Contents

A/ Overview
B/ 1st Group of Sightseeing spot:
                                                        Ancient House of 87 Ma May street
                                                        Hoan Kiem lake
                                                        Statue of king Ly Thai To
Hanoi post office
                                                        The Huc bridge
                                                        Ngoc Son temple
                                                        Thang Long Water puppet theatre
Bach Ma temple
St Joseph Cathedral

C/ 2nd Group:
                                                       West Lake (Ho Tay)
   Tran Quoc pagoda
                                                       Quan Thanh temple
   200-year-old house on Hanoi’s lakeside (Vietnamnet)

D/ 3nd Group:
                                                      President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum
                                                      One Pillar pagoda (Chua Mot Cot)
                                                      President Ho Chi Minh museum
E/ 4th Group:
Temple of Literature
Fine Arts museum
Museum of Vietnam history

F/ Others
                                          Phan Dinh Phung street
                                                      Hanoi Ca Tru club
                                                      Vietnam museum of ethnology
01-day Perfume pagoda tour
More than a place to chill out

G/    “Beach for nude bath” in the heart of Hanoi

H/ Giving Vietnam's street kids a chance

I/ I dream of a house

A/ Overview
There are four main groups of sightseeing spot in Hanoi.

1st group: The heart of this group is Hoan Kiem lake and Hanoi Old Quarter. The other famous sights are Ngoc Son temple, The Huc bridge, Tortoise tower (Thap Rua), statue of king Ly Thai To, Post office, water puppet theatre, Dong Xuan market, ancient house of 87 Ma May stret, Trang Tien ice cream, Opera house, St Joseph cathedral... For this group, walking is the best way.

2nd group: West lake is the main destination of this groups. Other sights are Tran Quoc pagoda, Quan Thanh temple...

3rd group: President Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, One Pillar padoda, Ho Chi Minh museum...

4th group: Temple of Literature, Fine art museum...

Spend at least 1 -2 days to see all the above sights.

B/ 1st group
Ancient House of 87 Ma May street

Open: Every day of the week (8:00AM - 5:00PM)

Admission: 10,000VND (0.5USD)

Activity: Ca Tru singing is performed in the house at 8:00PM on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (10USD/pax)

Brief description: A typical and nice architecture of Hanoi old houses in the beginning of 20th century. Well worth a visit.

Minus: The same with many Hoi An ancient houses, some parts of this ancient house has been “transformed” into small shops selling tourist products at high prices. And, don’t expect to listen the history and architecture of the house...

Long description:
The house at 87 Ma May dates back to the end of 19th century. Many families lived here successively until 1945, when a family bought it to sell Chinese medicine. In 1954, the goverment requisitioned it and five families settled down here until 1999. These people had various occupations such as grocer, tailor, state employee, teacher... For such a long time, its traditional structure, somehow, was strongly deformed. In 1999, with the assistance of Toulouse city of France, its original structure was restored. In 2004, it was recognised as a Vietnam national heritage site.

Having a tube – like shape and made of wood, the house is narrow but quite long with two stories. The sections of first storey, from front to back, are: stall/shop -> 1st courtyard -> reception room -> 2nd courtyard -> kitchen -> bathroom. A wooden stair connecting first storey with second storey. The sections of second storey, from front to back, are: ancestor's altar -> living room.

The shop/stall of first storey overlook the street. Its closed at night by movable wooden panels.

Two courtyards allow a good ventilation and natural light in the house. Some species of small tree are planted to give a feeling of living with nature.

The living room has a large wooden bed.

And time comes to a standstill on old roof tiles.

Old Quarter’s houses (according to Vietnamtourism)

According to the assessment of some historians, Hanoi Old Quarter made its appearance immediately after the Thang Long's establishment which was a thousand years ago. Most of houses presently existing within the Old Quarter have, however, their age of only more than 100 years. In this quarter, those houses that keep an air of anxiety are no longer so numerous. It is just the phenomena of extension that has sharply and negatively deformed its spatial appearance. Under such circumstances, the embellishment and preservation of

this quarter has required great efforts.

The houses at 87 Ma May street and 38 Hang Dao street are two projects of embellishing ancient houses, launched at the occasion of 990th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi. They became now two tourist spots to be presented to visitors in terms of architectural value of Hanoi's ancient houses.

Ca Tru performance (Vietnam Northern traditional ceremonial singing)
At 8:00PM on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, in the 87 Ma May ancient house, there is a performance of Ca Tru singing, a world intangible cultural heritage.

It is not easy to learn Ca Tru because it is impossible to write down the notes, so the learners must listen carefully and memorise the melodies in relation to their own feelings.

Below is a short description of Ca Tru posted on UNESCO website (http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/en/USL/00309)
"Ca Tru is a complex form of sung poetry found in the north of Viet Nam using lyrics written in traditional Vietnamese poetic forms. Ca Tru groups comprise three performers: a female singer who uses breathing techniques and vibrato to create unique ornamented sounds, while playing the clappers or striking a wooden box, and two instrumentalists who produce the deep tone of a three-stringed lute and the strong sounds of a praise drum. Some Ca Tru performances also include dance. The varied forms of Ca Tru fulfill different social purposes, including worship singing, singing for entertainment, singing in royal palaces and competitive singing. Ca Tru has fifty-six different musical forms or melodies, each of which is called "the cach". Folk artists transmit the music and poems that comprise Ca Tru pieces by oral and technical transmission, formerly, within their family line, but now to any who wish to learn. Ongoing wars and insufficient awareness caused Ca Tru to fall into disuse during the twentieth century. Although the artists have made great efforts to transmit the old repertoire to younger generations, Ca Tru is still under threat of being lost due to the diminishing number and age of practitioners."

