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Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội), the capital of Vietnam, and also its second largest city, is a fascinating blend of East and West, with Chinese influence from centuries of dominance, and French je ne sais quoi from its colonial past. It was largely unspoiled by the modern architecture of the 1970s and 80s and is now undergoing a rapid transformation that makes it a rising star in Southeast Asia.
Invading forces from every direction agree: Hanoi makes a fine capital. It has held that title for more than a thousand years, through several invasions, occupations, restorations, and name changes. The Chinese conquered the imperial city of Đại La in 1408 and renamed it Tống Bình. Le Loi repelled the invaders in 1428 and applied the name of Lê Thái Tổ (黎太祖). For his efforts, he received the crown and a slew of legends about his heroic exploits, many centered around theHanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội), the capital of Vietnam, and also its second largest city, is a fascinating blend of East and West, with Chinese influence from centuries of dominance, and French je ne sais quoi from its colonial past. It was largely unspoiled by the modern architecture of the 1970s and 80s and is now undergoing a rapid transformation that makes it a rising star in Southeast Asia.
Invading forces from every direction agree: Hanoi makes a fine capital. It has held that title for more than a thousand years, through several invasions, occupations, restorations, and name changes. The Chinese conquered the imperial city of Đại La in 1408 and renamed it Tống Bình. Le Loi repelled the invaders in 1428 and applied the name of Lê Thái Tổ (黎太祖). For his efforts, he received the crown and a slew of legends about his heroic exploits, many centered around theThe first Western-style universities in Vietnam were founded in Hanoi, and today, it is the leading center of scientific study and research in the country. Hanoi retains much of its older colonial charm, despite the battles that have raged over it. A conflict had the effect of making it largely oblivious of modern architecture, and as a result, few buildings in the city center area are higher than five stories. The Old Quarter is second only to Hoi An for uninterrupted stretches of colonial and pre-colonial architecture, well-preserved on dense warrens of narrow, wonderfully atmospheric streets. It trades the commercial boom and sprawl of Ho Chi Minh City in the south for a more understated charm, worth enjoying for an extra day or two, and with countless transport options and travel agents, it makes a perfect base for exploration of the North. See also Indochina Wars.
As you walk along the street, you may find that people start talking to you. It is a cultural norm there to make conversation with strangers. They might ask you where you are from and other general questions. But be cautious if a comely young lady approaches you and initiates a conversation as she is likely after something. It may take a while to get used to such overt friendliness, however, there are times when this could be useful, such as when you are lost or need help.
The Tourist Information Centre, ☎ +84 4 926 3366, Dinh Tien Hoang, just north of Hoan Kiem Lake, can provide a fairly useful map (bewilderingly, the blow-up of the old town is missing) and other English-language advice, as well as limited free Internet.
There are self-help information booths around the Old Quarter, but their purpose mostly is to give the impression that Vietnam "has arrived" technologically.
Hanoi is probably one of the easiest and safest cities in Southeast Asia to travel by taxi in, although there are a few potential issues to keep in mind.
Taxis are readily available across the city. Unless you're trying to travel at a busy time, looking like a lost tourist will attract any number of taxis - but if it doesn't work, wave at every taxi until one stops. Mid-top end hotels and shopping malls will generally have taxis available too, so you could also head for one of these.
Taxi fares are set by taxi companies so they do vary. You're paying more for a bigger taxi, and for being less likely to get ripped off. Whether you think paying 50% extra in order to not get ripped off is worthwhile is up to you.
Some metered taxi owners in Hanoi may attempt to negotiate a flat fee in advance rather than use the meter. If you have a fair idea of how far you're going or how much you're willing to pay, this is probably a good idea. If the driver refuses, turning around and walking away will almost certainly change his mind. Don't worry as it's all part of the negotiation protocol.
Most taxi drivers speak limited English, so it's a good practice to write the name and address of your destination in Vietnamese to show the taxi driver.
There's no need to tip a taxi driver, although it's often appreciated.
The safest option is to only use reputable and reliable taxi companies. Opinions on which these vary. Most top-end hotels choose Taxigroup (white taxis with red and blue) who are a grouping of 5 companies including the oft-recommended CP and Hanoi taxi, others ABC (white and pink) and the army-owned Mai Linh (green). Others recommend Noibai Taxi.
It is not unheard of for the drivers of some of the less reputable taxi companies to "fix" their meters to run faster, thereby running up a higher bill very fast. The meter can run as fast as or even faster than a digital clock. Keep an eye on the meter during the journey, but take heart in the fact that they're ripping off locals as much as tourists, which seems to be making the practice less common.
A very simple way of "fixing" the meter is to black out the thousand separators on it with a marker pen - so a 2-3km trip that should be costing for example 30.5 (so 30,500 VND) will seem to cost 305 - i.e. 305,000 VND. The driver in these cases seems to rely on your ignorance rather than demand the extra money.
