| Hanoi | | | | bureaucrats, royalty and other members of the elite. |
| While myths and ancient history add colour and | | | | The university lasted over 700 years, from 1076 to |
| curiosity to the oldest capital city in SE Asia, more | | | | 1779, during which time over 2,000 doctors graduated. |
| recent history accounts for the city's present face, | | | | In 1484, Emperor Le Thanh Tong founded the tradition |
| aged and worn in many places, but lively, full of | | | | of carving the names of university laureates on stone |
| character and ever-changing in expression. Exploring | | | | steles cemented onto the backs of stone turtles. The |
| the Vietnamese capital can, for those with traffic | | | | temple is squarely planted at the heart of the |
| tolerance, be a delight; the visitor is constantly surprised | | | | Vietnamese identity, with its likeness featured on the |
| by the different quarters of the city, quite distinct in | | | | back of the one hundred thousand Dong banknote. |
| appearance and historical associations. | | | | 4. The Fine Arts Museum |
| Watch out for pickpockets. Lenin did, but he still got | | | | The Fine Arts Museum occupies the building that once |
| robbed. If you find this assertion somewhat | | | | served as the French Ministry of Information. Classical |
| unconvincing due to the fact that Lenin never visited | | | | with eastern twists, the museum houses impressionist, |
| Hanoi, then just check out his statue, which went up in | | | | abstract, realist and even 'superrealist' paintings and |
| Hanoi around the time most of the rest of the | | | | sculptures along with wood carvings, antique |
| communist world brought his effigies crashing to the | | | | reproductions and block prints. The section displaying |
| ground. Called the 'stop thief' statue, he looks slightly | | | | ancient Vietnamese art treasures is particularly |
| startled and as though he is fishing in his pocket for his | | | | worthwhile. Somewhat unusually for Vietnam, none of |
| wallet, whilst pointing at a fleeing pickpocket and | | | | the exhibits are obvious fakes. |
| shouting 'stop, thief'. | | | | 5. Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre |
| Thanks to its free enterprise boom Hanoi is, undeniably, | | | | One of Hanoi's most amusing attractions, the water |
| a manic place, with its 24-7 background din of shrieking | | | | puppets have performed at arts festivals everywhere |
| horns and squealing tyres. Along with all the | | | | from Hong Kong and Spain to Switzerland. The |
| cacophony it does, however, also have worthwhile and | | | | theatre lies just over the road from Hoan Kiem lake. |
| charming attractions and so deserves at least a short | | | | Cross slowly because the traffic is even crazier than |
| visit, except for those visitors who have a nervous | | | | normal for Hanoi. |
| disposition, who should probably avoid the place. | | | | 6. Hoan Kiem ('Lake of the Returned Sword') |
| Vietnam visitors who arrive from Saigon needing a | | | | "For nature lovers, the view of Hoan Kiem Lake is |
| vacation from their vacation will find that Hanoi is a big | | | | astounding" says the Vietnamese Tourist Authority. |
| improvement. Whilst most of the city is about as | | | | 'Astounding' is probably pushing it, but few would deny |
| laid-back as juggling with Semtex, it does have plenty | | | | that the sprawling stretch of water smack in the heart |
| of cultural bolt-holes from the bedlam on the streets. It | | | | of the old quarter is pleasant and voyeuristically |
| is well worth while checking out at least some of the | | | | entertaining. Watch out for exercise nuts doing knee |
| following attractions. | | | | bends, windmills and bust-enlargement exercises. After |
| Hanoi - Top Ten | | | | completing a leisurely lap of the lake, why not step |
| 1. One Pillar Pagoda | | | | onto one of the staffed scales dotted around the path |
| Reminiscent of what the English call a "folly", One Pillar | | | | that rings the lake? You may, depending on which set |
| Pagoda was first built in 1049 during the Ly Dynasty, | | | | of scales you pick, discover that you have miraculously |
| on the west side of the ancient capital of Thang Long. | | | | lost five kilos. |
| According to legend, one night in a dream, the old and | | | | 7. Ly Thai To statue |
| childless King Ly Thai Tong saw the goddess of | | | | Emperor Ly Thai To founded the Ly dynasty |
| Mercy perched on a lotus flower, offering him a son. | | | | (1010-1225) and its ancient capital of Thang Long |
