Hanoi hotels Vietnam
Antique and dynamic, Hannoi, the capital and also the second most populous city of Vietnam, is well-known for its thousand-year culture. The weather in Hanoi is quite hot and stuffy in the summer, but it is cool and very pleasant in the autumn with less humidity in the air. The loveliness of the scene here is beyond compare with a lot of beautiful lakes, verdant parks, tree-lined streets and French colonial architecture.
Hanoi has been marked by countless historical relics and nice beauty spots. Some of which are Sword Lake, the Temple of Literature, Ba Dinh Square and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The Temple of Literature (also known as School for the Sons of the nation), is the oldest school in Vietnam, giving it the distinction of being the most significant temple in both Hanoi and Vietnam. Inside the temple, there are 82 stelae on the back of stone tortoises which recorded the names, dates of birth and achievements of successful contestants in the examinations between 1442 and 1778. And now, this is the place where candicates come to pray for luck before their important exams.
Located in the northwest of Hanoi, West Lake is truly the place of entertainment for not only the residents but also the visitors who come here. Described as the most romantic part in the colorful Hanoi panorama, the lake has drawn attention of every visitor by its soft sunshine in the spring, violet and red flowers in the summer, warm and gentle winds in the autumn and weeping willows in the winter. Around the lake, there are over twenty antiqued pagodas and temples with their own features and history; however, the most popular are Quan Thanh Temple, Tay Ho Temple and Tran Quoc Pagoda
Along with Hanoi’s culture, every kind of traditional arts play an very important role. They are Folk performances, such as: Water Puppet, Classical Drama, Traditional Operetta and Reformed Theatre. Such shows as water-puppet dancing, animal kneading or locust plaiting will certainly give the viewers a wonderful time as they seem to bring people back to ancient Hanoi 1000 years ago.
Hanoi is also famous for its traditional cuisine. Hanoian foods and drinks have a characteristic flavor which can be described as “fresh, pure and unforgettable”. The most popular dishes are as noodles, vermicelli and chicken soup, green sticky rice cake, steamed rice pancake, ravioli, fermented polk roll and so forth.
