Whether youÃ×e lived in Hanoi for you entire life or have just arrived, why not indulge in city tour?
You wonÃÕ find double-decker buses or tour guides with megaphones in Hanoi, so why not hop aboard a cyclo? These vehicles are a great way to tour the old QuarterÃÔ narrow and winding streets. Many interesting sites lie within a small area.

The best place to start your tour is Hoan Kiem Lake, where you can yell Ũood morning, Vietnam to the crowds of people gathered here to do their early morning exercises. Come early dawn will find the area around the lake full of people doing aerobics, tai chi and calisthenics. If this seems too energetic, gaze out at the lakeÃÔ green waters and consider the lakeÃÔ legendary past. It is said that a golden turtle rose from the lakeÃÔ depths and presented Emperor Le with a magic sword that enable him to drive out Ming invaders in 1428.

DonÃÕ miss Ba Kieu Temple, The Huc (Remaining Sunlight) Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple at the lakeÃÔ northern end. Ngoc Son Temple is dedicated to Lord Van Xuong, the patron saint of literature and scholarly exams. Students still come here to pray before taking exams. Across the street lies Ba Trieu Temple, also known as Thien Tien Dien, built in Emperor Le Thanh TongÃÔ reign in the 17th century to honor Lieu Hang, one of the Four Immortals (gods and goddesses worshipped in VietnamÃÔ popular folk religion).

The temple constrains a stone stele and a copper bell from 1800. Next to the temple, a monument honors the soldiers who died to secure VietnamÃÔ freedom. The status features the words of a popular poem written by Nguyen Dinh Thi: Å©anoi flooded in fire/Hanoi is rising up/The Red River is howling©ô
Cross the roundabout near the fountain and youÃÍl find yourself at the start of Hang Dao Street, which leads into HanoiÃÔ Old Quarter, Founded 1, 00 Years ago, and artisans from different handicraft village settled on different streets. Most of the steers in this area still have the prefix Å©ang? which means Ÿares?

Streets like Hang Dao, Hang Ngang, Hang Duong, and Hang Ma remain very colorful. Traditional products may still be found on Hang Ma (Paper Wares) Street, Hang Tre (Bamboo Wares) Street, Hang Thiec (Tin Wares) Street, and Thuoc Bac (Traditional Medicine) Street.

Hang Quat (Fan Wares) Street still sells traditional ceremonial items, but other streets have changed their specialties. Ma Nay now specializes in tourist services, for instance, and Luong Van Can Street sells toys.
A Folk song states: ŵhe Dagon Citadel is the most splendid/This is where the roads and streets are planned in crisscrosses and squares©ô Today tourists fined this maze of streets fascinating.

Leaving the 36 Guild Streets behind, head along Hang Bong Street towards Ho Chi MinhÃÔ Mausoleum. No Visit to Hanoi is complete without a visit to Uncle HoÃÔ mausoleum, which was built to honor a national father figure, freedom fighter and man of great culture and wisdom.

Not far from the mausoleum lies the one Pillar pagoda, a symbol of Hanoi. Built in 1049 after appearing to Emperor Ly Thai Tong (1028 - 1054) in a dream, the pagoda features one compartment set atop of a tone pillar. According to legend, the imperial concubine Y Lan ordered giant bronze bell to be cast and christened it Ŧnlightening Bell While Y Lan wished to hang the bell in the one pillar pagoda, it weighed 12, 000 kg and was home to many turtles, the bell came to be known as the Turtle Field Bell. Unfortunately, the massive bell was melted down by Ming invaders in the 15th century.

Many other relics have survived. Not far from the Old Citadel lies VietnamÃÔ fisrt university, Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature Royal Collage), built in 1070. The grounds contain a temple devoted to the worship of Confucius, Confucian philosophers and Chu Van An the headmaster of the Royal College; and Quoc Tu Giam, the first college in Vietnam. Thousands of and scholars graduated from this institution and devoted their lives to the nation. On the 15th day of the first lunar month, a poetry festival is help here. Students often come to the temple to pray for luck in their exams.

On The Nguyen Thai Hoc Street lies the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts. Art lovers should stop by to learn about VietnamÃÔ artistic traditions and diverse ethnic cultures. Founded by French is architect in the 1930ÃÔ, the Museum is built in a French style but contains decorative features inspired by a traditional Vietnamese communal Hall

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