HANOI

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, buit in 1010 .under the reign of Ly Cong Uan King , Hanoi is located in the Red River Delta, in the center of North Vietnam. This  beautiful city. With many French colonial building the old part of the city retains a special charm.Total area ois 913.8km2. Number of people account for 2,672,122 in April 1st 1999 where 1,538,905 living in urban areas and the rest 1,133,217 living in rural areas.

Folk Song of Hanoi : Em Di chua Huong( I went to the smell of incense pagoda)

People in Hanoi are perhaps not as easy going as people in Saigon, but they are more hospitable and much friendlier. A good place to meet people is in the parks at 6 am doing various sports, such as Tai-Chi.

Many new houses are being built, but they are mostly typical Vietnamese, some 2.5 to 6 m wide and more than 40 m deep. They have 4 to 6 stories, on each story a beautiful balcony facing the street. Old and new buildings integrate easily, never destroying the picture of the 'old' town. 

President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum in morning

Hoan Keim LAKE

Tourist Attractions

The Temple of Literature (Van Mieu, open between 8:30 and 16:30, entrance fee VND 11000), The Temple of Literature was built in 1076 in honour of Confucius, his followers, and Chu Van An, a moral figure in Vietnamese education. Quoc Tu Giam, or Vietnam's first university, thousands of Vietnamese scholars graduated from this university. This site preserves historical vestiges of a 1,000-year-old civilization such as statues of Confucius and his disciples (Yan Hui, Zengshen, Zisi, Mencius), and ancient constructions such as Khue Van Pavilion and the Worshipping Hall.

Hoan Kiem lake, the Hoan Keim district (the old center, with many beautiful, small shops), Hoan Kiem Lake, also called Lake of the Restored Sword,  The name Lake of the Restored Sword is derived from a legend in which King Le Thai To, as he was on a boat cruise on the lake, saw a giant turtle coming towards him. The turtle took his sword that had secured the victory against the Minh aggressors. King Le Thai To named the lake after this episode.

West Lake, Local called Ho Tay, is the biggest lake in central Hanoi, with area 500 ha. Tay Ho was ancient village of Thang Long Capital including Thuy Hoa Palace, Ham Nguyen Sanctuary, Tu Hoa Palace, Kim Lien Pagoda, and Ngoc Dam Palace were built on the bank of the lake. In the past, West Lake used to be part of the Hong River.West Lake, a beautiful spot in Hanoi, was once a resort for mandarins and kings. 

St. Joseph's Cathedral, or Hanoi Cathedra was built in 1866,Its design is similar to the architecture of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,It was open dairly from 5 to 7 am and 5 to 7 pm when Masses are held.Visitor may visit the cathedral at other times. 

 Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum The construction of the Mausoleum started in September 1973, on the foundations of the old rostrum in Ba Dinh Square where president Ho Chi Minh used to chair national meetings. Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum was completed nearly two years later on August 29, 1975. the Ho Chi Minh House and Ho Chi Minh museum is nearly the Mausoleum

Hanoi Opera House The construction was built in 1911.In 1997, with aid of the French Goverment,the theatre was repaired in accordance with its original design.Now it is home to various performance with the bes technical equipment.

One of the most famous in  Hanoi is  the Water Puppet Theater, Kim Dong Theatre at 57 Dinh Tien Hoang Street. After an introduction of Vietnamese music, the show started. It is actually a series of scenes from Vietnamese everyday life, depicted by beautifully carved and painted puppets. They are held on long sticks by people standing in the water behind a bamboo screen. Admission was USD 2 or USD 4 with cassette, and they charge USD 1 for photographing.

For those interested in steam trains, there are some old locomotives in the rail yard. The best bet is the Giap Bat station at 14:00, when there should be one.

Military guard at Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum

Bac Ho house, Now  open to tourist

The typical feature in Hanoi's climate is the change diversified between the hot and cold seasons. From May to September is the hot and rainy season and from November to March is the cold and dry season. There are 2 transition seasons in April and October. Hanoi's climate covers 4 seasons Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
 

Villagers At Hanoi Like to take Photograph Farmer prepare soil to grow vegetable