Hanoi Capital Of Vietnam

Hanoi is located in the Red River Delta, in the center of North Vietnam, home to about 4 million people.
 In the fall of 1010, King Ly Thai To (Ly Cong Uan) moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Dai La.On the way, the king saw a vision of a golden dragon ascending from the Red river ( Song Hong). The King decided to change Dai La to Thang Long (Ascending Dragon). Thang Long remained the capital city until the end of the Tran dynasty when in 1397, the capital city was moved to Thanh Hoa -Tay Do (Western Capital) and Thang Long became Dong Do (Eastern Capital). Vietnam was invaded by China in 1407, and the city was renamed Dong Quan. In 1428, after ten years of fighting, Le Loi liberated Vietnam and renamed the city Dong Kinh. In 1527, the city was renamed Thang Long. In 1802 when King Gia Long (Nguyen Dynasty) moved the capital city to Hue, the name Thang Long remained but, Long no longer means dragon, Long in this case means prosperity. Ha Noi, was the name given to the city by King Minh Mang in 1831. Ha means river and Noi means within - Ha Noi means within the river.Nowadays, Ha Noi is center of politics, economy, culture of the whole country.

The tropical monsoon climate is divided into the rainy and dry seasons.The moats distinctive characteristic of Hanoi’s climate is the fluctuations between the cold and hot seasons. Hanoi has four distinct seasons. Winters can actually be quite chilly; although snow is foreign to Hanoi residents. Summers are hot and rainy. Probably the best time to visit is spring and fall.

Hanoi Highlights

Less vibrant and more reserved than others capitals, Hanoi is a great place to explore on foot. Walking tour is nice chose when you want to go shopping in the Old Quarter where you should buy some find arts, silk and silver jewelry…along the narrow streets. Most Vietnamese and Westerners are familiar with the phrase Ha Noi ba muoi sau Pho Phuong or Ha Noi 36 districts. Long ago, as artisans moved to the capital city to do business, they gathered together in an area as a way to share resources. As a result, many of the streets are named after the crafts that were sold on that street. Pho Hang Bun (Vermicelli), Pho Hang Ma (paper product), Pho Hang Bac (Jewelry) are a few of the streets carrying the name of the products sold on the street.

Visitors can explore the Old Quarter by the walking tour or Cyclo tour. Cyclo is a traffic interesting and not expensive.

If  Ho Chi Minh City is defined by hustle and bustle and people on the move, Hanoi’s trademark is green parks and tranquil lakes. Hanoi has long been considered as the city of romantic lakes. Currently there are 18 lakes with water surface areas totaling more than 2,200 hectares. Those beautiful lakes which have come down into Vietnam’s history of prose and verse literature include Ho Hoan Kiem (Sabre Restored Lake), Ho Tay (West Lake), Ho Truc Bach (White Bamboo Lake), Thien Quang Lake, Ho Bay Mau (Bay Mau Lake), Ho Thu Le (Thu Le Lake), and Ho Giang Vo (Martial Art Training Lake). These lakes are considered the giant lungs of the city which is covered with parks and shade trees grown along main boulevards to make the city more close to nature.

Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) is situated at center of Hoan Kiem district, the most interesting district of city. The lake was once called Luc Thuy or Green Water because the water was green year round. In the fifteenth century, the lake named Hoan Kiem. According to the legend local, while fighting against the Chinese, King Le Thai To has in his possession a very valuable sword. After 10 years of continuous struggle, the King finally defeated the Chinese and reclaimed Vietnam’s independence. One day, while sailing on lake Luc Thuy, a large turtle appeared. The king drew his sword and pointed at the creature. The turtle immediately grab hold of the sword with its mouth and s ubmerged. The king mourned the lost of such valuable sword, demanded that the lake be emptied and dredged. Both the turtle and the sword were not found. The king realizing that the gods must have lent him the sword to drive back the enemy, but now that Vietnam is free, the sword must be returned. King Le Thai To named the lake Ho Hoan Kiem or Lake of the Returned Sword. On the southwest end of the lake is Thap Rua. It was rumored that king Le Thanh Tong used to fish here. On the north end of the lake there is Ngoc Son shrine and The Huc bridge.
Hanoi still preserves many ancient architectural works including over 600 pagodas (One Pillar Pagoda, Tran Quoc pagoda, Quan Su pagoda…)

++  Van Mieu (Temple of Literature):
Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam is a famous historical and cultural relic consisting of the Temple of Literature and Vietnam’s first university. The temple of Literature was built in 1070 in honor of Confucius, his followers and Chu Van An, a moral figure in Vietnamese education.

++ Hoan Kiem Lake

Location: Hoan Kiem Lake is located in the center of Hanoi.
Characteristic: Hoan Kiem Lake also called Lake of the Restored Sword. The name Lake of the Restored Sword is derived from a legend.

After ten years of hard fighting (1418 - 1428), the Lam Son insurrectionists led by Le Loi swept the foreign invaders out of the country of Dai Viet (Great Viet), ending the Ming’s 20-year domination over the Viet people. Le Loi became a national hero, proclaiming himself kings, called Le Thai To and establishing his capital in Thang Long.

On a beautiful afternoon, the king and his entourage took a dragon-shaped boat for sight-seeing on Luc Thuy (Green Water) Lake, which was located in the centre of Thang Long Capital (present-day Hanoi). As the boat was gliding on the lake, suddenly there was a great wave and on top of the wave, the Golden Tortoise Genie appeared, telling the king: "Your Majesty, the great work is completed. Would you please return the sacred sword to the King of the Sea?".

