About Hanoi – The capital of Vietnam.
As a capital of 1000 years of history, Hanoi hosts more cultural and historical sites than any other city in Vietnam. Visitors to Hanoi all say wow it worth a place to spend your time. Let’s come and enjoy what the city has to offer through the eyes of the local. Hanoi has more things than what we can describe here. Visit us regularly to update all the information you need to know Hanoi. Late night beer joints, food stalls spilling out across the street and a peaceful lake for a morning stroll. Hanoi offers an eye–popping introduction to Vietnam.
The bustling, narrow streets of the Old Quarter are the ultimate expression of Vietnam’s can–do attitude. Businesses sprawl across the narrow paths, selling everything from flip-flops to locally grown coffee. In between it all you’ll find workers taking a nap on their scooters or locals cooking up treats over an open fire.
Food fanatics will find so much to love here. Don’t be put off by pulling up a child–sized chair at any one of the street side carts which dot the Old Quarter and the edges of the blissful Hoa Kiem Lake. Vietnamese food is unquestionably among the most delicious in all of Asia. Try banh mi (baguettes with cold cuts, chilli and fresh leaves) which marries Asian flavours with the fresh bread from the country’s French colonial past. Hanoi’s seafood is also legendary.
That colonial history is in evidence all over Hanoi: crumbling buildings dot the city from a time before it suffered at the hands of American bombers during the war of the 1960s and 1970s. But it’s a brutalist modern building which is the city’s most famous. Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum is an essential stop off for any visitor. Huge crowds gather everyday to file past the body of the one–time leader of Vietnam, who helped see off French and American troops.
There are plenty of other excellent cultural highlights, from the ancient Temple of Literature and its peaceful gardens to the thought provoking and politically charged Hoa Lo Prison, which once housed Vietnamese prisoners during French rule and was nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton by the U.S. troops held there during the war.
What to see & do in Hanoi – top best activities you should never miss in Hanoi
1) Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (Lăng Bác)
Despite his wishes to be cremated, the former president, Ho Chi Minh, lies in state here and people come from all over the world to pay their respects, so expect a lengthy queue before entering. His embalmed body is displayed in a granite monolith modelled after Lenin’s tomb in Moscow, and visitors must walk around in a respectful silence. No photos are allowed inside and visitors must dress modesty.
Opening Times: Tue-Thu 07:30-11:00, Sat-Sun 0730-1100 (1 Apr-31 Oct); Tue-Thu 0800-1100, Sat-Sun 0800-1130 (1 Nov-31 Mar).
2) The red bridge and Ngoc Son temple – Hoan Kiem Lake
Located next to the old quarter, it is a beautiful place to see including the red bridge – entrance to Ngoc Son temple isolated on a little island at Hoan Kiem Lake. The site has been used as a temple since ancient times, but most of the current structures were built during the 19th century. It offers an eclectic variety of forefathers for Vietnamese to pay homage to, such as Confucian and Taoist notables, as well as Van Xuong, the spirit of the intellectuals, and national hero Tran Hung Dao. It’s a testament to how ancestor worship trumps Buddhism in the belief system of the average Vietnamese pagoda-goer.
At the entrance to the bridge are two monuments constructed in 1864, one representing an ink brush (a tall tower) and the other an inkwell (a hollow rock held by three frogs). In the early morning of the festival of Doan Ngo, held on the fifth day of the fifth month, the shadow of the brush is positioned at the centre of the inkwell.
There’s often a steady river of tourists streaming in and out of the pagoda, though luckily quite a few come to light incense and offer prayers, so it’s not just a tourist attraction.
3) The Old Quarter (Phố Cổ)
Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a maddening maze of 36 narrow streets named after the products that were traditionally sold along each. Today the shops are as likely to sell mobile phones and homeware as silk clothes and traditional medicine, but the streets are still pleasant to wander through, especially as there are many bars, boutique shops and hotels to be found along them – just watch out for the endless throng of mopeds.
