Tourist attractions
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum:
The Mausoleum is the last resting place of President Ho Chi Minh. It was officially inaugurated on 29 August 1975. The Mausoleum is divided into three floors. The first floor is a terraced stand exclusively used for grand meetings organised at Ba Dinh Square. The second floor is the centre of the Mausoleum, where the remains of the President are kept in a chamber, accessible through a series of passages and flights of marble stairs. The upper floor is the roof. The facade of the upper floor bears the inscription "President Ho Chi Minh” in dark violet, precious stone. The Mausoleum is open to the public on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Hoan Kiem Lake:
Hoan Kiem Lake constitutes the core of Hanoi. Its other name, Lake of the Restored Sword, was derived from a legend about King Le Thai To, in which a large turtle came towards him while he was boating on the lake. The turtle grabbed his sword that helped secure victory against the Minh aggressors from the North and restored it to its place. King Le Thai To named the lake after this episode.
The Temple of Literature
The Temple of Literature is a famous ancient monument consisting of the Temple of Literature and Vietnam’s first university. The Temple of Literature was built in 1070. Six years later, the first university of Vietnam was built on the premises of the Temple. It was the first school for royal family members, and it was later opened to talented students. In 1482, King Le Thanh Tong ordered the erection of stele with inscriptions of the names, places of birth, and achievements of the graduates who had taken examinations as from 1442. Presently, 82 stele stand at the Temple of Literature. The temple is located on Van Mieu Street, 2 km west of Hoan Kiem Lake. It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00 to 11:30 am and from 1:30 to 5:00 pm.
Hanoi Cathedral
Hanoi Cathedral, also known as Saint Joseph's Cathedral, was inaugurated on Christmas Day, 1886. It was built on the site of the former Bao Thien Tower, which was famous in the ancient capital of Thang Long under the Ly Dynasty (11th and 12th centuries). Its design was inspired by the architecture of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Hanoi Cathedral is open daily for mass from 5:00 to 7:00 am and 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The entrance gate is at 40 Nha Chung Str.
One Pillar Pagoda
The original name of the One Pillar Pagoda was Dien Huu Pagoda, which literally means: long lasting happiness and good luck. The pagoda is located in the western part of the city on Ong Ich Khiem St., near Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. It was first built in 1049, during the reign of King Ly Thai Tong. According to legend, ageing King Ly Thai Tong, who had no children, often went to pagodas to pray to Buddha for a son. One night, he dreamed that he was granted a private audience with Buddha. Buddha, who was seated on a lotus flower in a square-shaped lotus pond on the western side of Thang Long Citadel, gave the king a baby boy. Months later, when the queen gave birth to a male child, the King ordered the contraction of a pagoda supported by only one pillar to resemble the lotus seat of his dream in honor of Buddha. The pagoda is open daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Quan Su Pagoda
Quan Su Pagoda, built in the 17th century, is located at 73 Quan Su Str. (between Ly Thuong Kiet Str. and Tran Hung Dao Str.). The Northern Buddhist Association chose Quan Su Pagoda as its meeting hall in 1934. In 1942, the pagoda was restored to its actual state, and since 1958, the Vietnam Buddhist Association has had its head office at the pagoda. The pagoda opens daily from 7:30 to 11:30 am and from 1:30 to 5:30 pm.
Mosque
It was also known among people as an Indian Pagoda. Building was started in 1890 on the land of Phu Tu and Vinh Tru Villages in Hau Tuc commune, (later renamed Dong Xuan commune), Tho Xuong district, Hanoi capital city. It was reconstructed during the early 1950s as being seen today. Its address is 12 Hang Luoc street, Hang Ma ward, Hoan Kiem precinct. The Mosque has an Indian architecture and is the place where Muslims in Hanoi carry out their ritual ceremonies.
Hanoi Opera House
The construction of the Hanoi Opera House was completed in 1911 after 10 years of work. It was designed by architects Broger and Harloy and was the first opera house in Hanoi. With a seating capacity of 900, the Hanoi Opera House is a building of great cultural and historical significance. In 1997, with the aid of the French Government, the theatre was repaired in accordance with its original design. Provided with the best technical equipment, it is home to various high-quality performances.
Vietnam Fine Arts Museum
In June 1966, the house at 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Str., in Ba Dinh District, was transformed into the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. Approximately 10,000 works, objects, restored articles, reproductions, pictures, and paintings are displayed in 16 showrooms. The Vietnamese Fine Arts Museum is a lively historical treasure depicting the origins and evolution of Vietnamese fine arts. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 8:00 to 11:30 am and from 1:30 to 4:30 pm.
Museum of History
Vietnam History Museum is located near the Municipal Theatre and Hoan Kiem Lake, in downtown Hanoi. The museum preserves a large number of valuable artifacts from various historical periods. The museum is open from Friday to Wednesday from 8:00 to 11:45 am and from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m.
Museum of Ethnology
Located in Cau Giay District, west of Hanoi, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology contains more than 10,000 objects, 15,000 black and white photos and hundreds of video tapes and cassettes which depict all aspects of life, activities, customs, and habits of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30 to 12:30 am and from 1:30 to 4:30 pm.
Bat Trang Ceramic Village
Bat Trang Village, in Gia Lam District, on the outskirts of Hanoi, by the bank of the Red River, is a well-known traditional professional handicraft village, specialising in making all kinds of pottery and porcelain. Bat Trang pottery is made from a particular type of white clay. With this kind of clay, the potters wheel is used to mould the items, which are then put out to dry, then decorated with designs, enamelled, and baked in small clay ovens. The temperature of the oven influences the final colour of the pieces. The models created include a variety of bowls, plates, cups, vases, and incense-burners. Bat Trang pottery is unique thanks to its high-quality, glossy, deep, fine, even enamel. The decorations and designs on these works are also very special.
When visiting Bat Trang pottery village during the day, travelers will discover that this village is constantly busy with vans transporting raw materials to the village and taking finished pieces away.
Co Loa citadel
Co Loa citadel is perhaps the most ancient citadel in Vietnam. It was built by Thuc An Duong Vuong in the 2nd century BC to be the capital of Au Lac Kingdom (the name of Vietnam at the time). It was built according to a helical design and was surrounded by three ramparts and a deep moat. The remains of the citadel are located on the same site where archaeologists have found tens of thousands of bronze arrowheads, iron axes, and animal bones. Close to the citadel are the remains of Co Loa Communal House, a temple devoted to the cult of Princess My Chau and An Duong Vuong, a King who loved his daughter with all his heart but, lacking vigilance, left Co Loa and lost both his family and his country.
Co Loa citadel is located 18 km north of the centre of Hanoi in Co Loa Village, Dong Anh District.
