Places to See in Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
We started our tour with the most important person’s mausoleum in Vietnam’s history, Ho Chi Minh. Even there is a city deriving name from him but surprisingly the mauseloum is located in Hanoi rather than Ho Chi Minh.
There are so many guardians protecting the place. Strict rules apply. Sleeveless tops and short shorts are not allowed when entering, and smiling while walking around is not welcomed. We entered and exited with a bit of tension. It was a visit where we discussed the concepts of “respect,” “fear,” “hierarchy,” and “power” at length. The square where this mausoleum is located is also the place where Ho Chi Minh read the Vietnamese Declaration of Independence in 1945.
Temple of Literature
This temple hosted Vietnam’s first national university. The topics of students’ theses were inscribed on turtle statues inside the yard. The courtyard is a pleasant place with greenery. It was quite crowded when we were visiting.
Hanoi Train Street
The train track is quite long, and there are several different streets are designed with cafes on both sides of the train tracks. There are also various wall paintings on the walls. The train passing times are specific. It doesn’t pass very often, but the cafes become more lively as the time for the train’s arrival approaches. So, check out the train schedules but make sure you arrive early to save a spot in the cafes. As the time approaches, be ready to adventure. Before you know it, they might ask you to move your chair back a bit, and despite that, the train passes almost right next to you. It’s a bit frightening, to be honest. Since it’s very close, taking a good photo shot or video is not easy as well.
Halong Bay
Halong Bay is not in Hanoi, but you can get there from Hanoi, although it usually takes up your entire day. There are public buses, shuttle and train options to reach Hanoi depending on your budget. Since we were part of a tour, they have arranged us a bus to get there. Then we boarded on boat and immersed ourselves in the beautiful views Halong Bay offers to its visitors. The color of the water is beautiful, and there are pristine and green islet-like formations around. It turns out to be an enjoyable boat trip. The only place we disembarked in Halong Bay was Dau Go Cave. While climbing to the cave, there are spots where you can take stunning landscape photos, and the inside of the cave is also very photogenic. It is a large cave, romantically illuminated with a dim light.