10 Places to Visit in Vietnam

Lesson Transcript

Want to speak real Vietnamese from your first lesson?

How long haven't you been traveling?

It's been a while, right?

Since we almost got vaccinated already,

I believe that the Vietnam government will soon have some new policies

to operate the tourism industry again.

So in this video today, I'm going to introduce you top 10 places to visit in Hanoi.

Since I'm from Hanoi, so I know a little bit more clearly.

Hello everyone, my name is Linh.

Welcome back to VietnamesePod101.com,

the fastest, easiest and most fun way to learn Vietnamese.

And let's get started.

The first one, let's talk about Hoan Kiem.

Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi attracts tourists and locals looking to get away from the noise

and frenetic pace of the city.

Peaceful and quiet, the lake surrounds Ngọc Sơn temple,

a pagoda or a temple sitting in the center on a small island.

The temple attracts many visitors and was built in commemoration

of the 13th century military leader Trần Hưng Đạo.

Trần Hưng Đạo, the island on which the temple is built is known as

Jade Island and is accessible by the iconic Khe Hục Bridge or Rising Sun Bridge,

which is a charming scarlet painted wooden bridge of classical Vietnamese design.

The pagoda is also guarded by two towering posts decorated with Chinese writing.

The lake and the temple are probably the most famous places in Hanoi city in which

to rest and enjoy the view and are a great place to sit back and watch the locals.

Okay, the second one, Ba Vy National Park.

Ba Vy National Park is a nature reserve of stunning beauty located around two hours,

like 48 kilometers, from downtown Hanoi.

Famous for its tree-picked mountain that just steeply up into the sky

and is often topped by clouds, Ba Vy National Park has dramatic scenery

and a diverse range of jungle plants and animals.

At the summit of the tallest mountain is an 11th century temple, offering expansive views

of the surrounding countryside and on the forest floor are natural hot springs.

Some good things to know, Ba Vy National Park takes around two hours to reach by car.

The ride to the park can be a little bit bumpy sometimes and it's best to avoid the park in

the rainy season when the roads are maybe slippery, especially the hiking trails.

Next one, let's talk about Dong Xuan Market.

Dong Xuan Market is the largest of its kind in Hanoi,

housed within a four-story Soviet-style building.

This sprawling complex offers an intensive collection of fashion,

apparel and souvenirs at some of the best prices in the city.

Even if you're not interested in printed t-shirts or cheap sunglasses, it is still

fascinating to see the comings and goings of the local traders.

Similar to most markets in Southeast Asia, Dong Xuan Market has a bustling wet market section

on the ground floor, where locals shop for seafood or meat and vegetables,

while the back section sells an area of pets like cats, dogs and fish flowers from all across Vietnam.

So if you're looking to shop for souvenirs, head to the upper levels,

where you can find numerous stalls selling t-shirts, fabrics, school uniforms, handbags,

handicrafts and all of which are sold at wholesale prices, so big quantity.

There's also a massive dining area within Dong Xuan Market, with food vendors selling

Vietnamese coffee and exotic local dishes for as low as only $15,000, like less than a dollar.

Highly recommended dishes include tít canh, duck blood soup or fried pork or bún trà,

grilled pork served with noodles and maybe bánh cuốn, rolled cake, rice rolled cake.

Now let's talk about Hanoi Old Quarter, one of my favorite places.

Packed with charming colonial architecture, Buddhist temples and pagodas,

the Old Quarter located near Hoan Kiem Lake in Hoan Kiem District is Hanoi's major commercial district.

Its heart and soul are exposed in the ancient commercial sheets, which are named after their

original businesses, dating back around a thousand years. Although most of the specialties

like cotton, jewelry, herbs and silk have changed over time and have been replaced with a variety

of modern-day commodities and services, visitors can still appreciate some of the original goods

as well as get a feel of rich old Vietnamese customs. The preserved shop houses that lie

along these roads were built a little over a century ago, and they were constructed in their

long and narrow style to avoid being hit by high taxes. So each has a street-facing facet

and multiple courtyards inside. The front part of the buildings is where trading takes place

while the family occupies the rest. Nowadays it is more common to see quite a few families

jammed under the roof. Expect to find plenty of hip cafes, bars, a variety of restaurants,

bakeries, beauty shops and art galleries in this historical era. The next place is Ho Chi Minh

Mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Body Square is one of the most visited attractions in Hanoi.

