Hanoi Capital

The Vietnamese nation was born among the lagoons and marshes of the Red River Delta around 4000 years ago, and for most of its independent existence, it has been ruled from the area of present-day Hanoi.

A village existed here at least as early as the 3rd century AD, and a defensive citadel was established in the 8th century.
The official origins of this great capital city go back to the year 1010. According to legend, while the new king, Ly Thai To, was in his royal barge on the river, he saw a golden dragon fly up towards the heavens. This was a good omen, so he moved his court from Hoa Lu to here, renaming his new capital city, Thang Long, “City of the Rising Dragon”. The heart of Thanh Long Citadel was the king’s sanctuary in the ‘Forbidden City’, but a growing collection of villages of commoners grew up around the walls.
More name changes over the centuries, and in 1802, the Nguyen dynasty moved their capital from here to the central city of Hue.
In 1831, Emperor Tu Duc changed the name of the former royal capital to ‘Ha Noi’ - “City in a bend of the River”.
While Ha Noi was no longer home to royalty, it was destined to soon become an important political centre again.
The French colonialists occupied Hanoi in 1883, and it became their main administrative centre for all of French Indo-china (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos). Ha Noi became the capital of their new colony of Tonkin (northern Viet Nam). Cochin-china (the southern 1/3rd of Viet Nam) had become a French colony in 1862. The Nguyen dynasty continued to rule from Hue, nominally at least, until 1945, but the French ‘pulled the strings’, dethroning any patriotic kings who opposed them.
On September 2, 1945, the free and independent nation of Viet Nam was proclaimed in Hanoi by Ho Chi Minh, before a huge crowd gathered in Ba Dinh Square, near Ho’s mausoleum today. The August Revolution had seized power throughout the country.
The last king, Bao Dai, abdicated power to the new revolutionary republican government, led by Ho, thus ending the feudal monarchy.
This independence was short-lived. The French eventually fought their way back to reclaim their colonial power, with increasing support from the U.S. The Viet Minh had to fight a bloody 9-year war against the French, finally culminating in the historic victory at Dien Bien Phu, which ended French colonialism in Indo-china.
In 1954, after the Dien Bien Phu victory, Ho’s government returned to Hanoi, greeted by excited crowds. But yet again, foreign interference conspired to deny them the victory they had won on the battlefield, and in Geneva. So began the 21-year American War.
In 1965, US aircraft began to attack Ha Noi, culminating in the infamous B52 bombing campaign of 12 days and nights of Christmas, 1972. Even this could not defeat Ha Noi’s fighting spirit, any more than the many earlier invasions by feudal Chinese, Mongols, Japanese, Nationalist Chinese or the French.
Finally, on April 30, 1975, Viet Nam won its independence and reunification, as the Ho Chi Minh Campaign liberated the south.
In July 1976, Hanoi was officially declared the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Ha Noi – the heart and soul of Viet Nam - was named City of Peace by UNESCO in the year 2000.
Now, Ha Noi is preparing to celebrate its 1000th Birthday, in 2010 – the oldest continuing capital city in S.E. Asia.

From the rubble of past wars, Ha Noi’s future has become a new “Rising Dragon”, and there’s a wealth of historical and spiritual sights to explore.

HIGHLIGHTS:

1. HOAN KIEM LAKE - “LAKE OF THE RESTORED SWORD”
   The name refers to a famous legend of the great Vietnamese hero, king Le Loi, who led a successful uprising against the Chinese in the 15th century. The Lake is still famous for its rare species of very large turtles, that occasionaly appear!
   
2. DEN NGOC SON - “TEMPLE OF THE JADE MOUND”
   Founded in the 14th century, and dedicated to Van Xuong, the God of Literature. Also worshipped here are the national hero General Tran Hung Dao, who defeated the Mongols in 1288; the physician La To; and a martial arts practitioner, Quan Vu.
   The red bridge was constructed in 1875.
   
3. ST. JOSEPH’S CATHEDRAL
   Neo-Gothic cathedral built by the French in the late 1880’s, and partly financed by two lotteries. The stained glass windows are mostly French originals. The black marble tomb is where the last cardinal of Viet Nam was buried in 1990.If the main door is closed, try the side entrance through the grey, iron gates, at 40 Nha Chung. (Closed 1:00-2:00 pm).
   To build their Cathedral, the French destroyed one of Ha Noi’s oldest pagodas (Bao Thien).
   
4. FORMER RESIDENCE OF THE FRENCH GOVERNOR OF TONKIN
   Built in 1918, now restored and used as the State Guest House for visiting VIPs. As you peer in, maybe note the elegant wrought-iron railings, pitted with bullet-mark souvenirs of the 1945 Revolution. The building appeared in the film, Indochine.
   
5. HANOI OPERA HOUSE
   Based on the neo-Baroque Paris Opera. The Ionic columns and grey slate tiles were imported from France. Opened in 1922, after taking 10 years to build, it was the jewel in the crown of French Hanoi. In 1945, the Viet Minh proclaimed the August Revolution against French colonialism from its balcony!
   
6. HISTORY MUSEUM
   This late 19th century building, once an archaeological research institute, is now a centre of general cultural and historical research. It is an excellent museum, recently renovated, and includes relics going back to the Stone Age and Bronze Age, as well as the last Nguyen dynasty.
   
7. REVOLUTIONARY MUSEUM
   Despite what some guidebooks may say, this museum has English captions, and is definitely one of the best of its kind. An excellent insight into Viet Nam’s long struggle for independence against a series of foreign aggressors, and local tyrants. Puts the more recent American War into an historical perspective. Allow a couple of hours to see it all.
   
8. “HANOI HILTON” - HOA LO PRISON
   The name given to this former prison by American PoWs in the 1960’s. The previous US Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr. Peterson, was once a pilot who was shot down during a bombing raid on a northern village, and imprisoned here.
   Originally, the French removed a whole village of earthen stove makers to build this prison, Hoa Lo (“furnace”) prison, where many Vietnamese nationalist leaders were imprisoned, and many were executed by French guillotine.
   One inmate was Do Muoi, who escaped in 1945 and became general-secretary of the Communist Party nearly 50 years later. The French-built Supreme Court is located conveniently opposite.
   Used as a prison until 1994, it is now Hanoi Towers, a commercial complex, but one section has been retained as a museum. Well worth a visit, and is often open when some other museums are closed.
   
9. TEMPLE OF LITERATURE (CONFUCIUS TEMPLE)
   Ha Noi’s most revered temple complex and Viet Nam’s principal Confucian sanctuary, dedicated in 1070. Viet Nam’s first university was founded here, in 1076, but most of the buildings were destroyed by French bombs in 1947, leaving few traces among the weeds. One of the few remnants of the Ly king’s original city, despite past reconstructions. Many reconstructed buildings rose from the rubble as part of Ha Noi’s 990th birthday celebrations in 2000.
   
10. ARMY MUSEUM
    An excellent museum, tracing the story of the People’s Army from its foundation in 1944, but really telling national history from the 1930’s to the present-day. Special displays on Dien Bien Phu (1954), and the Spring Campaign (1975). Highly recommended for an understanding of Vietnam’s long struggle for independence and reunification.
    Climb the 1812 flag tower for some great views of Ha Noi.
    
11. HANOI CITADEL
    Take a stroll down a street once closed to the general public! Nguyen Tri Phuong St., running through the restricted Citadel area, was reopened to traffic in 2001, for the first time since the French seized the Citadel in 1883. The street is named after a General who died defending the Citadel from the first attacks against Ha Noi by the French in 1873. Note the French cannon holes made on April 25,1882 in the wall near the Citadel gate on Phan Dinh Phung St. The French occupation finally ended in October 1954, but the area remained closed because it then became the headquarters of the Viet Nam People’s Army. Palaces were repeatedly built on the Citadel site by eight feudal dynasties since 1010. Some more recent ones have just been restored and opened to the public to visit.
    
12. THE OLD QUARTER (“36 STREETS”)
    Known as “Venice of the Far East” by early explorers and traders, due to the constant flooding.
    From the 13th century, 36 distinct guild areas set up. Streets are named after the original merchandise - ‘Hang’ means selling.
    While the various streets started out as villages, usually specialising in one particular craft or product, today the Old Quarter, with some 100,000 people in only 100 hectares, has one of the highest population densities in the world.
    Under feudal law, houses were limited to 2 storeys and could not be taller than the Royal Palace.
    Note the typical tube houses, which can be as little as a couple of metres wide, but extend back as far as 150 metres!
    Hang Bac (“Silver Street”) is perhaps Vietnam’s oldest urban thoroughfare.
    Hang Ma - Selling paper products for at least 500 years - burnt offerings to the ancestors.
    Hang Quat - Bright red prayer flags for funerals and festivals.
    
13. LONG BIEN BRIDGE
    The first bridge across the Red River, it was originally named Paul Doumer Bridge after the French Governor-General, in its inaugural year, 1902. During the American War, it was one of Viet Nam’s most heavily defended targets, which the U.S. never managed to completely destroy
    
14. DONG XUAN MARKET
    Ha Noi’s largest covered market. Originally built in 1889, it was the biggest trading centre in northern Viet Nam. After a major fire in 1994, it was reopened in 1996, its old façade intact.
    
