Vietnam is one of the rising stars in the Asian tourism industry as more and more western travelers are now discovering the beauty of this lovely country. There are a few main travel destinations and one of them is certainly Hanoi.The capital city of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Hanoi is an enchanting destination, situated in the Red Delta River, in the center of northern Vietnam. With lush green trees, beautiful boulevards, ancient shrines, dozens of dazzling lakes, and splendid French edifices, Hanoi is truly an interesting spot to enjoy a memorable vacation. Hanoi, through out its history, was marked by several wars, destructions, and natural calamities. But, Hanoi is now a modern city, with an incredible array of attractions.

The greatest of all attractions in the region is perhaps its more than 500 pagodas and temples. Among which most popular is One Pillar Pagoda, erected in 1049 during the reign of King Ly Thai Tong. Dedicated to Lord Buddha, this beautiful wooden pagoda is supported by just a single pillar, which takes after a lotus seat on which a statue of Buddha has been seated. Prominent among the temples in the region are the Temple of Literature, which is one of the most sanctified places for the disciples of Confucius; Hai Ba Trung Temple, dedicated to two heroines, Trung Nhi and Trung Trac; and Ngoc Son Temple, located in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. Other religious landmarks in the area are Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest of its kind in the region, and Ambassadors Pagoda, which is regarded as the seat of Buddhism in the country.

A must-see destination in Hanoi is Old Quarter, boasting of more than 35 winding streets, each of them selling a variety of items such as handicrafts, porcelain, jade carvings, wickerwork and Russian Vodka. Located outside the Royal Citadel, the Old Quarter is regarded as the best destination to enjoy the spirit of the one thousand-year-old Hanoi. Another sight-seeing option in Hanoi is the Presidential Palace, which is a fine example of the French colonial architecture. Constructed between 1900 and 1906, this splendid structure is within the Ho Chi Minh’s Relic Area.

Situated within the French Quarters of the city is Hanoi Opera House, a structure noted for its marvelous construction, reflecting French colonial architecture. Several performances are conducted here every week. Also, a landmark in Hanoi is Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum – the spot where the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh, acknowledged as the ”father of the modern state,” is displayed. Not to miss attractions in Hanoi also cover a plethora of traditional handicrafts villages such as Yen Thai glossy silk village, Bat Trang pottery village, and Ngu Xa bronze casting village, where you can see artisans engaged in bronze molding, embroidery works, and silver carving and lacquer.

Hanoi’s attractions also include more than 15 charming lakes, and some of them are Hoan Kiem Lake – the main leisure area in the city, West Lake – the largest in the city, and Truc Bach Lake. A specialty of these lakes is that each of them is surrounded by wonderful gardens and trees. Hanoi is home to a number of remarkable museums, which among many others, are: Vietnam History Museum, exhibiting artifacts that date back to various periods of Vietnam’s history. Vietnam Army Museum, with collections related to the armed forces of Vietnam. Fine Arts Museum, displaying a superb collection of paintings and sculpture. Ho Chi Minh Museum with art objects such as documents, press articles, and pictures of the times of Ho Chi Minh, apart from memorabilia of the 19th century.

Hanoi boasts of an excellent gastronomy, influenced by the French Colonial Era. Just few among the sumptuous cuisines available here are pho, gio lau or pork sausage, nem ran, and cha ca. The place’s vegetable and seafood specialties are also much famed. Hanoi hosts an array of lively, colorful festivals, Dong Nhan Temple Festival, Lady Tam’s Temple festival, Thay Pagoda Festival, Chuong Village Festival, Tran Vo Festival, and Dong Festival.

With these incredible attractions, it is no wonder why people flock to Hanoi year-round. No matter you are corporate, budget-conscious or a luxury-loving traveler, a myriad of accommodation choices options are available here to choose from according to your taste and pocket.

Vietnam is a culturally diversified nation with 54 ethnic groups with multiple customs and traditions. Although Vietnamese culture was strongly influenced by traditional Chinese civilization, the struggle for political independence from China developed a strong sense of national identity in the Vietnamese people. Nearly 100 years of French rule introduced important European elements into the culture of the country, but the Vietnamese still attach great importance to the family and continue to observe rites honoring their ancestors, indicating the persistence of tradition.

The first flourishing of Vietnamese art occurred with the emergence of the Dongson culture on the coast of Annam and Tonkin. The inspiration for the magnificent bronzes produced by the artists of Dongson originated from China: the decorative motifs have clear affinities with earlier Chinese bronzes. At the same time, the exceptional skill of production and decoration argues that these pieces represent among the first and finest of Southeast Asian works of art. The period during which the central Vietnamese kingdom, centered on the Annamite coast was under the Champa rulers saw the ‘golden’ period of the Vietnamese art and architecture. Valuable works of Vietnamese Art comprise of the historic and treasured form of art executed on extravagant, fine and delicate silk.

Vietnam has longstanding folk traditions. Techniques and styles are often handed down within families from generation to generation. Vietnamese Art shows a strong Chinese influence. Traditional Buddhist art forms are very much evident on the sculptures and paintings of Vietnamese artists. These art forms are made to complement and enhance traditional practices found in temples, monasteries, centers, hermitages, the home and places of retreat. Contemporary artists may use traditional or contemporary forms separately or in combination e.g. film, sculpture or in painting used together in an installation piece. While there may be a deeply felt spiritual context to the work, it would not necessarily be intended to go in a monastery, center or temple and would not have to be made according to econometric recommendations.

Despite the shortages and censorship of the war years, quite a bit of world literature was carefully translated into Vietnamese and widely distributed gradually. This translated world literature greatly influenced the spiritual life of Vietnam. The small chunk of world literature that was allowed to circulate in Vietnam during the ”years of the march towards socialism,” ” the years of heroic warfare” and the ”gloomy immediate post-war years,” had been carefully filtered and wrenched from their original contexts. Efforts of contemporary Vietnam artists have been successful in reviving the exquisite and inimitable elements, not only of erstwhile Vietnam but have also raised some of the present-day humanitarian issues. Vietnamese art has thus taken a stride ahead towards presenting South-East Asia as a cultural patron in the field of global fine arts.