It is the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh, the most iconic and popular leader of Vietnam.

His body is preserved here in a glass case at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in central Hanoi,

considered as a place of pilgrimage for many Vietnamese. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is a

sprawling complex set within the city's gardens that contains the tomb of Ho Chi Minh as well as

various museums and monuments. Also worth a visit is the steel house, once home to Ho Chi Minh,

which is excellently preserved and the one-pillar pagoda. This pagoda is a reconstruction

of the original 11th century temple which was destroyed by French colonial troops.

Now let's talk about Văn Miếu Quốc Tử Giám. Văn Miếu Quốc Tử Giám, the temple of literature,

the city's most interesting religious building in this beautiful and incredibly peaceful

Confucian temple. Originally built as a university in the 11th century, today the temple of literature

stands as a tribute to the nation's scholars. It was here in the medieval era that the philosophy

of Confucianism and literature was taught and near the entrance way you can still see the names

of students who studied here. Inside a series of manicured gardens lead to pavilions and a

well-preserved pagoda were a statue of Confucius seats. Next one let's talk about Hòa Lò Prison.

Hòa Lò Prison, located in the center of the capital of Vietnam,

well known as one of the most inhumane prisons with terrified punishments. So in the past,

this land was a village specializing in making all kinds of casserole, potable earthen stove.

So this place is called Hòa Lò Village. Hòa Lò means fire earthen stove in Vietnamese. So when

the French occupied Hanoi, this was moved to another place to get land to build courts and prisons.

Because this prison was landed on Hòa Lò Village, so people call this place Hòa Lò Prison. Visitors

can take photos and observe the imprisoned life in the small cells like 1.8 meters plus 1.8 meters.

Windows are always closed and the prison is always full of people. In this prison you'll see the

horrified iron shackles and many artifacts and photographs of prisoners who are wearing leg

chains and cannot stand up or move. Prisoners are often starved, tartaned, and are always

beaten and isolated. Therefore, visitors can understand the spirit of the revolutionary

soldiers and the humanitarian policy of Vietnamese people against the American pilot prisoner in the

Vietnam War. Also known as the Hanoi Citadel, many artifacts and items dating back to between

the 6th and 28th centuries were excavated in 2004, including foundations of old palaces,

ancient roads, ponds, and wells. On top of these discoveries, archaeologists also found bronze

coins, ceramics, pottery from China, and many places in Asia, all of which demonstrate a closed

trading relationship in the era. The ancient site was the political center of Vietnam for 13

consecutive centuries and served as the capital of Vietnam for around 8 centuries.

A notable attraction in the imperial citadel of Thang Long was the Hanoi Flat Tower,

a renovated 40-meter tall stone fortress offering expensive views of Batting Square

and Hanoi city center. Next one, let's talk about Hồ Tây West Lake.

Hồ Tây is Hanoi's largest lake and its shoreline stretches for 15 kilometers. Many locals come here

to exercise by walking or cycling the pathway that rings the shore. Tây Hồ Pagoda is an exceedingly

pretty and dedicated to the mother goddess and Trần Quốc Pagoda is one of the oldest still

standing temples in Vietnam. For most travelers, West Lake is a great place to get a skyline view

of New Hanoi as well as to feast on fresh seafood at one of the many restaurants that sit close to

the shore. Remember that West Lake lies off Thuy Quê street. Now let's talk about Vietnam Museum of

Ethnology. A must for museum fans and history lovers, Hanoi's Vietnam Museum of Ethnology houses

the extensive national collection and tells the story of Vietnam's diverse cultures

in a series of excellently well-curated exhibits. Here the huge number of ethnic

minorities who call Vietnam home are highlighted with beautiful displays of artifacts and arts

that showcase wooden carving, metalwork and traditional customs. The garden area outside

the main building holds some of the most interesting exhibits. Here you can see the

rural drawings used by different ethnic minorities across Vietnam as well as the fascinating

Zarai tomb. Okay that's it for today, 10 places to visit in Hanoi. I hope you enjoyed it and

let me know if you have been to some of them okay. So if you have any questions or recommendations

for the next topics let me know in the comment below and don't forget to like this video,

subscribe the channel, visit the website vietnamespot101.com to get access to your free

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watching this video guys and see you in the next one. Xin chào và hẹn gặp lại các bạn.

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