Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam is a dynamic combination of French, Chinese and Vietnamese architecture, historical sites, Buddhist pagodas, museums and bustling streets with a constant blur of motorbikes. Hanoi also serves as the gateway to Halong Bay, Vietnam’s most iconic destination.
Make the best of Vietnam’s street cuisine here and don’t shy away from tasting the array of strange dishes, as they always end up lip-smacking good! Egg and coffee seem like the weirdest combination ever, but a sip of the city’s signature egg coffee will definitely change your mind. Also, don’t forget to catch a water puppet show and admire Vietnam’s unique style of theatre! So, grab a Bia Hoi (a popular draught beer) and head out to explore the capital’s delights.
Old Quarter is the most lively and appealing part of Hanoi and is the best place to try out Vietnam’s street food. There are rows of stalls serving exotic dishes and the customers savouring them as they sit on the unbelievably tiny stools on the pavement, with a strong smell of meat and barbecue dominating the air. It is also the best place to go shopping and you will have stores selling a wide range of products including souvenirs, clothes, spices and rip-offs. The streets are also notable for the rows of narrow, tall and colourful French buildings featuring beautiful windows and balconies. Old Quarter also hosts a night market every weekend, from Friday to Sunday and if you love shopping, make sure you don’t miss it!
Hoan Kiem Lake, meaning Lake of the Restored Sword, is steeped in local legend and located near the Old Quarter. It is claimed that in the 15th-century, Emperor Ly Thai received a sword from heaven, which he used to force the Chinese out of Vietnam. After this, a huge golden turtle snatched the sword and plunged into the lake to return it to its owners. A beautiful red bridge over the lake leads to the impressive Ngoc Son Temple, which was built in honour of Tran Hung Dao, a military commander who successfully prevented two Mongol invasions in the 13th-century. Here you will also find shrines dedicated to Taoist and Confucian philosophers.
The Hoan Kiem Lake is best visited in the evening, when the lights are on, highlighting the red bridge and the temple.
The Old Quarter is also home to Hanoi’s largest indoor market that is housed in a huge four-storeyed building. It’s a shopper’s paradise and you will get everything here from fresh groceries and paintings to electronics and fancy clothing. There is also a large section of the market filled with food stalls, to boost you on your shopping spree!
West Lake is located in the heart of the city and is surrounded by modern buildings and skyscrapers. The lake is popular for boating and also houses the historical Tran Quoc Pagoda on a small islet. You will find plenty of hotels, casinos, luxury villas, restaurants and cafes surrounding the lake. The lake is perfect for a stroll to take in modern Hanoi’s sights.
Tran Quoc pagoda is regarded as the oldest Buddhist temple in the city and is almost 1500 years old. It is located on a small islet of its own in the West Lake and houses a 15-metre high red coloured stupa. The pagoda is easily accessible through a causeway bearing colourful prayer flags. It features multiple carvings of Buddhist elements, especially lotus flowers. Opposite the main shrine, there is a large bodhi tree which was actually planted as a cutting from the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, India.
The mausoleum houses the preserved body of Vietnam’s national hero and politician, Ho Chi Minh, which is displayed in a glass case and surrounded by military guards. The mausoleum’s architecture is strikingly different from other buildings in Vietnam as it was modelled after Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow but with a Vietnamese touch. The complex also contains a museum housed in an imposing building that narrates the life of Ho Chi Minh.
The Temple of Literature, dedicated to Chinese philosopher Confucius, is an outstanding example of Vietnamese architecture that awes its visitors without fail. The complex was first constructed in the early 11th-century and constantly renovated to preserve and maintain its original glory. It housed the Imperial Academy, Vietnam’s first university which was later converted into a school and then shut down completely in 1906.
You will be taken aback by the expanse of the complex as door after door opens to yet another huge courtyard. There are five courtyards in total and the first two house beautifully manicured gardens, a lily pond, grand doorways and a bell tower. The third courtyard houses the Thieng Quang Well, known as the Well of Heavenly Clarity and is flanked on either side by halls housing the Stelae of Turtles. 82 of the 116 original turtle statues still remain and bear inscriptions of the details of 1307 graduates who cleared the royal exams. The fourth courtyard contains elaborate shrines in red and gold for Confucius and his disciples. The fifth courtyard housed the Imperial Academy which today contains multiple exhibits from the days of the academy, souvenir stores and a bronze bell house.
The UNESCO listed Imperial Citadel of Thang Long was a military complex built during the Ly dynasty in the 11th-century and subsequently expanded. This ancient site was excavated extensively from 2004 and the ruins of royal palaces, gates, wells, roads and treasures were found. Most of the artefacts are now on display at the National Museum. Today visitors can see the 40m tall Hanoi Flag Tower and the display room which houses some of the excavated articles.
The One Pillar Pagoda is one of Vietnam’s most iconic temples and was first constructed by Emperor Ly Thai Tong in the 11th-century. Legend has it that the Emperor was childless and had a dream in which Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, seated on a lotus, handed him a baby son. Following this, the Emperor married a peasant woman who bore him a son and he built the pagoda in gratitude. The wooden pagoda is constructed on a single pillar rising from a lotus pond, resembling the dream. However, it was destroyed by the French in the 1950s but rebuilt later.
The Hanoi Opera House is an impressive piece of French neo-classical architecture that was inspired by the Palais Garnier in France. It was constructed in the early 20th-century and hosts numerous ballets, dramas and musical events till date. The elaborate interior features gothic-styled doors, long windows, pillars and balconies. However, you can enter only if you purchase a ticket for a show and don’t hesitate – both the performance and interior are a magical experience you would regret missing.
The huge prison was constructed by the French in the late 19th-century and today stands as a museum, capturing its gruesome history. Initially used by the French to imprison Vietnamese revolutionaries, the prison was later used for US prisoners of war during the US-Vietnam War. During this time, it was popularly and sarcastically called by the Americans as the ‘Hanoi Hilton’. Most of the prison was demolished to make way for new buildings and in what is left of the prison, you can see the guillotine room, interrogation room, inmates’ quarters and original equipment and furniture.
The capital has numerous museums that are dedicated to its long history and exciting culture. An important one is the National Museum of Vietnamese History housed in a beautiful French building, which once served as a school. The highlights of the museum are its elaborate bronze works, ceramics, jewellery and ancient Hindu statues. There are also galleries focusing on the French era and the US-Vietnam War. The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology brilliantly displays the country’s cultural diversity by displaying all of its 54 distinct ethnic groups.
Other popular museums include the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, Fine Arts Museum and Vietnamese Military History Museum.
Hanoi perfectly captures the essence of Vietnam. Despite being the capital, the city is more inclined to its traditional roots and takes pride in its rich cultural heritage.
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