TOP TOURIST ATTRATIONS IN THE CENTRAL OF HANOI

TOP TOURIST ATTRATIONS IN THE CENTRAL OF HANOI

1. Hanoi Old Quarter

            The Old Quarter has a rich religious heritage. When the craftsmen moved from outlying villages into the capital, they brought with them their religious practices. They transferred their temples, pagodas and communal houses to their new location. Each guild has one or two religious structures and honors its own patron saint or founder. Therefore, on each street in the Old Quarter there is at least one temple. Now, many of the old temples in the Old Quarter have been transformed into shops and living quarters, but some of the old buildings' religious roots can still be recognized by the architecture of their roofs.

   The Old Quarter is located between the Lake of the Restored Sword, the Long Bien Bridge, a former city rampart, and a citadel wall, the Old Quarter (consisting of 36 old streets inside) started as a snake and alligator-infested swamp. It later evolved into a cluster of villages made up of houses on stilts, and was unified by Chinese administrators who built ramparts around their headquarters. The area was named "Dominated Annam" or "Protected South" by the Chinese.

   It would be a big surprise should you know that Hanoi's Old Quarter came into being at the time King Ly Thai To selected Thang Long as the country’s capital in 1010, he moved the capital from Hoa Lu which is in Ninh Binh province, far away from Hanoi about 100 km, that is, the streets have a nearly 1,000-year old history and became crowded & lively in 15th century. What makes them unique is that many of them remain in their very ancient architecture of the 15th century. Until now, it has been the oldest continuously developed area of Vietnam.
Visiting this unique historical vestige comfortably lying around Hoan Kiem Lake, tourists get lost in a totally different world from the rest of the city and have the chance to explore the modest but energetic life of the local a hundred years ago, where there were no high-rise buildings, too much traffic or fancy stores; things will get a little bit smaller, as visitors may have used to those skyscrapers and shopping centers in other parts of the city, but not at all less lively and vigorous.
The cuisine in Hanoi Old Quarter also attracts tourists by mouth watering dishes from Vietnam cuisine to western cuisine. Visiting the Old Quarter, tourists should try “Pho bo” (beef noodles soup), “bun cha” (grilled pork with rice noodles and fish sauce), “Xoi” (steamed sticky rice), “nem” (spring roll), “banh mi” (Vietnamese sandwich), etc.

You can book Hanoi Street Food Tour to try Vietnamese Food

2. Hoan Kiem lake (Returned Sword lake or Sword lake) and Ngoc Son temple

         Hoan Kiem lake was once part of the Red river. Located in the centre of Hanoi, near Hanoi Old Quarter, it is considered as a heart of Hanoi, a beautiful basket of flowers, a mirror-like green lake, a place of love. Throughout thousands of years of geographical changes, the lake moved eastward to its present position kilometers from the river. In legendary, during the war against the Minh aggressors, Le Thai To King was given a precious fairy Sword by the Golden Turtle God. After 10 years of continuous struggling, the King finally defeated the Chinese and reclaimed the nation’s independence. After that, on a nice day, while boating on Lục Thuy Lake, a large turtle came towards him. It immediately grabbed the sword with its mouth and submerged. The king mourned the loss of such a valuable sword, yet could not find either the turtle or the sword. He realized that the God must have lent him the sword to drive back the enemy, but then that his nation was free, the sword must be returned. Hence, King Le Thai To name the Sword Lake or Lake of the Restore Sword after this episode.  The Turtle Tower (Thap Rua) standing on a small island near the centre of lake is linked to the legend. The water in Hoa Kiem lake always be green and have many turtles, some turtles here are hundreds years old.

   The lake surrounds Ngoc Son Temple, a temple sitting in the centre on a small island. Go across The Huc bridge (Welcoming morning sunlight bridge), you will reach Ngoc Son temple. The temple attracts many visitors and was built in commemoration of the 13th century military leader Tran Hung Dao who was renowned for his bravery in the battle against the Yuan Dynasty. Homage is also paid to scholar Van Xuong and Confucian master Nguyen Van Sieu. The island on which the temple is built is known as Jade Island and is accessible by the iconic Huc Bridge or Rising Sun Bridge which is a charming scarlet-painted wooden bridge of classical Vietnamese design. The pagoda is also guarded by two towering posts decorated with Chinese writing. The lake and temple are probably the most famous places in Hanoi city in which to rest and enjoy the view and are a great place to sit back and watch the locals.

