Welcome to city of lakes, shaded boulevards and verdant public parks. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam since 1945, is a charming city, rich in historical value and remarkable in beauty. The city is divided into districts, many of which take their name from a lake within the district’s boundaries. Each district has its own charms, which makes Hanoi a great place to explore on foot. The appealing centre of Hanoi is built around Hoan Kiem lake (Lake of Restored Sword). To the north and west of the lake is Hanoi’s famed Old Quarter (so-called Hanoi 36 Streets) – a maze of narrow cobbled streets with numerous guest houses, hotels, art galleries, restaurants and a variety of shops. Traditionally the name of the street indicated the product sold in that street; for examples Pho Hang Gai ( Silk Street ), Pho Hang Ma ( paper product ), Pho Hang Bac ( Silversmiths ) etc. These days, many of the streets no longer trade the product for which they were named. Nevertheless, exploring the maze of these streets can still be very fascinating as you can find lots of interesting goods such as wool clothes, cosmetics, embroidery, paintings, excellent food, printed T-shirts, musical instrument, herbal medicine, religious offerings and much more. Many visitors, particularly backpackers, choose this area as their base in Hanoi. Throughout the thousand years of its eventful history, marked by destruction, wars and natural calamities, Hanoi still preserves many ancient architectural works including the Old Quarter and over 600 pagodas and temples and 18 beautiful lakes. Famous sites include :

Ho Chi Minh Museum

This museum was completed on 19 May 1990 for the 100th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday. The main showroom displays 117,274 documents, articles, pictures and exhibits illustrating the historical events that took place during President Ho Chi Minh’s life as well as important events that occurred in the rest of the world since the end of the 19th century.

President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum

Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum was constructed by the successors of Ho Chi Minh to honor his mortal remains.. The roof and peristyle are said to evoke either a traditional communal house or a lotus flower. Inside more guards, regaled in snowy- white military uniforms, are posted at intervals of five paces. Uncle Ho's body dressed in faded khaki clothes and plain rubber shoes was put in a glass coffin. During the night the corpse is lowered deep into the ground into a cooler vault. Despite this protection, the mausoleum closes for three months a year ( from September to December ) while the corpse is in Russia for maintenance.The whole place has a “sanitized for your protection” atmosphere. It is interesting to watch the visitors showing deep respect and admiration for Ho Chi Minh.

One Pillar Pagoda

The One Pillar Pagoda was first built in 1049 under the Ly Dynasty, on the west side of the ancient Thang Long Capital. Legend has it that King Ly Thai To dreamed of the goddess Quan Am sitting on a lotus leaf and offering him a son. Struck by the dream, the Emperor married a peasant girl who soon provided him with a male heir. In gratitude, the king built this pagoda to honor the goddess. Being built in the shape of a lotus blooming on its stem, One Pillar Pagoda is a cultural and historic relic, unique for architectural features.

Temple of Literature (Van Mieu)

Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam is a famous historical and cultural relic consisting of the Temple of Literature and Vietnam’s first university. This temple is a rare example of well- preserved traditional Vietnam architecture and is well worth a visit. Emperor Ly Thanh Tong founded this temple in 1070. In 1076; Vietnam’s first university was established here to educate the sons of mandarins.

Ngoc Son Temple

Founded in the 18th century, Ngoc Son Temple is on an island in the northern part of Hoan Kiem Lake. Surrounded by water and shaded by trees, it is a delightfully quiet place to rest. Ngoc Son Temple is reached via the red- painted, wooden The Huc (Rising Sun) Bridge, which was constructed in 1885. To the left of gate stands an obelisk, whose top is shaped like a paintbrush. Visiting Ngoc Son Temple, one can get to see the golden tortoise of Le Loi – a huge animal, a specimen that died in 1968, 250 kg in weight and was 2.10m long. Its preserved remains are on show in the Ngoc Son complex.

Hanoi Opera House

The Hanoi Opera House is renowned for its unique architecture and good composition. Its construction started in 1901 and completed in 1911, the Hanoi Opera House has been a rendezvous for those who love theatrical performance and traditional songs and music, symphonies, opera and classical opera. The Hanoi Opera House has also successfully organized many large-scale international concerts.

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology opened at the end of 1997. It features a fascinating collection of art and every object gathered from throughout Vietnam and its diverse tribal people. The museum has successfully recreated the daily life together with the religious rituals and the symbolic festivals of each ethnic group in Vietnam. Visitors have the opportunity to admire costumes, embroidery as well as outside stilt houses and habitats from the different groups. There are fabulous displays of weaving and fabric motifs. Visitors can also enter a traditional Black Thai house reconstructed with in the museum, and there are outdoor exhibits in the landscaped grounds

Vietnam Fine-Arts Museum

Vietnam Fine-Arts Museum is a lively historical treasure depicting the origins and evolution of Vietnamese fine arts. There are many intricate sculptures, paintings, lacquer ware, ceramics and other traditional Vietnamese fine arts at here. Two-storey building displays the art works. The exhibition system is divided into 5 parts according to the historic development of Vietnam Fine Arts.