4) Vietnam National Museum of Ethnology (Bảo Tàng Dân Tộc)
Covering 54 ethnic tribes that live throughout Vietnam, this museum houses an enormous collection of artefacts including clothing, jewellery and musical instruments. Most strikingly, the grounds feature examples of Tay and Yao stilt houses, as well as an Ede long house and a Garai traditional tomb. There are also many extraordinary photos to be found here.
5) Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum (Bảo Tàng Mỹ Thuật)
Housed in a French colonial house from 1930s, this impressive building explores art from the prehistory to the present day. Examples of socialist realist paintings that show peasants striking patriotic poses are of particular interest, while there are also sculptures of the ancient Cham, beautiful oil-and-silk paintings, and precious artworks from Vietnam’s ethnic minorities.
6) The Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám)
This beautifully preserved temple, dating from 1070, was originally dedicated to Confucius and became the first university in Vietnam. Today it’s an oasis of calm in the heart of Hanoi. The central entrance was reserved for the king and the two side entrances for the mandarins. The interior is divided into walled courtyards and one is lined with stone stelae mounted on the backs of tortoises that are engraved with the names of the students who passed their exams.
7) Vietnam Military History Museum (Bảo Tàng Quân Đôi)
Housing an array of military memorabilia, this is one of the most impressive museums in Hanoi. The grounds include old planes, tanks, a Huey helicopter and a wrecked B-52, while there’s plenty of detail on the long fight for independence, plus the war between the North, South and USA that ran until 1975.
8) Ho Chi Minh’s House on stilt ( Nhà Sàn Bác Hồ)
This simple stilt house is modelled on a traditional communal home and was where Ho Chi Minh occasionally lived as was president until his death in 1969. The two simple rooms, a study and bedroom, contain many of his personal effects, and his cars are on display nearby. He is said to have preferred to live and work here rather than use the stunning colonial Presidential Palace next door.
9) Tran Quoc Pagoda (Chùa Trấn Quốc)
The Tran Quoc Pagoda in Hanoi is one of the oldest pagodas in the whole of Vietnam and is invariably full of locals performing simple ceremonies, praying solemnly and making offerings. Attractively located on an islet on the West Lake, it has a tranquil garden and a spectacular tiered tower and offers a little solace from the chaos of the city.
10) Vietnam National Museum of History (bảo tàng lịch sử)
An essential prelude to the Military Museum, this well-planned step back in time describes Vietnamese history from prehistoric settlements through to the reign of the Chinese, before covering the centuries of independence ahead of the French conquest. The story is told through a large collection of extraordinary artefacts including ceramics, sculptures and tablets.
11) Hoa Lo Prison Museum (Hanoi Hilton)
The Hỏa Lò Prison was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War when it was sarcastically known to American prisoners of war as the “Hanoi Hilton”. The prison was demolished during the 1990s, though the gatehouse remains as a museum.
For some Americans, surviving the Hanoi Hilton boosted their credentials, as it did their Viet Minh predecessors. One former prisoner became the first US ambassador to Vietnam and another was US Senator and one-time presidential hopeful John McCain. A highlight for many visitors is in one of the last galleries, which displays McCain’s flight suit and parachute, and a picture of locals pulling him out of the water after he crashed his plane in Truc Bach Lake. Photos also show him years later revisiting the prison, where he reports being so mercilessly tortured he tried to commit suicide on several occasions.
After 1975, it was once again used to jail Vietnamese who spoke out against the Communist government. This continued until at least the early 1990s when the government realised they were wasting a prime piece of downtown real estate on a prison that was easy to escape from. Most of it was destroyed and sold to developers to create the Hanoi Towers, and a small portion was preserved as a memorial.
Today the site mostly memorialises the suffering of Vietnamese revolutionary martyrs before 1954, and glosses over the other periods. Still, the prison is absolutely worth seeing. Be prepared for some fairly grim sights, including dank, dismal cells, iron stocks, upsetting photographs and, in the last ‘gallery’, the chilling presence of a guillotine used to execute some untold number of inmates.
12) One Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot)
Originally built in 1049 of wood, the pagoda was vandalised and burned by the French in 1954 as they retreated from Hanoi, only to be rebuilt the following year. The pagoda was built by Emperor Ly Thai To during the Ly Dynasty.
