Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam – the city of more than 1,000 year olds - is always an adventure for a culture explorer, you can find the moments of your life maybe just by standing at one corner in the Old Quarter. It can be the image the old lady sitting on the low chair with thoughtful eyes, it can be the hard working woman selling noodles from early morning to late evening, or it just can be an angel smile of a baby playing with her father.

Expect the unexpected in Hanoi, mostly everything can create your moment, including passing West Lake where the lotus ponds are in blossom, take a deep breath and stop for a tea, or strolling down the Flower market early enough to see hundreds of bicycles with flowers at the back heading to the Old Quarter.

That makes your day... The smell of lotus, the smell of flowers, the smell of fresh air in such a busy city, the quiet alley and the quiet Hanoi at night time, all can make Hanoi memorable. In a second, everything turns into black and white and back to a Hanoi 20 years ago...

Hanoi may changes quick, Hanoians also may change their way of thinking and the way they live. But that does not change the charm of the city can offer to anyone who come for the first time and those who want to come to stay.

Different with Saigon, Hanoi is less developed, modest and charming place. Located between Hoan Kiem lake, Long Bien bridge, a former city rampart, and a citadel wall, the Old Quarter was originally a snake-infested swamp. It evolved into a cluster of stilt-house villages, and was unified by Chinese administrators who built ramparts around their headquarters.

This old section of Hanoi is often known as the "36 Old streets" although there are actually more than 36. The street names often begin with "Hang" - which means merchandise or shop.

The guild streets were named for their product or location. For example, Hang Bac: silversmith, Hang Quat give you a close look at the brilliantly colourful funeral and festival flags, religious objects and clothing. Hang Ma glimmers with shiny paper products, such as gift-wrapping, wedding decorations and miniature votive paper items burnt for the dead. Lan Ong street is a sensual delight of textures and smell emanating from the sacks of herbal medicines - leaves, roots, bark and powder.

Let Hanoi say welcome to you herself.

Ready to go?

·         Take a Vietnam Highlight 14 day trip

·         Take an overnight Junk Boat Cruise in Halong Bay

More about Hanoi

Places to visit                            Restaurants                               Bars/Night Clubs

Hanoi Tours                               Hanoi Hotels                              Shopping

 Tour: Hanoi day trips

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  Ngoc Son temple

  When he was still living in his homeland Lam Sơn, Lê Lợi caught a sword which he carried with him through his 10-year insurgence against the Ming. After overcoming the invaders, he became king and established the capital in Thăng Long (Hà Nội). One day he was relaxing in a boat on Lục Thủy Lake when suddenly a giant tortoise appeared. Lê Lợi took out his sword and moved toward the tortoise but it snatched the sword from him and dived into the water. He knew the sword still belonged to the god who lent it to him to fight against the enemy and, after the battle, the god asked him to return it. Lê Lợi believed the god sent the tortoise to reclaim the sword so he renamed the lake “Hoàn Kiếm”, which means “returning the sword”. According to one of the 8 steles kept in the Ngọc Sơn Temple, this site used to be a hill 3-4 sào in width, and was said to be the best place for angling in the Late Lê Dynasty. Previously there had been a temple dedicated to Guan Wu (a Chinese general in the Han Dynasty) built by Tín Trai from Nhị Khê Village, Hà Tây Province. Later it was repaired and widened to become the Ngọc Sơn Pagoda. In 1841, Tín Trai presented the pagoda to the Association of Good Deeds which worshipped Văn Xương Đế Quân, the saint of Taoist literature, because it did not have a temple of its own. The association removed the bell-tower and built a temple called Ngọc Sơn, honoring Văn Xương and his two subordinates, Khôi Tinh and Văn Giáp as well as Lã Động Tân, the patron saint of medicine (one of eigh see full details

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  Long Bien and Chuong Duong Bridges

  These two bridges were for a long time the only land access points to Hanoi for many peasants living on the east side of the Red River (now new and less impressive but functional bridges are located to the north and south). Long Bien Bridge is a massive iron structure built by the French in the ... see full details

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  West Lake

  Also known as Ho Tay or Lake of Mist, this large lake covers a sizeable swath of northwest Hanoi. Legend states that the lake was formed by the footprint of a golden calf that was running towards the sound of a giant bell. In its heyday, the lake was lined by royal palaces which are now mostly ... see full details

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  Ngoc Son Pagoda

  At the northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake, just down the street from the Water Puppet Theatre, sits Ngoc Son Pagoda, or Pagoda of the Jade Mountain. It's on an islet accessed via an old red wooden bridge, the 'Bridge of the Rising Sun.' The site has been used as a temple since ancient times, but most ... see full details

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  Hoan Kiem Lake

  Hoan Kiem Lake, 'Lake of the Restored Sword', forms the centrepiece of Hanoi. The name of the lake comes from a legend in which Emperor Le Loi, worried about the advancing Chinese, was boating on the lake when a giant tortoise rose from the murky waters. The tortoise presented him with a magical ... see full details

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  St Joseph's Cathedral

  This Catholic cathedral was completed in 1887 by Monseigneur Pigneau de Behaine. It was closed in 1975 upon reunification of Vietnam, and was not reopened until 1985. The neo-gothic style of the cathedral looks somewhat out of place in the busy streets of Hanoi, although it is built in what is ... see full details

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  Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh's House on Stilts

  Just to the north of Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum sits the presidential palace, appropriated from the French after they were routed and which you can't enter, and Ho Chi Minh's bungalow, often referred to as his House on Stilts. Set in a stretch of mango tree-filled parkland around a small pond, this is ... see full details

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  Cat Ba island

  For most, a trip in Halong Bay means at least a night on Cat Ba Island. Many enlist for a package tour of one night on the island and one on a boat, but Cat Ba is worth extra time to discover.... see full details

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  Temple of Literature (Van Mieu)

  The Temple of Literature is Vietnam's historical seat of learning and is the most sacred place for the disciples of Confucius. It is one of the few remaining buildings from the original city founded by Emperor Ly Thanth Tong in the 11th century and... see full details

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  One Pillar Pagoda

  One Pillar Pagoda was constructed to celebrate the tale of the heirless Emperor Ly Thai Tong, who dreamt about receiving a son from the Buddhist goddess of mercy and compassion, seated on a lotus flower. He married shortly after and bore a son,... see full details

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  Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum

  Ba Dinh Square was where, in 1945, Ho Chi Minh read out the Declaration of Independence and where independence is celebrated each year. Dominating the west side is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where the embalmed body of the 'father of the modern... see full details

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  Old Quarter

  The ancient meandering streets of the Old Quarter are each named after the crafts and speciality trades traditionally practised by the original artisan's guilds in the 13th century. Each guild was grouped around a temple, or dinh, dedicated to the particular beliefs of the... see full details

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  Bun cha

  Bun cha is the signature dish of Hanoi. At lunchtime you'll find just about all of Hanoi sitting on kid-sized stools and slurping down this combination of grilled pork, salty-sweet broth, slices of green papaya, rice noodles, and fresh herbs. see full details

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  Highway 4

  Highway 4, which specialises in traditional food, also takes pride in serving unusual dishes: think camel, crickets, crocodile. They're not on the menu, but show up as specials at random times. see full details

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  Pho 10

  Pho 10 is a great place to try Vietnam's signature dish, if you haven't already done so at one of the myriad places on the street. The advantage here is that the pho is just as good or better than what you might just happen across elsewhere, and the hygienic standards are decidedly better. see full details

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  Quan An Ngon

  Quan An Ngon is a popular place to experience traditional food from all corners of Vietnam. Its popularity is well-deserved. At just about any time of day, you'll find the shared tables packed with middle-class Vietnamese, expats and tourists. see full details