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Hanoi, situated in the midst of the fertile Red River delta,
is a bustling capital city against the backdrop of a thousand years of history
and culture. Here is where East
meets West, and the ancient architecture of former citadel entrance stands side
by side modern day sky scrapers.
The Old Quarter and French Quarter are two
distinctive areas where the rich historical and cultural heritage of the city
are displayed. During 11th century,
Emperor Ly Thai To issued an edict to fill up the tributaries criss-crossing the
Red River Delta to form what is Old Quarter today.
The narrow streets, where traffic and vendors are a constant sight, are
what were previously waterways where goods from all over the surrounding
provinces were carried into Hanoi by boats.
 A series of 36 ancient streets, each selling its own unique
merchandise, e.g. fish sauce, salt, drums etc., interspersed the Old Quarter.
Over the passage of time, the streets took on the name of the products
sold, thus “Silver Street” is known because of the silver products sold
there and along “Hang Ma” one can find all the paper foldings which the
locals buy to display in their houses during Tet and Mid-Autumn festivals or to
burn to the dead. Houses in the Old Quarter are long with a narrow frontage
(the locals call these “tube” houses), as opposed to the wide and spacious
colonial architecture found along the tree boulevards in the French Quarter.
Places of interest in Hanoi worth a visit include
the following:
Ho Chi Minh Complex,
located in the grounds of Ba Dinh Square, which includes the mausoleum, museum
and former residence of President Ho Chi Minh, as well as the One-Pillar
Pagoda.
Temple
of Literature, built
in A.D. 1070, is the first university of Vietnam where mandarin scholars were
educated to prepare for service in the Emperor’s court.
Dong Xuan market, a
wholesale market where the best bargains for almost everything in Hanoi can be
found.
 Museum
of Ethnology, one of
the finest museums in Hanoi, presenting the cultures, customs, and lifestyles of
all 54 ethnic people groups of Vietnam.
Hoa Lo or Hanoi’s “Hilton”, a
former French prison built in 1896, now turned in a museum.
Hoan Kiem Lake, a beautiful lake
with a sword legend, situated in between the French Quarter and Old Quarter.
Thang
Long Theatre by Hoan
Kiem lake, where traditional and colourful water puppets dance over a splish-splash
of water to recount famous Vietnamese legends.
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