Hoàng thành Thăng Long

After playing in Hanoi for four days, taking leisurely strolls and breaks was very relaxing. The attractions are quite concentrated, so even a commando could check off the main sites in one day, but I personally recommend three days for a more comfortable experience. 🏠About the attractions: 1. Top recommendation is Train Street. You need someone to guide you in, probably for safety reasons, and the fee is not more expensive than outside. To see the train, you have to wait for the weekend, and it's more beautiful when the lights are on at dusk. 2. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Security checks are required to enter, and many tour groups come here to check in. 3. The Imperial Citadel. The entrance fee is 30,000, and it's not very big inside, but many young ladies are taking photos. The yellow city walls are very photogenic. 4. Hanoi Opera House. It's beautiful for taking photos when the lighting is good. 5. St. Joseph's Cathedral. Suitable for photo ops and check-ins. 6. The Fine Arts Museum and the History Museum are worth a visit if you have time. 7. The famous coffee building + Hoan Kiem Lake. I sat in the rooftop café for a while, and the view was nice. 🚴About transportation: 1. Walking is highly recommended, as the attractions are not far from each other. Just choose where you want to go and use Google Maps to find the location and route. There are many shops and cafés along the road where you can stop by anytime. 2. Riding a motorbike. Grab is very convenient, and motorbikes are cheaper. 3. The double-decker red bus. It's very convenient to cover all the attractions in one go. 4. Pedicab. It's worth trying, but there's too much exhaust on the roads, so the experience is average. 5. To go from the airport to the city center, take bus 86, which costs 45,000 and takes about an hour, much more expensive by taxi. 🍽️About food and drink: 1. Vietnamese pho is very tasty. There are various ingredients like beef, pork, seafood, etc., and the price does not exceed 50,000, with free refills of noodles. 2. Egg coffee. Very fragrant, sweet, and creamy, and when mixed with coffee, it has a caramelized flavor, although the portion is a bit small, it's definitely worth a try. I went to Giang Coffee, which is said to be the original creator, and everyone had a cup in hand. 3. Coffee street. As long as you're in the city, there's a coffee shop every ten steps. You can try any with a Google Maps rating of 4.5, which is very friendly for coffee lovers. I bought Arabica coffee beans to take home, and they also have Moka pots and other items with great value for money. 4. There are many outdoor gear shops around the coffee building, such as The North Face, Patagonia, Salomon, and Arc'teryx. Remember to haggle for clothes, but it's harder to bargain for shoes. All are made in Vietnam, and you can judge their authenticity for yourself. 5. Street food. Juice costs around 25,000 per cup, and there are various noodles and cakes, all at reasonable prices. 🎢Other supplements: 1. There are many motorcycles in Hanoi city, which I find a bit noisy, so after walking for a while, I like to find a relatively quiet café to sit in. 2. You can withdraw money from ATMs, and UnionPay cards are charged a fee. Many shops accept credit cards, which is convenient. 3. When getting change while shopping, make sure to count carefully, as you might be given less by a few hundred thousand haha. 4. It's cheaper to get a SIM card in the city than at the airport. Overall, Hanoi is not expensive, and the architecture and streets are picturesque, suitable for a leisurely three to four-day stroll. If you have extra time, you can spend a day or two in Halong Bay, making it about a week in total.

This time i visited one of the most popular historical buildings in Hanoi City, Vietnam. This building was built in the 11th century by the Vietnamese Ly Dynasty, named: Imperial Citadel of Thang Long or Hoang Thanh Thang Long in Vietnamese. Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is a complex of historic buildings associated with the history of Vietnam, this building is marking the independence of the Đại Việt. This place is a must visit when you are in Ha Noi, Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is very rich of history and cultural heritage, very suitable for you who loves to learn and know about history of the country that you visit. The Entrance Fee for Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is 30,000 VND per person and Admission to children under 15 is free of charge. 🇻🇳Imperial Citadel of Thang Long 19c Hoàng Diệu, Điện Biên, Ba Đình, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam #tripmomentschallenge #vietnam #hanoi #trip #travel

