Despite the many vicissitudes suffered by Vietnam's capital Hanoi it has not lost its character and charm, Its shaded boulevards, green parks and lakes make it an interesting city. Hoan Kiem Lake lies in the center of Hanoi. To the north of the lake is the Old quarter or preserved architectural wonder-a French colonial town of the 1930s.
Hanoi lies on the right bank of the Red River (Song Hong) in the North of the country and close to the Gulf of Tonkin. An interesting way to see Hanoi is on bicycle or on a cyclo. Hanoi has some interesting Pagodas and Temples. Hanoi's One Pillar pagoda built by Emperor Ly Thai Tong (1028-1054) is worth seeing. Close by is the Dien Hun Pagoda. The Temple of Literature (1070) is made in the traditional Vietnams style of architecture.
The 18th century Ngoc Son Temple lies on an island in Hoan Kein Lake. As per legend Heaven gave Emperor Le Thai To (Le Loi) a magical sword in the 15th century. With its help he drove the Chinese out of Vietnam. One day he was boating on the lake when he saw a giant golden tortoise swimming in the water. It came up to him, grabbed the sword and carried it off deep into the lake restoring it to its divine owners. Hence the name of the lake-Lake of the restored Sword (Ho Hoan Kiem).
Ho Tay or West lake was once fabled to have been ringed by palaces, now long gone. Tran Quoc Pagoda lies on the its southern shore. Bach Lake is another lake close by Quan Su, Pagoda also known as Ambassador's Pagoda is the center of the Buddhist faith in the city. Stop by and visit.
In a glass sarcophagus Ho Chi Minh lies, embalmed in an imposing Mausoleum. Go past the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh's house next to a pond filled with carp, to Hanoi's Botanical gardens and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. You can also visit the History Museum and the Army Museum which has displays of epic battles like Dien Bien Phu and the capture of Saigon. The Museum of Fine Arts shows the evolution of the country's fine arts. The 19th century St Joseph Cathedral has an ornate alter and stained glass windows.
The Hoa Lo Prison is a forbidding building which once housed the US prisoners-of-war and went by the nick name of the Hanoi Hilton. You can go over the Long Bien Bridge over the Red River a scene of repeated strafing by American aircraft during the Vietnam war.
If you are lucky you can catch a performance at the Hanoi Opera House. You must however, also see a performance of water puppetry, an art form unique to Vietnam.
When hungry stop at any noodle stand for a bowl of Pho (noodle soup) some rice rolls, pork sausages, fish balls and a sort of spring roll. Vietnamese food is delicious.
Shopping is a must, especially for Vietnam's handicrafts from lacquerware to mother of pearl inlay to ceramics, to sandalwood statues and wood carvings to fine silk embroidery hangings which look like paintings. The choice is endless.