Hanoi Things to Do Tips by pmarshuk

The tourist heart of Hanoi (and indeed the heart of the whole city) is the maze of streets that make up the old quarter. The area is located between Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) and Long Bien Bridge. Originally the were 36 streets each dedicated to a different artisan guild, now it is a wonderful maze of streets throbbing with life ,shops, stalls, cafes, bars and street life.
The sidewalks are almost impossible to walk on as they are full of parked motorbikes, so you walk down the narrow roads with everyone else, keeping an eye on the constant flow of bike and motorbikes around you.

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Directions: North of Hoan Kiem Lake

Unfortunately when I visited Uncle Ho was away in Moscow for his annual maintenance trip so we couldn't go inside.
The square in front of the mausoleum is used for parades and ceremonial events

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Directions: Ba Dinh District

Just along from Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum is the Presidential Palace, built between 1900 and 1906 for the French governers of Indochina, it is now used for receptions and meetings.. Ho Chi Minh himself refused to use the palace and instead took over the quarters of the palace electrician.
Evidently at one time the government wanted to change the colour of the building and were going to paint it orange. Thank goodness that didn't happen, the yellow is quite distinctive and not too bright.

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This is where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked rather than use the Presidential Palace. This is Nha Bac Ho a simple wooden house on stilts near the palace. Ho used the small rooms upstairs as his living quarters and study.

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Directions: Ba Dinh District

This is the room where Ho Chi Minh used to work

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Directions: Ba Dinh District

The original One Pillar Pagoda was (according to tradition) built in 1049 to resemble a lotus coming out of the water. It was destroed several times the latest being by the French when the retreated from Hanoi in 1954. The current structure was built on a concrete pillar in 1955.
The first pagoda was built to honour a dream by the King Ly Thai about the godess Quan Am sitting on a lotus leaf offering him a son.

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This is the real heart of Hanoi. It was in this lake that according to legend a giant golden tortoise reclaimed a magical sword lent to King Le Loi by the king of sea. According to the legend the sword is still in the lake and serves as a reminder of their history in repelling foreign invaders. Giant tortoises have occasionally been spotted in the lake - but nobody is really sure wether they still live in the lake or one is let loose for a while to perpetuate the legend.
The lake is surrounded by a narrow grassed area which is almost always busy with people either rleaxing, walking or exercising (or trying to sell postcards and guidebooks to tourists). Around this is the busiest road in Hanoi - mostly with bycycles and motorcycles. Cossing is an aquired art - see Warnings tip.

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An oasis of calm in the hurly burly of the road around Hoan Kiem Lake. Ngoc Son Temple means Jade mountain and is built on an island at the northern end of Hoan Kiem Lake. It is accessed across the Flood of Morning Sunlight Bridge. One of the displays in the temple is a 6ft long stuffed turtle supposedly caught in the lake. Rumour has it that some ofthese turtles (descendants of the great golden tortoise) still live in the lake and indeed some have been spotted. But so infrequently there is some doubt as to whether they live there or one is sometimes released into the lake.

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The oldest pagoda in Hanoi, it was originally stuated on the banks of the Red River but was moved to its present site on an island in the west lake around 1600. Most of the current buildings date from 1815. Surrounding the main pagoda are some fascinating monuments in the garden which are for the burial of monks.

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One of the "must see" experiences in Hanoi is a visit to the Water Puppet Show. The action takes place in a pool with the puppets being operated by performers hidden behind screens operating the pupputs on long poles which are under the water. It has to be said that although he show is fascinating it is not totally mezmerising. However, I though that the music accompanying the show was great.
The puppets act out traditional stories often depicting lives of the peasants with mythical themes, which involve people, fish, birds and dragons.
If you pay for the VIP seats (40,000 dong - USD2.66) then you get a tape of music from the show and a souvenir paper fan.

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Directions: On the banks of Hoan Kiem Lake.