Sights in Hanoi
-
A
History Museum
A must for the architecture more than the collection, the History Museum was formerly home to the École Française d’Extrême Orient in Vietnam. It is an elegant, ochre-coloured structure built between 1925 and 1932. French architect Ernest Hebrard was among the first in Vietnam to incorporate a blend of Chinese and French design elements in his creations, and this particular building remains one of Hanoi’s most stunning architectural showpieces.
reviewed
-
B
Museum Of Vietnamese Women
The Vietnamese women celebrated here are graceful, wily and strong as all hell. Among the fuzzy photos usually displayed in Hanoi museums are some fascinating artefacts, including homemade machetes, a knife with an explicit caption noting it slashed at an oppressor's neck and the ragtag garments worn by a female spy who pretended to be crazy. The top floor showcases beautiful textiles made by ethnic-minority women.
reviewed
-
C
Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum
In the tradition of Lenin and Stalin before him – and Mao afterwards – Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is a monumental marble edifice. Contrary to his desire for a simple cremation, the mausoleum was constructed from materials gathered from all over Vietnam between 1973 and 1975. The roof and peristyle are said to evoke either a traditional communal house or a lotus flower, though to many tourists it looks like a concrete cubicle with columns. Set deep in the bowels of the building in a glass sarcophagus is the frail, pale body of Ho Chi Minh. The mausoleum is closed for about two months each year while Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed corpse goes to Russia for maintenance.
reviewed
-
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
The outstanding Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is one of the country’s premier museums. Occupying a fine modern structure, the terrific collection features well-presented tribal art, artefacts and everyday objects gathered from across the nation. Displays are well labelled in Vietnamese, French and English. For anyone with an interest in Vietnam’s minorities, it’s an essential visit – though it is located way out in the suburbs.
reviewed
-
D
Tran Quoc Pagoda
On the eastern shore of West Lake, this is one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam. The current structures are very impressive and date back to 1842. The pagoda is just off the road that divides West Lake and Truc Bach Lake.
reviewed
-
E
87 Ma May
The traditional houses of the Old Quarter are a huge part of the neighbourhood's appeal, but you'll rarely have an opportunity to see beyond their shopfronts. Here, you can - this house is a beauty, lovingly restored and frozen in its late-19th-century condition. The woodwork upstairs is particularly impressive, and it's surprising to see how effectively the courtyard creates an open, livable space.
reviewed
-
F
Women’s Museum
Hanoi’s Women’s Museum is the subject of an ongoing modernisation program that is introducing better displays and updated facilities. It’s a work in progress, so you might encounter some ongoing renovations. There are some powerful tributes to women soldiers and great exhibits from the international women’s movement protesting against the American War. And there’s much more in terms of cultural and political information. On the 4th floor, you’ll find different costumes worn by the women of the ethnic minority groups, and examples of tribal basketware and fabric motifs. Many of the exhibits have multilingual explanations, and regular exhibitions are held on topics as…
reviewed
-
G
Ngoc Son Temple
Perhaps the most visited temple in Hanoi, Ngoc Son Temple sits pretty on a delightful little island in the northern part of Hoan Kiem Lake. An elegant scarlet bridge, known as Huc (Rising Sun) Bridge, constructed in classical Vietnamese style and lined with flags, connects the island to the lakeshore. Surrounded by water and shaded by trees, this small temple is dedicated to General Tran Hung Dao, who defeated the Mongols in the 13th century, La To, the patron saint of physicians, and the scholar Van Xuong. Inside you’ll find some fine ceramics, a gong or two, some ancient bells and a glass case containing a stuffed lake turtle, which is said to have weighed a hefty…
reviewed
-
Tay Phuong Pagoda
This is also known as Sung Phuc Pagoda and consists of three single-level structures built in descending order on a hillock said to resemble a buffalo. The figures representing ‘the conditions of man’ are carved from jackfruit wood, many dating from the 18th century, and are the pagoda’s most celebrated feature. The earliest construction here dates from the 8th century. Take the steep steps up to the main pagoda building, then find a path at the back that loops down past the other two pagodas and wander through the hillside village surrounding the complex.
reviewed
-
H
Bach Ma Temple
In the heart of the Old Quarter, the small Bach Ma Temple is said to be the oldest temple in the city, though much of the current structure dates from the 18th century and a shrine to Confucius was added in 1839. It was originally built by King Ly Thai To in the 11th century to honour a white horse that guided him to this site, where he chose to construct his city walls. Pass through the wonderful old wooden doors of the pagoda to see a statue of the legendary white horse, as well as a beautiful red-lacquered funeral palanquin.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
I
Memorial House
One of the Old Quarter’s best restored properties, this traditional merchants’ house is sparsely but beautifully decorated, with rooms set around two courtyards and plenty filled with fine furniture. Note the high steps between rooms, a traditional design incorporated to stop the flow of bad energy around the property. There are plenty of crafts and trinkets for sale here including silver jewellery, basketware and Vietnamese tea sets and there’s usually a calligrapher or another craftsperson at work too.
reviewed
-
J
Tay Ho Pagoda
Jutting into West Lake, beautiful Tay Ho Pagoda is perhaps the most popular place of worship in Hanoi. Throngs of people come here on the first and 15th day of each lunar month in the hope of receiving good fortune from the Mother Goddess, to whom the temple is dedicated. The entrance includes a colourful lane of stalls selling temple offerings and food, while a line of good fresh-seafood restaurants fronts the lake. It’s a great place to watch the world go by.
