Mysterious Flower Night Market

 At 2 am, when petals are coated with slight drops of dew and the city is in its deep sleep, Quang Ba Night Flower Market opens. Products there are nothing but flowers and light from torches. These two things seem to make a unique market at the midnight.

It is unknown how long Quang Ba Night Flower Market has become the Hanoian’s biggest wholesale market of fresh flowers. It is held daily but almost days are busy. Quang Ba Night Flower Market is often opened up at 2 am, but in fact, florists bring their goods from surrounding areas to the market since 11 pm the day before. Flowers at Quang Ba Market are believed to be the most fresh and beautiful.

Each category of flowers is sold at a certain row. Unlike noisy and boisterous other open-air markets, Quang Ba Night Flower Market is smooth and elegant as its own products. Especially, all sellers and buyers there always clutch at their torches, an essential thing because of the lack of sunlight at this time.

Quang Ba Night Flower Market is divided clearly into two turns. The first period from 2 am to 4 am is farmers’ who directly planting colorful flowers. Most flowers are wholesale to people who wait for next turn to resell, therefore, prices are significantly cheap. The second turn begins since 4 am and almost prices are higher because of reselling.

Flowers still have their long-history beauty. Their refinement and aromas make life more beautiful. Even in this market, it is just its flowers, which splendidly fresh and colorful in foggy and vaporous night, making it unique and unforgettable.

Hanoi pagodas - All the most famous (P.2)

Chem TempleChem Temple is in Thuy Phuong village near the southern bank of the Thang Long Bridge. The temple is dedicated to Ly Than, who was sent to assist the first emperor of the Chi'in Dynasty in China and married his daughter during the second century BC. It is believed that the Chem Temple was built around the 7th or 8th century on the site of Ly Than's residence. The current temple today was erected in the 19th century.

The temple contains two gilded wooden statues of Ly Than and his wife sculpted in 1888. It’s a relaxing place, with excellent views of the Red River

Phu Dong TemplePhu Dong Temple is in Gia Lam District, once the home of a tenth-century legendary hero called Thanh Giong. It is located in a peaceful rural area across the Red River to the east of Hanoi city centre. The site actually consists of two temples.

The Dong Temple is large and impressive. According to local legend, it was built by King Ly Thai immediately after the king moved to Thang Long in 1010. It now has two prayer halls, a rear palace and, unusually, a theatre built on the front pond for water puppet shows, all of which were constructed in 19th century.

The Mau Temple was originally built in 1693 on the outer dyke and is dedicated to Thanh Dong's mother. Nearby is an old garden once owned by Thanh Dong's mother. It contains a stele bearing a legend. Apparently, a giant trampled upon the vegetable patch and left a footprint. The next day, Dong's mother placed her foot in the giant print, became pregnant and gave birth to Thanh Dong.

Dong Nhan TempleLocated in central Hanoi, this temple pays homage to the Trung sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, Vietnamese heroines who led a rebellion to drive out the Han invaders in AD 40.

The Dong Nhan Temple was originally built on the Red River bank in the 12th century, but the bank collapsed in 1819 and the temple was moved to its current location. A local legend tells that one night in early February, two statues were discovered floating in the Red River in 1142 and were brought ashore by villagers. King Ly Anh Tong was told and ordered a temple dedicated to the statues to be built on the spot.

The two statues stand at the rear of the temple and wear hibiscus hats with their hands rising up to their faces attended by twelve statues of female generals on each side.

Thu Le Temple (Kneeling Elephant Temple)The temple derives its name from two kneeling elephants guarding the gate.

Located in Hanoi’s Thu Le botanical garden, this temple was built in the Ly Thai Tong Dynasty (1028-54) near West Lake, and was dedicated to Linh Lang, son of King Ly Thai Tong.

According to legend, the King’s wife was confronted by a dragon, and became pregnant. When the child was born, he had dragon scales and lights twinkling like pearls on his chest. As an adult, he led the army to expel invaders. The grateful king wanted to abdicate in his favour, but Linh Lang refused. He was transformed into a black dragon entangled around a stone slab and disappeared into West Lake. The king ordered a temple to be built on the site.

The Thu Le Temple still contains two bronze statues and a large concave stone slab. It’s in an attractive wooded landscape beside a pond, a calm and harmonious ambiance conducive to contemplation.

Quan Su PagodaThe Quan Su is Hanoi’s largest and most popular pagoda. It was first erected on land in An Tap village close to the southern gate of Thang Long (the old name for Hanoi).
Originally a small Buddhist pagoda located near the 15th century Quan Su house used to receive foreign envoys and ambassadors, the pagoda eventually became the headquarters of the Tonkin Buddhist Association. Over the years, the pagoda has been restored and expanded many times.

