Sightseeing around Hanoi tourist attractions

Posted on 17. Aug, 2010 by admin in Hanoi

Hanoi sightseeing is a truly unforgettable experience in this city which has been Vietnam’s capital for over 1,000 years. The city of Hanoi is filled with charming buildings, scenic parks, fascinating museums, and friendly locals who won’t hesitate to strike up conversations with foreign visitors.

It’s hard to decide which are the most recommended attraction in a city where there is so much to see and do, so hopefully, this article will provide some useful advice for Hanoi sightseeing.

Museums in Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh City to the south may bear the name of the former Vietnamese leader, but the mausoleum where his body is entombed is in Hanoi. Short pants, talking, and other disrespectful behaviour is prohibited while viewing, and photos are only permitted in Ba Dinh Square. Visitors may bring purses, but they are frequently searched by soldiers. The mausoleum is closed during the last few months of the year, so Ho Chi Minh’s body can leave the country for maintenance.

Visitors may then exit the mausoleum and enter directly into Ho Chi Minh’s Vestige where the man worked and lived from 1954 until he died in 1969. The complex includes a pond filled with carp as well as two houses and two cars belonging to Ho Chi Minh.

Just around the corner from the mausoleum is the Ho Chi Minh Museum, designed to resemble a white lotus and said to be one of the world’s most unusual museums.

Visitors may learn more about Vietnam’s military history, which extends much further back than the Vietnam War, at Hanoi’s Army and Air Force Museums. Other facets of Vietnam’s history are exhibited at the Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution, which details Vietnam’s struggles against the French and Americans, as well as its post 1945 history. Vietnam’s history prior to 1945 is exhibited at the National Museum of Vietnamese History.

The Fine Arts Museum filled with silk paintings and Buddhist art, and the Museum of Ethnology which exhibits Vietnam’s different ethnic groups are among Hanoi’s other fascinating museums. The Museum of Ethnology also features an open air exhibition and a Chocolate and Baguettes café where visitors may enjoy a snack after a long day of Hanoi sightseeing.

Parks in Hanoi

One of Hanoi’s most popular parks is Hoan Kiem Lake, located in the heart of the city near its Old Quarter. Hoan Kiem Lake is a favourite place for locals to practice tai chi or simply relax with a good book, while aerobics classes and soccer teams are common sights at the Lenin Statute mini park. The natural beauty of Hoan Kiem lake converges with bustling and modern Hang Bai street at the Ly Thai To Statute mini park.

Other Hanoi attractions

Hoa Lo Prison was once where Vietnamese freedom fighters were imprisoned and executed by the French, as well as where American prisoners of war were held during the Vietnam War. The former ‘Hanoi Hilton’ has now been converted to a museum depicting the brutality of French colonial rule and the Vietnamese point of view of how American soldiers were treated.

The name of 2008 American presidential candidate John McCain is one of the most fascinating sights at the Downed Aircraft Memorial plaque commemorating when an American Navy aircraft was shot down in 1967.

In between the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum lies the charming One Pillar Pagoda, while the Ngoc Son Temple includes Vietnamese history exhibits and a mummified giant turtle.

The Temple of Literature, founded in 1070, is Vietnam’s first university, and the names of past graduates are carved onto stone tablets mounted on the shells of tortoises.

No visit to Hanoi would be complete without seeing a Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre show. Accompanied by live music, wooden puppets splash on water while depicting Vietnamese folk legends, but visitors don’t need to understand Vietnamese to enjoy this unique show. Reserving tickets at least a couple of days before the show is strongly recommended.

The best way to relax after a long day of Hanoi sightseeing is ordering a light beer free of preservatives at one of the city’s many Bia Hoi (fresh beer) establishments, and watch the people pass by.

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