Hanoi, although most of the time serving as a transit point, actually has a lot to offer in the city area, even hiding a world heritage site that is often overlooked by many, which is the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Although it is known as the Hanoi Imperial Palace, its scale is far too small compared to our Forbidden City, and its integrity is not as good as the Hue Imperial City in Vietnam itself. Personally, I feel it is more of a world heritage site of the ruins type. The Thang Long Imperial Citadel was built during the 11th century during the Ly Dynasty period, which was the first time the land of Hanoi became the capital and is considered by the Vietnamese as one of the symbols of independence from the Central Plains dynasty. Although the Thang Long Imperial Citadel was built by the Ly Dynasty, it has been modified to different extents by the Tran Dynasty, the Later Le Dynasty, and finally the Nguyen Dynasty, as well as the destruction and reconstruction by the French at the end of the 19th century. What we see today is vastly different from the original Thang Long Imperial Citadel, with ancient Vietnamese architecture coexisting with French architecture within the citadel, looking quite mismatched and out of place. Upon entering the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the first thing you see is the majestic Doan Mon gate, with five arched entrances, rebuilt during the Gia Long era of the Nguyen Dynasty. At that time, the center of the Nguyen Dynasty was in Hue, so the buildings reconstructed in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel were all reduced in height and scale. There is a small path that allows you to climb to the second floor of the gate, and the yellow building on the gate was rebuilt during the French colonial era. From atop the gate, you can see a tall flag tower on one side, which was built by the Nguyen Dynasty in 1812 and used as a military outpost during the French colonial period, and on the other side is a French-style building, which once served as the command center for the General Staff against the Americans. The square in front of the building is currently being excavated, and you can see the archaeological pits. Continuing past the Doan Mon gate, you will find a series of yellow colonial buildings, mostly converted into museums, displaying a wealth of artifacts unearthed from the site, such as plain bricks, decorative tiles, tube tiles, eave tiles, ironwood columns, court utensils, Vietnamese ceramics from various periods, Chinese ceramics, Japanese Hizen ceramics... What impressed me were some architectural components such as dragon and bird head components, which are quite exquisite, and there are also many bricks and stones with Chinese characters, such as 'Jiangxi Army' (Tang Dynasty), 'Dai Viet Quoc Ginh Thanh Brick' (Dinh, Early Le), 'Li Jia Di San Di Long Rui Tai Ping Si Nian Zao' (1057), etc. These unearthed artifacts have more or less connections with China, but still show the characteristics of Vietnam itself, many shapes and decorations are indeed not seen in China. On one side of these colonial buildings, there is a high platform surrounded by huge palace murals, which is said to be the 'Kinh Thien Palace', the center of the former imperial palace, and is now estimated to be under reconstruction. What is worth seeing on the platform are the giant dragon carvings on the steps, with various intricate patterns that are not common in Vietnam, but are more common in China. Apart from the ancient buildings and museums, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel was also once the center of military power for the Viet Cong. To this day, the citadel still retains the military command rooms, underground bunkers, etc., from that time. For example, the entrance in the corner of the building leads down to a deep underground, and the entrance to the staircase is isolated by a thick metal door. According to the introduction, this is an underground bunker used during the resistance against the Americans, which is quite a time-travel experience. The furthest north you can walk inside the Thang Long Imperial Citadel is the Hau Lau, which looks like an old Vietnamese building but was also rebuilt during the French colonial period. The exterior is still attractive, and you can climb up through the narrow corridors, but the upstairs is actually empty. Exiting from the west side of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, there is a large area of ruins, known as the 18 Hoang Dieu Street Archaeological Site. The area is quite large, but it is simply displayed there, not very interesting, and feels purely for the sake of heritage application, which can be directly ignored if time is not sufficient. 🏞️Name | Thang Long Imperial Citadel 🎫Ticket | 30,000 Vietnamese dong ⛳Address | Hoang Dieu Street 19C, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi

Hanoi citywalk, wandering through Hanoi alone, the capital of Vietnam located in the northern part, with comfortable winter temperatures and concentrated city attractions. One can complete the journey alone by walking and taking the bus. Accommodation recommendation, I recommend staying around Hoan Kiem Lake, where there are century-old Western-style houses full of historical sense. Attractions are concentrated nearby, transportation is convenient, and in the evening, one can stroll through the old city night market. Costs start from 200 yuan. Transportation, Hanoi's public transportation is quite convenient, and one can take the bus between attractions. Starting price is 1 yuan. Attraction recommendations, in the early morning you can visit the Thirty-Six Old Streets, which are the century-old streets of Hanoi with a concentration of French architecture, filled with a romantic blend of Chinese and Western styles. Following the Thirty-Six Old Streets, you arrive at Train Street, where you can have a cup of coffee while waiting for the century-old train to pass by. At noon, head to Hoan Kiem Lake to visit the Temple of the Jade Mountain, with a cost of about 10 yuan. Continue to take the bus to visit Hanoi's largest Temple of Literature, with a cost of 10 yuan. This is Vietnam's best-preserved and largest-scale Confucian temple, retaining the Chinese architectural style of a hundred years ago. In the afternoon, you can go to the West Lake area, where there is a Tran Quoc Pagoda in the lake, open for free. Nearby, there are also the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Ba Dinh Square, and the One Pillar Pagoda to visit together. The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long has an entrance fee of 10 yuan. In the evening, return to the old street area to experience the nightlife of the old streets. You can also visit the Hanoi Cathedral at night, with free admission. Food recommendations include Hanoi's special egg coffee, banana sticky rice, pho, and spring rolls. Recommended places are the Thirty-Six Streets and the old street night market, where there is a concentration of delicious snacks. The average cost starts from 20 yuan.