CAPITAL OF VIETNAM

What is the capital of Vietnam? Hanoi, sat like a crown in northern Vietnam, Hanoi’s steeped in history, pulsating with life, bubbling with commerce, modern day’s buzzing with motorbikes and rich in exotic scents, this is a captivating capital city and a city that Vietnamese are proud of its past and present. Hanoi has shaken off its old hostile attitude to travellers and has become one of the most beguiling cities in all Asia. It is slow-paced and pleasant, with a lovely landscape of lakes, shaded boulevards, verdant public parks, colonial French houses plus astounding modern skyscrapers raising up every year. Unlike past, which country had separate capital for for south and north. Hanoi personifies the spirit of historic Vietnam in the temples, monuments and pockets of ancient culture along the narrow streets of the Old Quarter, yet perfectly reflects the rapid changes sweeping the country as Hanoian yuppies sip cappuccinos in roadside cafes and compare business ideas.

Orientation N geography of Vietnam Capital

Hanoi was capital of Vietnam from 1010 to 1802, and again, has been since 1945, replacing Hue which was the capital during the last imperial dynasty in Vietnam from 1802 to 1945. Hanoi city sprawls along the Red River (Song Hong), which is spanned by three bridges. The oldest is the 1682m (5500ft) Long Bien Bridge, built in 1902. Though bombed repeatedly by the US, the bridge supported rail and other traffic continuously throughout the war; today it serves pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles only. A few meters south is the newer Chuong Duong Bridge, and north of the city, and since 2010, the Nhật Tân bridge servicing the airport.  Thang Long previously served the same function. Most of Hanoi’s street are prefixed with pho, while larger roads and boulevards are called duong. The city is divided into seven central districts (quan), surrounded by outlying neighborhoods called hyyen. Can’t-miss quan include the Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi’s attractive city center, and the elegant Ba Dinh district, also known as the French Quarter, which is home to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum.

History of Hanoi → Quick facts about Vietnam’s capital city

Human habitation of Northern Vietnam including what is now capital of Vietnam, the Hanoi city, goes back about 500,000 years according to archaeological evidence. The site of present-day Hanoi has been populated for at least 10,000 years. These first inhabitants formed a feudally organized society that first relied on hunting, fishing and gathering, later developing animal husbandry and agriculture. These tribes developed in relative isolation until about 2000 years ago. The Han Chinese set up a military garrison near present-day Hanoi in 214 BC, using it as a base of operations that would eventually control most of modern Vietnam. The next thousand years of Chinese rule introduced important technological innovations to the Vietnamese, including plows and irrigation systems. But rebellion simmered in every town, and the millenium was punctuated by revolution and resistance. This tradition of rebellion shaped Vietnam’s national character.

Vietnamese rebels saw their chance when China’s Tang dynasty collapsed. In 938, revolutionary leader Ngo Quyen gave the Chinese a sound whipping and established an independent Vietnamese state, but after his death the region fell into anarchy. In 980, Vietnam became a semi-independent client state of China, stabilising the situation all for the cost of a biannual tribute. For the next 400 years, the site of present-day Hanoi served as the administrative seat for all of Vietnam. The Grand Royal enclosure, now the city’s Old Quarter, was constructed and the nation’s first university, the Temple of Literature, was founded during the first century of home rule. Attacks by the Khmers, Chinese and even Kublai Khan were repelled by national forces. All this was done with little Chinese interference.

The Chinese never forgot their plum province, however, and in 1400 they captured Hanoi again. National hero Le Loi’s guerrilla tactics and peasant support eventually reclaimed Vietnamese Independence. A period of nationalism and renewed interest in Confucianism followed, a reaction to increased discontent with Europeans, their values and their missionaries. The missionaries didn’t take the hint, however, and in 1858 several were killed. The French had an excuse to invade, and by 1867 south Vietnam was a French colony. Hanoi was captured in 1874. The impotent imperial court was allowed to remain, indulging itself in various coups and capers, but the French controlled the nation.

