Attractions in Hanoi

The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is the solemn resting place of Vietnam's founding president Ho Chi Minh (1890–1969). Modelled on Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow, this grey granite structure draws millions of visitors annually.

The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is a UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing over 1,000 years of continuous political power. Archaeological excavations reveal layers of palaces and artefacts from the Ly, Tran, Le, and Nguyen dynasties.

The Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu) is Vietnam's first national university, founded in 1070 under Emperor Lý Thánh Tông. This beautifully preserved Confucian complex is one of Hanoi's most important cultural landmarks.

Thanh Chuong Viet Palace is a sprawling private museum and cultural complex built by painter Thanh Chuong, 35 km north of Hanoi, showcasing traditional Vietnamese architecture and art.

Hoan Kiem Lake ("Lake of the Returned Sword") is the spiritual and geographic heart of Hanoi. This freshwater lake separates the Old Quarter from the French Quarter and is steeped in the legend of King Lê Lợi's enchanted sword.

St. Joseph's Cathedral (Nhà Thờ Lớn) is Hanoi's principal Catholic church, built in 1886. Its neo-Gothic façade of dark weathered stone and twin bell towers evoke a miniature Notre-Dame.

The One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột) is one of Vietnam's most iconic temples, designed to resemble a lotus blossom emerging from a single stone pillar. Originally built in 1049, the current structure is a 1954 reconstruction.

The Presidential Palace is an elegant mustard-yellow French colonial building set in manicured gardens, built in 1906 as the Governor-General's residence. Ho Chi Minh chose a modest stilt house in the grounds instead.

The Hanoi Opera House (Nhà Hát Lớn) is a Beaux-Arts theatre modelled on the Palais Garnier. Completed in 1911, it is one of the finest French colonial buildings in Asia.

Tran Quoc Pagoda, on a small peninsula on West Lake, is the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, dating to the 6th century. Its elegant 15-metre, eleven-storey stupa is one of the city's most photographed landmarks.

Ba Dinh Square is the vast esplanade in front of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnamese independence on 2 September 1945.

A narrow alley in the Old Quarter where trains pass within inches of residents' front doors..

Train Street (Phố Đường Tàu) is a narrow residential alley where the national railway runs through a gap barely wider than the train itself. Residents fold away café chairs seconds before each passing.

The oldest temple in the Old Quarter, dedicated to the white horse guardian spirit of Thang Long..

Quan Thanh Temple is one of Hanoi's Four Sacred Temples, guarding the city's northern gate. Dedicated to the Taoist god Huyen Thien Tran Vu, it features a massive 4-tonne bronze statue cast in 1677.

A 3.85 km mosaic along the Red River dyke wall, recognised by Guinness as the world's largest ceramic mural..

Ngoc Son Temple (Đền Ngọc Sơn, "Temple of the Jade Mountain") sits on a small island in Hoan Kiem Lake, reached via the iconic red-painted The Huc Bridge.

The Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural stretches 3.85 km along the Red River dyke wall — one of the world's longest ceramic murals, created for Hanoi's 1,000th anniversary in 2010.

In a quiet residential neighbourhood, a small lake contains the crumpled remains of a US B-52 bomber shot down on 27 December 1972 during Operation Linebacker II.

Phung Hung Street features large-scale murals on the underside of French colonial-era railway viaduct arches, depicting traditional Hanoi street scenes.

A 33-metre hexagonal tower built in 1812, the best-preserved part of the Hanoi Citadel..