Travel

Discovering the Wonders of Hanoi

We arrived in Hanoi on a cold but bustling evening after a long bus + ferry + bus ride. Once we checked into our accommodation, we ventured out to look for some dinner. We went to Chả Cá Hà Nội 1871, a lovely street food place that specialises in chả cá aka grilled chopped fish. We were served a platter of rice noodles, peanuts, onions, a fish sauce-based dipping sauce, and a pan with fish and veggies to cook over a flame at the table. It was a really fun experience and the food was awesome too! It was such a lovely introductory meal to the street food culture that Hanoi is so famous for.

The restaurant is located on the edge of the Old Quarter and so after dinner, we wandered around the area. We saw many street food places with lit-up signs describing their respective various dish specialities. We even stopped somewhere to have some dessert: chè of course! Read more about what chè is in my blog post on Hội An.

The next morning we had breakfast at our accommodation and then went back to the Old Quarter, Hanoi’s historic heart, for a full self-guided walking tour.

We started at the Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake. The lake is lovely and photogenic, surrounded by lots of sites to visit. The temple sits on a small island in the lake, and you access it by crossing over a scarlet-coloured bridge. The temple is dedicated to (i) General Tran Hung Dao, who defeated the Mongols in the 13th century, (ii) La To, the patron saint of physicians and (iii) the scholar Van Xuong. Quite the combo!

The lake’s name means ‘Lake of the Restored Sword’, named after a legend. The legend claims that, in the mid-15th century, heaven sent Emperor Ly Thai To a magical sword, which he used to drive the Chinese from Vietnam. After the war, a giant golden turtle grabbed the sword and disappeared into the depths of this lake to restore the sword to its divine owners.

My favourite fun fact was about the turtles that used to live in the lake. They were Swinhoe softshell turtles that were giant and supposed protectors of the sword, as per legend. Two of the turtles are embalmed and presented at the temple in an exhibition of sorts. It was super interesting!

We checked out the Martyrs’ Monument, which depicts a woman with a sword, one man holding a rifle and another man with a torch. It was built in honour of those who died fighting for Vietnam’s independence. We also stopped by the Municipal Water Puppet Theatre to buy tickets for that evening. More on the show later!

We then stopped for a coffee at Hanoi Coffee Station. I ordered an egg coffee because it originates from Hanoi! First created in Hanoi in 1946, egg coffee is the brainchild of Nguyen Van Giang. In response to the pressures of a milk shortage caused by the French War (also known as the First Indochina War), Giang whisked in eggs as a much-needed substitute while bartending at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel. Giang’s signature drink became such a hit that he opened Café Giang in the wake of its success, where his son still serves the legendary egg coffee.

Of course, egg coffee is served all over Hanoi and Vietnam. Egg coffee is quite decadent and intense, and I can see why it wouldn’t be for everyone. I think for me the key thing is the level of sugar. I’m not a fan of the super sugary versions as it becomes sickeningly sweet. But if you go to a really nice, artisan place, they tend to get the sugar just right (like here!).

After our coffee break, we ventured on to the Heritage House. Its namesake comes from the fact that it’s one of the Old Quarter’s best-restored properties. The building is a traditional merchants’ house filled with beautifully decorated rooms and lovely furniture.

Along with the furniture, there are also period pieces like ceramics, artwork, jewellery, and crafts.

We were getting a bit hungry, so we walked up Dong Xuan market alley where there are tons of food stalls serving anything and everything. We stopped at Bánh Tôm Cô Ầm, which serves bánh tôm (fried shrimp cake). The crispy cakes are made with fresh oil for each batch and served with a dipping sauce, mixed with garlic, papaya, and carrots. The stand is incredibly popular and I can see people were willing to wait in line for a seat. And the food is totally worth it!

We walked around some more, passing through the proper Dong Xuan market, as well as some outdoor markets that were filled with Chinese New Year (called Tết, in Vietnam) decorations.

We also walked along some streets that are themed around certain products. In the 13th century, Hanoi’s 36 guilds established themselves here, each taking a different street. This is why most of the streets are named for the products traditionally sold there.