As it had under Chinese rule, Vietnamese nationalism simmered quietly throughout the country, waiting for an opportunity. Young Nguyen Tat Thanh, better known by his alias Ho Chi Minh, thought that the end of WWI was a good opening, so he tried to present a plan for an independent Vietnam to US president Woodrow Wilson at the 1919 Versailles Peace Conference. Evidently, self-determination was for Europeans alone. When France fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, the Vichy government allowed the Japanese to put troops in Vietnam. The United States knew enough not to count on any French resistance, instead opting to pump arms and funding into the communist-dominated Viet Minh forces. Their leader, Ho Chi Minh, graciously accepted and began harassing the Japanese mercilessly.

After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Ho Chi Minh, called for a general uprising known as the August Revolution, and on September 2 1945, Ho and his National Liberation Committee (with US officials at his side) declared the Democratic Republic of Vietnam independent at a rally in Ba Dinh Square. The French were not pleased, and fought the Viet Minh tooth and nail for eight years, despite a massive military aid package from the USA and formal recognition by both China and the USSR. On May 7, 1954, the French threw in the towel and surrendered North Vietnam to the Viet Minh. Fiercely anti-communist leader Ngo Dinh Diem was elected (more or less; a lot of dead people voted in that election) president of South Vietnam. Soon afterward, the USA closed its consulate in Hanoi.

In 1959, Southern cadres asked that the North Vietnamese join them in ‘armed struggle’ against the Diem regime. Hanoi responded by agreeing to help the National Liberation Front (NLF), also known as the Viet Cong, who were mainly communist South Vietnamese resisters with little training. Without French troops, however, the South Vietnamese army was incredibly weak, and the Western world looked on nervously as Diem began losing control of the situation. The USA sent 2000 ‘military advisers’ to South Vietnam in 1961, the number swelling to 23,000 by 1964. By then, Hanoi was no longer helping the NLF out with guns and training; they were sending trained North Vietnamese troops across the border. Despite small victories, Hanoi’s war didn’t seem winnable until the 1968 Tet Offensive, when Hanoi gained the upper hand.

The USA continued to throw warm bodies – to the tune of 3.14 million men and women – at the increasingly bloody conflict until the 1973 cease-fire. The USA evacuated almost all troops out of Vietnam in return for Hanoi’s commitment to keep communism above the 17th Parallel. They also cut off most financial and other aid to South Vietnam. By 1975, the southern half of the country was running on fumes. North Vietnam launched a massive attack on the South on January 1975; Saigon surrendered in April. No one, least of all the leadership in Hanoi, was prepared for reunification. At least 2 million Vietnamese had died in the conflict and scars ran deep; the environment and economy were a shambles. The violence wasn’t over, either: In 1979, answering for Vietnam’s 1978 invasion of Cambodia, China attacked Hanoi. The Chinese were repelled within 17 brutal days.

The 1980s witnessed a devastating famine that left Hanoi with rice shortages and strict rations, a continuing guerrilla war with the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and the opening of European communism. Surprisingly, Vietnam finished the decade in much better shape than it started. In February 1990, the government called for more ‘openness and criticism’, but was unprepared for the seething discontent behind the floodgates. Hanoi backtracked, but began allowing more economic openness while keeping government structure (and media access) in a lockbox. In 1992 Vietnam signed a peace treaty with Cambodia, and in 1994, the USA lifted economic sanctions on the country. The two former enemies now maintain diplomatic relations.

As the economy continues to open to foreign investment and private ownership, Hanoi’s leadership remains in the hands of hard-line communists. The economy’s command structure insulated Vietnam from the worst of the Asian economic crisis (though its currency was devalued twice); the crisis actually increased confidence in the communist party. The growing private business sector in the city makes it obvious, however, that capitalism is making sturdy inroads into Vietnam. While the government is eyeing Most Favoured Nation status with the US and, eventually, membership of the WTO, its human rights record is bound to be a stumbling block.

Khue Van Pavilion ✓ Symbol of Hanoi . Interesting things to know about

The mysterious Khue Van Cac represents as a symbol of Vietnam capital, Hanoi city. Khue Van Cac is not just an architecture symbol, the monument is located in the overall of the Temple of Literature. The symbol of Hanoi simply represents spirit of Vietnamese and the rich history of the capital of the nation. Since 1997 to the present day, Khue Van Cac has been chosen by the Hanoi People’s Committee as the official symbol of the Capital.In addition, Khue Van Cac is next to the Temple of Literature that has been nominated to be called the symbol of capital city of Vietnam. Some older generation, consider other monuments such as one pillar pagoda, known as the Chua Mot Cot, located in the complex of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Turle pillar tower, the Thap Rua, in Hoan Kiem Lake, as alternatives for the symbol of Hanoi.

