Places should visit for the first time in Hanoi
Hanoi, which is the capital of Vietnam, has gone through a thousand-year construction and development throughout the history, and has infatuated the hearts of tourists each year as a result of its own beautiful sceneries. Let’s discover some most stunning spots that you need to visit as you come to Hanoi with Whatsup Vietnam.
1. Quang Ba Flower Market
Address: Nghi Tam street, Tay Ho district, Ha Noi
Opening: 11 p.m to 6 a.m
If you want to find a place to play at night. Don’t worry! Quang Ba Flower Market will absolutely satisfy your demands.
It’s not exaggerating to say that Quang Ba is one of the biggest flower markets in Hanoi that you can’t miss. The special thing only this place has is that it’s only available from midnight and get overcrowded from 1 a.m to 4 a.m.
Flowers are delivered from all the surrounding areas to the market. Not only the common flowers you often see but also the special ones imported such as Waxflowers or Tuilips, which make you dive into the paradise of splendid colors. Moreover, you will have an opportunity to figure out the nightlife of Hanoians before the sunrise and see how different compared with the ordinary life.
2. Hoan Kiem Lake – Ngoc Son Temple
Address: Hoan Kiem district, Ha Noi
Opening: Hoan Kiem Lake: everyday
Ngoc Son Temple: 7 a.m to 6 p.m on weekday
Price: Hoan Kiem Lake: free
Ngoc Son Temple: 15.000 VNĐ for chidren; 30.000 VNĐ for adults
Hoan Kiem Lake is likened to the heart of Hanoi greatly dedicating to make the capital city more alluring and airier. The visitors usually come here to get away from the noise and frenetic pace of the city life. An fascinating experience for tourists is walking around the lake and you will see a very adorable Hanoi of both ancient and modern character. There are numerous activities you can take part in here such as playing badminton, kicking shuttle cock, singing or randomly dancing as the local are very welcoming and hospitable.
Ngoc Son Temple was built in 18th century in the centre of Hoan Kiem Lake based on a myth. Legend describes how an emperor was once given a magical sword which helped him defeat the Chinese Ming Dynasty and in doing so saw the return of the Golden Turtle God to the lake. However, you need to put on formal clothes to show your respects to this spiritual place.
3. Thang Long Puppet Theatre
Address: 49 Dinh Tien Hoang street, Hoan Kiem district, Ha Noi
Opening: 1.45 p.m to 9.15 p.m
Price: 60.000 VNĐ for chidren; 100.000 VNĐ for adults
Thang Long Water Puppet Theater was established in 1969 and is one of the most popular water puppet art venues in Vietnam. It’s also a traditional art form in Vietnam culture, which used to reproduce the fairy tales and historic legends by wooden puppets on the water. This is an interesting destination for visitors to Hanoi and particularly if your family has young children. They will surely enjoy watching the water puppet shows.
The performance impresses the audiences right from the first minutes when the traditional music rang out from the fretboard of the performers. The colorful wooden puppets characters appear from the water in stories and folk games, bringing viewers from one surprise to another.
You should buy tickets in advance because the program runs out of tickets very quickly. If you buy an early ticket you can request the first seat position in front of the stage or the middle row to watch the entire performance, but this is also the location where you can be easily splashed water. Furthermore, the theater stipulates that you SHOULDN’T film and take photos during the performance, if you want to register with the organizers. The surcharge is 20,000 VND with cameras and 60,000 VND with camcorders.
4. The Big Church
Address: 40 Nha Chung street, Hoan Kiem district, Ha Noi
Opening: Sunday: 7 a.m to 11.30 a.m and 3 p.m to 9 p.m
Monday to Saturday: 8 a.m to 11 a.m and 2 p.m to 8 p.m
This is a Roman Catholic cathedral with neo-gothic which was built over 100 years ago. In 1882, after the French army invaded Hanoi, the cathedral was constructed and completed in 1886. Besides Western style, the main interior part is decorated in Vietnamese way with two typical colors yellow and red. Outside, in front of the cathedral is the statue of Mother Maria.
The Big church attracts millions of people including Christian or non-Christian at the weekend and especially on Christmas Day. Students in nearby schools also gather to play football and have fun in front of the church gate. Moreover, this is not only the attractive place for Christian couples hold their wedding, but also a great venue for non- religious grooms and brides to take nice wedding shots.
5. Hoa Lo Prison
Address: 1 Hoa Lo street, Hoan Kiem district, Ha Noi
Opening: 8 a.m to 5 p.m
Price: 30.000 VNĐ
The prison was established by the French, from 1886 to 1901, when Vietnam was still part of French Indochina. The French called the prison Maison Centrale. It was intended to hold Vietnamese prisoners, particularly political ones. It was often overcrowded, holding hundreds of prisoners. By 1954 it held more than 2000 people. it has become a symbol of colonialist exploitation and of the bitterness of the Vietnamese towards the French. It is the place that imprinted so many crimes of invaders, but it is also the place that has carved many indomitable examples of Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers.
Visitors to Hoa Lo prison should pay attention to the instructions on safety and fire prevention. The accompanied luggage must be sent to the prescribed place. Distinctively, do not touch and move objects without permission. There will be blog travels im vietnam a separate area at the monument where visitors are allowed to burn incense so they are not allowed to use in prohibited areas.
Above are Top 5 go-to places to visit in Hanoi that WhatsupVietnam wants to introduce to you. Hope you enjoy your journey in Hanoi - the city of peace!