Hanoi Things to Do Tips by tampa_shawn

The Hoa Lo Prison Museum is definitely on the “must see list”

I knew several of the former POWs and have read dozens of biographies of former American POWs and found it quite eerie to be in the prison itself.

The Hoa Lo Prison got its name “the Hanoi Hilton” from the American POWs (Prisoners of War) during the “American War”. In America its name was synonymous with torture, starvation, inhuman treatment and torture.

Biographies of the former POWs document the horrible abuse and deprivation our POWs suffered during their stay in the Hanoi Hilton and I was quite surprised to see most of the museum dedicated to showing just how WELL the American POWs were treated.

You can enlarge the pictures on this page by clicking on them if you wish to read what the Vietnamese government is now saying about their “wonderful” treatment of the American POWs. This Propoganda was tacked on the walls of the prison itself.

I devoted an entire page to the Hanoi Hilton at:

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Website: http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/i/42423/

We got up at 5 AM today to see the city come alive and do Tia Chi and flag dancing in Lenin Park. Gill didn't join in the fun, but I did, and the locals really got a kick out of me and all came up and shook my hand afterward. The park was filled with people exercising and playing badminton. It was so much fun to be there and be part of it. It was all over with by 7:20 AM and our sleepy little city had turned into the mad exciting dash that is Hanoi.

While you can see people doing Tai Chi at almost any park at this time in the morning throughout Vietnam, Lenin Park is especially charming. Large groups converge here making the experience great. The background is quite special too. The park is built around big white statue of Lenin (the famed Russian leader) and directly across the street is the Cot Co Flag Tower that has an oversized Vietnamese Flag and the Army Museum which has a large display of planes and tanks. It shows Communism at its most charming (communities working together, group sports, national pride) and seems just a little unreal. I would highly recommend it.

This morning, we also came across a group of elders singing and doing tai chi in front of a temple so we stopped to listen. They wanted me to take a group picture of them so I did with me in the middle towering over everyone. They gave me
their address so I will need to mail them a copy of the picture when I get back.

The people here are wonderful and the energy of the place is just amazing. We spend the day saying, 'Come on' which is how you pronounce 'Thank you' in Vietnamese...

I just love this country and I could really see myself living here. It is so much better than I even dreamed it would be. Exotic, safe, fun...AWSOME!

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You absolutely must go to a Water Puppet Show (mua roi nuoc) when you are in Hanoi…especially if you have children or are a child at heart (like me). They are absolutely charming and it’s a uniquely Vietnamese art form that you really won’t find anywhere else in the world.

The stage is a small pool and the puppeteers hide behind a screen…so the brightly colored puppets come in and out of the water in amazing ways. The live music is wonderful and here is quite a cast of puppets from men fishing, to dancing women, a wide variety of animals …and of course fireworks and some modern stage effects

The hour show is done entirely in Vietnamese with accompanied by traditional Vietnamese sting instruments. It consists of short skits of traditional Vietnamese stories (that if you’ve been in Vietnam for awhile you will know). But you won’t need to know the stories or language to be totally enthralled.

We attended the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater, which is located directly across the Dinh Tien Hang Street…from the beautiful arched red-lacquered Hun Bridge in the Old Quarter (a short walk from our Hotel)

THE PRICE
Front row seats are $3 AND the admission price includes a program, a cassette tape of the music and a fan!!!!

It was such a wonderful show that when I left I was “walking on water” ! ;)

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Phone: Outside source
Website: http://www.angelfire.com/co/hongnam/waterpuppet.html
Other Contact: 57 Dihn Tien Hoang Str

Take an Early Morning Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake

I loved watching Hanoi wake up in the mornings…turning from a sleepy little town to a crazy city in the space of an hour…if you just can’t get up at 5:30 or 6AM to do Tai Chi in Lennon Park (See recommendation for that tip) then you can get some of the atmosphere by taking a stroll around Hoa Kiem Lake and any attached parks that catch your attention. In the morning you’ll see people doing Tai Chi sometimes in small groups, but usually alone…which is quite poetic with the backdrop of the lake, later on you’ll see people relaxing and enjoying the lake and couples sitting on benches leaning towards each other silently watching the water, later in the day small groups gather squatting on the ground playing cards or dominoes. It will take you 30 minutes to walk around the lake if you don’t dally too much…it took me several hours….