The Khue Van Pavilion was first built over what is believed to be another ancient religious temple, but what is visible now has been erected during mid 13th century then has been remodeled and constructed in early 18th. Unlike the other similar temples in other Asian cultures, the Hanoi symbol has not been used as a library but but a memorial to Confucius and Confucianism.

The Hanoi symbol is representing the earth and the round windows on the pavilion showcasing the heavens. Claiming the true facts of yin and yang, representing balance and prosperity in life.

Famous Landmarks in Vietnam’s capital to See (Updated in 2024)

Hanoi is packed with interesting places to see, however, many of us also would like to find about modern landmarks and outstanding features of the capital Hanoi.

Hanoi Old Quarter

Hanoi has been known for as for a city of peace to travellers and has become one of the most beguiling cities in Asia. It is slow-paced and pleasant, with a lovely landscape of lakes, shaded boulevards, verdant public parks, colonial French houses and astounding modern skyscrapers. Hanoi’s enchanting Old Quarter is rich with over a thousand years of history. Surface from its thronged labyrinth to explore the city’s lakes, pagodas, historical houses and strange preponderance of turtle imagery, and, a cafe themed city in modern days. The museums will help make sense of it all.

The 36 streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, bustling for more than 1000 years, make up one of Vietnam’s most lively and unusual places to visit. In the 13th century, Hanoi’s artisan guilds established themselves here, each taking a different street. Today it’s a shopping paradise, with specialised streets named for the products traditionally sold there. On Hang Ma (literally, ‘Counterfeit St’), pick up some ghost money, traditionally burned at Buddhist ceremonies for good luck. Other areas have had modern businesses take over – Hang Hanh (Onion St) is now better known as Coffee St for the bars and cafes lining the road. You can pick up anything from silk sleeping-bag liners to headstones to traditional medicines, but there are plenty of cultural sights that you won’t need to spend a penny on. Bach Ma Temple (White Horse Temple), a lovely pagoda attended by white-bearded guards sipping tea, commemorates the appearance of a divine white horse that appeared to show Ly King where to build the city walls. You can still witness the emperor’s success at the well-preserved 11th-century Old East Gate.

Imperial heritage sites

Sat like a humble site yet to be called, the Imperial citadel of Thanh Long, was built under the reign of Le Dynasty and reconstructed lated during under the order of the Nguyen Dynasty governors, the thousand-year-old monument represents the colorful history and a well example of Hnaoi’s culture covering an area of 18.395 HA. The UNESCO heritage imperial citadel is now located in the center of the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, which, includes a flag tower and a dragon statue.

Hanoi Flag Tower

Hanoi Flagtower, to some, referred as a flagpole, is a special historical structure and has the most majestic scale in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel complex. Not only a magnificent iconic landmark in the beloved capital, but the flag tower is also a testament to a glorious resistance during the Indochina War, a well preserved site of martyrdom and resilience of Hanoian. This is a place you must visit when you have the opportunity to travel to Hanoi.

Hanoi Flag Tower is a construction which has been built in early 19th century, on the old Tam Mon Citadel of the Le Dynasty in Thang Long Imperial Citadel. This is also the first stop on tours to visit Thang Long Imperial Citadel. From this site, visitors will be guided to move along the “fishing path”, through Doan Mon and then to Kinh Thien Palace – the most important location in the Imperial Citadel.

Hoang Dieu Archaeological Site

Located again in the same complex as imperial cite. the archaeological site located on 18 Hoang Dieu street, in the center of Hanoi city. An expanded archaeological discovery in late 2002 revealed the testimony of some well-known monuments which, most of them dates back to early 11th century. A visit must be taking visitors to understand more about the Hanoi back in the feudal age.

D67 Revolutionary House

House D67 used to be a meeting chamber between executive committee for communist parties, the Politburo and the Central Military Commissions and high rankings during the American war. Up to now, the D67 house always has a special meaning between the Vietnamese.

