Hanoi tourism: Explore traditional antique beauty.

16 Th10 2015

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Halong Bay Tour, Hanoi Tour, Hanoi tourism, Vietnam Tour, Vietnam Travel

Hanoi tourism – the capital of Vietnam, enjoys rich cultural and historical heritage. Taking a tour around the city offers visitors the best chance to sightsee historical monuments and beauty spots, as well as have some insight into the people and antique custom of this millennium-long city.

Located in the northern region of Vietnam, Hanoi is regarded the cultural and economic center of the country. Once paying a visit here, you absolutely must go to these following majestic attractions.

Thousand-year-old relics of history

As the center of Buddhism in Vietnam, Hanoi hosts many ancient Buddhist temples. Among those, the most prominent is One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột) that holds a unique lotus-flower style of architecture. The pagoda embraces the most classic values over aesthetic, culture, history and religion at Thang Long Capital.

Next, the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu Quốc Tử Giám) is another destination that becomes the pride and attraction of Hanoi tourism. As the first university of Vietnam, built in 11^th century under the feudal period, the temple had schooled plenty of talents and great people for the country. It also serves as a dedicated place where Confucius is worshipped, and seats a stack of Turtle Steles with names of those successful at royal exams. The Turtle Stele records became an inscription of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme in 2010, which boosts its reputation as a “have-to-visit” destination in Hanoi for any visitor.

In addition to these cultural Buddhist and Confucian sites, Hanoi tourism – Hanoi nails its architectural diversity with western-styled monuments or buildings, among which the Great Cathedral, also known as Nha tho Lon Ha Noi or St. Joseph’s Cathedral, stands out as a western religious hub. The cathedral becomes the city’s icon that lures young locals and visitors with its antique-but-civilized beauty over time.

As the Temple of Literature recognized as Hanoi’s first-class relic of history, culture and education, Hoan Kiem Lake (or Sword Lake) is the first-ranked natural beauty spot of the capital.

Situated smack-dab in the heart of the city, featured with an ancient Turtle Tower (Tháp Rùa) erected on a small lake-centered islet, Hoan Kiem Lake is linked to the legend of the Sacred Tortoise reclaiming the Magic Sword from the victory king Le Loi. Nowadays, the holly tortoises surface here and there in the lake from time to time, strengthening many’s belief in the legend. The Sword Lake is also surrounded with distinct works as the capital’s heritages, such as the Pen Tower (Tháp Bút), Inkstone Tower (Tháp Nghiên), The Huc Bridge, Ngoc Son Temple. Any visitors coming to Hanoi never miss the opportunity to take memorial pictures around the Hoan Kiem Lake complex.

The most prominent feature of Thang Long Ancient Capital is the Old Quarter, consisting of 36 streets with aged houses, some of which still preserve the 19^th-century architecture, reflecting traditional values of the locals’ commercial custom. The Old Quarter, furthermore, have long imprinted its influence in the country’s folk proverbs and songs, as well as inspired a large number of artists for their prolific composing, for example, artist Bui Xuan Phai. Apparently, this very special place enchants those who love exploring peaceful, antique beauty, and traditions of the capital citizens.

Moreover, traditional crafts villages play a considerable role to beef up Hanoi’s reputation as the top destination of culture, history, education and tourism in Vietnam. Those famous villages include Hang Trong Painting Village, Bat Trang Pottery Village, Dao Thuc Water-Puppet Village, Nhat Tan Peach-Flower Village and Duong Lam Old Village. Each of them, though retaining individual distinction, comes along together harmoniously painting a picturesque Hanoi full of colors.

Especially, visiting Hanoi in the fall, you definitely get in the right time to enjoy all of the romantic, poetic and antique features of the capital. Soaked in honey sunlight and fascinated by slightly cold breeze, visitors,for sure, will bring home a host of unforgettable and unique memories about the city. It’s not boastful to say taking a tour around Hanoi – the culture-ful, tradition-charged and beauty-abounding capital is a one-must-do-before-death experience.