reviewed
-
K
Hai Ba Trung Temple
Two kilometres south of Hoan Kiem Lake, this temple was founded in 1142. A statue shows the two Trung sisters (who lived in the 1st century AD) kneeling with their arms raised in the air, as if they are addressing a crowd. Some say the statue shows the sisters, who had been proclaimed the queens of the Vietnamese, about to dive into a river. They are said to have drowned themselves rather than surrender following their defeat at the hands of the Chinese.
reviewed
-
L
One Pillar Pagoda
A Hanoi landmark, the One Pillar Pagoda was built by the Emperor Ly Thai Tong, who ruled from 1028 to 1054. According to the annals, the heirless emperor dreamed that he had met Quan The Am Bo Tat, the Goddess of Mercy, who, while seated on a lotus flower, handed him a male child. Ly Thai Tong then married a young peasant girl and had a son and heir by her. As a way of expressing his gratitude for this event, he constructed this pagoda in 1049.
reviewed
-
M
Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House
Behind Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum is a humble stilt house, where Ho lived on and off from 1958 to 1969. The house is an interpretation of a traditional rural dwelling, and has been preserved just as Ho left it. It’s set in a well-tended garden next to a carp-filled pond. Just how much time he actually spent here is questionable – the house would have been a tempting target for US bombers had it been suspected that Ho was hanging out here.
reviewed
-
N
Viet Nam Military History Museum
Vietnamese military history is not a conventional matter of tanks and battalions, which is why this museum is so engrossing. Exhibits include ample evidence of Vietnamese resourcefulness: bamboo spikes, crudely tinkered firearms, buffalo horns, crazy-looking torpedoes. Quality photos get you behind Viet Minh lines. Outside the building, an artistic heap of B-52 wreckage is worth a walk-around, and be sure to go to the top of the Flag Tower.
reviewed
-
O
Army Museum
Easy to spot thanks to a large collection of weaponry out front, the Army Museum displays Soviet and Chinese equipment alongside French- and US-made weapons captured during years of warfare. The centrepiece is a Soviet-built MiG-21 jet fighter, triumphant amid the wreckage of French aircraft downed at Dien Bien Phu, and a US F-111. The exhibits include English translations and some excellent war photography.
reviewed
-
P
Nha Tho
Hanoi Cathedral's twin towers and Gothic arches elicit understandable comparisons with Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral. Nha Tho (also known as St Joseph's Cathedral) is smaller and greyer and in need of restoration; nevertheless, it cuts a striking figure. The interior is even more magnificent. Enter the grounds through the gate and look for the door on the left side of the church (Pho Nha Chung side).
reviewed
-
Ba Vi National Park
Formerly a French hill station, the triple-peaked Ba Vi Mountain (Nui Ba Vi) has been attracting visitors for decades and remains a popular weekend escape for Hanoians. The limestone mountain is now part of the Ba Vi National Park which has several rare and endangered plants in its protected forest, mammals including two species of rare ‘flying’ squirrel and bountiful bird life.
reviewed
-
Q
Ho Chi Minh Museum
Adjacent to Ho’s Mausoleum, the huge concrete Soviet-style Ho Chi Minh Museum is a triumphalist monument dedicated to the life of the founder of modern Vietnam, and the onward march of revolutionary socialism. Mementos of Ho’s life are showcased, and there are some fascinating photos and dusty old official documents relating the overthrow of the French and rise of communism.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
R
Hoa Lo Prison Museum
This thought-provoking site is all that remains of the former Hoa Lo Prison, ironically nicknamed the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by US POWs during the American War. Those incarcerated at Hoa Lo included Pete Peterson, who later became the first US Ambassador to a unified Vietnam in 1995, and Senator John McCain (the Republican nominee for the US presidency in 2008).
reviewed
-
Thay Pagoda
This is also known as Thien Phuc (Heavenly Blessing) and is dedicated to Thich Ca Buddha (Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha). To the left of the main altar is a statue of the 12th-century monk Tu Dao Hanh, the master in whose honour the pagoda is named. To the right is a statue of King Ly Nhan Tong, who is believed to have been a reincarnation of Tu Dao Hanh.
reviewed
-
S
Ambassadors’ Pagoda
The official centre of Buddhism in Hanoi, the Ambassadors’ Pagoda attracts quite a crowd on holidays. During the 17th century there was a guesthouse here for the ambassadors of Buddhist countries. Today there are about a dozen monks and nuns based at the Ambassadors’ Pagoda. Next to the pagoda is a shop selling Buddhist ritual objects.
reviewed
-
T
Quan Thanh Temple
Shaded by huge trees, QuanThanhTemple was established during the Ly dynasty (1010–1225) and was dedicated to Tran Vo (God of the North), whose symbols of power were the tortoise and the snake. A bronze statue and bell date from 1677. The temple is on the shores of Truc Bach Lake, near the intersection of Ð Thanh Nien and P Quan Thanh.
reviewed
-
U
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex
This is the holiest of the holies for many Vietnamese. To the west of the Old Quarter, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex is an important place of pilgrimage. A traffic-free area of parks, monuments, memorials and pagodas, it’s usually crowded with groups of all ages, from all over the nation, who have come to pay their respects.
reviewed