Hanoi is located in the Red River Delta, in the center of North Vietnam. Throughout the thousand years of its eventful history, Hanoi still preserves the beauty of Vietnamese cultural and historical values, which attracts visitors a lot.
Things to do in Hanoi is a useful suggestion for you when traveling Hanoi.
Hoan Kiem Lake
Turtle Tower in the middle of the Lake
Hoan Kiem Lake is considered one of the first things to see when one arrives in Hanoi. It is the well-known lake in the cultural and historical center of the Vietnam capital. The water in Hoan Kiem Lake is fresh and green all year round so it used to be called Luc Thuy Lake. In the 15th century, it was renamed Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) or Guom Lake, which is associated with the legend of Emperor Le Thai To returning the spirit sword for the Golden Turtle.
The Lake has the area of 12 hectares. Surrounding the lake is Le Thai To street, Dinh Tien Hoang street, and Hang Khay. Referring to Hoan Kiem Lake, we can’t help mentioning to Turtle Tower, The Huc Bridge, Ngoc Son Temple, But Tower (Pen Tower), which are the relic, famous sights and the pride of Hanoi and people around Vietnam. The Turtle Tower lies in the middle of the Lake as to remind the Vietnamese of the spirit sword’s legend and the Golden Turtle’s great assistance.
Beautiful girls take some photos on The Huc Bridge
Wandering around the lake, you will have an opportunity to see many vendors, small shops, and people walking and running. It gives you a different perspective on life in Hanoi and also a get-away from the hustle and bustle in the rest of Hoan Kiem district.
There are many types of flowers and plants around the lake, which make the lake green and beautiful all year round. It’s so romantic and cool when walking around the lake or sitting on stone benches to relax and enjoy the colorful natural picture of Hanoi. Most likely, those are unforgettable moments of each visitor in Hanoi. Moving on to Trang Tien plaza, there is the heaven of many kinds of famous ice creams for you to choose.
Old Quarter
A corner of Hang Chieu, Old Quater, Hanoi
Inside a modern and dynamic city, there appears an antique quarter called Hanoi Old Quarter or Hanoi’s 36 districts. It is considered the soul of Hanoi and the top special historical vestige and sightseeing place of the capital.
Located between Hoan Kiem Lake and Long Bien Bridge, the Old Quarter consists of 36 old streets. Each street specializes in a particular trade and carries the name of the products sold there. For example, Pho Hang Bun sells Bun (Vermicelli), Pho Hang Ma sells products from paper (the street of Paper Products), and so on. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although some of them no longer sell the products carrying its name.
The Old Quarter brings the unique classical beauty of Hanoi, which is the inspiration for numerous writers, poets, and painters. For travelers, that is also one of the desired tourist destinations in Hanoi.
It’s an interesting experiences when walking street to street and enjoying the locals’ daily life, the old-style narrow streets and houses, the colorful souvenir shops, and of course trying some of the most tasty traditional foods of Hanoi.
Temple of Literature
Dai Trung gate of Temple of Literature, Hanoi
It takes about 10 minutes from Hoan Kiem Lake to the Temple of Literature. It was constructed in 1070 under Ly Thanh Tong’s dynasty to honor Confucius. In 1076, King Ly Nhan Tong continued the work and built Quoc Tu Giam as the first university of Vietnam.
The temple is divided into five courtyards. Each has its own significance and history. The first courtyard stretches from the main gate to Dai Trung gate; the second stands out with Khue Van Cac pavilion. The third courtyard is where doctor names were listed on a tombstone above tortoise backs. There is a total of 82 tombstones, with names and origins of 1307 doctors, corresponding to 82 examination courses from 1442 to 1779. Each year, when many important examinations take place, a lot of students come and rub the tortoise head, which is believed to bring them luck for the tests.
Doctor names were listed on a tombstone above tortoise backs
The fourth courtyard is dedicated for Confucius and his 72 honored students, as well as a famous teacher-Chu Van An. The last and also furthest courtyard is Thai Hoc house, which used to be Quoc Tu Giam- the first university of Vietnam. Thai Hoc house has a small collection of old costumes for students and mandarins, as well as explaining the process of taking and passing the national examination.
Temple of literature has one of the most typical architecture styles for centuries in Vietnam, composed of wood and tiles. Along the entrance, there are a lot of hundred-year-old trees that have witnessed ups and downs of history.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in the center of Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi
In the center of Ba Dinh Square, where the great leader Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence on 2 September 1945, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, standing a Mausoleum named Ho Chi Minh.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is where visitors can express their admiration and gratitude towards the father of the Vietnamese who has led the country to independence and reunification. His embalmed body is preserved in the cooled, central hall of the mausoleum, which is protected by a military honor guard. The body lies in a glass case with dim light. The mausoleum has two platforms with seven steps for parade viewing. The gardens surrounding the mausoleum have nearly 250 different species of plants and flowers, all from different regions of Vietnam.
When getting here, visitors must be silent and walk in two lines. There are no shorts, no tank tops, no drinking, no smoking, no hands in pockets and no photography here.
One Pillar Pagoda
Behind of One Pilar Temple
The One Pillar Pagoda (formally Dien Huu Tu, which literally means “long-lasting happiness and good luck”) is a historic Buddhist temple in Hanoi. It is located in the western part of the city, near Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Ong Ich Khiem Street, Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
According to legend, Emperor Ly Thai Tong had no children. One night, he dreamt meeting Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who was seated on a great lotus flower in a square-shaped lotus pond on the western side of Thang Long Citadel, gave him a baby son. Months later, when the Queen gave birth to a male child, the Emperor ordered the construction of a pagoda supported by only one pillar 1.25 m in diameter resembling the lotus seat in his dream. This unique shape of the temple together with the special story has attracted a lot of international tourists.
Visitors must be wear full-length clothes as you visit the One-Pillar Pagoda as well as other pagodas in the nation.
