Places to See in Hanoi, Vietnam, Hanoi, Vietnam

From as early as the 11th century, Hanoi has been the political center stage of Vietnam. The city, located on the western bank of the Red River, was only briefly overtaken by the imperial capital at Hue (central Vietnam) during the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802-1945). Consequently, Hanoi is home to a diverse populace with rich centuries-old cultures and architecture styles.

With Vietnam’s adoption of the “open-door” policy in the mid-1980s, Hanoi has undergone much transformation in both culture and ambiance. It is in this transformative backdrop, that foreign visitors start to cast their sights on this exotic and bustling city.

In this travel blog, we’ll help you to understand more about Hanoi and what are the places to see in your next visit!

Ask any tourist visiting Hanoi what is the city’s most interesting area, and the likely reply would be the Old Quarter. With a history stretching as far back as the 13th century, Hanoi’s Old Quarter commonly refers to the central district sandwiched by Hoan Kiem Lake in the south and Long Bien Bridge (Cầu Long Biên) in the north.

The Old Quarter is Hanoi’s core business district and its biggest tourist attraction. Here, you will not find brightly lit wide avenues flanked with towering modern skyscrapers. Instead, it is filled with antiquated narrow streets lined with old-school shop-houses, which often have their merchandises/activities spilling onto the constricted pavements. Roads in the Old Quarter are often packed with a frenzied mix of cars, motorcycles, bicycles and the ever-present camera-toting tourist. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).