3. Ho Chi Minh complex

        Ho Chi Minh complex is a must see destination when you visit Hanoi. Being one of special places among Vietnamese, to the west of the Old Quarter, Ho Chi Minh complex is an important place of pilgrimage. Ho Chi Minh (or Uncle Ho), the very first president of Vietnam, the National Liberation Hero. He devoted his whole life to the national liberation of Vietnamese people. In order to honor and show the gratitude to Uncle Ho, the government decided to build the Ho Chi Minh complex in Hanoi after he was gone. The complex includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Presidential Palace, Uncle Ho’s House on stilt, One Pillar pagoda, Ho Chi Minh museum and Ba Dinh square. Visiting Ho Chi Minh complex, visitors will know more about the life of Ho Chi Minh president and his dedication in Vietnam war. Especially you will have a chance to see his body which was served from he passed away and express your admiration for him.

4. Hoa Lo Prison

         The Hoa Lo Prison, later known to American prisoners of war as the "Hanoi Hilton", 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. Located in downtown Hanoi, the infamous Hoa Lo Prison or the Hanoi Hilton was built by the French administration in 1896 when Vietnam was still part of French Indochina. The French called the prison Maison Centrale - a traditional euphemism to denote prisons in France. Most exhibits relate to the prison’s use up to the mid-1950s, focusing on the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France. A gruesome relic is the ominous French guillotine, used to behead Vietnamese revolutionaries. There are also displays focusing on the American pilots who were incarcerated at Hoa Lo during the American War.

   The majority of the exhibits here include a horrifying array of shackles, whips, and other instruments of torture, as well as tiny solitary confinement cells, which date from the French-colonial period. Also on display is part of the old, narrow more than 100 prisoners escaped in August 1945. A smaller section of the museum is devoted to the American period and, predictably enough, contrives to show how well US prisoners fared in contrast to the brutality shown to the Vietnamese by the French. At the back of the museum is the guillotine. A surprisingly small, simple yet terrifyingly.

5. Vietnam Museum Of  Ethnology

         This is the most recent yet probably the largest and undoubtedly the most interesting Museums in Hanoi and Vietnam.  Vietnam Museum Of  Ethnology focuses on the 54 officially recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam. It is located on a 3.27-acre (13,200 m2) property in the Cầu Giấy District, about 8 km from the city center. This fabulous collection relating to Vietnam's ethnic minorities features well-presented tribal art, artefacts and everyday objects gathered from across the nation, and examples of traditional village houses.

    The museum is packed full of information detailing traditional Vietnamese ways of life, from religious events to the symbolic rituals of all the Vietnamese ethnic groups, providing a rich tapestry of the culture melting pot existing in Vietnam. The exhibition hall features everyday objects representing each group, a research centre, library and auditorium. The outdoor display area exhibits a variety of Vietnamese homes as full-scale replicas, with great attention paid to the varying architectural styles set within the authentic and tranquil gardens. In addition, there are also leisure pursuits on display including traditional water puppet theatre and calligraphy. The future aim of the museum is to also showcase the many cultural practices and civilizations across southeast Asia.
One of the main features of the museum is to present the artefacts in a simple manner so that visitors can enjoy them without being overwhelmed by detail.