In 1967, a special building was erected behind the “Dragon House” – the workplace of the Politburo, the Ministry of National Defense and the Central Military Commission – to ensure safety when leaders are on meeting. Party leadership and the army when the US imperialists fiercely bombed and ravaged the North. That is house D67 (built from April to July 1967) – a one-story building, with monolithic concrete foundation, walls and roof. The outer wall is 0.6m thick, the dividing wall is 0.28m thick. The roof has three layers, the ceiling is 0.15m thick, in the middle is a sand cushion 0.7 – 1.15m thick, the upper layer is made of concrete 0.35m thick.

Hoan Kiem Lake (The Sword Lake)

A city’s eyes and face, the beautiful lake is where all travelers comes to, soon or late. The Hoan Kiem Lake, also known as Sword Lake, is a shining pearl of Hanoi Capital. This lake has become a famous historical attraction where all locals and international travelers get together. The 12 HA lake has been associated with the cultural aspect and life of Hanoi people for many generations.

In recent years, on weekends, around the lake will become a walking street with many attractive activities such as street music, folk games and if you’re a fan of street foods, then here is a place to go, the lake and the walking street would be an ideal activity for spending sometimes. in weekdays, its easy to get to the lake by motorcycle, taxi and or take a pleasant walk if you’re in and around the old quarter.

Hanoi Opera House

A fine example of a French colonial buildings in Hanoi, the Opera House is a magnificent theater building, a symbol of the French architectures and artistic heritage remaining in the Hanoi capital. Visiting Hanoi, we strongly recommend to check Opera house of Hanoi. visitors will admire an artistic masterpiece with a combination of many different architectural styles. Above all, the Hanoi Opera House is also an ideal attraction for those who love academic and classical art forms. This is considered one of the must-visit tourist destinations when traveling to Hanoi.

Hanoi Opera House is a theater project ranked as a National Monument, associated with important events held in the Capital. The Opera House is known as the “miniature Opera Garnier Paris”, possessing unique architecture, attracting a large number of visitors. At the same time, this is also the largest theater in Vietnam, famous for its academic art performance programs.

Best Time To Visit Hanoi → Weather, Temperature & Season

There is really no bad season to visit Hanoi capital city of Vietnam. The city offers nomerous sights that can be seen year-round, and the climate is generally agreeable. Tourist season runs from late June through August and October through Tet, the New Year’s celebration that takes place in late January or early February. Though accommodations and transportation are bound to be booked around Vietnamese lunar new year, it’s worth making the effort to see Hanoi dressed up for the festivities. Vietnamese tend to travel in the summer and around Tet, making public transportation that much more difficult to book.

Hanoi Cuisine

Hanoi has long been transformed itself from a culinary klutz to an epicurean entrepreneur. Sophisticated restaurants from locality to the top western ones, beautiful bars and chic cafes have begun to emerge around the city with increasingly international offerings. You can’t go past the Vietnamese staple though, a steaming bowl of pho ; no traveller should leave without sampling this tasty soup or the other delicious street food.

Eating in Hanoi should be an experience that will not leave you disappointed, especially if it is your first time in Southeast Asia or even in Vietnam. Witnessing how the local chef prepare food and seeing them scrubing pots on the sidewalk can be daunting, but that suspicion fades with the first bite: all the pieces fit together and suddenly you know that there will be a better place to enjoy a pho noodle soup than that plastic stool at end of a dark alley. Along with noodle, there are some other famous dishes that I advice you to try if you’d like to get a glimpse into food and cuisine of the Vietnam’s Capital. Try, Bun Dau Mam Tom, Phở Cuốn, Sticky rice, Bun Cha and many others.

Important events in held on Capital of Vietnam

Vietnam operates on two calendars: the solar (Western) calendar and the lunar calendar. Official public holidays are usually scheduled according to the former, while the most festive celebrations are the moon’s domain. Many businesses are closed January 1 for Western New Year’s Day, February 3 for the anniversary of the Vietnamese Communist Party, April 30 to commemorate Saigon’s surrender in 1975, May 1 so workers of the world can unite, May 19 for Ho Chi Minh’s birthday, September 2 to celebrate the country’s 1945 Declaration of Independence and December 25 for Christmas. Buddha’s birthday, which usually falls in June, and Tet, which takes place in late January or early February, are both lunar-calendar holidays when the bankers get a day off.