| Soon after the queen got pregnant and fulfilled the | | | | ('ascending dragon'), now downtown Hanoi, in 1010. |
| premonition. The king thanked the goddess by building | | | | According to one story, Ly Thai To came up with the |
| the pagoda in a lotus pond and naming it Dien Huu, | | | | fancy name after seeing a great, golden dragon rising |
| which means 'good luck'. The luck ran out in 1954 | | | | above the site towards heaven. Maybe such beings |
| when, piqued at being run out of Vietnam, the French | | | | really existed in ancient times, despite the lack of any |
| burned the building to the ground. Its replacement was | | | | archaeological evidence. Or maybe the brains of the |
| built the following year, the eponymous pillar | | | | rulers of the time went periodically AWOL, as they |
| reconstructed in concrete. One Pillar Pagoda has | | | | didn't know the hallucinogenic properties of some of |
| perhaps the most pleasing shape of Hanoi's several | | | | their favourite intoxicants. |
| pagodas. These are generally more captivating in their | | | | 8. West Lake (Ho Tay) |
| details than in their overall designs, which tend to be not | | | | The biggest lake in central Hanoi, West Lake is one of |
| quite so graceful as those found elsewhere in | | | | the city's top attractions. The lake was once a resort |
| southeast Asia. | | | | reserved for kings and mandarins who built, on the |
| 2. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum | | | | banks of the lake, a row of beautiful palaces and |
| Born in 1890, Ho Chi Minh was the son of a Confucian | | | | impressive monuments. The windy 14-kilometre path |
| scholar. During his youth, he did menial Mcjobs around | | | | that winds around the lake introduces the visitor to |
| the world and was influenced by the radical influences | | | | these and other icons including the remnants of the |
| he encountered in, ironically, America. Ho Chi Minh | | | | peach gardens of Nhat Tan and of Tay Ho Temple, |
| subsequently developed into a revolutionary who | | | | one of the three main pagodas devoted to the |
| assisted and then led the ejection of successive | | | | crusading Goddess Lieu Hanh. On one West Lake |
| occupiers of his motherland: the French, then the | | | | island stands the Tran Quoc pagoda. |
| Japanese and finally the Americans. President from | | | | 9. Tran Quoc |
| 1955 until his 1969 death, he was the founder of the | | | | A flagship of Vietnamese Buddhism, Tran Quoc is |
| modern nation. Vietnam's Communist government | | | | Hanoi's oldest pagoda. Built in the sixth century on the |
| accords him a god-like status reinforced by a | | | | banks of the Red River, the pagoda was shunted to |
| nationwide personality cult. At the centre of the state | | | | its present position because of river bank erosion. |
| religion of Ho Chi Minh worship is his mausoleum, which | | | | Awash with precious statues, it also features intricate |
| was designed in typically grandiose but leaden style by | | | | corridors and a bodhi tree taken from a cutting of the |
| the Soviets. They managed to take control of the | | | | original under which Gautama Buddha found |
| building project as, they argued, the Vietnamese lacked | | | | enlightenment. Tran Quoc clearly ranks as one of |
| their experience in stuffing, pickling and displaying dead | | | | Hanoi's most eye-catching sights. |
| leaders. Few Hanoians visit these days. It used to be | | | | 10. Hoa Lo ('fiery furnace') Prison |
| popular back in the days when it was the only | | | | Just in case you were starting to think that Hanoi is all |
| air-conditioned public building in the city and therefore | | | | tasteful imperial splendour, consider Hoa Lo Prison. Or |
| gave visitors a welcome respite from the heat. It is | | | | what remains of it: also known as the Hanoi Hilton, the |
| easy to imagine what the spirit of Uncle Ho (aka Ho | | | | prison has mostly been torn down. The museum that |
| Chi Minh) makes of the place, as he left instructions in | | | | now occupies the shell is fascinating in a macabre |
| his will that he was to be cremated. | | | | way. Originally used by French colonists for political |
| 3. Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) | | | | prisoners, the prison was later used by North Vietnam |
| Vietnam's most famous Confucian temple, Van Mieu | | | | for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. |
| originally housed the country's first university, the | | | | Engrossingly gross. |
| Imperial Academy, which was designed to educate | | | | |