Added: 01/16/2006 |
Hanoi holiday -see modern Vietnamese lifeHanoi has shaken off its hostile attitude to travellers to become one of the most beguiling cities in Southeast Asia. It's slow-paced and pleasant, with a lovely landscape of lakes, shaded boulevards, verdant public parks and French-colonial architecture.
Hanoi personifies the spirit of historic Vietnam in the temples, monuments and pockets of ancient culture along the narrow streets of the Old Quarter, yet perfectly reflects the rapid changes sweeping the country as Hanoian yuppies sip cappucinos in roadside cafés and compare cell phones.
Anyone who has ever been on Hanoi holiday will probably tell you that it may be the most beautiful city in all of Asia. People have settled here along the Red River for a thousand years. Nestled along wooded boulevards among the city's two dozen lakes you will find architectural souvenirs left by all who conquered this great valley, from the Chinese who first came in the last millennium to the French, booted out in our own century.
The trip into the city from Noi Bai Airport (where all Hanoi flights takes place) takes about an hour and offers some poignant glimpses of modern Vietnamese life: farmers tending their fields, great rivers, modern highways that abruptly become bumpy roads. The drive is especially breathtaking at dusk when the roads fill with bicycles, and everything takes on the same deep colors as the modern paintings you see in Hanoi's galleries. Somehow the setting sun seems enormous here as it dips into the cornfields on the horizon.
Meter taxis and hired cars are easy to find in Hanoi. If you are planning a long Hanoi holiday you might consider renting a bicycle or motorbike.
The north end of Hoan Kiem Lake is Hanoi's "ground zero." Practically all the city's economical hotels, tourist shops, and cafés catering to visitors are located here. Not only is it the oldest part of the city, it is the busiest and most interesting. Every street is winding, intimate, and shady. At night the lights of storefronts keep the streets lit and animated.
Depending on which guide book you read before going on Hanoi holiday, this district of Hanoi is variously called the "Old Quarter," the "Ancient Quarter," and "36 streets." Streets here are named for the medicine, jewelry, fans, copper, horse hair, chicken, and even coffins once sold on them.
Hanoi is very compact, and the city's most interesting places for tourists are all relatively close to each other, which makes it easy to enjoy the best parts of the city on foot or by cyclo. Sightseeing on your very first morning of Hanoi holiday should begin with a visit to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. As you exit on the side of the building, look for the ornate yellow former Governor's Palace, which also faces Ba Dinh Square. Although not open to the public, it is a poignant contrast to Ho Chi Minh's House on Stilts.
The One Pillar Pagoda is about 50 meters away. This little architectural curiosity gets its name because the shrine sits atop a single massive pedestal.
There are a lot of other places that you shouldn't forget to visit, like The Ho Chi Minh Museum, Van Mieu, Quoc Tu Giam and other places.
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