Reasons to Book Cheap Hanoi FlightsHanoi is the thousand year old capital and the second largest city of Vietnam. Nicknamed ‘Paris of the Orient’ and ‘Paris of the East’, this beautiful South Asian city consistently ranks among the world's top ten destinations for its 112 lakes, 600 temples and pagodas and thousands of French colonial-era buildings. It is the cultural epicenter of the country and has been subjected to a number of empires that have left a lasting impression on the city’s architecture- and the same is true for its literature and culinary arts too.
Hanoi Old Town QuarterThe Old Quarter in Hanoi is the most faithful reminiscent of the original street layout and architecture of the city. Starting with 36 streets that used to host small artisans and merchants selling household items a hundred years ago, this marketplace is also home to a thousand year old university (the Temple of Literature), a thousand year old sculpture that was built based on the dream of a king (One Pillar Pagoda) and a massive part of a 900-year-old Hanoi Citadel.
Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature)Vietnam’s first national university, Van Mieu was founded by Ly Thanh Tong in 1070 AD in Hanoi. It is dedicated to Confucius and is known for its calm and serene interiors. Its courtyard has numerous ancient stone tablets with names of graduates engraved over the back of a tortoise. An image of this temple is featured on the back of the 100,000 Vietnamese Dong banknotes.
Bao Tang Dan Toc Hoc (Museum of Ethnology)The Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi is the go-to point to learn about the culture, history and ritual practices of the various ethnic groups in the country. The most striking feature of this museum is that it has open-air exhibitions related to the housing and clothing habits of ethnic groups here. Also of note here are numerous artifacts related to arts, wooden carving, metalwork, traditional costumes and other household items.