In Hanoi, the millennium capital of Vietnam, pagodas and remains of the ancient citadel together with the Art Deco facades of colonial houses or the frontlines of Soviet-inspired buildings. It is a city with a human size, it is walking in the vault of trees competing with monuments, around the many lakes that create the space of a neighborhood and invite contemplation. Hanoi is also the incomparable taste of the phô, a famous soup, and a kitchen renowned for its finesse.
The Old Quarter's Effervescence
The Hoan Kiêm district, around the lake of the same name, is the city center divided into two neighborhoods. To the north of the lake, the Old Quarter or "district of 36 streets and corporations". Each street consists of a business corporation: Rue des Vents, Ferblantiers, Changers, Botanical Herbs… There is a communicative effervescence, especially around the halles of the big Dong Xuân market. It is the eternal Asia, the embellishment of spice embellished with the colorful multitude of fruits and the weight of the rice mountains. At the end of this labyrinth of populous streets, we reached the Long Biên Bridge, built in the Eiffel style, inaugurated in 1902, which, according to Paul Doumer, then Governor General of Indochina, «was to testify to the power of French civilization in the works of peace». In the Old Quarter, especially on Hang Bac Street (Rue des Changeurs), there are many small hotels with summary comfort, but at moderate prices. Many tourist agencies also have offices, offering a wide range of services: organization of excursions, car rental with driver, bicycles, motorcycles…
In the shadow of St. Joseph's Cathedral
Returning to the shores of Hoan Kiêm Lake, we join the Central Quarter. It concentrates many books dating from the colonial period. Among the most emblematic, the opera built in 1911 on the model of the Garnier Palace in Paris, the legendary Metropole hotel (rue Ngô Quyên), the bank of Indochina (49, Ly Thai Street Tô) or the Museum of History, drawn by Ernest Hébrard and characteristic of the «inert style» Dochinese, which incorporates elements of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Finally, the cathedral of Saint-Joseph, in the neo-Gothic style, built in 1886.
In the surrounding streets, many beautiful shops highlight the know-how of Vietnamese artisans: lacquer objects, nacre, horn, embroidery, vannery… A Mediterranean atmosphere, with sidewalks in the evening that cover tiny stools, turning into terraces that make hundreds of young people sipping iced tea. Plenty of restaurants also offer excellent tables. The smallest conceals treasures and such a facility that does not pay a mine serves a phô tasty or, at an astonishingly low price, an appetizing bun cha, a bowl of grilled pork accompanied by vermicelles of rice (in Hang Trông Street). From the cathedral to Hoan Kiêm Lake, there is only one step and we always come back to the shores.
The Citadel: When Hanoi rediscovered his past
Long closed to the public, the Citadel district concentrates the buildings of the Vietnamese military institution. This forbidden city opened its doors by allowing access to the remains of the former imperial citadel of Thang Long during certain periods.
Archeological excavations have revealed invaluable historical testimonies, with thousands of ceramic and metal objects and traces of architectural works spread over several strata that make it possible to go back to the seventh century. In 2010, UNESCO entered the ancient citadel of Thang Long, built by the dynasty of the Ly in the eleventh century, on the list of World Heritage. At the gates of the citadel, Ba Dinh Square, the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum and monumental colonial architectural buildings that today house the organs of the Vietnamese government and Communist Party.
Hanoi is walking on foot, but the rental of a bicycle allows even more freedom and brings some eccentric sites together, such as the Temple of Literature neighborhood. Near the temple, now reconstituted, but whose foundations go back to the eleventh century, there is the Museum of Fine Arts as well as some beautiful colonial villas in the Art Deco style.
Town Campaign
The West Lake neighborhood is nearby. It is a residential area where many expatriates live. There are also some of the most luxurious hotels in the city. The lake is very extensive. A rocade makes it possible to tour and explore a lacis of streets and urban villages where temples and pagodas nest.
Further away but still within reach of bicycle, Dai Yên village between Hoang Hoa Tham and Dôi Cân streets. For generations, medicinal plants have grown for traditional medicine. The walk is very pleasant, the atmosphere bucolic, and the village has kept its traditional configuration: a monumental door open on streets that snap between the gardenets and lead to the communal house. On Hoang Hoa Tham Street, you reach the Ethnography Museum, probably the most beautiful of the country. It presents in a very attractive way the traditions of the fifty-four ethnic groups that populate Vietnam through films, objects and magnificent reconstructions.
Along and Hoa-Lu, a dreamy Asia
A ten-day stay allows a few escapades. They can be organized easily since they are included in the program of all the agencies that have a pigeon in the Old Quarter. The first escapade leads to Hoa-Lu in Ninh Binh province, a hundred kilometers south of Hanoi. Lifted from dawn, we go to minibus or a car with chauffeur. Two hours drive, Hoa-Lu, nicknamed along the shore of Along Land, offers enchanting landscapes. Hoa-Lu is an historic site, since from 968 to 1009, the capital was fixed there before a new dynasty founded by Emperor Ly Thai Tô, which - history is now known - decided to transfer it to Thang Long. We visit Hoa-Lu the remains of several temples and pagodas. In the afternoon, the excursion goes on by boat, along the river that winds between limestone. The visit of the caves and the sumptuous panorama evoke ancient prints.
The second escapade is a destination that, for many, embodies the very image of Asia. Along the Bay of Along (Ha-Long) - as well as Hoa-Lu - was the grand decor for the film of R. Wargnier, Indochina, with Catherine Deneuve. Nicknamed the 8 th wonder of the world, the bay is inscribed on the world heritage list established by UNESCO. Thang Long refers to «the dragon that rises» when Ha-Long means «descent of the dragon». The thousands of karst islands emerging in the Gulf of Tonkin were created, according to legend, by the movement of the tail of a dragon coming to domesticate the sea currents. Cruises in the bay can be organized in Hanoi, leaving memories for a lifetime.
Smart News
When is it? The best periods are autumn and spring.
Go there. Count 11 hours of flight.
Find your flight at the best price - Compare
Useful. Since 2015, visa is no longer required for stays of less than 15 days. For a longer stay, direction the embassy.
EMBASSY OF VIET NAM - More information on the site
NATIONAL TOURISM ADMINISTRATION - More information on the site
Book your hotel at the best conditions - Compare
Find cultural or sporting activity - Find