If you’re looking for a party, then just eat the extra airfare or hitchhike to Hanoi for Tet, a New Year’s celebration involving fragrant flower blossoms, delicate kumquat trees, delectable cakes of pork, bean curd and sticky rice called banh chung and fireworks that put automatic weapons to shame. The days following the week-long celebration are family time, and the streets are generally quiet with most businesses closed. Other events worth planning your visit around include Summer Solstice, when human effigies are burned to stock the God of the Dead’s armies, and the Mid-Autumn Festival, which utilizes the natural hyperactivity of children – who are drafted to carry colorful lanterns and bang cymbals while fortified with sweet moon cakes – for maximum effect. Wandering Souls Day, which takes place in late summer or early autmun, is second only to Tet in importance. Offerings of food and gifts are made in homes and pogodas for the wandering sould of the forgotten dead.

Vietnam capital in modern days

Vietnam declared liberation on April 30 1975 in Ho Chi Minh City [Saigon] bloody war years has ended and country got its reunion, means the south and north has become one independent country. Hanoi, the classic and oriental Capital of Vietnam its been well-known as a happy and peaceful city for many years. Capital of Vietnam is located in northern part of the land, the city of Hanoi is one of those great cities in Southeast Asia that hooks you up as soon as you touch down to its soil. Capital city is merged from its past with the modernity which together it makes a huge difference from part to part of the city while you visit. Hanoi is a city that cant be missed on any travel itinerary around the country. Capital of Vietnam is a paradise for foodies, adventurers, history buffs, culture seekers and even those looking for nighttime fun. There are so many things to do in Hanoi and so many photogenic corners.

Read Your Way Through Hanoi “Capital of Vietnam” from A to Z

• Hanoi: Past and Present, by Nguyen Vinh Phuc, is an excellent reference book for Hanoi’s long history and cultural attractions. A coffee-table book filled with vivid photos, Huu Ngoc’s Sketches for a Portrait of Hanoi makes an interesting read and great souvenir.
• A Drago Apparent is the classic travelogue of author Norman Lewis’ fascinating journeys through Vietnam and specially the capital of Vietnam as well as further reading on Laos and Cambodia in the ’50s.
• Sparring with Charlie: Motorbiking down the Ho Chi Minh Trail, by Chrisotpher Hunt, is a light-hearted travelogue about modern Vietnam and the life in the capital of Vietnam after war.
• Tim Page boasts ’12 months worth of photos taken 10 years after the war’ in Ten Years After; he returned to Vietnam to write Derailed in Uncle Ho’s Victory Garden.
• Karen Miller’s Hitchhiking in Vietnam is a travelogue falling this woman’s tumultuous seven-month journey.
• Vietnam: Politics, Economics and Society, by Melanie Beresford, gives a good overview of post-reunification Vietnam. The Vietnamese Gulag, by Doan Van Toai, tells of one man’s experiences in the post-reunification re-education camps.
• The Birth of Vietnam, by Keith Weller Taylor, tackles the country’s early history, while Stanley Karnow’s Vietnam: A History cover’s the country’s past from prehistoric times until reunification.
• A number of biographies about Ho Chi Minh have been written, including Jean Lacouture’s Ho Chi Minh: A Political Biography and Ho, by David Halberstam.
• An excellent reference work is Vietnam’s Famous Ancient Pagodas (Viet Nam Danh Lam Co Tu); you should be able to find a copy in Hanoi.
• Worthwhile books covering the Franco-Viet Minh war include Peter M Dunn’s The First Vietnam War and two works by Bernard B Fall: Street of the Vietnam’s Capital without Joy: Indochina at War 1946-54 and Hell in a Very Small Place: The Seige of Dien Bien Phu. Graham Green’s novel The Quiet American is probably the most famous piece of western fiction set in Vietnam.
• The earliest days of US involvement in Indochina are recounted in Why Vietnam?, a riveting work by Archimedes L. Patti, former head of the OSS (precursor to the CIA) team in Vietnam. Three of the finest essays about the war are collected in Jonathan Schell’s The Real War.
• Autobiographies covering the war from different perspectives include: When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip, a Vietnamese woman caught in the crossfire; One Crowded Hour by Australian film journalist Neil Davis; Chained Eagle, by US POW Everett Alvarez Jr; and Viet Cong Memoir, by Truong Nhu Tang, a Viet Cong cadre who later became disenchanted with postwar Vietnam.
• Two of the best books about the war are Neil Sheehan’s A Bright Shining Lie and The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh.