Hanoi


Photos Hanoi

Photos Ha Noi 19 - HanoiPhotos Ha Noi 6 - HanoiPhotos Ha Noi 7 - HanoiPhotos Ha Noi 3 - HanoiPhotos Ha Noi 11 - Hanoi
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Child Places

Hoan Kiem District Ba Dinh District Dong Da District
Hai Ba Trung District Cau Giay District Tay Ho District
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Hoang Mai District Gia Lam Bus Station Son Tay City
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Information Hanoi



Ho Tay/West Lake, Hanoi

Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội), the capital of Vietnam, is a fascinating blend of East and West, with Chinese influence from centuries of dominance, and French design from its colonial past. It is largely unspoiled by modern architecture of the 1970s and 80s, and is now going through a modernization that is making it a rising star in Southeast Asia.
Understand

Invading forces from every direction agree: Hanoi makes a fine capital. It has held that title for more than a thousand years, through several invasions, occupations, restorations, and name changes. The Chinese conquered the imperial city of of Đại La in 1408 and renamed it Tống Bình. Le Loi repelled the invaders in 1428 and applied the name of Lê Thái Tổ (黎太祖); for his efforts, he received the crown and a slew of legends about his heroic exploits, many centered around the Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter. The Nguyen Dynasty gave the city its modern name of Ha Noi in 1831, but they had transferred power to Hue by then; it remained there until 1887, when the French made Hanoi the capital of all Indochina. It changed hands again in 1954, when it was ceded to Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh after almost a decade of fighting, and it became the capital of North Vietnam; upon reunification in 1975, it assumed that title for the entire country.

The first western-style universities in Vietnam were founded in Hanoi, and today, it is the leading center of scientific study and research in the country. Hanoi retains much of its older colonial charm, despite the battles that have raged over it; conflict had the side effect of making it largely oblivious to modern architecture, and as a result, few buildings in the city center area are higher than five stories. The Old Quarter is second only to Hoi An for uninterrupted stretches of colonial and pre-colonial architecture, well-preserved on dense warrens of narrow, wonderfully atmospheric streets. It trades the commercial boom and sprawl of Ho Chi Minh City in the South for a more understated charm, worth enjoying for an extra day or two, and with countless transport options and travel agents, it makes a perfect base for exploration of the North.

The Tourist Information Center - tel: (84-4) 926 3366 - on Dinh Tien Hoang, just north of Hoan Kiem Lake, can provide a fairly useful map (bewilderingly, the blow-up of the old town is missing making it useless in that part of town) and other English-language advice, as well as limited free Internet. They aren't completely without bias, however, and seem to support certain companies, for example An Phu Tour (bus company).

Source: http://wikitravel.org/en/Hanoi


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Entries Hanoi

The Charming Ha Noi of Vietnam
Cham Archipelago – a must see site of a Hoi An tour
Highlights of Luxury Vietnam Vacation Packages
Visiting the Fairy Lake in Ha Tay Province
Mount tranquility
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Tour Hanoi

8 Days Vietnam Vacations with Luxury Travel Vienam

Vietnam Overland 15 days/ 14 nights

Vietnam Experience14 days/ 13 nights

Day 01: Arival , cruising in Bai Tu Long bay

Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho - Soc Trang - Mekong Delta - Buon Me Thuot - NhaTrang - DaNang - Hue - Ha Noi - Ninh Binh – Mai Chau – Son La – Dien Bien - Ha Noi - Ha Long Bay

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