Joanna James
Hanoi is famous for its ancient architecture and rich culture, which boasts French, Chinese, and Southeast Asian influences. If you love to explore historic and ancient things, Hanoi is the place to be; it has colonial buildings, beautiful pagodas, and treasures museums – what's not to love!
When you visit Vietnam, don't forget to relish the natural scenery of Hoan Kiem Lake. Located within a 13-minute driving distance from properties like Somerset West Lake Hanoi, it is an ideal place to get away from all your troubles. This lake will make you feel relaxed due to its calm, quiet, and peaceful ambience. Many locals and tourists go jogging on the lake path while enjoying the gentle breeze around the lake. The legends state that a Golden Turtle God had given a magical sword to Emperor Le Loi to defeat the Chinese Ming Dynasty. When returning after the battle, the Emperor was sailing on the lake when the Golden Turtle God appeared to reclaim the sword. Once the emperor gave the sword, the turtle god had disappeared back into the water. To commemorate this incident, the Lake was named as "lake of the Returned Sword" by the Emperor.
Temple of Literature is a place of historic value. Dedicated to Confucius, it used to be a university that taught scholars and sages. The buildings of the temple are a great example of traditional-style Vietnamese architecture. This is the first university in Hanoi that symbolises national Vietnamese education. Only Royal family members were permitted to enrol at this university. This is a splendid attraction in Hanoi that you simply must visit while enjoying a holiday at one of the serviced apartments in Hanoi.
The Water Puppet Theatre is an ideal place if you want to be transported to a world of fantasy; this place lets you enjoy a four-hour-long cultural excursion, where scenes from rural village life are reenacted using water puppets. This puppet show is recognised as unique performance art. You can enjoy the traditional story, which is shown in the theatre as your guide narrates the story.
The magnificent Hanoi Opera House is one of the top landmarks in Hanoi. It was built in 1911 by two French architects. The contemporary dances, orchestra, bamboo circuses, and government events take place in this opera house. And it accommodates six hundred audiences at once.
UNESCO named the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long as a World heritage site in 2010 because of its cultural and historical value. Old ponds, wells, roads, foundations of ancient palaces, and ruins of old buildings were excavated here in 2004. During these excavations, bronze coins, pottery, and ceramics from China were found, which revealed the trade relationships with China in a bygone era. The Flag Tower is a famous landmark with a renovated 40-metre tall fortress, which offers picturesque views of the Hanoi City Centre and Ba Dinh Square.
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