While you're walking make sure to note the tiny island in the lake with the three-tiered pavilion. This is known as Tortoise Tower for a famous Vietnamese legend about a Turtle. The lake is reputed to still house the giant Tortoise of the legend.

When you’re on the North side of the lake make sure to cross the beautiful arched red-lacquered Hun Bridge and pay the toll ($1 US) to enter Den Ngoc Son (Temple of the Jade Mound).

Also note the Water Puppet Theater (highly recommended) is directly across the street (Dinh Tien Hang Street) from here.

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When in Hanoi you absolutely must spend some time walking around the Old Quarter. My favorite times here were early in the morning or late at night when the street traffic is light and the locals are strolling around or sitting with their friends gossiping outside. Midday is also fun in a different way…totally chaotic and noisy

The street life here is fascinating and colorful…Each and every street has a different flair…left over from the time when the area was divided into 36 different artisans guilds, each centered around a temple or community house. The street names normally start with the word “Hang” which means merchandise…so for example “Hang Quat” is “Merchandise Ceremonial Fans” and sells a large variety of brightly colored religious goods….there are also streets devoted to tin goods, traditional medicines, shoes and paper goods…

This area left relatively undamaged from the bombing raids during the “American War” so be sure to look up to see the architecture in here, with its fifteenth century merchant houses and its “tube-houses”

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Directions: For more pictures and stories on the old quarter see my page below
Website: http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/42422/#TL

Ho Chi Minh is a huge cultural icon in Vietnam and every town seems to have a museum devoted to him (so much so that it appears everything the man touched, used or sat on is now behind glass). While in Vietnam you absolutely must see at least one Ho Chi Mihn Museum AND THE ONE IN HANOI IS THE ONE TO SEE. This museum is in a humongous building and is cleverly put together in a combination of hero worship and modern art.

While the outside of the building is quite imposing it will take you an hour at the most to make your way through the museum. If you visit the museum during the week you have a good chance of seeing entire grade school classes in their white shirts and blue-bottomed uniforms lining up in front of the museum for pictures and a tour.

While your at the Ho Chi Minh Museum make sure to explore the entire complex…including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Ho Chi Minh Stilt house, The presidential Palace and the One Pillar and Dien Huu Pagodas.

Most of the visitors to this complex are Vietnamese making pilgrimage to show their deep admiration and respect to Ho Chi Mihn. Uncle Ho, as he is often called, is a communist leader who is revered at the liberator of the Vietnam from Colonialism (from the US, France and Britian)

At the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum has Uncle Ho preserved and laid out under glass for display in grand Communist Style resembling the Mausoleums to Chairman Moa, Lenin and Stalin. The corpse was in Russia for “maintenance” while we were there so we were unable to go inside. I heard its quite something to see so please don’t miss it.

Before leaving your hotel be sure to take a moment to review the long list of dress and behavioral requirements for entering the Ho Chi Mihn Mausoleum. Cameras and bags are not allowed in the Mausoleum and must be checked in at the reception. No Shorts, tank tops or hats. And you are not allowed to put your hands in your pockets.

Touring the entire complex will take a few hours at the most.

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Directions: If your hotel is in the Old Quarter you’ll probably want to take a motorbike, taxi or cyclo to reach the complex, but you will need to leave them at the gate since the entire complex is open to pedestrian traffic only.

A stunning temple complex with a great history. Vietnam has a long history of valuing education and this was a major center of education in ancient times.

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Directions: For more pictures see my page at
Website: http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/42c3e/#TL