Hanoi Travel Guide
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Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, ranks among the world's most attractive and interesting cities. It was first the capital of Vietnam in 1010, and though the nation's capital moved to Hue under the Nguyen Dynasty in 1802, the city continued to flourish after the French took control in 1888. In 1954, after the French departed, Hanoi was declared Vietnam's capital once again. The remnants of over 1,000 years of history are still visible here, with that of the past few hundred years marvelously preserved.
Hanoi has a reputation, doubtless accrued from the American war years, as a dour northern political outpost. While the city is certainly smaller, slower, and far less developed than chaotic Saigon, and there are some vestiges of Soviet-influenced concrete monolith architecture, there are some beautiful, quiet streets and neighborhoods in Hanoi, and such placid air gives it a gracious, almost regal flavor. It is set amid dozens of lakes of various sizes, around which you can usually find a cafe, a pagoda or two, and absorbing vignettes of street life.
Among Hanoi's sightseeing highlights are the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and museum, the National Art Museum, the grisly Hoa Lo prison (also known to Americans as the infamous Hanoi Hilton), and the Old Quarter, whose ancient winding streets are named after the individual trades practiced there. Hanoi is also Vietnam's cultural center. The galleries, puppetry, music, and dance performances are worth staying at least a few days to take in. You might also want to use the city as a base for excursions to Halong Bay and Cat Ba island, to Cuc Phuong nature reserve, or north to Sapa.
