Hanoi is the most important political, economic, historical and cultural center of Vietnam. It was the capital of Vietnam since 1010 AD under Ly Dynasty. During its historic evolution, Hanoi used to bear a lot of names such as Thang Long, Dong Quan, Dong Do and Hanoi came into being in 1832 under King Minh Mang's reign. Together with the historic vestiges relating to the establishment and development of the capital and its beautiful landscapes, Hanoi has been attracting a lot of domestic and foreign visitors.
SIGHTSEEING SPOTS:
MUSEUMS: The History Museum displays a collection of articles denoting the evolution of Vietnam history from the Paleolithic age to 1945.
The Army Museum displays articles about Vietnamese people's Army through the defensive wars (1945-1975)
The Ethnology Museum displays articles and materials concerning the life, the activities, and the custom of 54 ethnic groups in all over the country.
The Fine Arts Museum displays articles about Vietnamese fine arts through the ages.
The Vietnam Women Museum displays articles and collected materials denoting the contributions of the Vietnamese women to the society in the periods of war.
The Revolutionary Museum displays articles and materials relating to the recent and contemporary history of the Vietnamese Revolution.
President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex and the Ba Dinh Square including the mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh museum and his house on stilts where his personal belongings are kept while his remains are preserved in the mausoleum. CULTURAL & HISTORIC VESTIGES: The Temple of Literature is dedicated to Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, whose philosophy has had great influence in the social development of the Southeast Asian countries in general and of Vietnam in particular. Built in the 11th century and considered as the first university of Vietnam, it has become one of the most important cultural vestiges of Vietnam.
Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple, Ngoc Son Temple, Quan Su Pagoda, Ba Da Pagoda, Kim Lien Pagoda, One-pillar Pagoda as well as the main Saint Joseph Cathedral are valuable cultural vestiges attracting a great deal of tourists.
Co Loa ancient Citadel used to be the ancient capital of Vietnam under the reign of King An Duong Vuong (3rd century B.C.). Built in the spiral shape, the citadel includes the Co Loa temple, King An Duong Vuong and the Princess My Chau shrines.
Bat Trang pottery village is the most famous concentration point of artists in the whole country, about 10km from Hanoi.
Le Mat snake village with its traditional occupations of raising and catching snakes for 900 years. Snakes are prepared into dishes and processed into medicine.
