Moving on to Part 2 of Top Things to do in Hanoi, many more interesting destinations are being showed to you. West Lake, Hanoi Cathedral, Bat Trang Ceramic Village, Duong Lam ancient village, Perfume Pagoda are famous places that can’t be missed when travelling Hanoi.
Take a look at Top Things to do in Hanoi Part 1 for the further enough information.
West Lake
The Largest Lake in Hanoi – The West Lake
There are a lot of famous lakes in Hanoi. Besides Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake attracts a huge number of tourists each year. The lake is on the northwest part of the city. It used to be a branch of the Red river but later, as the river changed the course, the lake remains a body of water just in the west of the river.
With a shoreline length of 17 km (about 10.6 miles), West lake is the largest one of the capital and a popular place for recreation activities. Located in the centre ofHanoi, West Lake is abundant with many gardens, hotels, restaurants, villas, and other entertainment centres such as the West Lake Water Park.
Tran Quoc Pagoda in the middle of the West Lake
Travelling to the West Lake, it is easy for visitors to find out many significant places in the history of Hanoi such as Tran Quoc Pagoda and Quan Thanh Temple. Tran Quoc is the oldest pagoda in Vietnam, which was built in the 6th century on a small island in the middle of the West Lake. In addition, the ancient beauty of Quan Thanh Temple attracts the tourists a lot.
Late afternoon is the best moment to come here to see the sunset and enjoy the fresh air. It’s great to have a short cycling around the lake. It’s cloudy much, which makes the mind feel peaceful and relaxed. Most likely, the lake is the favorite place for many couples for dating.
A beautiful girl in Ao Dai takes a photo with lotuses in the West lake.
Getting here in May or June, visitors will have the chance to observe the shimmering beauty of the lotus flowers in the West Lake. The newly flowers among the wide greenish leaves cover the lake’s surface. Many beautiful girls in Ao Dai (traditional dress of the Vietnamese) get here and take some photos with the lotuses as to retain the great moment of the young age.
Hanoi Cathedral
Hanoi Cathedral in the early morning.
Hanoi Cathedral is well-known not only for its architecture but its beautiful scenery as well. The Cathedral is at No.4 Nha Chung, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. It was built on the site of former Bao Thien Tower, which was famous in the ancient capital of Thang Long under the Ly Dynasty. Its design is similar to the architecture of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Many catholic rituals have been held there.
Especially, the space around Hanoi Cathedral is an ideal meeting place for local residents and tourists as well, who look for the peace and relax among the bustle and noise of the city.
The bell striking from the church at meditative moments sways your mind so much.
Bat Trang Ceramic Village
The products of Bat Trang village are being displayed.
Bat Trang, which is a small village in the north of Vietnam, on the other side of Chuong Duong bridge, is an interesting destination in Hanoi that tourists should not ignore. With a long history of the development, Bat Trang is famous for ceramic and pottery products with the high quality. A huge number of Bat Trang’s vases, bowls, dishes, and many other types of ceramic products have been exported all over the world. Come here, visitors will be able to directly observe workers making ceramic products by hands and make pottery products by themselves. Moreover, tourists can take a walk or join a buffalo tour for sightseeing and shopping along the road in the village.
Workers make ceramic products by hands
Bat Trang ceramic village is a popular destination not only for the young living in Hanoi to visit at weekends, but also for foreign tourists who want to understand more about the historical and traditional values in each handicraft product. It’s really an unforgettable experience for each person.
Duong Lam Ancient Village
Duong Lam ancient village for a long distance.
Duong Lam ancient village is known as a museum of the lateritic with around 300 houses built with lateritic bricks for 3 or 4 centuries ago. The village has also been described as the last stronghold of the wet rice farming culture in the northern of Vietnam.
An old house in Duong Lam village
A trip to Duong Lam ancient village is to back the origin of the Vietnamese culture and tradition. This is also a great opportunity to explore the architecture of the ancient houses and visit the temples dedicated to the two national heroes born here, who are Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung. In addition, tourists can visit old and nice Mia Pagoda, which is the other hamlet in Duong Lam village built in the 15th century, admire 287 statues of all sizes, and famous sculptures such as the statue of Buddha in Himalayas and the Eight Viagra Deities. On the trip, visitors will discover the daily life of the Vietnamese farmers in the past and now.
Perfume Pagoda
Yen Stream
Huong Pagoda or Perfume pagoda is a vast complex of Buddhist temples and shrines built into the limestone on Huong Tich mountains. Around 60 kilometers southwest of Hanoi, Perfume Pagoda is one of the largest and unique religious places in Huong Son Commune, My Duc District, former Ha Tay (or enlarged Hanoi), right the bank of Day River, Northern Vietnam.
Huong Tich Cave
Yearly, from January to March on the lunar calendar, the famous Huong Pagoda Festival takes place here, which attracts hundreds of visitors to go for worship or sightseeing. On arrival, visitors have to sit on boats in about one hour to Huong Pagoda. Along Yen Stream, there are many mountains with strange shapes for them to admire the fascinating beauty of nature. When getting on the land, they have to walk to Thien Tru Pagoda, and then climb up the high mountain to Huong Tich cave. Visitors can go up by cable cars or on foot. This is a nice chance to enjoy the beauty along the roadside.
The good time for traveling is all months, except January, February, and March on the lunar calendar because of the crowded and hustle Huong Pagoda festival.