Legend states that the Emperor had a dream that he was given a son by the goddess of mercy, Quan An, while seated on a lotus flower. Soon afterwards, the Emperor married a peasant girl and had a son. The Emperor built the pagoda to honour the goddess, and it contains a statue of her and many sculptures of lotus flowers.
The One Pillar Pagoda is popular with childless couples and is also believed to have miraculous healing powers. During the summer, the surrounding pond is covered in lotus blossoms.
As you’re facing the pagoda stairs, turn to your left and back and you’ll spot a slightly hidden entrance to another pagoda. It’s worth popping in to this pretty spot when it’s open — it’s closed for a few hours in the middle of the day — most visitors miss it, meaning it’s a peaceful retreat.
13) The 54 Traditions Gallery is housed in a nondescript building on Hang Bun Street, north of Old Quarter. Think Dr Who’s Tardis: from the front it looks just like the frosted-glass entrance to a small office — a local solicitor’s perhaps — but inside it opens up into a five-storey treasure trove, full of antiquities from the ethnic minorities of Vietnam.
If you have any interest at all in the subject of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities, then this is a must-visit. While the Museum of Ethnology is a more spacious venue and the Women’s Museum provides insight from a gendered perspective, 54 Traditions Gallery overwhelms the senses with antiques, artifacts and art crowding every surface. Galleries include tribal textiles, tribal tools, Shamanic arts paraphernalia and jewellery.
Not only that, but all of the 1,000+ items on display are also for sale, at anything from 15 to many thousands of dollars, making for some unique and interesting gifts. Note that each item comes with a detailed (1,000+ word) fact sheet — another indication of how much they understand and care about their collection.
So a great collection of items, an unpretentious environment and items for sale — but what really clinches the deal is that Mark, the co-owner, is almost always on hand and gives every guest an engaging tour of the collection. So if, like me, you can’t be bothered with reading the uninspiring 10-word description that usually accompanies artifacts in a museum, you won’t have to — he’ll give you an interesting overview and answer any questions he can about the minorities.
The gallery also conducts cultural activities, including tours of the Museum of Ethnology and the Museum of History, interactive lectures and other participatory events.
14) Cooking class: you learn how to cook local dishes
Learn to cook delicious Vietnamese dishes on a half-day course in Hanoi’s kitchen with purpose-built kitchen. Students are taken around the colourful local food market before being taught how to whip up four dishes from five themed menus. ‘Seafood’ includes fresh spring rolls with prawns; ‘Monsoon’ has a banana flower salad; ‘Street Food’ includes barbecued pork; the ‘Village’ has clay pot stewed eggplant with pork; and the ‘Vegetarian’ fried tofu balls.
15) Performance at Hanoi Opera House
The Hanoi Opera House (tel: +84 4 3933 0113; http://hanoioperahouse.org.vn) was left in disrepair for many years, but its renovation has turned it into a beautiful building which showcases orchestral, choral, pop, ballet and theatrical works. International performers regularly appear here and you won’t need to break the bank to see many of the performances, but expect to pay near-international prices for some show. Tickets can be purchased online or in person.
16) Enjoy a traditional water puppet show
One of the must-sees in Hanoi is a traditional performance of water puppets, a form of entertainment originating in the rural communities and performed in the flooded rice paddies. Puppets depict scenes from rural life, such as planting, fishing, local festivities and parades accompanied by musicians playing traditional instruments. The performances at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre (tel: +84 4 3936 4335; www.thanglongwaterpuppet.org) are colourful, intricate and there is a lot of humour as well.
17) Play at Hanoi golf course
Golf is as popular in Vietnam as it is throughout the rest of Asia, and there are several opportunities within easy reach of Hanoi for visitors to enjoy a round. Popular courses include the 18-hole Hanoi Golf Club (tel: +84 4 3599 1363; www.hanoigolfclub.vn), which is around 45 minutes north of central Hanoi, in Minh Tri Commune and King’s Island Golf Course (tel: +84 4 3368 6555; www.kingsislandgolf.com) that sits 45km (28 miles) west of Hanoi and features two 18-hole courses.
Contact us at info@andytourist.com for more information and to book your Hanoi day tour at a special price.
