Hanoi Opera House
Only several hundred metres from the eastern banks of Hoan Kiem Lake is the Hanoi Opera House.
Loosely designed on the Paris Opera House, it's not much of a surprise to hear that the designer himself was from France! Built in 1911, during French occupation, the Opera House is the largest in Vietnam.
For many years, this place has been the vocal point for local and international theatre, music and dance, symphonies and ofcourse Opera (both traditional and classical).
The Opera House itself is a major tourist attraction here in Hanoi. The magical architecture alone makes this building a fantastic sight! Situate on a round-about on Tran Tien Street, photographers will be thrilled with the images they can gain morning, noon and night! (Don't forget your tripod to capture the building and moving traffic)
Today the Opera House has performaces almost weekly. Check out the local Vietnam Newspaper (Vietnamese/English & French) for full details, times and ticket prices. The ticket office is out front, on the right hand side.
Hanoi Opera House - Trang Tien Street, Hanoi.
Chua Mot Cot
The One Pillar Pagoda is seriously old! Well not the one you see, it was restored in 1954 after the French destoryed it prior to leaving!
Hanoi's most famous pagoda was originally built in 1049, by the Emperor Ly Thai Tong (1028 - 1054).
According to the history books, the Emperor, single at the time, had dreamt of meeting the Goddess of Mecery. On meeting the Goddess, she was seated in the blossom of a Lotus Flowerand handed Ly Thai Tong a male child.
After this, the Emperor went on to meet and marry a young peasent girl he had meet by chance and together they had a son and heir. To express his graditude for this, he built the One Pillar Pagoda.
Built on a single stone pillar, some 1.25m in diameter, the temple has been designed to resemble a lotus flower, the symbol of purity. The Pagoda is located on Ong Ich Khiem Street, next to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Museum.
Note: Great spot for taking photos! Please remove your hats etc before going up to alter.
St Joseph's Cathedral - Hanoi - Vietnam
Inaugurated in 1886, St Joseph's Cathedral is situated at 40 Nha Chung Street, not to far from the western banks of Hoan Kiem Lake.
With its huge square towers and a some what stark if not gloomy look, as it's walls are now colored am imposing gray, the site of St Joseph's once use to be the location of the oldest Pagoda in Hanoi, Bao Thien (Chua Bao Thien). However it was destroyed by the French to make way for the Cathedrals construction.Masses at the Cathedral are held daily at 5am and 5pm (Vietnamese Language). While the massive doors of the Cathedral are open between 5am - 7am and 5pm - 7pm.
Every hour the bell echo's through the small streets and the school that faces St Josephs. Travelers can often see school kids at the front of the Cathedral playing or kicking around a soccer ball.
The Cathedral is a great spot to visit, while the street the runs up to front of the building, Nha Tho Street, is lined with great cafes and restaurants' as well as some of Hanoi's hippest fashion and handy craft shops!
Vna Phuc Village - Silk in Hanoi
Beginning during the Ly-Tran Dynasty, Van Phuc Silk Village has gained an international reputation for its quality, designs and craftsmanship.
Van Phuc Village is best known for its Van Silk, Van referring to "Clouds".
International recognition didn't come until the 1930's when some of the silk made in the Village appeared on show in Paris and other parts of France. Since this display, Van Phuc has remained an internationally known producer of Silk.
Visiting the Village will give you an insight into the methods and precision required to make this amazingly soft silk. Looms several decades old can still be heard thumping as you approach the small lane ways of the Village.
Today the lanes are full of shops that happily sell the wares to locals and travelers alike.
Van Phuc Village is a great half day excursion located approximately 8km south west from downtown Hanoi(the village is actually in Ha Tay Province).
To reach it, you can go by taxi or motor bike taxi. Organized tours are also available!
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh, former President of Vietnam, is commonly referred to as Bac Ho (Uncle Ho) by the local Vietnamese. Ho Chi Minh lived an extrodinary live traveling much of the world, learning and teaching before returning to Vietnam where he lead the fight for independence against the French, USA and the South.
Ho Chi Minh passed away on the 2nd Sept 1969, never to see the North's victory over the South, which he so passionately fought for.Today many of his admirers, along with travelers from all corners of the globe make a visit to the Mausoleum, his final resting place.
Built between 1973-75 the mausoleum is a massive structure set next to Ba Dinh Square, the location where he declared Indepenance for Vietnam on the 2nd Sept 1945 (the same day he passed away). Visitors line up and file through single file to capture a glimpse of this man. When visiting, it should be remembered that you are required to wear long pants, shoulders must be covered, hats removed, no talking inside and you can not take cameras/videos etc inside.
After visiting the Mausoleum, you continue through the beautiful grounds that Ho Chi Minh once called home. First, you see the impressive Presidental Palace before wondering along the path to see the stunning house on slits where Ho Chi Minh had lived prior to his death. If you continue further, you finally visit the One Pillar Pagoda and the Ho Chi Minh Museum.
The complex itself takes about 1-2 hours to visit, depending on lines and is something everyone visiting Hanoi should take the time to see.
The cost to visit the House On Stilts is 10,000VND while the Museum is the same price again. The Mausoleum is closed Mondays and Fridays, other days it is open from 8 - 11.00am only.
Hoan Kiem Lake
Set right in the middle of Vietnam’s capital city, Hoan Kiem Lake is a popular spot for locals and travelers alike. Early morning (6-7am) you can see many jogging, practicing Tai Chi or playing badminton.
Through out the day and into the night, travelers from all corners of the world wonder around the tree lined walkway taking in the beauty of Hoan Kiem and madness of Hanoi’s traffic. While young Vietnamese couples take advantage of the dark shadows!
In the mid 15th Century it is said that Heaven gave a magical sword to the then Emperor, Ly Thai To, which he used to defeat the Chinese. After the victory, the Emperor was out boating when a giant golden tortoise grabbed the sword and disappeared in the depths of the lake.
Hoan Kiem Lake makes for a great place to hang out, take a stroll or to sit and read a book. It’s also a great place to just watch the world go by!
Museum Of Ethnology
Full of great information covering all 54 Ethnic Minority’s with in Vietnam, the Museum of Ethnology is by far one of the best museums in the country. Indoors you can meander around the multi level building, discovering and learning about culture, traditions, clothing and ancient rituals from many of the minorities. Displays include actual artifacts, clothing and videos most of them labeled in English, French and Vietnamese.
Outside you can wonder through the grounds checking out some traditional houses reconstructed from original materials. The museum also has a research centre, with many experts from around world visiting and collaborating with local staff in an effort to preserve and research Vietnam’s Minority groups.
Located on Nguyen Van Huyen Street (Cau Giay District) it takes approx. 20 minutes to reach in a taxi from central Hanoi. Entrance is 20,000VND ($1.10USD) and it is open everyday except Mondays.
For more information visit - www.vme.org.vn (English, French and Vietnamese)