Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Hanoi Travel Guide

Located on the right bank of the Red River, Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, is the oldest and one of the most attractive capital cities in Southeast Asia which has a lot to offer to its visitors and residents alike. Visiting Hanoi, foreigners don’t forget green spaces and beautiful lakes such as Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, and Truc Bach Lake within the city. Hanoi creates its charm and uniqueness from the narrow streets of the Old quarter to the many lakes dotting the city.


Throughout the thousand years of its eventful history, marked by destruction, wars and natural calamities, Hanoi still preserves many ancient architectural works including the Old Quarter and over 600 pagodas and temples.

Many traditional handicrafts are also practiced in Hanoi including bronze molding, silver carving, lacquer, and embroidery. Hanoi has many famous traditional professional handicraft villages such as Bat Trang pottery village, Ngu Xa bronze casting village, Yen Thai glossy silk village.

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Top Hanoi Attractions

1. Temple of Literature
A tribute to Confucius and the site of the first university in Vietnam, the beautiful Temple of Literature has been around since the year 1070. The landmark contains numerous courtyards and pavilions, many of which have undergone careful restoration in recent decades.

2. Grand Opera House
A dramatic memory of French influence in Vietnam, the Grand Opera House in Hanoi is a typical and exquisite piece of colonial architecture. Built between 1901 and 1911, the opera house is a replica of the Palais Garnier in Paris.

3. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
One of the most conspicuous mausoleums in the world, the massive tribute to the most famous leader in Vietnam provides Hanoi with a landmark on par with Lenin’s tomb in Moscow. Open since 1975, the mausoleum site also contains a museum on Ho Chi Minh.

4. One Pillar Pagoda
The Buddhist One Pillar Pagoda is almost peerless in Vietnam, with a history that dates back a full millenium. The iconic landmark was badly defaced by French troops in 1954 but was rebuilt decades later.

5. Hoan Kiem Lake
Hanoi is a city of lakes and Hoan Kiem is one of the most popular with visitors. Superbly scenic and serene, the lake provides a habitat for soft-shell turtles and contains many picturesque pagodas and small bridges.

6. The Presidential Palace
Although Ho Chi Minh obstinately refused to stay there, the Presidential Palace in Hanoi is a remarkable landmark. Built by the French at the turn of the last century in Italian Renaissance style, the palace serves as a government house today. Visitors can walk the grounds for a small price.

7. National Museum of Fine Arts
For a singular glimpse into Vietnamese culture, the country’s National Museum of Fine Arts is the best place to visit. The facility contains a vast collection of art, sculpture, crafts and artifacts from every period in Vietnam’s history.

8. Hanoi Hilton
Synonymous with prisoners of war, the Hanoi Hilton is a colloquial term for a notorious facility first used by the French, then by the North Vietnamese, to hold and torture captives. American POWs at the height of the Vietnam War gave rise to the name, with John McCain as one notable long-time prisoner. Today a part of the Hanoi Hilton serves as a museum.

9. West Lake
West Lake is first in size in Hanoi and is extremely popular with locals and visitors alike. Pagodas, restaurants and hotels line the body of water and serve as lively focal points.

10. Tran Quoc Pagoda
The most historic pagoda in all of Hanoi, Tran Quoc is the foremost symbol of Buddhism in the country. The landmark’s origins date back some 1,500 years, although over time it has undergone changes in appearance and location.

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