 Vietnam 's capital is a city of lakes and parks, of tree-lined streets resplendent with French colonial villas and mansions, a European capital in the heart of Asia . The Old French Quarter is a maze of crammed narrow alleyways that are still named after the goods that were once traded there- Silk Street , Gold Street , even Fried Fish Street ! With intonations of bye-gone era, Hanoi is home to sidewalk cafes and pavement barbers. Wide bicycle-filled boulevards, faded but elegant architecture, the grandeur and solemnity of monumental Mausoleum, the incongruous rustic simplicity of the house in which ˇ®Uncle Ho' lived out his final years, the ˇ®Hanoi Hilton' where so many prisoners of war were incarcerated, the religious pride that constructed so many serene temples and pagoda complexes-it's all here in Hanoi, a microcosm of Vietnamese culture.
Perhaps Hanoi can most perfectly by encapsulated by the Temple of Literature , built in 1070 and then dedicated to Confucius, it is now a tranquil retreat from the busy streets outside, and later became Vietnam 's first university. Or perhaps it is in the truly unique performance of the water puppetry where the ˇ®stage' is a pool of water in which the hidden puppeteer must stand to skillfully manoeuvre dancing puppets attached to bamboo poles on its surface.
And beyond Hanoi is what is commonly referred to as Vietnam 's eighth wonder of the world. Halong Bay is comprised of 3,000 spectacular limestone outcroppings, cliffs, arches and coves competing for space in an area that is without doubt the most outstandingly naturally beautiful in country-incomparable coastal scenery. |
 Hanoi Attractions
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 One Pillar Pagoda |
The original name of the pagoda was Dien Huu pagoda which literally means long lasting happiness and good luck. Situated in the western part of the city it was first built in 1049 in the reign of King Ly Thai Tong. Legend has it that at time King Ly Thai Tong was very old and had no sons of his own. One night he had a dream that he was granted a private audience with Buddha with a male baby on his hands. Buddha seating on a lotus flower in a square-shaped lotus pond in the western side of Thang Long Citadel, gave the king the baby. Months later the queen got pregnant and she gave birth to a male. To repay the gift from Buddha, the king ordered the construction of a pagoda with was supported by only one pillar resembling a lotus seat on which Buddha had been seated. The pagoda was dedicated to Buddha.
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Ngoc Son Temple |
Hoan Kiem Lake which had been considered the most beautiful lake in the city was in the 19th century added with another object to make it more beautiful and famous. That was the construction of a temple on the Ngoc (Jade) islet in the lake. Initially the temple was called Ngoc Son Pagoda. Later it was renamed Ngoc Son Temple because in the temple is dedicated to saints. Saint Van Suong was a person considered the brightest star in Vietnam 's literature and intellectual circles. The temple as it is seen today was attributable to the restoration efforts of Nguyen Van Sieu in 1864. A great Hanoi literature writer, Nguyen Van Sieu himself had a large pen-shaped tower (Thap But) built in at the entrance to the temple.
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Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum |
After two years of construction, the mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh was officially inaugurated on August 29, 1975. The facade of the mausoleum faces the historic Ba Dinh Square .
The mausoleum is divided into three layers with a combined height of 21.6 meters. The mausoleum is the place to keep the remains of President Ho Chi Minh, the great patriotic who had been conferred the title "World Cultural Activist" and the national hero. The conferment was made on the occasion of the centenary anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's Birthday. The mausoleum project was the results of artistic labor of both Vietnamese and former Soviet Union scientists in respect for President Ho Chi Minh.
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Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam |
Temple of Literature-Quoc Tu Giam was the first university of Vietnam where many students graduated with high flying colors. In 1482 King Le Thanh Tong ordered the erection of steles with inscription of all the names, birth dates and birth places of doctors, and other excellent graduates who took part in ex amina tions since 1442. At present there remain 82 steles standing in the premises of Van Mieu. Apart from its cultural value, each stele presents an artistic project of stone carving. Each stele is placed on the back of a turtle representing the nation's longevity.
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