Hanoi Vietnamese Charm
Hanoi Vietnamese Charm
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and also its second largest city, is a fascinating blend of East and West, combining traditional Sino-Vietnamese motifs with French flair. It is largely unscathed from the decades of war, and is now going through a building boom, making it a rapidly developing city in Southeast Asia. At its heart is the chaotic Old Quarter, where the narrow streets are roughly arranged by trade. There are many little temples, including Bach Ma, honoring a legendary horse, plus Đồng Xuân Market, selling household goods and street food.
The old Hanoi is contained within four districts: Hoàn Kiếm, Ba Đình, Hai Bà Trưng and Đống Đa. These districts are vastly contrasted by the skyscrapers and shopping malls in the newer Western districts Cau Giay, Thanh Xuan, Ha Dong and Nam Tu Liem.
Hoàn Kiếm District which is the center of the city, with its core in the Hoan Kiem Lake (Sword Lake). You most likely will stay and visit this district first. The fascinating Old Quarter covers its northern half while its southern half has mostly French architecture with shady streets and villas. A large number of foreign embassies are located in the southern half of Hoan Kiem. The district also houses a majority of Hanoi's tourist attractions, including Hoan Kiem lake, Ngoc Son temple, The Huc Bridge, the neo-Gothic Hanoi Grand Cathedral (St. Joseph's Cathedral), Hoa Lo prison, Eiffel-designed Long Bien Bridge, Hanoi Opera House and several museums.
Ba Đình District is the political center of Vietnam, housing the national assembly building, president's palace, Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and most embassies. It also contains the One-Pillar Pagoda and the recently discovered Thang Long Citadel. The French Quarter with large shady boulevards is in its eastern part. Its northeastern part surrounds the Truc Bach lake where John McCain's plane was shot down. Its western part is mostly residential with a large number of new skyscrapers around the Japanese Embassy on Lieu Giai street.
Hai Bà Trưng District is located south of Hoan Kiem with the largest population of all districts. Its northern part also has French-style streets with big trees. A large number of universities, including the Hanoi University of Technology are located here. Times City, in the southeast of the district, is a huge shopping mall with an aquarium located within the complex.
Đống Đa District is one of the original four central districts, is mostly residential. The Temple of Literature - Imperial Academy (Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám), Vietnam's first university, is located in the north end of the district, bordering Ba Dinh.
Tây Hồ District is named after West Lake (Hồ Tây), one of the largest natural lakes of Vietnam. Thanks to its serenity and close proximity to downtown, it is a high-end residential area housing a large population of expatriates.
Cầu Giấy District houses a large number of universities, including the National University's main campus and Hanoi University of Education. The Museum of Ethnology, one of foreign travelers' favorite, is located in this district. Its southwestern part bordering Nam Tu Liem district has numerous high-rises, including Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower, Vietnam's tallest building. This is where you see a completely different side of a modern Hanoi, in contrast to the old inner districts.
Long Biên District is the only urban district located east of the Red River, it is named after the iconic Long Bien Bridge. The Bat Trang ceramic village and Le Mat snake village are located here.
Thanh Xuân District houses Royal City, Asia's largest underground mall. Inside this mall, there are an ice-skating rink and a water park. The plaza above ground have large, cheesy looking Greek god statues.
Taxis are the best way to travel long distances, but the cyclos, or pedicabs, are a cheap way to make shorter trips. The climate is tropical, with wet and hot weather much of the year. But due to the city's latitude, temperatures drop drastically in the wintertime and the wind chill and dampness means winter weather can feel cold. If possible, avoid the summer months of mid May to mid September, as the city turns into a sweltering sauna with little to no wind.
Overcharging is common in Hanoi, especially on tourist markets. The mentality here is that it is acceptable to rip off the "rich"; many sellers truly believe this is how they take back what was "stolen" from them. Of course "rich" is defined as "anyone with more money than me". This is not limited to white foreigners only; even Vietnamese, especially from the South, are routinely overcharged in Hanoi. A number of sellers won't even haggle at all after quoting a ridiculous amount, as they would rather sell a single item with 2000% profit than sell much more for a reasonable price. So if you're going to other cities, do your shopping there.
Vietnamese cuisine is very diverse and most delicious. Most famous remains 'Pho Ga' (chicken noodle soup) or 'Pho Bo' (beef noodle soup). There are various dishes including chicken, beef, fish and seafood, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants nowadays in Hanoi catering to all tastes. Hanoi street food has become a cultural feature of the city.
There are thousands of street stalls in small kiosks on the sidewalk, with plastic tables and chairs on the pavement. Grabbing a bite at these eateries is a great way to experience the local food and culture. It is worth mentioning that food quality, freshness, and hygiene can vary greatly. A bowl of noodle soup goes for as little as 30,000 dong.
The suburb of Le Mat (aka the Snake Village) has numerous restaurants specializing in cobra foodstuffs. Live cobras are stored on the premises much the same way one would find live lobsters at a Western seafood restaurant. If one orders cobra blood wine from the menu, the waiter will take a live cobra, kill it on the spot, drain the blood into a shot glass of rice wine, and top it off with the cobra's still beating heart for you to gulp down! Le Mat is about ten minutes across the river from downtown, take bus 10, 15 or 17 and get off at the large "mega-mall" just beyond Gia Lam station, and walk 500 metres down the road at the right of the mall. Cobras are not cheap at around 1-2.5 million dong (USD$50+) but it gets turned into a dozen unique dishes, enough to share between three or four people. You can also buy smaller and cheaper grass snakes for 600 000 to 1 million dong which are again turned into 7-8 dishes to share in a group.
A local delicacy in the Hanoi area is dog meat (thịt chó), which is especially popular in the winter. There are a number of restaurants in the Tay Ho district. Another exotic regional taste is ca cuong, an extract from the belostomatid, or giant water bug. Just a few drops are added to noodles for the unique aroma.
The Old Quarter is littered with guesthouses and hostels catering for budget travellers. A venue down an alley will not have the constant traffic noise, but check for construction work happening next door, it can wake you up just as early. If you leave food in your room keep it covered/sealed; poor hygiene in the neighbourhood can bring rodents through the smallest of holes in search of sustenance.
A lot to see in Hanoi
Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Temple of Literature, Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
One Pillar Pagoda
Thăng Long Imperial Citadel
West Lake
Hoa Lo Prison Memorial
Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
Ngọc Sơn Temple
Hanoi Opera House
Tran Quoc Pagoda
Ho Chi Minh Museum
St. Joseph's Cathedral
Dong Xuan Market
Old Quarter
Long Biên Bridge
Vietnam Fine Arts Museum
Vietnam Military History Museum
Presidential Palace
Vietnam Revolutionary Museum
Quan Thanh Temple
Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
Turtle Tower
Flag Tower of Hanoi
Trúc Bạch Lake
Vietnamese Women’s Museum
Ba Dinh Square
Cổ Loa Citadel
Bach Ma Temple
Keangnam Landmark Tower 72
Union Park
Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House
Lenin Park
Hanoi Tours
Presidential Palace Historical Site
Lotte Observation Deck
Thu Le Zoo Hanoi
Ta Hien
Hanoi Old Quarter - Khu Phố Cổ Hà Nội
Bao Son Paradise
Quan Su Temple
Khu đô thị Royal City
Hồ Tây Water Park
Hang Gai
Hanoi Night Market
Hanoi Botanical Garden
Mã Mây
Quán Ăn Ngon
Hang Da Market
Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural
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