Hoan Kiem (Sword Lake) and Ngoc Son Temple

Foreign tourists visit Ho Guom Lake and Ngoc Son Temple

Located in the center of the city, Ho Guom is likened to the heart of this thousand-year old city. An interesting experience for tourists is walking around the lake and visiting architectural and historical relics such as the Pen Tower, King Le Thai To Temple, Hoa Phong Tower and The Huc Bridge which leads to Ngoc Son Temple.

Ngoc Son Temple is in the center of Hà Nội on a small island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. In the 15th century, the lake was renamed as Hoan Kiem (Returned Sword) because of a legend relating to Lê Lợi’s resistance war against Minh invaders.

 The Temple of Literature

Temple of Literature is the first choice for visitors who want to learn about cultural history of Vietnam

The Temple of Literature is considered as the symbol of Vietnam’s knowledge and education and often cited as one of Hanoi’s most picturesque tourist attractions. This is the place dedicated to a special celebrity during the time of feudalism in Vietnam, teacher Chu Van An. For first-time visitors, therefore, it could be a pity if it is missed out in their must-see list.

Tran Quoc pagoda

Tran Quoc pagoda

Tran Quoc Pagoda, located on a small penisula on the east side of West Lake, is the oldest of its kind in Hanoi and used to be Buddhist center of Thang Long citadel in the Ly and Tran dynasties. In early 2017, the UK's second biggest-selling daily newspaper Daily Mail named the pagoda among top 16 most mesmerising pagodas across the world.

Hanoi Cathedral

Hanoi Cathedral

Hanoi Cathedral (or Saint Joseph Cathedral), located at 40 Nha Chung street, is a Roman Catholic cathedral with neo-gothic style, which was built about 120 years ago.

With unique architecture, Hanoi Cathedral is one of the most beautiful and early Catholic buildings in Hanoi. In particular, at Christmas, the church became a popular pilgrimage place for Catholics.

One Pillar Pagoda

One Pillar Pagoda

One Pillar Pagoda built in 1049 under the Ly Dynasty is one of the symbols of Hanoi capital. Besides the spiritual meaning, the pagoda is a unique architectural work with a combination of the visual art on the water, sculpture, painting, etc, reflecting the ancient cultural values as well as national identity.

DT