Meal culture is really interesting in Vietnam because many of the dishes available at street food spots are often relatively small-portioned. And so, after our shrimp cakes, we stopped at Bún Chả Đắc Kim for lunch part 2! Bún chả is a noodle dish typically with grilled pork, from Hanoi. We got this along with two crab spring rolls. The dish was served deconstructed, which I always find both a challenge and a delight to eat!

After our meal, we went to St Joseph Cathedral, a Catholic church. The church was built after French troops first captured the Hanoi Citadel and then the rest of the city in 1873. It was built in the style of Notre Dame in Paris and was completed in 1886. The church was one of the first structures built by the colonial government of French Indochina when it opened and so unsurprisingly is the oldest church in Hanoi.

Up next, we visited the Temple of Literature. It’s a rare example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture. Founded in 1070 by Emperor Le Thanh Tong, the attractive complex is dedicated to the Qufu-born philosopher Confucius (Khong Tu) and was the site of Vietnam’s first university, Quoc Tu Giam (1076).

The altars are popular with students praying for good grades, while the five courtyards’ halls, ponds, and gardens make picturesque backdrops for student graduation photos.

Originally university admission was exclusively for those born of noble families, but after 1442 it became more egalitarian. Gifted students from all over the nation headed to Hanoi to study the principles of Confucianism, literature and poetry.

In 1484 Emperor Le Thanh Tong ordered that stelae be erected to record the names, places of birth and achievements of exceptional scholars: 82 of 116 stelae remain standing, mostly atop turtle statues.

At this point, we then headed back to our accommodation for some rest as I was feeling a bit cold from being outside all day.

After a lovely rest, it was time to go to the theatre! More specifically, the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Water puppetry is a Vietnamese tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century, when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta, in the north of the country. I wanted to see this performance as I always think art is such an important part of a culture. The show started with a group of men and women playing traditional instruments and singing. Then there were various stories and legends performed by the water puppets. The water puppets are incredible and so unique. I was fascinated by their movements. While the show is entirely in Vietnamese, it was still really neat to see the puppets move in the water.

The performance finished at about 9:00pm and at this point, we were a little peckish. So, we went to Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su
for Victor to try some authentic pho! Featured in the Michelin Guide, this place is normally packed during the day but because we went there quite late we got a seat easily. Normally you can’t really order just one dish for two people, but because it was late and there were some tables available I don’t think the staff minded that we ordered just one pho. I don’t eat meat normally, so I just wanted to have a little taste to see what all the hype is all about! The broth was both delicate and flavourful.

I was craving something sweet so we found a chè place to have some dessert. It was the perfect end to our first full day in Hanoi.

The next morning we went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex. A traffic-free area of botanical gardens, monuments, memorials and pagodas, the complex is usually crowded with groups of Vietnamese who come from far and wide to pay their respects to ‘Uncle Ho’. Within the complex are Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the Presidential Palace and the One Pillar Pagoda.

We started with the actual mausoleum itself. Construction work began on September 2, 1973, and the mausoleum was formally inaugurated on August 29, 1975. Inspired by Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow, Ho Chi Minh’s incorporates distinct Vietnamese architectural elements like the sloping roof. Deep inside the mausoleum is the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh. As you might imagine, there are a lot of rules that must be respected within the mausoleum. You must dress modestly and cannot bring anything inside, including bags, phones, etc. There are lockers outside to store such items during your visit.

It was a bit of a bizarre but interesting experience to see the reaction of Vietnamese people walking by Ho Chi Minh and paying their respects. I’m really glad I made the effort to stop here as I think this is key to understanding the Vietnamese people. Ho Chi Minh is not only viewed as a revolutionary and politician but also an iconic and national hero of the country.

We then visited the rest of the complex. We walked by the Presidential Palace, the Palace for the Governor General of Indochina from 1906.

We visited the administrative buildings, one of which is where Uncle Ho lived and worked from 1954 to 1958 (called House No.54). He was well-known for living a very simple life and so any items in the house were gifts from people all over the world. The house is composed of three rooms: a living room (which was also his work area), a kitchen and a bedroom. You can also see his car collection!

We then visited Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House. After living in House No.54 for four years, President Ho moved a nearby house. He lived in this beautiful, traditional stilt house intermittently from 1958 to 1969. The house was designed with inspiration from the stilt houses often seen in the Northern mountainous areas, which reminded him of the arduous days preparing for the Revolution.

