Imagine a city where the exotic chic of Old Asia blends with the dynamic face of new Asia, where the medieval and modern co-exist.
Imagine a city where the exotic chic of Old Asia blends with
the dynamic face of new Asia, where the
medieval and modern co-exist. A city with a blend of Parisian grace and Asian
pace, an architectural museum piece evolving in harmony with its history,
rather than bulldozing through like many of the region’s capitals. Hanoi is where imagination
becomes reality.
A mass of motorbikes swarms through the tangled web of
streets that is the Old Quarter, a cauldron of commerce for almost 1000 years
and still the best place to check the pulse of this resurgent city. Hawkers in
conical hats ply their wares, locals sip coffee and Bia hoi (beer) watching
life (and plenty of tourists) pass them by. Witness synchronised t’ai chi at
dawn on the shores of Hoan
Kiem Lake
while goateed grandfathers tug at their wisps over the next chess move. See the
bold and beautiful dine at designer restaurants and cut the latest moves on the
dance floor. Hanoi
has it all: the ancient history, a colonial legacy and a modern outlook. There
is no better place to untangle the paradox that is modern Vietnam.
The grand old dame of Asia, Hanoi
lay in a deep slumber after Vietnam’s
partition in 1954 until the effects of economic reforms kicked in four decades
later. The city survived American bombs and Russian planners to emerge
relatively unscathed in the early 1990s as an example of a French-conceived
colonial city. Huge mansions line grand boulevards, and lakes and parks dot the
city, providing a romantic backdrop to the nonstop soundtrack. There are still
moments of Paris,
as the smell of baguettes and café au lait permeates street corners.
Known by many names down the centuries, Thang Long (City of
the Soaring Dragon) is the most evocative, and let there be no doubt that this
dragon is on the up once more.
Hanoi travel
guide includes delicious food, museums and religious sites. Hanoi
is the capital city of Vietnam
and it is an important political center. It is situated on the banks of the Red River. In this vibrant city there is a fusion between
traditional values and modern development. Visitors can enjoy traditional
Vietnamese culture while enjoying the luxury of modern amenities.
People
Hanoi people
are for the most part gracious, polite and generous and will try to make guests
feel comfortable in their city. As with the rest of Vietnam, the languages spoken here
are many and varied. There are in excess of 100 languages spoken in the whole
of the country. The national and official language is Tieng Viet (sometimes
called Viet ngu) Many years ago the Vietnamese used Chinese characters, then
around the 13th century, they developed their own alphabet called Chu nom.
Change came again during French colonial times, as the Romanized Vietnamese
alphabet (Quoc ngu) became popular for spoken Vietnamese. This was further
developed in 17th century by Catholic missionaries. It became popular as it
brought real literacy to the population.
Many other languages are spoken by minority groups in the
country. The most common of these are H’Mong, Khmer, Tay,
Muong, Nung, and Chinese. French is still spoken by some older Vietnamese as a
second language, but is losing popularity. Russian and even German, Czech, and
Polish, are occasionally spoken by some. In recent years, English has gained
popularity as a second language and is now mostly obligatory in schools.
Chinese and Japanese continue to grow.