Bach Ma (White Horse) Temple in the Old QuarterAccording to legend, in the ninth century, King Ly Thai To was struggling to build the Hanoi Citadel, but the walls kept collapsing because of the marshy sub-soil. Bach Ma (White Horse), who was the spirit of Thang Long, appeared in the guise of a builder and told the King how to create foundations that would support the masonry. The King was grateful, and ordered the building of a pagoda dedicated to Bach Ma. A statue of the horse stands beside the altar.

The current structure was built in the 18th century, and is typical of Hanoi’s pagodas. It’s hidden away in the Old Quarter, and blends in well with its bustling streets. There is even a shop built into the walls to the left of the entrance.

Hanoi pagodas - All the most famous (P.1)

Tran Quoc PagodaThe original pagoda was built in the 6th century and is considered the oldest in Vietnam. It was founded on the bank of the Red River by King Ly Nam De who named it Khai Quoc (National Founder). Much later, it was moved to its present site beside Hanoi’s Ho Tay (West) Lake during the reign of King Le Kinh Tong (1600-1618) and renamed Tran Quoc (National Defence). The current building is the result of major renovations in 1815, but one of its effigies dates back to the early 17th century.

In the garden, there is a Pipal Tree (ficus religiosa, but known throughout history as the Bodhi tree) reputedly grown from a cutting of the original tree where Buddha sat and gained enlightenment.

Hoe Nhai PagodaThis pagoda was founded in 1020 by a Chinese Buddhist monk named Trong Dien. The ruling monarch at that time had persecuted Buddhist monks. Dien described the Buddhist philosophy for him, and he relented.

Inside, a statue of Dien shows him sitting on the Kings back, symbolising the understanding between them. The interior framework of the building and the altars are all fashioned in hardwood and are very attractive.

One Pillar PagodaOne Pillar Pagoda.Close to what is now the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the One Pillar (or One Tree) Pagoda overlooks a small pond. It was built by Emperor Ly Thai Tong after a dream in which the Goddess of Mercy handed him a male child on a lotus flower. He created the small wooden pagoda to resemble a lotus blossom to commemorate the birth of his long-awaited heir.

Unfortunately, the original was destroyed during the war with the French. The present building is a replica erected the year after the colonists were finally expelled in 1954.

Lien Phai PagodaThis pastel coloured multi-tiered pagoda stands in a pleasant garden hidden in a labyrinth of alleys leading off Bach Mai Street just below the city centre to the south. It is set amongst pleasant and tranquil gardens next to the main building of worship. The pagoda was founded by one of the Nguyen Lords in the early 18th century who picked up a rock resembling a lotus root in his back garden. Considering this a sign from Buddha, he converted his palace into the pagoda.

A visit also provides an opportunity to venture into the maze of tiny alleys off the main roads where the majority of Hanoi’s residents live, and where foreigners are a great rarity.

Quan Thanh PagodaThis impressive pagoda was founded during the reign of King Ly Thai To (1010-1028), and is located beside Truc Bach Lake. It is ornately decorated and stands before a pleasant courtyard shaded by banyan trees. Inside, there is an imposing four-ton bronze statue of the God of the North cast in 1677, together with his attendant spirits, a snake and a tortoise – clearly a Taoist symbol.

Tay Ho Pagoda
Named after the lake it sits beside, the pagoda occupies a superb position on a tongue of land projecting into the water. It is dedicated to Thanh Mau, the Mother Goddess, who appeared on the lake as a pretty girl, smiling and reciting poetry to a fisherman, then vanished.

It is one of Hanoi's most popular pagodas, attracting many worshippers on the first and 15th of each lunar month. It’s also a delightful place to visit, particularly as part of a trip around the lake by boat – it has its own landing stage.

Lang Pagoda
Located in Hanoi’s suburbs, the Lang Pagoda provides an opportunity to see a semi-rural area, yet another of Hanoi’s many faces. It was built during the reign of Emperor Ly Than Tong (1128-1138). Entry is via an ancient concrete and wooden gateway flanked by stone elephants. The courtyard encloses an octagonal pavilion. For visitors, it offers a peaceful setting where local students like to read and paint, and old people enjoy relaxing in the shade of the trees.

Hanoi museums

Hanoi museums are as diverse and wonderful as the city is itself. You'll find museums that cater to your interests, whether you want to learn a bit about the history and culture of Vietnam or just see some great works of art.

History

Most of the Hanoi museums are dedicated to preserving the history of Vietnam. These 3 museums offer looks into Vietnam's past. 

