According to Cung, people in Thang Long (an old name of Hanoi) in the early 11th century began to break ground in the area for farming, and started to develop the city. Many temples and pagodas were built with original architectural styles; these became the spiritual centres to honour the country’s heroes.

People in Thang Long expressed themselves in a wide range of art forms from “quan ho” (love duets), “ca tru” (ceremony singing), “cheo” (traditional opera), “tuong” (classical drama), water puppetry, folk paintings, festivals and folk games.

Cung leads readers on a tour through different areas of the capital with his rich stories about the customs, the gastronomy, spiritual life, lifestyles, costumes, and folk games.

An interesting point of the book is about the village pond. “The pond was where young couples of the villages would have a date. They met and swore their love to each other by the pond’s banks in late afternoon, or under the moonlight or in early morning…” Cung writes.