Romantic Hanoi

From Luang Prabang to Hanoi

When the tuk-tuk driver dropped me at the airport in Luang Prabang, Laos, for my flight to Hanoi, I thought he had brought me to the wrong place. I asked him, “Where is the airport?”
“Here,” he said, pointing to the small building in front of us.
And from there, a new adventure in Vietnam began.

Hanoi (河內 – “inside the river”)

Hanoi is a fascinating city, with historic architecture and a rich culture shaped by Chinese and French influences.

Hanoi

The Old Quarter

First evening in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. I stayed in the Old Quarter, the city’s historic heart—a busy area where people cook and enjoy dinner on the sidewalks, sitting on small chairs around tiny tables. Scooters are everywhere, honking and competing for the right of way.

Birds and food

And then there are the vendors we all remember from movies: women in conical hats carrying two bags or baskets, hanging from a wooden pole balanced on one shoulder. They sell fruit, vegetables, sweets, and various goods.

The next thing I knew, a scooter with a man and a woman stopped nearby. The man tried hard to “sell” the woman to me. At the same time, a woman selling bananas pushed her carrying pole toward me, shouting, “Photo, photo!” while a man selling Vietnamese caps insisted I try one on.

In the end, I bought bananas.

The Trades

The streets of the Old Quarter are organized by trade: one street for shoes, another for clothes, one for sweets, and another selling funeral stones—mostly black, with photos of the deceased.

The shoes street, Old Quarter

Funeral stones

Caps

Fruits and flowers shop

The Arts

I was lucky to have a guide in Hanoi. Her name is Thao. She doesn’t speak much English; she mostly smiles. Thao is a graphic designer, painter, photographer, and Vespa aficionado.

Hanoi is a city of art. Particularly impressive is silk painting—it resembles embroidery, but is far more refined. Art is also created from small pieces of eggshells or seashells, carefully glued together to decorate frames or vases.

Hanoi painting

Stamp maker

Silk colors and patterns

Narrow passage and paintings

The Vietnamese love photography, especially artistic and romantic portraits of their girlfriends or wives. The women wear beautiful traditional or modern outfits, and the photo shoots take place in parks or around temples.

Bride and groom, Hanoi

Vietnamese students

Beautiful Vietnamese couple

Hanoi Vodka

My mood is strange these days. I’ve caught a weird cold—lots of coughing, and my head feels like it’s stuck inside a bag. I tried traditional medicine, a.k.a. “Hanoi” vodka, but to no avail. Maybe I should try the snake wine! It’s supposed to be good for “body fortification.”

Snake wine ingredients

“Hi, it’s my first day here. How is Hanoi?” I asked the Spanish tourist.

“I didn’t have time to look around. I got yellow fever…” she answered, sipping from a bottle of medicinal drink.

My cough worsened, so I went to the doctor. I was prescribed antibiotics. And here I am, in the country with the cheapest beer in the world, drinking only water and tea…

Temple of Literature

The 1,000-year-old Temple of Literature was dedicated to Confucius and later became a university for mandarins.

Temple of Literature, Hanoi

Incense

Disciples of Confucius

Vietnamese woman in traditional costume

Lake of the Returned Sword (Hoàn Kiếm)

The Lake of the Returned Sword is a central landmark in Hanoi, tied to legend and daily city life.

Turtle Tower

The Huc Bridge

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body is currently “on holiday” in Russia for three months of maintenance (at the time of this post).

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Street Theater

Hanoi’s street theatre features live performances in public spaces. I really enjoyed them.

Street performance

Dancers in the night

Little punk in audience

Food

Hanoi’s food is rooted in street culture, simple ingredients, and long-standing traditions.

Street restaurant

Dry food

What I tried

• Legs from something. The menu said “Deep Fried Frog Legs,” but on my plate I found two giant legs with claws at the end. I think they were tortoise legs. Too late now.

Frog legs

What I Didn’t Try

• Spirit with horse penis extract
• Riding a scooter on the busy  streets of Hanoi
• Going to the Water Puppet Theatre

Spirit with horse penis extract (left) and cobra whiskey

Hanoi Map

Related

• Hanoi Travel Guide (National Geographic)
• Halong Bay, Hoi An and Saigon
• Back in Time in Mekong Delta
• The Bay of Descending Dragons: Halong Bay