1.  History Museum - The Hanoi Museum of History displays artifacts from prehistoric times through to World War II. While some of the artifacts are a marvel in and of themselves, the arrangements leave a lot to be desired. Most of the exhibits are labeled in Vietnamese, but you will find some in English.
2. Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution - From the time of French colonialism to reunification, this museum details Vietnam's move toward independence. Most of the artifacts are made up of print, including letters and newspapers, so don't expect to understand too much.
3. Museum of Military History - In the Citadel is the Army Museum, which includes displays from the start of the uprising against the French to the American War (Vietnam War). Bring a guide with you, as there is very little that you will understand unless you speak Vietnamese.

Art

Vietnam does have some beautiful art, and if you're not keen on buying some at the galleries you can at least see some examples in the art museums.

1. Fine Arts Museum - This museum contains both reproductions and originals of works that range from traditional folk art to modern art. Like the other museums, there's a push to show Vietnam in the best light.

Culture

Culture museums are always interesting. There are several in Hanoi that are worth a visit.

1. Ethnology Museum - The 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam are all represented here via dioramas, models and reconstructions of buildings and practices.
2. Museum of Vietnamese Women - Here you can discover the role of women, mostly within the last century. The museum itself is extremely well done with artifacts labeled and put into proper context.

Regardless of which museums you visit, keep in mind that a strong vein of propaganda flows through all Hanoi museums. Don't feel compelled to "educate" staff or visitors, just enjoy the experience of a new place.
(Hanoi travel guide )

Hanoi cooking classes

If you’re thinking about how you might recreate some of the tastes and dishes you’ve been sampling in Hanoi once you return home, roll up your sleeves and grab a cleaver. There are three very good options for spending half a day learning to prepare some of your Vietnamese favorites at a local cooking class.

If you are already home, it’s not too late. Browse our Recipes for easy dishes you can prepare at home to present a classic Vietnamese menu.

Hidden Hanoi

 

Hidden Hanoi offers the best broad introduction to Vietnamese culinary culture. It is a small company run by a lovely Vietnamese woman name An whose mission is to share her knowledge and love of Vietnam with visitors to Hanoi. In addition to cooking classes, Hidden Hanoi also offer survival Vietnamese language classes and a variety of walking tours. Classes are fully participatory and although each student prepares the ingredients for a different dish, the whole class watches as each one is cooked and of course you get to sample all of the dishes over a shared lunch. There is no guided market visit in this program, but if you choose to pair this class with a walking tour, you can request a market visit as part of that tour.


Highway 4

A cooking class at Highway 4 gives you the chance to try your hand at some of Highway 4’s delicious favorites, including their famous catfish spring rolls. Their cooking class also includes a short cyclo ride through town on the way to a market visit at either Chợ Hàng Bè or Chợ Hôm, two famous neighborhood markets (although on my last visit, we walked from the Hang Tre location to Chợ Hàng Bè). The class is participatory and has the added advantage of starting early in the morning, so while you have a shared lunch to sample your cooking, the class wraps up at noon and gives you a full afternoon to explore the city.

Logistics: Highway 4 classes can be arranged every morning from 8AM – noon. Rates: Start at $52 per person for 2 people, with the rate dropping slightly with larger group size; 10 person maximum.

Sofitel Metropole Hotel

The Sofitel Metropole Hotel offers top quality dining experiences at both Le Beaulieu and Spices Garden, and presents a first class cookery option. This experience also begins with a cyclo ride to your market tour. Here, with the head chef of Spices Garden as your expert guide, you will learn about Vietnamese herbs and ingredients before heading back to the Metropole’s kitchen. While this class has participatory elements, there was a heavier focus on demonstration by the chef. The advantage is that you get to experience six dishes instead of the usual three or four. The Metropole class menus also include more sophisticated dishes such as pork cooked in bamboo, and stuffed crab with mushrooms. In lieu of a self-cooked lunch, the class moves over to Spices Garden for an elegant sampler feast prepared by the restaurant; the afternoon class (the only afternoon option for classes) includes dinner at Spices Garden.

Logistics: Sofitel Metropole Hotel classes are offered daily from 10AM - 2PM (including lunch) or 3PM – 9PM (including dinner). Rates: Prices range from $90-110 depending on day of the week and booking method. The hotel also offers a full-day Culinary Journey package that includes a morning tour of a noodle making village and ceramics village, lunch at Spices Garden, and an afternoon market visit, cooking class and tasting. Offered 8:30AM – 5:30PM daily, with rates ranging from $140-160 per person.

Hanoi’s coffee culture

Sai Gon has coffee on high floor, and under ground, etc., whereas Hanoi has street coffee and traditional cafeteria. The competition between Trung Nguyen coffee system, modern Cappuccino coffee and traditional coffee is still equal. This reveals that the Hanoians retain some uniqueness of their ancient lifestyle.

