Hanoi, Capital of Vietnam.

My favourite view of Hanoi. Looking across West Lake from the Summit Bar...

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. Hanoi is the cultural capital of Vietnam and its heart and soul.

A great place to explore on foot, there is a lot to see and do here. Vietnam's capital lies on the banks of the Red River, some 100 kilometres from its mouth. Human settlements here date back as far as the 3rd century BC.

Previously known as Thang Long, it was renamed Hanoi in 1831 at a time when Hue was the capital. Large areas of present-day Hanoi were built during the French occupation, reflected in its broad boulevards and French-inspired architecture, which give the city a definite charm.

My favourite view of Hanoi. Looking across West Lake from the Summit Bar...
The Ao Dai, the traditional Vietnamese dress. Elegant, feminine & beautiful. The Ao Dai was born as the costume required to be worn by the southern courtiers under the reign of the southern lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat. Eager to establish a separate identity from his northern rivals, the Trinh lords, who enjoyed the status of regents to the puppet kings of the declining Le dynasty, Lord Nguyen decreed that men and women of his court wore trousers covered by a long gown. Thus was born the Ao Dai. The garment borrowed the style of clothing worn by the Cham, the original inhabitants of the land to the south of the dividing Gianh river, whose country of Champa (now Central Vietnam) had been invaded and conquered by the Vietnamese. The Ao Dai was Lord Nguyen’s way to show his respect of the culture of the Cham and to win over their support. Today, the Ao Dai has become the Vietnamese woman’s choice of fashion for special occasions. Fashion designers such as Thiet Lap of the 60s and Sy Hoang of today have continued to conceive new designs. The introduction of the raglan sleeve (sleeve that continues to the neck), the raising of the opening of the panels to a higher level exposing the skin on both sides of the waist, and other features borrowed from Western fashion add sexiness and sensuality to the Ao Dai. Yet the garment moves delicately with the body giving the wearer an appearance of modesty combined with self-confidence.
The centre of Catholicism in Hanoi is the beautifully decrepit neo-Gothic, St Joseph’s Cathedral. Built in the early days of the colony at the expense of a revered pagoda that was demolished in the name of France's mission civilisatrice, St Joseph’s opened its doors to worshippers in 1886. Many of the buildings in and around the area were built in the service of the cathedral in the late 19th century. French proselytising was highly effective in the colony. When the communists took control of the North in 1954, almost 500,000 mainly Catholic migrants, fled South. Many more remained in the North. An estimated 6 million Vietnamese continue to practice Catholicism. Relations between the Communist Government and the Vatican have been testy since the 1950s. Services in St Joseph’s resumed in 1990 after a long break and Sunday services have been packed ever since.
Beer delivery.
Hoan Kiem Lake, a busy place night & day.
Not easy to do, but Vietnamese Motorbike Taxi riders can make it look easy...
A legacy from the French, Hanoi has great bakery's and coffee..
Hanoi Newsagent
You can buy just about anything on the street in Vietnam..
I could never find this great restaurant that people recommended till I realised it was a Motorbike repair shop during the day..

anonymous 28.05.2019 07:14

I am so glad to have fun at Hanoi, Capital of Vietnam. This is a new place for me but sure will have a great time.

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Latest comments

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