For a deeper understanding of Ca Tru, please visit one of the best Ca Tru websites in Hanoi: www.catruthanglong.com

Pictures of the ancient house:

Organisation of a traditional tube-house in Hanoi Old Quarter

The front of the house

Time comes to a standstill

Ancestor's altar

A Chinese chess table placed on second storey

Living room and the word "Buddha" in the center (the "Buddha" word in Chinese)

Narrow but wide. The great arrangement of windows bring visitors an open space

The courtyards

Some beautiful paper paintings on second storey

And Buddha statue

Pics: vietnamguidebook

Hoan Kiem lake (Sword lake)

The beautiful flower basket inside Hanoi and a blue mirror of the city. The place for dating and a focal point of public life. The heart of capital and an acute feeling of homesickness…

That is Hoan Kiem lake!

Basic information: A freshwater lake covers an area of 12ha. North - South length is 700m, East - West width is 200m.

The name and legend

Previously, the lake was named Luc Thuy (Green water lake) as the water of the lake was green around the year. In the 15th century, the lake was renamed Hoan Kiem (The Returned Sword) because of a legend relating to Le Loi’s resistance war against the Ming invaders.

When Le Loi was still living in his homeland of Lam Son, he caught a sword which he carried with him through his 10-year resistance war against the Ming dysnasty of China. After overcoming the invaders, he became the king and established the capital in Thang Long (present Ha Noi). One day he was relaxing in a boat on Luc Thuy Lake when suddenly a giant tortoise appeared. Le Loi took out his sword and moved toward the tortoise but it snatched the sword from him and dived into the water. He knew the sword still belonged to the god who lent it to him to fight against the enemy and, after the battle, the god asked him to return it. Le Loi believed the god sent the tortoise to reclaim the sword so he renamed the lake “Hoan Kiem”, which literally means “returning the sword”.

Activities: Come to the lake in early morning to see local people doing Taichi. Walk to the nearby king Ly Thai To statue and join the 5-minute laugh class. Enjoy cyclo drives around the lake like many tour groups do. Watch the young Hanoians taking photos for their wedding.

If I comeback to Hanoi, I will spend time to walk around the lake. Then I will sit down for many hours to see a slow flow of life beside a bustling Hanoi city.

"Hoa Gao" and "Loc Vung" trees

These two trees are the great friends of many generations of Hanoians

Their flowers are usually blooming in the end of March and at the beginning of April. Their red colour is not only a great source of inspiration for poet, musician, artist but also touches the heart of travellers.

Old tortoise tower on an islet inside the lake

Young Hanoians taking photos around the lake

Cycling around the lake

Pics: vietnamguidebook

5-minute laugh class

Pic: Tuoi Tre newspaper

Pics: vietnamguidebook

"Hoa gao" flowers

Pics: thethaovanhoa newspaper

Loc vung tree, with 9 big branches, is said to be some hundred years of age.

Pic: vietnamguidebook

Loc vung flowers

Pics: vnexpress nespaper

Statue of king Ly Thai To

In 938, Vietnam acquired the independence from China. In 1010, king Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu of present Ninh Binh province to what is now Hanoi. The new capital was named Thang Long (the city of rising dragon).

The statue of king Ly Thai To was inaugurated on 7 October 2004 and was placed in Chi Linh flower garden which face the Hoan Kiem lake. The weight of the statue is over 45 tons and its height is 10.10m.

Pic: vietnamguidebook

Hanoi post office
Address: 75 Dinh Tien Hoang street (some hundred meters from the statue of king Ly Thai To)

Pic: vietnamguidebook

The Huc bridge
Facing East with an entire bright red colour, The Huc is a small beautiful bridge connecting Dinh Tien Hoang street with the Jade islet of Hoan Kiem lake.

The bridge was designed by architect Nguyen Ngoc Diem in 1952. Before that, in 1865, another old bridge was built by poet Nguyen Van Sieu at the same position with it.

The Huc means “Morning sunlight bridge”

Literator Le Bau who lived on Jade islet from 1963 to 1972 calculated that he had crossed the bridge at least 24,000 times in 10 years. And in his Hoan Kiem lake’s tortoise note, he wrote: “Hoan Kiem lake mades Hanoi beautifully elegant but The Huc bridge is the precious jewel of the lake”

                                                          Pics: vietnamguidebook

Ngoc Son temple
Open: 7:00AM - 6:00PM (Summer)
           7:30AM - 5:30PM (Winter)

Admission: 20,000VND/ pax
                 15,000VND/student
                  Under 15 years old: Free

Located on Jade islet in Hoan kiem lake, Ngoc Son temple dates back to 1843. At that time, visitors came to the temple only by boat.

In 1865, the temple was greatly restored and expanded by poet Nguyen Van Sieu which gave the temple the face look like the present temple.

To get to the temple, you will walk through three gates and cross one bridge (The Huc bridge)

The first gate displays a series of parallel sentences. The two large red Chinese characters written by poet Nguyen Van Sieu on the first gate are Happiness on the right, and Prosperity on the left.

Just inside the first gate is the Pen Tower (Thap But), a nine-meter high stone structure whose tip resembles a writing brush. On the Pen Tower, there are three Chinesecharacters written by poet Nguyen Van Sieu nearly 150 years ago. They means “Writing on the clear blue sky”.

The second gate has two prominent images: On the left is the tiger. On the right is the dragon.

The third gate also has two prominent images: On the left is the tortoise. On the right is the unicorn. The top of the gate is Moon Contemplation Pavillion (Dac Nguyet Lau)

The main temple is dedicated to national hero Tran Hung Dao and Van Xuong De Quan. Tran Hung Dao was the commander in chief of Vietnam army in the second and third anti-Mongol resistance wars in 1285 and 1288. Under his great leading, Vietnam achieved the glorious victories over Mogolian fierce army. Van Xuong De Quan is the saint of Taoist literature

Pics: vietnamguidebook

Thang Long Water puppet theatre (Mua roi nuoc Thang Long)
Address: 57B Dinh Tien Hoang street (near Hoan Kiem lake)
Tel: (04) 3824 9494
Ticket price: 60,000 - 100,000VND
Open daily with many shows (Please see the below pic for detail)

Overview: Vietnam water puppet dates back to more than one thousand years in the North and Thang Long water puppet theatre is the best place in Vietnam to enjoy a water puppet show. Please take a look at its website for full information about the history of Vietnam water puppet, the shows' schedule and watch some videos (the web is in not good condition, downlaod the video to watch)

Pic: vietnamguidebook

Bach Ma temple (White Horse temple)
Address: 76 Hang Buom street (in the center of Old Quarter)
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (close on Monday)
8:00AM - 11:00AM & 2:00PM - 5:00PM

Overview:

In 1010, king Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu (present Ninh Binh province) to Thang Long (present Hanoi). According to legend, the king ordered to build the city walls but all of them were collasped three times. One night, in his dream, he met Long Do, the god of Bach Ma temple, who asked him to follow the footprints of a white horse to build the city walls. The walls after that were completely constucted and the king gave the temple the name "Bach Ma" (White horse)

Eventhough, its said that Bach Ma temple dates back to one thousand years ago but what We see today is a small temple built in 19th century, under Nguyen dynasty (1802 - 1945).

Beside the white horse statue, you will see 17 beautiful horizontal lacquered boards engraved with Chinese characters in the temple

The White Horse statue in the temple

Pics: vietnamguidebook

St Joseph Cathedral (Nha tho lon Ha Noi)
Address: 40 Nha Chung street

Mass schedule
Weekday: 5:30AM & 6:15PM
Saturday: 5:30AM & 6:00PM
Sunday: 5:00AM - 7:00AM - 9:00AM - 11:00AM & 4:00PM - 6:00PM

Overview: Saint Joseph’s Cathedral (or Hanoi Cathedral) was built in 1884 and inaugurated on 23 December 1887. It is one of the oldest (and least changed ) French architecture works in Hanoi. See its present pics and the pics taken in 1887.

Designed with domes to resemble the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, this beautiful Gothic cathedral is 64.5m long and 20.5m wide. The twin belltowers are 31.5m high.

The main materials used to build the cathedral were baked bricks

Present St Joseph Cathedral

Pics: vietnamguidebook

St Joseph Cathedral in 1887

Pics on kienthuc.net.vn

Museum of Vietnam history (translated from Tuoi Tre newspaper on 28 February 2013)

Address: 25 Tong Dan street, Hoan Kiem district

What to see: More than 200 objects and documents about Vietnam Buddhism

Pictures:

The Chuan De Boddhisattva made of wood in 16th century

A wooden stautue of Buddha in 17 - 18th century

A wooden statue of "Hau", typical for worshipping the Lady, in the 19th century

A wooden statue of bodhidharma in 17 - 18th century

A statue of Sakyamuni Buddha born from lotus flower in 17 - 18th century

A wooden statue of Buddha in 4 - 6th century

A statue of Buddha made of stone in 4 - 6th century

A statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in 17 - 18th century

Pics: Tien Thang

B/ 2nd group

West Lake (Ho Tay)
With a shore length of 17km and covering an area of more than 500ha, West Lake is the largest freshwater lake of the capital and a popular place for recreation with many surrounding gardens, parks, restaurants, hotels and villas…

For many Hanoi people, sunset is the most beautiful time of West Lake. On the contrary, the other ones prefer the autumn early morning when the dew and mist mingle together to make the lake duskier and more romantic, especially with the faint echo of the bell in Tran Quoc pagoda.

I havent been in Hanoi in summer yet. According to many Vietnam newspapers, it’s the time lotus flowers in West Lake blooming and many young Hanoians coming to take photos. Take a look at West Lake lotus flowers' pics of Vietnamnet.

Pollution is the biggest problem of the lake. Especially, the water of the lake near Tran Quoc pagoda is not really blue and there is a bad smell of dead fishes in the air.

Note: West lake is famous with “Banh tom Tay Ho” (Tay Ho fried shrimp cake) made of rice flour, sweet potato and West lake’s shrimp.

Riding bicycle along Thanh Nien road. On the right is West lake. On the left is Truc Back lake

Pics: vietnamguidebook

Sunset

Pics: Hanoi Moi newspaper

West lake's lotus flowers

Pics: Vietnamnet newspaper and Vietnam Administration of Tourism

Tran Quoc pagoda
Location: South of West Lake, just off Thanh Nien road
Admission: free

Overview:

Built in the 6th century, under the reign of king Ly Nam De (544 - 548), on the bank of Red river, with original name "Khai Quoc", Tran Quoc is among the oldest pagodas in Vietnam.

Under the reign of king Le Thai Tong (1433 - 1442), the pagoda was renamed An Quoc.

In 1615, under the reign of king Le Kinh Tong, the pagoda was relocated to its current site. And under the reign of king Le Hy Tong (1675 - 1705), the pagoda had its present name Tran Quoc.

The pagoda after that was restored many times. Its present size and architecture were the result of the restoration in 1815.

In 1959, India president Rajenda Prasat, while visited Vietnam, presented to the pagoda a Bodhi tree taken from the original ancient one.

On the 30th September 1989, the pagoda was recognised as a Cultural and Historical relic.

Minus: There are many people fishing around the pagoda. And the smell of dead fishes in the wind... I myself have no feeling with this pagoda.

Pic: vietnamguidebook

Quan Thanh temple (or Tran Vu temple)

Address: at the intersection of Thanh Nien street and Quan Thanh street (some 50 steps to West lake and about 1km from Tran Quoc padoga)

Admission: 10,000VND

Shaded by some huge trees, the small Quan Thanh temple was founded under the reign of king Ly Thai To (1010-1028) and greatly restored in 19th century.

Inside the temple, there is a 4-ton, 3.96m high bronze statue of Tran Vu, God of the North, which was cast in 1677 and a 1.5m high bell.

Pics: vietnamguidebook

200-year-old house on Hanoi’s lakeside (Vietnamnet)
VietNamNet Bridge – Mr. Ngo Quy Duc is the third generation living in the 200-year-old house on Thuy Khue Street, Hanoi.

"According to my grandfather, the house had been vacant during the war because my family evacuated to the countryside. Upon returning home, the door was burnt. Then the house was repaired but the frame remained,” Duc said.

This ancient house is located in Yen Thai Village, now Lane 562, Thuy Khe Street, Hanoi. The house still retains 24 wood columns. The altar is designed together with the frame.

The house in 2009 with old furniture. Currently, the owner has replaced the old furniture with the new ones but it is still very harmonious with the interior design.
The three compartments are retained but two new lean-tos are built.

Wood joineries are still very firm.
The motifs and Chinese characters carved on the beams.
The house is cool in summer and warm in winter.

The columns with the 10x10cm size are made of iron wood, placed on square stones.

The house owner keeps many old items on shelves.

D/ 3rd group
President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum (Lang Chu Tich Ho Chi Minh)
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is a large memorial to the greatest leader of Vietnam in 20th century: Uncle Ho.

Construction work of the Mausoleum began on 2 September, 1973 with assistance of Soviet Union specialists. Most of the important materials used for constructing were gathered from all over Vietnam such as sand from Kim Boi spring of Hoa Binh province, wood from Central Highland and many kinds of precious stone from Thanh Hoa province as well as Ngu Hanh Son of Da Nang city... Cement with high quality was firstly planned to import from Soviet Union but at last it was produced in Vietnam. And the structure was formally inaugurated after 3 years, on September 2, 1975.

Many species of plants and flowers were chosen from different regions of Vietnam to make beautiful gardens for the Mausoleum. Especially, at the front and back of the Mausoleum are 79 cycads representing for 79 years old of Uncle Ho (19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), and in the South and North are two clumps of old bamboos – the symbol of Vietnam.

Most visitors are Vietnamese, especially those come from the Northern provinces. They show a deep respect for the “Old father of the Nation” – Uncle Ho, whose body is preserved in a glass case of the central hall of the Mausoleum.

Open: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sarturday, Sunday
* 7:30AM - 10:30AM (01 April till 31 October)
* 8:00AM - 11:00AM (01 November - 31 March)

Close: Monday and Friday. The Mausoleum is often closed in October and Novermber for maintenance. Reopen in December.

Admission: Free

Regulations are strictly applied to all visitors:
* Smoking, photography, and video taping are not permitted inside the Mausoleum. Outside the Mausoleum, its allowed to take photos
* Dressing properly (No short, miniskirt...)
* Hat must be taken off inside the Mausoleum. Keep it on right hand with its inside shown out.
* Maintain a respectful manner. No chatting, talking
* Dont put your hands in the pockets. Dont touch the wall.
* Mobile phone, camera, bag, helmet ... will be safely kept outside

Pic: vietnamguidebook

One Pillar pagoda (Chua Mot Cot)
Overview
Built of wood on a single stone pillar and has the shape of a lotus blossom, One Pillar Pagoda is one of the most unqiue architecture of Hanoi.

According to some old epitaphs, in 1049, the king Ly Thai Tong dreamed that Goddess of Mercy invited him to a lotus tower and handed him a male child. Right after that, his Queen gave birth a prince. To express his deep gratitude to Goddess of Mercy, the king ordered to construct the pagoda.

Location: some hundred meters from President Ho Chi Minh mausoleum

Admission: free

Regulation: Dressing properly

Other sights: In front of One Pillar Pagoda is Dien Huu pagoda and at its back is a bodhi tree - a gift of India President Rajendra Prasad to Vietnam president Ho Chi Minh in 1958.

“One Pillar Pagoda” Or “Lien Hoa Dai”?

So far, the name “One Pillar Pagoda” has been used/accepted widely by many guidebooks and newspapers. But, according to PhD Tran Trong Duong, “One Pillar Pagoda” is just a lotus-shaped tower belonging to Dien Huu pagoda. Its Vietnamese name is “Lien Hoa Dai” and in Chinese pinyin is “ Lian Hua Tai” (“Lien Hoa” or “Lian Hua” means Lotus flower. “Dai” or “Tai” means Tower)

Lien Hoa Dai was built, for the first time, in 1049 under the reign of king Ly Thai Tong. During the following 905 years, it was repaired and rebuilt many times. In 1954, before leaving Hanoi, the French colony destroyed it by bomb. What We see today is a new (and smaller) tower constructed after that.

One pillar pagoda receives Asian recognition (according to Quan Doi Nhan Dan newspaper)

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha hosted a ceremony on November 12, 2012 in Hanoi to receive a certificate of “the most unique architecture in Asia” awarded to the One Pillar Pagoda

The Asian Records Organisation made the recognition in Faridabad of India on October 10.

One Pillar Pagoda is quite small

Worshipping Goddess of Mercy with thousands of hand and thousands of eyes

The Bodhi tree

Pics: vietnamguidebook

President Ho Chi Minh museum (Bao tang Ho Chi Minh)
Location: some hundred meters from One Pillar Pagoda

Website: http://www.baotanghochiminh.vn (in Vietnamese and English)

Open: Every day of the week (except Monday afternoon and Friday afternoon)
   8:00AM - 11:30AM
   2:00PM - 4:00PM

Close: In October and November every year, the Museum is closed for maintenance. The specific closing time is announced on mass media.

Admission:

Overview: A huge concrete Soviet-style building containing more than 120,000 documents, objects and films about President Ho Chi Minh’s life and revolutionary work.

Regulation: Dress properly. Leave your bag at left-luggage office. No smoking and no photography.

Pic: vietnamguidebook

E/ 4th group
Temple of Literature (Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam)
Address: 58 Quoc Tu Giam street
Open: 8:00AM - 5:00PM
Admission: 20,000VND

The temple of Literature is a complex including the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu), the Royal University (Quoc Tu Giam), the Doctoral stone steles (Bia Tien Si) and the Pavilion of the constellation of literature (Khue Van Cac)

The Temple of Literature (Van Mieu)
Founded In 1070, under the reign of king Ly Thanh Tong (1054-1072), the temple of Literature (Van Mieu) is dedicated to Confucius and his four disciples.

The Royal University (Quoc Tu Giam)
In 1076, under the reign of king Ly Nhan Tong, the Royal University (Quoc Tu Giam) was built. At the beginning, the univeristy just received those of Royal and Noble birth. In 1253, king Tran Thai Tong ordered to expand it and opened the gate for excellent students from all over the nation to come to study the principles of Confucianism, literature and poem. Under the reign of king Tran Minh Tong (1300 - 1357), famous scholar Chu Van An was nominated as headmaster.

In 1785, Quoc Tu Giam was renamed Thai Hoc house. In 1947, Thai Hoc house was nearly destroyed by French cannon.

On 13 July 1999, the new 1,530m2 Thai Hoc house was erected on the same position of old one.

On 11 March 2003, four bronze statues of king Ly Thanh Tong, king Ly Nhan Tong, king Le Thanh Tong and headmaster Chu Van An were cast and worshiped in Thai Hoc house

The Doctoral stone steles (Bia Tien Si)
From 1484, the 82 doctoral stone steles (Bia Tien Si) were erected in the Temple of Literature complex and remain standing till now. These stone steles record in Chinese the names, places of birth and achievements of 1,307 doctors who passed the court examinations between 1442 and 1779 under the early Le, Mac and late Le dynasties. Among the doctors having their names on steles, famous ones were historian Ngo Sy Lien (Doctor of the year 1442) who compiled “Complete annals of Dai Viet”, savant Le Quy Don who compiled the encyclopedia Vân đài loại ngữ (9 volumes) which is Vietnam's largest encyclopedia…

According to experts, the 82 doctoral stone steles are a precious treasure of Vietnam ’s educational history, providing not only general information about education in Vietnam within the last 300 years, but also specific details about the dynastic examination systems. They provide a lively and profound source of reference that is of great value for studies of history, education, arts and literature. And above all, they express the thought of governing a country: “The talented and righteous people are the sap of the country”

In 2010, The 82 doctoral stone steles were recognised as world documentary heritage by UNESCO

The Pavilion of the constellation of literature (Khue Van Cac)

The pavilion of the constellation of literature (Khue Van Cac) is the symbol of Hanoi. Prof. Dinh Xuan Lam, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam History and Science Association said the choice is suitable as the Khue Van Cac has for long time symbolised the pinnacle of intellect.

In 1805, under the reign of the Nguyen dynasty, The pavilion was erected as a place for classic poetry review. “Cac” means pavilion; “Khue” means the constellation in charge of Literature; and “Van” means the beauty or Literature. After 207 years, the pavilion now is a two-storey complex with eight sloping roofs and square basement. The upper floor, made of wooden frames, has four round windows facing the four directions to attracts sunlight which make it like a shining constellation.

The plan of the Temple of Literature complex

The complex covers an area of 54,331m2 with many huge green trees.The main materailas that were used to build the temple were ironwood, baked bricks, tiles..

The main gate faces South and is on Quoc Tu Giam street. In the North is Nguyen Thai Hoc street. In the West is Ton Duc Thang street and in the East is Van Mieu street.

Built on North – Soth axis, the complex has five main sections:

First section: from the main gate Van Mieu Mon to Dai Trung Mon gate
Second section: from Dai Trung Mon gate to The pavilion of the
constellation of literature (Khue Van Cac)
Third section: from The pavilion of the constellation of literature (Khue Van Cac) to Thien Quang Tinh square well. At both sides of the pond are the 82 Doctoral stone steles (Bia Tien Si)
Fourth section: The temple of literature (Van Mieu)
Fifth section: Once was The Royal University (Quoc Tu Giam) and now is Thai Hoc house which worship king Ly Thanh Tong, king Ly Nhan Tong, king Le Thanh Tong (upper floor) and headmaster Chu Van An(ground floor)

Van Mieu Mon main gate

Two stone statues of dragon

The pavilion of the constellation of literature (Khue Van Cac)

Thien Quang Tinh square well

The 82 Doctoral stone steles (Bia Tien Si)

The temple of literature (Van Mieu) which is dedicated to Confucius and his four disciples

“The talented and righteous are the precious resources of the country” (Hien tai la nguyen khi quoc gia)

Thai hoc house with statue of scholar Chu Van An

"Carp fish become dragon"

Statues of 4 kings

Pics: vietnamguidebook

Fine Art museum
Address: 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc street
Tel: (04) 3823 3084
Open: 8:30AM - 5:00PM (daily)
Admission: 20,000VND

Overview:
The building has four floors.

Underground floor: Vietnamese ceramic from 11th to 20th century

Ground floor: Fine arts in the prehistoric times, at the dawn of history & fine arts from 11th to 19th century. .
*11th to 14th century (Ly and Tran dynasties)

* 15th to beginning of 18th century (early Le - Mac - late Le dynasties)

* End of 18th century to 19th century (Tay Son and Nguyen dynasties)

1st floor: fine arts in the first half of 20th century; lacquer paintings and contemporary sculptures; folk arts; Vietnamese fine arts from 1986 (Renewal) up to now.

2nd floor: Silk paintings and contemporary sculptures; paintings on paper; oil paintings; applied decorative arts

Each period has a brief introduction in English, French

Some artistic treasures are: Champa stone carvings, Guantin with thousand eyes and thousand hands, statue of Tuyet Son...

Pics: vietnamguidebook

Others
Phan Dinh Phung street

Starting from Mai Xuan Thuong street and stretching to Hang Cot street with a length of 1.5km, Phan Dinh Phung is one of the most beautiful streets in Hanoi.

Along the street are many French architectures built in the early 20th century. Notable among them is Cua Bac cathedral which was designed by French architect Ernest Hébrard.

Especially, the street is shaded by old, huge dracontomelum trees with clusters of little white flowers mentioned in many poems and music pieces. Moreover, the dracontomelum fruits with unique sour taste are used to make a favorite beverage of Hanoians. I myself prefer it than lemon juice.
In the past, Phan Dinh Phung street was named Carnot. After the August revolution in 1945, it was renamed after Phan Dinh Phung, a strong-willed patriotic scholar in the struggle against the French colonialist.

Getting there: Phan Dinh Phung street runs parallel to Quan Thanh street which is not far from the West lake.

Cua Bac cathedral: 56 Phan Dinh Phung street.

Dracontomelum trees in Vietnamese is: Cay sau

Dracontomelum fruit juice with ice: Sau da

Phan Dinh Phung street with dracontomelum trees

Pics: vietnamguidebook

Dracontomelum fruit juice with ice (6,000 - 10,000VND/glass)

Pics: vietnamguidebook

Hanoi Ca Tru club (translated from Tuoi Tre newspaper)

Founded in 1991, its the first Ca Tru club in Vietnam. Every sunday, from 8:00PM - 9:30PM, in Kim Ngan temple (42 - 44 Hang Bac street), it holds a Ca Tru performance (Vietnam Northern traditional ceremonial singing).

Pic: Tuoi Tre newspaper

Vietnam museum of ethnology (according to www.vme.org.vn)
Address: Nguyen Van Huyen street, Cau Giay, Hanoi
Tel: (04) 3756 2193
Email: vme18@vme.org.vn
Website: www.vme.org.vn (in English, French, Vietnamese)

Admission: 25,000VND (Free for children under 6 years old)

Getting there: The Museum is located in Cau Giay district, twenty minutes by taxi from the city center. Take the #14 minibus runs from Dinh Tien Hoang Street, north of Hoan Kiem lake, to the Nghia Tan stop which is a few blocks from the Museum.

Taking cycle in Old Quarter

A mini stall in old Quarter

Pics: vietnamguidebook

01-day Perfume pagoda tour
Perfume Pagoda in the Bombax ceiba flower season

VietNamNet Bridge - Every March and April, flowers of bombax ceiba or cotton trees blossom along the Yen stream on the entrance to the Huong (Perfume) Pagoda, a famous Buddhism tourist site in Hanoi, creating phenomenal beauty. Below are pictures of the Yen River during the bombax ceiba flower season.

More than a place to chill out

A stir-fried dish of chayote

At the beginning of the 19th century, the French colonialists built a town at the height of some 1,000 meters above sea level on the Tam Dao Mountain Range in the northern province of Vinh Phuc.

In 1940 it was a mountainous town boasting 145 houses and villas with various architecture styles.

These extravagant and luxurious buildings, however, are all gone now.

But, Tam Dao, which is some 80 kilometers from Hanoi, has developed into a popular resort that people love to take a break in, blessed as it is clean air and temperatures ranging from a cool 18^oC to 25^oC.

The town is not just a place to chill out.

Those keen on some strenuous outdoor activities can climb nearly 1,400 stone steps to reach a 100-meter high television tower on top of Thien Thi Mountain. The way is graced with a lot of flowers of different colors and fragrances.

For a less exhausting outing, you can climb 200 steps to visit the temple of Ba Chua Thuong Ngan – the Vietnamese goddess of forests and mountains.

The temple, believed to be built at the beginning of the 20th century, hosts chau van (a traditional northern folk art combining singing and dancing in trance) and hau dong (a mediumship ritual) performances on every 15th day of the lunar month, as also during various festivals.

Rung Rinh Mountain, or Phu Nghia, which is some 20 kilometers from the town’s center, is a trekkers’ delight.

At its top, over 1,200 meters above the sea level, is a primeval forest with a rich plant community, including orchid trees with massive trunks.

On the other hand, tourists who love to have a lazy vacation can make do with a visit to a 50-meter high waterfall known as Thac Bac, located in a valley next to the town’s central market.

A stone stairway that is not long but quite steep leads to the waterfall that starts from a mountain slit and is surrounded by big trees and cliffs as well as chirping sounds of birds.

Tam Dao Church, a stone gothic-styled work situated in the town’s center against a background of a pine forest and a mountain is another site worth visiting.

The church was built in 1906 with wood and a thatched-roof, but in 1937 it was rebuilt with stones and bricks. It is located on a height of five meters and is accessed by two stairways at its front and its back.

The church includes a main building that is 12 meters wide and 22 meters long, and on the building’s left is an 18-meter high bell tower.

Land of chayote

With chayote vines present practically everywhere, from big yards to frames in front of houses and even tile floors of abandoned villas, Tam Dao is undoubtedly the land of the climbing plant.

Chayote shoots, leaves and fruits are cooked to make food. The shoots and leaves are stir-fried with garlic, chicken, beef or chicken innards; the fruit is boiled and eaten with salt roasted with sesame seeds.

Since no chemicals are used to grow this plant, the chayote is totally clean.

Tourists can enjoy the specialty at local eateries where a dish of cooked chayote shoots is priced VND15,000-20,000 (70-93 cents).

Another not-to-be-missed specialty in Tam Dao is banh quan – a thin rice pancake that looks like the popular banh cuon (rice rolled cake) but has minced pork and mushroom mixed in its flour before being steamed.

The cake can be eaten with a variety of other dishes like chicken soup, scrambled egg, and boiled pork.

But, the most-recommended option is lon doi nuong (grilled backyard pork). The meat comes from boars that were first domesticated and raised in cages in forest by Tam Dao residents a few years ago. Since the pigs eat only wild vegetables, their meat is lean.

The grilled pork is served in bowls of sauce made from with fish sauce cooked with vinegar and sugar.

GETTING THERE

From Hanoi, it takes about two hours to reach Tam Dao Town by road.

By car/motorbike:

Go along Bac Thang Long Street and head to the Noi Bai International Airport.

About two kilometers from the airport, turn left to National Road No.2.

After about 20 kilometers on this road, you reach Vinh Yen Town, Vinh Phuc Province.

Turn right on National Road 2B and go along the road for some 21 kilometers to reach Tam Dao.

By bus:

Every day two buses leave Hanoi for Tam Dao at 6:30 a.m. from 32 Nguyen Cong Tru Street, Hai Ba Trung District, and at 7 a.m. from 122 Xuan Thuy Street, Cau Giay District.

Tickets can be bought on site.

Price: VND180,000 ($8.4) for a round trip ticket.

The buses leave Tam Dao for Hanoi at 3-4 p.m. every day.

G/ “Beach for nude bath” in the heart of Hanoi

VietNamNet Bridge – It is hard to believe that there is a “beach for nude bath” in Hanoi, especially in the city’s center. But it is real.

It is located at the foot of the Long Bien Bridge, a bridge has a history of over 100 years old. More particularly, this “beach” has two zones, with the number of “nude-bath members” up to hundreds of people in summer.

It's a very different space of Hanoi though it is less than 2 kilometers from the Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi’s heart.

The space here is very different from a modern Hanoi. It looks like the countryside, with cane fields, corn fields, and farmers working everyday to take care for their fields on the alluvial ground of the Red River.

Nobody knows when the beach for nude bath was formed. They just know that the number of nude-bathers is on the rise. These are the people who share a common hobby: having nude bath and watching Hanoi from amid the Red River.

Members of the nude-bath club gather in two “shifts”: morning and afternoon. In the summer, the "afternoon shift" is more crowded. Meanwhile, in the winter, to avoid the cold, the “club members” gather from 10am to 12pm.

A “club member” – Mr. Hoang Anh insisted: "I have bathed nude for nearly ten years, on a daily basis."

Members of the nude-bath beach are of different ages, from 20 to 70. Their careers are also different, but most of them are civil servants or retired people.

Mr. Nguyen Van Binh, a retired teacher, said: "The common thing of almost members of this club is that we all love nature and like cycling. We don’t like noisy and bustling places."

Binh said that the nude-bath beach at the foot of the Long Bien Bridge not only help the nature lovers tune into the natural flow but also see a lot of beautiful scenery of Hanoi. From here, looking to the south is the Chuong Duong Bridge, and then Vinh Tuy and Thanh Tri bridges. To the north, they will see the Nhat Tan Bridge and high-rise building behind.

"Many people think we are sick"

Not all Hanoi residents know about this “beach”. Even if they know, not everyone has enough "courage" to come here to join the club.

In the eyes of many “decent” people, the nude bathers here are “screwballs” or even "morbid”. They think that only men having sexual problems can comfortably be nude in front of each other, showing off their bodies and sometimes they even talk about their penises.

But the fact is different. They are not “unhealthy” as others thought but thanks to nude bath and tuning themselves into the nature, their health is improved.

Many men who suffered from various diseases before joining this club are now very healthy. They said that this beach is like a miracle to change their lives.

"That's the reason why, despite the temperatures in the winter falling to 5 degrees Celsius, we still gather at this beach,” said teacher Binh.

Here, nude men swim and do exercise together. Some people meditate, some others practice yoga, others run along the river bank. It seems that when tuning into nature, many diseases caused by the age and life have gradually vanished.

"When having a nude bath, we are listening to our bodies," a club member analyzed. "So, nude baths brings a lot of benefits in terms of feeling and mental, not just physical."

"If you care about yourself and your own health, then this is a great address. Two hours a day, regularly for a few months, you will see changes in your health in a very positive direction," many members said.

Many of them used to swim at popular and luxury swimming pools in the city but they could not bear to swim in stagnant water pools.

There is one more interesting detail: all of them use bicycles and most of them are "original" Hanoians, not immigrants.

Nguoilaodong

Compiled by Phi Nga

H/ Giving Vietnam's street kids a chance

By Danielle Berger, CNN

June 20, 2011 -- Updated 2050 GMT (0450 HKT)

Hanoi, Vietnam (CNN) -- Five years ago, Pham Binh Minh was a 15-year-old spending his nights on the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam's capital.

With his father dead and his mother too poor to adequately feed or clothe him, Pham survived by collecting and selling scrap.

"I didn't have time to make friends," he said. "The friends I did have ... would take me to do work that wasn't good. ... We would rob and steal from people. ... I was scared I would get arrested. I was scared people would hit me. I felt unsafe."

It's an all-too-common story in Hanoi, where many Vietnamese youth -- often poor children from outside the city -- seek opportunity. If they're lucky, they're able to get by working odd jobs such as shining shoes or selling trinkets.

"Kids come to the streets hoping that it'll be better than living in poverty in the countryside, but often they find that things are much worse for them here," said Michael Brosowski, whose nonprofit foundation helps Vietnamese street children turn their lives around.

It was through Brosowski's Blue Dragon Children's Foundation that Pham was able to graduate high school and enroll in college. Since 2004, Blue Dragon has helped more than 350 Vietnamese children get off the streets and into school.

"(Our) job is to make sure that the kids are safe and protected, first of all," said Brosowski, 37. "And then once they are, we've got to make sure they're working toward something, whether that's education or getting a job or improving their health."

A 2006 report from Human Rights Watch estimated that 23,000 street children were living throughout Vietnam. Brosowski said he has encountered children -- some as young as 6 -- sleeping under bridges and in trees.

"Mom's in prison, dad's a heroin addict. The kids (are) thinking, 'Well, that's my future as well,' " Brosowski said. "Our biggest challenge is to stop the kids from accepting that fate -- to fight their own fate and make their own future."

On the streets, children are susceptible to a wide range of threats and pitfalls: gang violence, bullying, child trafficking, the lure of a booming heroin trade. Blue Dragon tries to combat these issues by giving children what they need to get off the streets and stay off them. Some common examples include safe housing, food subsidies, school sponsorships, job training and medical attention.

"Our (initial) goal was just to get them back to school," Brosowski said. "We realized that to do that ... we would have to take that place of providing an income, giving them money for food, providing the shelter. We would actually have to take care of all aspects of their life."

Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2011 CNN Heroes

In Hanoi, Blue Dragon's center offers food, clothing, classrooms, play space and a computer lab. There is also bed space for 20 in the group's nearby shelter. Each child who comes through the center is provided with a dedicated social worker and has access to a psychologist, counselors, teachers and lawyers.

"Child by child, we've got to work out what we can do and what they need," Brosowski said. "And we've also got to be careful that if the child has a family, that the family is as involved as possible."

In addition to the Hanoi center, Blue Dragon also has three other locations throughout Vietnam that help street children and those living in extreme poverty. Funded by donations and grants, the foundation has assisted more than 2,500 children in all.

"I grew up in poverty," Brosowski said. "I often used to think to myself, 'I could do something good with my life if only someone would come and give me that chance.' And then I was here in Hanoi ... and I realized now I'm the guy. I'm the guy who can help these kids and give them a chance."

Brosowski, an Australian, moved to Vietnam in 2002 to teach English at the university level. Within several months, he met a few street children shining shoes and was inspired by their untapped potential. He befriended the boys and began teaching them with the help of one of his university students, Pham Sy Chung.

As he met more and more street children in need, Brosowski eventually decided to quit his job and devote himself full-time to Blue Dragon. Today, he has a staff of 44, several of whom have been helped by the foundation in the past.

"There really was no thinking at that time that this would become something big," he said. "It was just a case of, here are these kids, there's no one else to help them, but I can."

Want to get involved? Check out the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation website at www.streetkidsinvietnam.com and see how to help.

News: According to Tuoi Tre newspaper 13th May 2013, Blue Dragon has helped 2629 children get off the street, go home and into school