Vietnam is always interesting to visit, including the city of Hanoi. Here are five things you must do when visiting this Vietnamese capital.
Watch the Water Puppet Theater in Hoan Kiem District
Indonesia has Papermoon, but if you visit Hanoi, you must watch Thang Long water puppet theater. This puppet theater conducted in water tells the story of the life of farmers in Vietnam. Although it is presented in Vietnamese, you will surely understand and laugh when you see the adorable puppet gestures.
Admire the Beauty of St. Joseph’s Cathedral
As one of the countries of the former French colony, Vietnam leaves many beautiful buildings that are very Parisian, one of which is the Cathedral of St. Joseph’s. You can enter and worship there, or just admire the beauty of this neo-gothic-style church and capture it on Instagram.
Dive into the bleak history of Vietnam at the Hoa Lo Prison / Hanoi Hilton
This place was once a prison used by the French colonialists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and then North Vietnam was used to cruelly torture American prisoners during the Vietnam War. During that time, sarcasm, Hoa Lo prison was also referred to as the Hanoi Hilton. It feels like you have to dive into the dark history of Vietnam by visiting a restored prison in the 1990s before it became a museum.
Visit the Beautiful Tran Quoc Pagoda
Going to Vietnam is incomplete if you don’t come to the pagoda. And in Hanoi, you can visit one of the well-known pagodas, the Tran Quoc Pagoda. As the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, Tran Quoc holds a lot of charm that cannot be missed by your camera lens.
Relax or Enjoy the Opera in the Hanoi Opera Theater
As one of Hanoi’s prominent architectural landmarks, this building was once a historical place for many political gatherings, as well as street battles during the war over Hanoi. The neo-classical building itself is similar to the Palais Garnier, one of the two oldest opera houses in Paris. Well, if you want to relax while enjoying a little atmosphere of Paris, please visit here.