Another common taxi scam is when the driver takes you for sightseeing and extends the tour to make more money. This is very hard to discover unless you know the city well, but if you catch your driver doing this (e.g., going around Hoan Kiem Lake twice), demand that he stop the taxi and leave the taxi without paying.
Be very careful with metered taxis in Hanoi. Some have central locking and are known to lock passengers in, and then demand large amounts of money before letting them go. The driver may threaten to have you beaten up or arrested should you not give in to his demands, but if you kick up enough of a fuss they will let you go.
Be vigilant when taking a taxi. A driver may jump out at a destination and dump some of your bags. While you're busy putting a rucksack on, he has taken off with your other bags.
Uber now operates in Hanoi, with fares typically a little lower than a taxi for UberX, and around the same as a top end taxi for Uber Black. Payment is via credit card or cash. Uber Black drivers will tend to speak a little English.
Local rival GrabTaxi is also popular - payment is via cash in this case, but it can have greater availability.
Motorbike taxis can be found on virtually every corner, especially in the Old Quarter. Expect to be offered a ride every half-block or so. You should negotiate fares in advance, and again, turn around and walk away if you don't like their offer. There are far more drivers than tourists, and they know it. Your fare could be the only one they get all day. You should also write down the negotiated fare (with all zeros) to avoid confusion. Even if you do speak Vietnamese, a driver might pretend that you said 50,000 dong instead of 15,000 dong. In case of argument over fares after the ride: keep calm and repeat the original agreement (remember, you have the leverage). A typical 10 min fare should cost no more than 15,000-20,000 dong. Many drivers will accept US dollars as well. At the end of a journey, some will offer to hang around to drive you to your next destination. Be clear that you don't want a return trip, or get a price in advance. Otherwise, you might be surprised when the driver tacks on several million dong for having waited.
Keep your wallet out of arms reach of the drivers when you pay. Dishonest motorbike drivers are not averse to grabbing your wallet and speeding off.
Negotiate first or avoid using the cyclos services. At the end of the journey, a few men will come over to translate, and they will pretend to help and later insist that you pay the demanded amount.
This is good for making lots of trips around the city for individuals or duos, but be careful: Hanoi traffic is a very difficult place to sharpen motorbike skills. Park on the pavement with other bikes, and be sure to lock the front wheel. Locals will help arrange the bikes near their stores. Many shops that have bike attendants will give you a ticket in exchange for parking your bike. The ticket will either have your license plate number written on it or the ticket itself will be numbered, with that number subsequently chalked somewhere on your bike. In such cases, where you've been given a ticket, the attendants may ask that you not lock the steering column or front wheel of your bike so that they can rearrange the bikes as customers come and go.
'Green' Electric vehicles now operate 3 fixed routes around the Old Quarter taking tourists past the main market, a couple of 'heritage houses,' St. Joseph's Cathedral and the opera house. The tours start and finish at the northern end of Hoàn Kiếm Lake.
Scam free, cheap but a bit difficult to comprehend at first, the buses in Hanoi are relatively fast and surprisingly comfortable. Pick up a map with printed bus lines at the Trang Tien street (the book street by the Opera house) and spend a few minutes to identify the over 60 bus lines, find your bus stop, wait for the bus, pay and off you go. If you are unfamiliar with the city, make sure to inform the mostly helpful conductor where you want to get off. Or, use your phone's GPS and Google Maps - it works well with Hanoi buses.
Hanoi's traffic is extremely chaotic, with seemingly perpetual traffic jams, and a large number of almost suicidal motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians. Vietnamese drivers are among the most aggressive in the world, and lanes are effectively non-existent. As such, driving yourself around is not recommended, and you should leave your transportation needs in the hands of professionals.
Since the mid-1990s, Vietnamese cuisine has grown in quality and variation. Most famous remains "pho ga" (chicken noodle soup) or "pho bo"(beef noodle soup). There are various dishes including chicken, beef, fish, and seafood, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants nowadays in Hanoi catering to everyone's taste.
In Hanoi, there are hundreds of street restaurants in small kiosks on the sidewalk, with plastic tables and chairs on the pavement. Eating at these restaurants is a great way to experience local food and culture. It is worth mentioning that food quality, freshness, and hygiene can vary greatly. Market food stalls offer fruit portions, sausages, doughnuts, and other foods. Check your change as a few vendors seem to forget to give it, and learn a little Vietnamese because vendors often will not speak any or much English.
For groceries, there is a large supermarket east of Hoan Kiem Lake (Finimart, 27A Ly Thai To, at Tran Nguyen Han).
Next to Beijing, Hanoi is probably the second in the running to the world's exotic food paradise.
