. Legend has it that the wall continually failed to stand until a golden tortoise, Kim Quy, came to the king in a dream to tell him that occult forces were responsible. Eventually the king was able to build an indestructible fortress, only to have it be a target for the Chinese. The tortoise returned to give King An Duong a magic crossbow which he used to successfully repel the invading forces.
A truce between the invading Chinese General and the king resulted in the marriage of the king's daughter My Chau to the general's son Trong Thuy, who tricked his new wife into handing over the magic crossbow, which he gave to his father. With the magic crossbow, the Chinese were able to defeat the king's forces and Vietnam was once again under Chinese rule. The king was so angry he had his daughter beheaded and a statue of a headless woman is now enshrined next to an old banyan tree. There is also a well in memory of Trong Thuy who was so distraught he drowned himself. Such is the Vietnamese admiration of people who resist foreign invaders that on the 6th of January every year, people gather at a temple dedicated to King An Duong Vuong to honor him and his efforts toward an independent Vietnam.
St. Joseph’s Cathedral
Built in European neo-Gothic style St. Joseph's Cathedral dominates a small square in the heart of Hanoi's tourist area facing a street of restaurants and boutiques.
It was one of the first buildings erected by the French colonists, and was completed in 1886 – many of the materials and most of the craftspeople were imported from France. Most of the stained glass windows are original and good examples of the craft.
Mass is held twice daily (5am-7am and 5pm-7pm), but visitors can enter through a side door when the main doors are closed.
The Hanoi Citadel
The Hanoi Citadel complex is in the process of being released by the Army - two buildings are now accessible, and more are to follow. A visit is recommended!
Originally known as the Dai La Citadel, King Ly Thai To renamed it Thang Long (Ascending Dragon – the old name of Hanoi) Citadel when he chose it as his capital in 1010. Over many centuries various monarchs moved the capital to other places and their successors moved it back again to Hanoi often modifying and rebuilding elements of the Citadel several times.
In 1888 the defeated Nguyen Dynasty surrendered the Hanoi Citadel to the French colonialists. Hanoi became a colonial city 66 years until the French were expelled in 1954. During their occupancy, the colonists broke down the walls of Citadel and destroyed most of the buildings inside. The old Watchtower remains, and offers an excellent view of the whole complex.
In 2003, excavations on the site of a proposed new National Assembly building unearthed the remains of King Ly Thai To’s Palace, and with it a wealth of relicts, foundations building, wells, kilns and other remains that shed new light on the early history of Thanh Long and the complex relationship between the cultures of Vietnam and China. The future destiny of the site is not yet clear, but the archeological treasures that have been discovered are being catalogued and put on display.
The French Quarter
A misnomer, really! During the earlier years of colonization, building development was on ‘concession’ land ‘leased’ by the Vietnamese authorities, the first near what is now the Opera House and another near the railway station.
However, this face-saving pretence was soon abandoned and French administration, military officials and civil servants built more or less where they wished, tearing down existing buildings if necessary.
The result is a rich heritage of magnificent mansions, villas and public buildings throughout Hanoi’s central area. For anyone interested in architecture, a visit to some of the best examples is a must! Early civil constructions such as the Opera House and St. Joseph’s Cathedral were smaller replicas of their equivalent in France. To build the Cathedral, a miniature of Notre Dame, one of Hanoi’s oldest pagodas was destroyed to make the foundations.
By the early years of the twentieth century, the style began to diverge from the French mainstream by incorporating Vietnamese and oriental elements to create a distinct architectural genre.
A stroll around the centre of Hanoi takes in buildings such the Opera House, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidential Palace and the Chinese Embassy. With a LIT specialist guide, you'll gain an comprehensive overview of Hanoi’s colonial architectural heritage.
Hoa Lo Prison
Better known by its former inmates as ‘The Hanoi Hilton’ it became famous during the American War as many US POWs were incarcerated here. Notable prisoners included Republican senator John McCain and Douglas Peterson who later became the first post-war US Ambassador to Vietnam.
Museum of Ethnology
Hanoi’s Ethnology Museum stands out as Vietnam’s best-managed cultural institution. Despite its location in the suburbs about a half hour’s drive from the city centre, it attracts streams of visitors. It is a must-to-see place for anyone who intends to visit either Mai Chau or Sapa in particular. This museum is widely acknowledged as the best in the country and has an extensive display dedicated to Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic minority peoples. As well as the comprehensive array of exhibits inside, there are also traditional tribal houses reconstructed within the grounds.
Water Puppet Theatre
This is a uniquely Vietnamese creation with its origins dating back nearly a thousand years. Originally these plays would have taken place on lakes and ponds during the monsoon season, depicting daily life as well as numerous tales and legends. The stories remain the same but now the production takes place in a specially designed theatre with a stage knee-deep in water. The puppeteers are hidden behind a bamboo screen and the whole experience is both entertaining and amusing.
Hanoi Opera House
The Hanoi Opera House is one of Hanoi's most memorable landmarks. Designed by French architects, the Opera House is one of Vietnam's grandest buildings. The building's exterior is a delightful mix of shuttered windows, wrought iron balconies, and tiles friezes. The construction of Hanoi Opera House started in 1901 and was completed in 1911. The Opera House was completely restored in 2000.
The West Lake
Also known as Ho Tay, the West Lake was formed due the changes in the course of the Red River. Getto know the famous legends about the West Lake during your Sightseeing Tour in Hanoi.
Tran Quoc Pagoda
Known as the cultural symbol of Vietnamese Buddhism, Tran Quoc Pillar was built by King Ly Nam De under the original name of Khai Quoc (National Founder). Originally built on the bank of the Red River, Tran Quoc Pagoda was shifted to the Kim Hgu Islet due river crumbling.
Truc Bach Lake
Formed in the 17th century, Truc Bach Lake was originally called Co Ngu. When you visit the Truc Bach Lake, make sure to have a look at the Truc Lam Palace that built on the site of this beautiful lake in Vietnam.
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