6. Vietnamese Women’s Museum

          Despite being a patriarchal society, Viet Nam still reserves a special, if not sacred, place to honour Vietnamese women. Not only is October 20th is made Vietnam’s Women day but there also exists a museum dedicated to women.
The museum has three main galleries and these present three main themes: Women in Family, Women in History and Women’s Fashion. Visitors have the opportunity to learn and understand traditional culture, marriage customs, childbirth and family life, traditional women’s clothing and the role of women in the defense of the nation.
Inside the museum there is lots of narrative as women of the rice paddy fields, service workers, street vendors, female business leaders, academics and mothers are all well represented. Additionally there is plenty of information on everyday life including marriage, family life, fashion and life changing rituals. Interestingly, there are also exhibits on the part women played in Vietnam’s wars. Displays are very well presented in a storytelling format with signs also in English and French. Historic documentation including Taoist books of the Dao people and wedding cards from the Kinh community will give visitors an in-depth insight into better understanding the women of Vietnam. Photographs and film footage documenting the life of heroic mothers during wartime are moving exhibits that shouldn’t be missed. The Vietnam Women’s Museum is definitely worth a few hour visit, especially for those keen on learning about culture and gender.

7. National Museum of Vietnamese History

         The National Museum of Vietnamese History is housed in a magnificent example of Indochinese architecture, which was, until 1910, the French consulate and residence of the governor general. Although the museum is only 2,000m2 in total, it provides a great overview of the history of Vietnam thanks to chronological sequence. The site has two floors, among which Vietnam’s history is divided into 10 different sections, from the prehistoric era to the day when President Ho Chi Minh read out the Declaration of Independence giving birth to Vietnam.
In here preserving more than 7,000 precious objects, some aged thousand years old which represent the cultural diversity of the country. Historic objects exhibited here are not only Vietnamese origin but also consists other culture like China, Japan, Thailand and especially Champ with more than 50 stone-engraved back to 7th-13th centuries.

Book : Hanoi Free local tour for exploring attractions in the central Hanoi

8. Quoc Tu Giam (Hanoi Temple of Literature)

          Hanoi Temple of Literature is situated at the south of Thang Long citadel, is on top of the historical and beautiful sightseeings of the beautiful capital of Vietnam.   was constructed in 1070 under Ly Thanh Tong’s dynasty, first to honor Confucius and nowadays to celebrate the doctorates and high rank scholars of Vietnam. In 1076, King Ly Nhan Tong continued the work and built Quoc Tu Giam as the first university of Vietnam.
The size of Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam is 54,331m2 including: Van Lake, Giam garden, inner self surrounded by brick walls. The inner self is divided into 5 zones. The first zone begins with the main entrance to the Great Chinese ports. The port gate has unique architecture of two storeys with stylized double dragon Le; inside it has a double dragon of the Nguyen dynasty. The second zone features with Khue Van Cac - a unique architecture built in 1085 (Nguyen dynasty), including 2 floors, 8 roots. Khue Van Cac usually organizes the poetic competition. Today, Khue Van Cac is taken as the symbol of Hanoi capital. The third zone has a square lake called Thien Quang Tinh. Two sides along the lake is two stele garden which store 82 stelae established from 1484 to 1780 in which name, hometown of the doctorate of 82 examination were sculpted. Step through the door into the Great to the Fourth named Bai Duong Van Mieu which has name of outstanding pupils of Confucius along with other famous culture of VietNam.  The fifth zone is the old Temple of Literature - the location for the talent selection competitions in the past.
If you are keen on architecture, Temple of literature has one of the most typical architecture style for centuries in Vietnam, composed of wood and tiles. Along the pass way is hundred-year-old trees that have witnessed ups and downs of history.

9. Ho Tay (West lake)

          Hanoi’s largest freshwater lake, West Lake has a circumference of 17km and houses many of the city’s historic places of interest around its perimeter – including Vietnam’s oldest pagoda and one of Vietnam’s four sacred temples. The lake attracts many locals and tourists seeking respite from the busy city, providing a sanctuary of great natural beauty with plenty of quiet spots in the sizeable lush gardens surrounding the lake.

