 |
 |
|
Hoan Kiem Lake |
@minh.bing |
| Swords and Turtles |
| As if Hoàn Kiếm Lake weren't already a cool enough name on its own, wait until you hear what it means: Lake of the Restored Sword. At the center of this body of water is Tháp Rùa (Turtle Tower), a small-but-beautiful structure named in honor of the soft-shell turtles that can be found swimming in the lake; sadly, their numbers have greatly diminished in recent years. There’s also Jade Island, home to Đền Ngọc Sơn (Temple of the Jade Mountain), which you can access via the delightfully named Welcoming Morning Sunlight Bridge. Hanoi is a bustling, buzzing place, making serene getaways like this all the more essential. |
|
 |
|
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum | @zachary_binx88 |
| Preserving the Past |
| Not unlike Lenin in Moscow, one of Vietnam's most beloved leaders is kept preserved at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi. This will surely strike some outsiders as morbid, but visitors from near and far line up for admission on a daily basis. It’s a somber experience to be sure, but the moment you walk past the body of “Uncle Ho” — which is encased in glass under dim lights — is brief, especially since you’re not meant to stop and linger. The building itself is striking, standing 70 feet tall and surrounded by some 250 species of fauna from all over Vietnam, and a banner reading Nước Cộng Hòa Xã Hội Chủ Nghĩa Việt Nam Muôn Năm" (“Long Live the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”) is meant to also make the experience celebratory. |
|
 |
| Old Quarter |
@tommy.nyu7 |
| The (Really) Old Quarter |
| Hanoi has been inhabited since at least 3,000 B.C., which is to say that its Old Quarter is really old. It's here in Phố cổ Hà Nội that you'll see scooters and bicycles zipping through the streets, with each area devoted to a different guild or trade; you would originally find bamboo wares on Hàng Tre Street and copper goods on Hàng Đồng Street, for instance, but these specialties have evolved with the times. One thing that hasn't changed is the French colonial architecture, which gives the area an out-of-time feeling that only enhances its unique appeal. There’s no limit to what you can do here — whether it’s eating, shopping, clubbing, or enjoying a show at the water-puppet theatre — so make an afternoon here a priority. |
|
 |
|
Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural |
@gone.roaming |
| A Collective Canvas |
| Hanoi celebrated its Millennial Anniversary in 2010 to mark one thousand years since the founding of what was originally called Thăng Long, and one of the many projects commissioned for the occasion was the incredibly cool Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Road. Also known as the “Ceramic Road,” it's a full four miles long (making it the largest in the world) and features all manner of colorful murals on the walls of the city’s dyke system: flowers, dragons, temples, elephants, and more. It’s an astonishing work of collective art, and speaks to what makes Hanoi so vibrant and distinct. |
|
 |
| @phungtientai161098 |
|
|
| "I would advise travelers to be more adventurous when going to Hanoi. Besides exploring the Old Quarters, go to other surrounding districts like Ba Dinh or Tay Ho for great foods and local experience!"
|
|
|
| |
|