15. GUIDING LIGHT MOSQUE
    Built in 1903, by an Indian Islamic community of traders and civil servants. There are about 100 Muslims in Hanoi - this is the only mosque in northern Vietnam.
    
16. QUAN CHUONG GATE
    Built in 1749. The only remaining gate in the original city wall.
    It was once closed at night with massive wooden doors.
    
17. MUSEUM OF INDEPENDENCE
    (48 Hang Ngang) Uncle Ho’s first house in Hanoi, where he lived for a short time after the success of the August Revolution, and where he wrote Viet Nam’s Declaration of Independence in 1945. Significantly, Ho Chi Minh used the opening words from the American Declaration of Independence, and referred to the French Revolution principles of liberty, equality and fraternity.
    
18. VIETNAM ETHNOLOGICAL MUSEUM
    Almost no foreign tourists to Hanoi refuse to visit the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, where they can look into a vivid picture of the miniaturized Vietnamese ethnic community’s life
    Briefings: Vietnam is a multi-ethnic country, which is composed of 54 ethnic groups. With a view to preserving and presenting the cultural heritages of these ethnic groups, the Vietnamese Government decided to establish a museum of ethnology in Hanoi. Hence, the today’s Vietnam Museum of Ethnology was constructed on the land of 9,500 square meters on Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Cau Giay District, around 8 kilometers from the city centre. The construction started at the end of 1987 and was completed in 1997.
    The mission of the Museum is to collect, document, research, preserve and exhibit the cultural and historic patrimony of the nation’s different ethnic groups. In its future planning, the Museum intends to present the cultures and civilization of other countries in South-East Asia and in the region as well.
    What does it have? Since the opening day, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology has attracted a huge number of visitors as well as ethnographers and researchers from all over the world. To date, the Museum has collected 15,000 artifacts, 2,190 slides, 42,000 photographs, 237 audiotapes, 373 videotapes and 25 CD-ROMs, to be displayed for all visitors. Besides a tourism spot, it is also a centre for ethnographic research employing many experts on the different ethnic groups. Coming here, visitors may find out that the Museum has successfully recreated the daily life together with the religious rituals and the symbolic festivals of each ethnic group in Vietnam. All displayed objects mingle and supplement one another to create a colorful and diversified picture of Vietnamese culture.
    Virtual indoor tour. The indoor permanent collection occupies the majority of the exhibition space. However, there is a separate area for the temporary exhibits. The permanent collection is divided into 9 main sections, each of which includes objects displayed in glass cases and dioramas:
    · Introduction
    · Introduction of the Viet group (Kinh)
    · Introduction of Muong, Tho, Chut ethnic groups
    · The ethnic groups belonging to the Tay, Thai, and Ka Dai group
    · The ethnic groups belonging to the H’Mong-Dao group, Tang Group, and San Diu, Ngai ethnic groups
    · The ethnic groups belonging to the Mon-Khmer group
    · The ethnic groups belonging to the Nam Dao
    · The ethnic groups of Cham, Hoa, Khmer
    · The exchange and mingle among different ethnic groups
    Virtual outdoor tour. An open-air exhibition in the museum’s spacious and peaceful ground features ethnic houses from all over Vietnam. The outdoor exhibition area is only large enough for the most popular architectural styles to be presented. Already presented are the Ede long house, the Tay stilt house, the Yao house half on stilts and half on earth, the Hmong house whose roof is made of pomu wood, the Viet house with tile roof, etc. Between the houses, there are trees indigenous to the area of each house, zigzagging paths and a meandering stream crossed by small bridges. The outdoor museum is of much captivation to most tourists not only for the cultural values but also for a natural landscape. Some even said: “Walking around here makes me feel like I were in a beautiful park, very relaxing!”
    Opening time. The museum is open during the daytime (08:30 a.m – 05:30 p.m) from Tuesday till Sunday (exept only Monday and the Lunar Tet Holiday)

TRANSPORT:
The best way to get around Hanoi is by motorcycle, cyclo or taxi. If you are not confident of braving the chaotic traffic yourself, or riding pillion on Xe oms (motorbike taxis), cyclos are a better choice. Be sure to negotiate a price in advance. Cyclos are usually $2 per hour depending on the distances involved. Xe oms hover at every intersection and compete with cyclos as a cheap means of inner-city transport – prices are slightly lower and obviously quicker than a cyclo, though the ride can be hair raising! A kilometre should cost about VND 10000. With rates at just over $1 per 2 km, taxis are definitely worth considering for hopping about the city. Note the prices are metered in Dong, though it looks like dollars. Peak hour is from 6:30-8:00am, midday and from 5-6pm in the evening.

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