   Visiting West Lake, tourists should visit some old and beautiful pagodas here:

   Tran Quoc Pagoda :  Located on a island in the south of Ho Tay (West lake), Tran Quoc pagoda is one of the best destinations of Thang Long citadel (the old name of Hanoi capital) under Le dynasty. In the past, it is the place Vietnamese Kings usually visit to relax and pray on lunar new year or on 1st and 15th of lunar month. Tran Quoc pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Hanoi and considered one of 16 the most beautiful pagodas in the world. Tran Quoc Pagoda is not only worth visiting as a sacred sanctuary of Buddhism attracting countless Buddhist believers; but also an indispensible destination for cultural explorers to Vietnam.

   Quan Thanh temple : Located in Thanh Nien street, near West lake. Quan Thanh Temple was built during the reign of King Ly Thai To (1010-1028) and renovated many times, the temple is also called Tran Vu temple, since it is dedicated to Huyen Thien Tran Vu (Guardian of the North of the Country) whose symbols of power are the serpent and turtle. It is one of the Four Sacred Temples that were built in four directions to protect the capital from malevolent spirits. . During its long history, Quan Thanh Temple has been renovated several times, most recently in 1893 when the principal gate and the shrine were redone, so the architecture is a mixture of the many different styles of the imperial era. The main features of Quan Thanh Temple are a large yard shaded by a giant banyan tree and a shrine that contains the famous bronze statue of Tran Vu built in 1677. Quan Thanh temple attracts visitors for its famous special and beautiful structure and religious cultural place.

Kim Liem Temple : Located in Quang An Village, near Ho Tay, Hanoi. According to history fact, the Ly Than Tong King had a daughter called Princess Tu Hoa. He commanded to build a place which was named his own daughter, Tu Hoa and let Tu Hoa and her imperial maids stay in this palace in order to give her a lesson of understanding and respecting their social positions. Kim Lien was designed with the combination of three pavilions, each of which has 2 roof layers. These pavilions were also built in the slight curved shapes. In addition of its nice disposition, the gate of Kim Lien Pagoda is also a symbol of the sophisticated and Elegant architecture.
Among the temples and pagodas in Hanoi, Kim Lien Pagoda is considered one of the magnificent pagoda retaining intact the ancient architecture.

   Tay Ho Temple : Located near West lake, in Quang An village, Tay Ho district, Hanoi. The temple worships Ms. Princess Lieu Hanh, one of the immortality quartet of Vietnam (Son Tinh, Thanh Giong, Chu Dong Tu, Lieu Hanh). Legend has it that she is Quynh Hoa - second daughter of the Jade Emperor, banished to earth for the crime of breaking glass jewel. Down to earth, she traveled, exploring all parts. Across the island of West Lake, she discovered this holy land. She decided to open up shop and lived here. She helped people to settle, eradicate evil, and punish bribery. Under the Nguyen dynasty, she was named ‘Mau Nghi Thien Ha” (Mother of the whole world), being one of the four gods "Immortals Quartet" of Vietnam.

   Many people come here, not only to worship Thanh Mau in the hope that she will offer them good things and good luck, but also to admire the beautiful landscape of the capital city.

10. Long Bien bridge

         Long Bien bridge is seen as the symbol of courageous capital in wars. Though the bridge was designed by French, it was built directly by Vietnamese workers with indigenous construction materials like woods from Phu Tho, Yen Bai, Thanh Hoa province, cement from Hai Phong, Long Tho lime from Hue.
More than 100 years with decades of war, Long Bien Bridge was bombed many times by air attacks by American army in 1967, 1972; and many spans of the bridge were destroyed. The left spans still remaining today remind us of an unforgettable past. The bridge, hence, is not only a traffic construction, a nice architecture, but also a living historical relic.
Today, Long Bien is only one of the five bridges crossing the Red river of Hanoi. However, it may be the most special bridge with unique historic, architectural, and cultural value. It is the only bridge in Hanoi where all the riders have to go in the left hand side, where tourists can take a walk and taste mouthwatering desserts offered by vendors (see 5 street vendors you should not miss out in Hanoi), where Hanoians can buy fresh vegetable or fish for the dinner from the small afternoon market on the bridge.
Many people living and visiting Hanoi said that Long Bien Bridge is the best place to look at the sunrise or the sunset and taking nice photos of alluvial patch.