On our way out, we walked past the Ho Chi Minh Museum, which took five years to complete and was constructed to celebrate Ho Chi Minh’s 100 years of birth. We stopped to visit the One Pillar Pagoda, a pagoda that originally predated Ho Chi Minh’s arrival by almost 1,000 years! I say originally because unfortunately the pagoda was destroyed by French soldiers in 1954. After Independent Day, Uncle Ho ordered it rebuilt based on its original structure. It was completed in 1955.

We said goodbye to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex and went to another big, historical site: the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. The Citadel was built in the 11th century by the Ly Viet Dynasty, marking the independence of the Dai Viet. It was the hub of Vietnamese military power for over 1,000 years without interruption.

As seems to be a common theme in Vietnam, there has been a lot of destruction here. The Lý dynasty’s royal palaces and edifices were largely destroyed by the Nguyễn dynasty during reconstruction in the early 19th century. Many Nguyễn dynasty structures were later destroyed in the late 19th century during periods of French and Japanese control. The few remaining structures within the royal compound are the Main Gate (Đoan Môn), marking the southern entrance to the royal palace; the Hanoi Flag Tower (Cột cờ Hà Nội); the steps of Kinh Thiên Palace (Điện Kính Thiên); and the Rear Palace (Hậu Lâu).

Since then, excavations starting in 2008 have recovered a large number of artefacts. These relics are shown in exhibitions on the site. They show the craftsmanship and artistic legacy of Vietnam in the form of ceramics, carvings, tools, and more.

At the back of the Citadel is some interesting history related to the Vietnam War. From 1954 to 1975, the People’s Army of Vietnam had its headquarters within the Citadel. There are a few military command bunkers, complete with maps and 1960s communications equipment, which were used by the legendary Vietnamese general Vo Nguyen Giap.

Across the road from the current main area is 18 Hoang Dieu Street, a current archaeological site. In 2002 and 2003, this large-scale archaeological excavation in the centre of the Citadel revealed a wealth of monuments and relics. Archaeologists have discovered a lot of overlapping history, literally layers of history. Starting with the Dai La Dynasty (7th – 9th centuries), we have the Dinh – Early Le Dynasties (10th century), Ly Dynasty (1009-1225), Tran Dynasty (1226 – 1400), Ho Dynasty (1400 – 1407), Primal Lê Dynasty (1428 – 1527), Mac Dynasty (1527 – 1592 ), Revival Lê Dynasty (1592 – 1789) and finally the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945). The site is really impressive!

After an intense morning of sightseeing, it was time for lunch. We went to Bún đậu Gánh 1987 to have, well, bún đậu! They specialise in bún đậu mắm tôm aka rice vermicelli, tofu and fermented shrimp paste sauce. All sorts of other bits come with the platter and it was all very yummy.

We then made one last tourist stop: the Hỏa Lò Prison. This prison was used during two periods of history but is now only used as a museum. The first period of history was during French colonial rule, whereby they primarily held and tortured Vietnamese prisoners of war. The museum does not describe the French in a positive light, describing how the inmates were held in subhuman conditions. The prison in turn became a symbol of colonialist exploitation and of the bitterness of the Vietnamese towards the French.

The second period of history was during the Vietnam War. The North Vietnamese Army used the prison to house, torture, and interrogate captured servicemen, mostly American pilots shot down during bombing raids.

Regarding the alleged poor of inmates at Hỏa Lò, the North Vietnamese countered by stating that prisoners were treated well and in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. In 1969, they broadcast a series of statements from American prisoners that purported to support this notion. I knew the prison would be an emotional place to visit, but what I didn’t expect was the exhibition on Vietnamese-American friendship. The exhibition told the story of many American pilots remembering their time at the prison in a good light and even going back to visit. It also explained that when the war was declared over, the Vietnamese prison guards and the American inmates celebrated together with lots of joy. What an amazing way to explain how there can be a world after war, and perhaps even friendship.

After one last quick egg coffee break, we picked up our bags once again to make our way to the airport. It was time to say goodbye to Vietnam (for a little while!) and move on to another new country: Laos!