A local delicacy in the Hanoi area is dog meat (thịt chó), which is especially popular in the winter. There are a number of dog restaurants in the Tay Ho district. Another exotic regional taste is ca cuong, an extract from the belostomatid or giant water bug. Just a few drops are added to noodles for the unique aroma.
Boiled duck foetus eggs are sold by pedlars almost everywhere. The experience consists of the vendor cracking the egg in front of you, and peeling the shell and dropping the contents in a plastic bowl, then garnished with julienned ginger, basil leaf and sprinkled with chili sauce. You can see the severed head and beak of your chick that fell off if you are lucky enough to have your first bite from a different spot.
Bia Hơi is abundant in the streets of the Old Quarter. At the crossing of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen five separate venues fill up with travelers in the evenings, but you can get more local atmosphere on some of the side streets.
Hanoi is a lively city on the weekends, but the Old Quarter closes relatively early (at midnight) on weekdays, so you might want to start your night early. Other places outside the Old Quarter stay open later and vary in closing times. Local young people gather around the cathedral located in Ly Quoc Su to have lemon ice tea (tra chanh) and sunflower seeds in street bars. After dark, it gets quite crowded.
Sit on a plastic chair in front of one of the bia hoi (fresh beer) establishments which are invariably situated on the corners of many of Hanoi's Old Quarter streets. This preservative-free light beer is the perfect drink to sip as you watch the city's frenetic bustle. The beer costs less than twenty cents and gives you an excuse to relax and take photos of the passing local characters: should not be missed. In the Old Quarter, you will find that almost every corner is filled with stalls selling pho (Vietnamese noodle) and cafe (the name is not limited only to coffee, but also tea, sweets and grocery items, and even to pho).
On Tô Tich, a small street connecting Hang Quat and Hang Gai, you can help yourself to a refreshing fruit milkshake (sinh tố) at one of the stalls.
If you are looking for something less watery than Bia Hoi, excellent freshly brewed Czech or German-style beer is available at several breweries, including Hoa Vien (Czech), Goldmalt (Czech), Legend beer (German), with several branches around the city.
Many places accept US dollars, and cash is king. Most shops quote much higher prices for tourists (including Vietnamese people from other regions) than for locals, and the belief that tourists are rich and hence should pay more than locals is firmly entrenched in the local culture. As such, most vendors will insist that as a tourist, you pay the tourist price and will refuse to let you bargain the price down to the local price even if you know what it is. If you have a trusted local friend, you can save a fair bit of money by getting your friend to buy the item you want in your absence.
Money changers found in most guesthouses and banks give bad rates. Jewelry shops consistently offer a better rate, the best ones are located along Ha Trung Rd (5 min walk from Hoan Kiem Lake) and Hang Bac. Just walk into the shop and ask them if they change money. Ask 5 or more shops to see which one gives the best rate. Don't exchange money from the black market people on the streets.
LOCAL TIME
9:57 pm
January 28, 2021
Asia/Saigon
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This is the continuation of the review about my first day in Hanoi . The first part of the review can be found here. Ngokshon Pagoda was built in the 19th century, on an island in the northern part of Hoan Kiem Lake . In some guidebooks, the pagoda is called the Shrine of the Jade... |
Having arrived from the airport, I settled in a hotel and went for a walk. All life in
Hanoi
is concentrated around
Hoan Kiem Lake
. There’s the Old Town to the north, the French Quarter to the south, and the road and the river to the east.
I came to Hang Dieu Street. First... |
The
Temple of Literature
in
Hanoi
, dedicated to Confucius, was built in 1070 by Emperor Li Thanh Tong. In 1076, the first University in Vietnam was opened nearby. The building of the university was destroyed, but the temple has been preserved very well.
The architecture is... |
The
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
was opened August 29, 1975, in
Hanoi
.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is located in
Ba Dinh Square
and is available for visits any day except Monday and Friday. Unfortunately, I was there on Monday. Nothing could be done; no luck. Nearby, there was a... |
I'll continue talking about the Tay Ho neighborhood. Let us start with the Pho Linh pagoda in
Hanoi
. In my opinion, it is not really a pagoda, but a shrine. But the most interesting thing is that there is no information about this place on the Internet at all.
This is a monk.... |
In Vietnamese, it is called Mua roi nuoc. It's about
Hanoi
Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. I bought the most expensive ticket for $5 USD (as of 2012), as I do not like to sit very far from the stage. In general, it is a very specific kind of art. The puppeteers stand waist-deep in water,... |
From the
Vietnam Military History Museum,
we went to the Snake Farm.
It is located in the settlement called Le Mat not far from
Hanoi
, only 6 miles away.
Look at these houses! They are long with narrow facades. Our guide told us he got a 13 x 65 feet space. And... |