From Siem Reap, Cambodia we flew to Hanoi, Vietnam for the last leg of our Asian trip. In Vietnam, we went from north to south: Hanoi (plus a cruise in “nearby” Ha Long Bay), Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Posts on these other locations will be coming soon. The first thing we noticed in Hanoi was the significantly cooler weather. Coming from Cambodia it was a real shock, Hanoi was in the 60’s F in January vs. 80’s F in Siem Reap.
Hanoi Old Quarter
We spent very little time in Hanoi itself. Our hotel was conveniently located in the Old Quarter, and within walking distance of everything we wanted to do.
Our hotel, Royal Palace, in Hanoi. Decent rooms and comfortable.
Street scene in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
The main tourist sites are in Hanoi Old Quarter, a densely packed section of the city with lots of little shops, temples tucked into hidden corners, and scooters everywhere! Scooters are the transportation vehicle of choice in Hanoi and Vietnam overall.
Rows of scooters on the side streets of Hanoi.
Hoàn Kiếm Lake
This lake and park in the Old Quarter provides a serene contrast to the busy streets nearby. There is a story of a Turtle God associated with this lake that is quite interesting. I won’t retell it here, but look it up on Wikipedia. There is a monument called “Turtle Tower” in the lake commemorating this legend.
Leading to the Temple of the Jade Mountain (18th century) in Hoàn Kiếm Lake is the pretty Huc (“Welcoming Morning Sunlight”) Bridge.
Temple of the Jade Mountain entrance.
A view of the Hanoi skyline from Hoàn Kiếm Lake.
St. Joseph’s Cathedral
A pretty odd sight in Hanoi is this Neo-Gothic 19th century Christian cathedral. It is the oldest church in Hanoi and was built by the French colonial government. According to Wikipedia, it is the headquarters of Archdiocese of Vietnam which serves 4 million Catholics across the country. From the mid 1950’s until 1990 the cathedral was closed, during this era Christians suffered major persecution. I’m glad the cathedral survived. While it cannot compare to what one finds in Europe, it still has its charm situated as it is in Hanoi.
Exterior view of St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi.
Interior view of St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi.
Hỏa Lò Prison (aka “Hanoi Hilton”)
If you do nothing else in Hanoi, take the time to visit the Hỏa Lò Prison, now a museum. This prison is famous for being the “home” of Senator John McCain, after his plane was shot down during the Vietnam War. He was held as a prisoner of war for 5 1/2 years, from late 1967 to early 1973 and along with other American pilots, he suffered greatly. All American prisoners were released in 1973.
A photo of a wounded John McCain after his capture in October 1967.
John McCain’s flight suit on display at Hỏa Lò Prison.
Typical prisoner supplies.
Rather than focusing on the American prisoner era, the purpose of the museum is to tell the story of the suffering of the Vietnamese people (particularly members of the Communist Party) at the hands of the French during the colonization period beginning in the late 1800’s, which laid the foundation for what became the Vietnam War. The French built the prison in 1896. It was turned into a museum in 1993.
Hỏa Lò Prison entrance.
The prison is located just south of the Old Quarter and is quite close to St. Joseph’s Cathedral (discussed above). The prison used to occupy a much larger area, and only a small portion remains, undoubtedly due to the value of real estate in this part of Hanoi. I am glad they persevered at least a portion of this prison for modern day tourists.
A snapshot of the original Hỏa Lò prison. What remains is just the section facing the street on the lower left.
Vietnamese prisoner depiction, all shackled.
Prison cell corridor, Hoa Lo Prison.
Prison cell door, Hỏa Lò Prison.
Although a bit hard to see, looking into a prison cell at Hỏa Lò Prison, “bed” slab in background.
The pictures of American POW’s in the museum are quite interesting, they make it look like it was a social club!
The current Vietnamese government attempts to show how well it treated American POW’s by showing them playing basketball and volleyball. Just a day at the gym!
Here are some photos of prisoner Christmastime celebrations!
Summary
As we visited Hanoi, my sense was that it’s less progressive and dynamic than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and that turned out to be the case. I will share more on Ho Chi Minh City in another post.
Please note that Vietnam requires a visa, which is not difficult to obtain. Complete an application on line, print out the paper work, and take this information with you to receive your visa upon arrival at your point of entry.
Our main purpose in visiting Hanoi was to serve as our departure point for a Ha Long Bay cruise–our next Vietnam post!
The Independent Tourist 
I really liked Hanoi a lot. Kind of crazy but charming! We had the same weather as you did and your pictures remind me a lot of mine 🙂
Agreed!