The capital always has a special place in the heart of the visitors on their travel to Vietnam. You will love Hanoi not only because of the friendly local, the unique cuisine but also the interesting culture and history. In this post, we will tell you about five of the most worthwhile things to see in Hanoi.
1. Temple of Literature
Temple of Literature or Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam is an important education signature of Vietnamese. This is a popular location that receives a great number of tourists every year, especially during Tet holidays. You should visit Van Mieu to explore the rich culture, customs, and traditions of ancient Vietnam.
The campus of the temple has 5 noticeable parts. The first and second courtyard was originally resting places for students in the past in which today you can relax in the beauty of nature. The third one is where graduates in the past were honored by engraving their names and birth places on the ancient Turtle Steles. Continuing through Dai Thanh Gate, you can see the House of Ceremonies, buildings and halls in which Confucius and his disciplines were worshiped. The imperial academy was the fifth courtyard, but now, it had been reconstructed to worship important kings related to Van Mieu such as Ly Thanh Tong, who established the temple; Founder of the imperial academy, Ly Nhan Tong, and other important figures.
There are also shops around the campus and calligraphists to write wishes in Han Characters (during Lunar New Year) if you are interested.
2. Vietnam Fine Art Museum
There are many significant museums in Vietnam and one of them is Vietnam Fine Art Museum. All important relics of Vietnamese arts are stored in this National museum. It is a destination you should not miss to learn about the rich culture of Vietnam.
From the houses of French Officials’ daughters in the past, the building had been reconstructed to keep the signature arts, artifacts in Vietnam. Today, there are over 15000 exhibits and paintings of famous Vietnamese artists kept in Vietnam Fine Art Museum. The collection consists of paintings, sculptures, ceramic from the prehistoric and ancient time to contemporary arts.
Many exhibitions are hosted in Vietnam Fine Art Museum, so if you are lucky, you can contemplate the unique masterpieces of modern Vietnamese artists.
3. Dong Xuan Market
If you interested in shopping and history alike, then Dong Xuan Market is a must-visit destination on your list. This hundred-year-old market has been the trading center of Hanoi since the French colonial time. Along with Old Quarter, it is easy to travel as Dong Xuan Street is a pedestrian street on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Dong Xuan Market offers a wide variety of products for local and also foreign tourists. You can find most essentials on the first floor of the market such as clothes, glasses, shoes, and electronic devices. Many silks, cloths, jewelry shops and so on are located on the second floor. Around the market and outside, there are a great number of souvenir stores to buy a nice gift for friends and family.
On the North of Dong Xuan Market, you can find various food stalls with delectable local cuisine if you need to recover your energy. Remember to take photo of this remarkable place.
4. Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Vietnam is home of 54 ethnic groups living together in one country, thus it is a pity not to visit Vietnam Museum of Ethnology to see the beauty of culture, customs and traditions in one location.
As the name suggests, the museum will bring you through a huge number of exhibits about Vietnam’s Ethnic groups, including clips, pictures, videos and so forth. Exhibits are closely related to the life of the people like textiles, jewelry, tools, weapons and traditions in marriage ceremony, funeral.
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology also has an outdoor exhibition with 10 unique structures of Vietnam’s Ethnic communities. These are distinguishable house models of the Bahnar, Rade, Tay, Yao, Hmong, Kinh,Cham, Hani, Jarai, Katu people.
One special feature in the museum is the collection of Indonesian Glass Painting. The topic varies from the daily lives, history to nature of this South East Asia country.
Last but not least, many captions are translated to English, French for visitors to read. Paper guides in English, French, Chinese, Japanese and so on are also available.
5. Hanoi Ancient House
During the French colonial time, hardly any house kept the ancient style of Hanoi in their architecture. However, Hanoi Ancient House is one of the last remaining relics of the past featuring the traditional architecture and a destination that tourist must not ignore.
There are two parts in the house: one in the front and one in the back, which are separated by an open skylight in the middle. In the front of the house, the room was used for selling goods and contains stairs leading to the living room on the second floor. The back consists of a room for production, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom on the second floor of this part.
The house also has a collection of Vietnamese tools, furniture, equipment used in the past. Tourist can immerse in the peaceful life of traditional Hanoians among the busy and bustling streets of the Old Quarter.
- Source: Vietnam Excursions