The precious sword was formerly lent to Le Loi by the King of the Sea and was always beside him throughout his battles and helped him win over the Ming invaders. At the time the Tortoise Genie spoke, the sword hung at the King’s waist. It then moved out of the scabbard and flew towards the Genie. The Genie kept the sword in his mouth and dived under the water and bright lightning flashed up to the sky. Since then, Luc Thuy Lake has been called the RestoredSword Lake or the Sword Lake for short.

The Sword Lake is not only a historical site but also a beauty-spot of the capital. When visiting Hanoi, Ludemis, a Greek poet, exclaimed: The Sword Lake - An emerald jewel set in the heart of the city, With the Red River as a silk ribbon around.

It is said that when visiting Hanoi, if the visitor does not see the Sword Lake, then they would not have actually been in Hanoi. The lake is an endless topic and inspiration for painters, poets, writers, music composers, etc, and innumerable works about the lake have been produced.

Once, a famous Japanese painter said to the late-painter Van Giao that he had painted dozens of pictures of Mount Fuji - the second to none beauty spot of Japan. Then painter Van Giao replied by saying that he had painted hundreds of pictures of the Sword Lake.

The Sword Lake is really an emerald jewel of Hanoi. For generations, the Vietnamese believed that deep in the green water of the Sword Lake, there is a sacred sword of their ancestors, which is carefully safeguarded by the golden tortoise. When the weather changes, the tortoise emerges on the water surface to take a sun bath, seeming to prove his existence and remind the young generation of their national history of defending their country from foreign invaders.

++ Hanoi Flag Tower

Location: Flag Tower is on Dien Bien Phu Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi; near Ba Dinh Square.
Characteristic: Hanoi Flag Tower, also called Cot Co, is one of the rare architectural works in Hanoi that was fortunate enough to not be destroyed by the French administration between 1894 and 1897.

It was used by French troops as an observation tower and communication station between command headquarters and adjacent military posts.

It was built in 1812 and is composed of three platforms and a tower. The words Nghenh Huc, meaning "to welcome dawn’s sunlight," are inscribed on the eastern door. The western door bears the two words Hoi Quang, meaning "to reflect light," and the southern door, Huong Minh, meaning "directed to the sunlight."

The tower receives sunlight through 36 flower-shaped and six fan-shaped windows.

++ Hanoi Opera House

Location: The Hanoi Opera House is situated on Le Thanh Tong St., Hanoi; near the Red River and several hundreds meters east of Hoan Kiem Lake.
Characteristics: It is an old theatre with French architecture and typical Gothic and Mosaic characters reflected on the door domes and the glassed room respectively

For a long time, the Hanoi Opera House has been a rendezvous for those who love theatrical performance and traditional songs and music, symphonies, opera and classical opera. It is also a tourist attraction for local and foreign visitors.

The Hanoi Opera House is renowned for its unique architecture and good composition. It is furnished rationally and harmoniously. Since its establishment, the Hanoi Opera House is the largest theatre in Vietnam. Its construction started in 1901 and completed in 1911. Previously the site was a big pond, adjacent to the city gate of Tay Long (also called Tay Luong) of the ancient Thang Long Capital. The construction met with many difficulties, because the foundations of the theatre were built on the pond. Before building a concrete foundation, nearly one metre thick, the pond was emptied and dredged, then 30,000 hard bamboo stakes were placed on its bed.

The Hanoi Opera House is of the same architectural style as the Opera House in France. Some foreign architects said that due to being built nearly 300 years after the Paris Opera House, the Hanoi Opera House avoids superfluous architectural details, which make it more magnificent and attractive.

After nearly 100 years of operation, the theatre’s equipment and adornments became old and run down. In 1997, the theatre was repaired and modernized under the management of two Vietnamese French architects, Ho Thieu Tri and Hoang Phuc Sinh. The original architecture of the 3-storey theatre has remained. The decorative designs on the ceiling, arches, walls, and doors were renewed. The 3-metre-high stage and the audience’s hall, with 600 seats, were also modernized in conformity with international standards. The theatre has been equipped with state-of-art facilities and appliances, compatible for all types of artistic performances, from folk music and songs, ballets and piano to classical opera, reformed opera, Vietnamese operetta and drama, all made great impressions on the audience. The Hanoi Opera House has also successfully organised many large-scale international concerts.
The Hanoi Opera House is a worthy artistic centre and a cultural and architectural relic of the capital Hanoi.

++ Hanoi Cathedral

Location: Hanoi Cathedral is at 40 Nha Chung Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Characteristic: Hanoi Cathedral was built on the site of the former Bao Thien Tower, which was famous in the ancient capital of Thang Long under the Ly Dynasty (the 11th and 12th centuries).

Hanoi Cathedral, also known as Saint Joseph’s Cathedral, was inaugurated on Christmas Day 1886, two years after its construction. Its design is similar to the architecture of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Many catholic rituals have been held there. A ritual ceremony dedicated to Jesus Christ is held in this cathedral every year on March 19.

Travel Guides in 67cities and Provinces of Vietnam:

Hanoi|Hochiminh(Saigon)|Halong|Hue|Hoian|Haiphong|Catba|Hoabinh|Caobang|laocai|Maichau|
Sapa|Sonla|Dienbienphu|Thainguyen|Phutho|Babe-Backan|Hagiang|langson|Bacninh|Hatay|
Haiduong|NinhBinh|Thaibinh|Quangninh|DongHoi|QuangBinh|Quangtri|Phuyen|Phutho|Thanhhoa|
Nghean|Hatinh|Danang|Taynguyen|Kontum|Gialai|Daknong|Daklak|Dalat|BinhDinh|Nhatrang|
PhanThiet|Muine|Vungtau|KienGiang|Phuquoc|Tayninh|Vinhlong|Travinh|Dongthap|Tiengiang|
Angiang|Cantho|Bentre|Camau|