Coffee and the Hanoians

The Hanoians drink a lot of the dark, caffeinated beverage and prefer sipping their stronger blends outside in front of a small shop with some sweet milk and a spoonful of sugar. Every morning, on hot days of summer and cold and dull days of winter, you can easily see some here with a cup of coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other.

For many Hanoians, the most important factor of a café is not its luxuriousness but the quality of the product. Old people love cafés which have been around a long time, located on old streets or inside deep alleys. Office workers like cafes with romantic and quiet styles like those in Pho Co Quarter. Young people prefer the noisy and busy atmosphere of modern and luxury or pavement cafés.

Street Coffee…

Soaking up the rhythms of the street and embracing Hanoi from all of its sides, from old to new ones, and from traditional to modern & quirky ones, you will tenderly recognize that, nothing can be better refresh us after hardworking hours than a cup of coffee on a street near Sword Lake (Hoan Kiem Lake).

Basking with sunshine in the afternoon when there’s less noise from automobiles, Hanoi ends a day and opens a new paradise for culture experiences. Taking over a legacy from bygone years with the involvement of an irresistible French factor, the Vietnamese have embraced café culture in a great way. There are so many famous coffee shops in Hanoi, like Nang café (6 Hang Bac), Nhan (39D1 Hang Hanh), Quat (Quan Thanh), Quynh (Bat Dan) to Giang (Hang Gai and Lam (60, 91 Nguyen Huu Huan)… Chairs are small, literally child-sized, and are sometimes made of blue plastic or painted wood. The tables are covered with glasses of ca phe den (black coffee) or ca phe sua da (iced coffee), which come with their own picturesque drip top. Not only just for connoisseurs,  these places are idea for having gossip, meeting old friends, talking to pass  time of day, stealing precious moments for romantics …

Now, let’s follow a coffee connoisseur…

A good example of the authentic Hanoi cafés is Hang Hanh, an atmospheric slender street veering off the city’s central Hoan Kiem Lake. In the afternoon, one may find himself inexplicably drawn to its’ wall-to-wall cafés which unfold below the shady boughs of leafy trees. Here, the annoying young and cool Vietnamese often sit and watch the world in front of their eyes. In late afternoon, with the last rays of sunshine, the place starts to buzz. At weekends, it is positively heaving with dating couples or gangs of youths desiring to be couples.

If this sounds too frenetic, a more subdued place like Giang Café can be chosen! Though situated in a busy tourist shopping street, the tiny confined Giang Café attracts the serious permanent coffee lovers and soccer addicts. 

[Cyclo cafe in Hanoi] My next stop is Lam café - the perfect refuge for artists, poets and thespians to refresh their minds for creativeness. Situated on a shaded street, it will bring you the relaxed moments by the simple but artistically-decorated bamboo furniture, colorful framed oil paintings on the wall, ceiling fans as well as wooden table with a lot of tiny china teapots.

Yet, if you ask me about my favorite one, I will not hesitate to answer that it is Quynh Café. Down in a quiet side street, this unassuming cafes’ entrance is marked by a simple red lantern and ornate ironwork doors. Stepping inside, you not only see the bamboo furniture on tiled floor but also the tiny plants adorn wooden shuttered windows. Looking on damp-streaked walls, you may surprise with wooden arrows and trumpets, farming implements and ancient hunting pistols. Breathing the cool air from the antiquated table-fan, wallowing in soft French background music, you will desire to stay longer...

Coffee drinking from another approach

The resurgence of tourism to these fragrant shores has led to the resurrection of the wonderful old ambience of former colonial times in many Hanoi cafés. Delightful cafés are now housed in elegant French-style villas with exquisite silk prints, meticulously polished wooden floors and pot-planted courtyards or serve delicious food all day and evening. Street cafés like the La Terrasse du Metropole on Ngo Quyen and Le Phung Hieu or Highlands Café, 84 Nguyen Du are the typical examples!

Hanoi’s coffee culture calls on coffee addicts from every corner of the globe! (hanoi travel guides)

Van phuc silk village

Van Phuc Silk Village is situated on the banks of Nhue Thi River, Nguyen Trai Road, near Ha Dong city, 8 km southwest of Ha Noi. It takes you only 30 minutes by motorbike to go there from the centre of Hanoi. The village has been much well known for its traditional sericulture, weaving, and silk products. Tourists coming here are lured by various beautiful shirts, crafts, ties, dresses and many other things made of silk available in the village. What is special is that the silk is made by very simple looms, which is the genuinely traditional Vietnamese way of making silk.

For centuries, silk has always been considered an extreme luxury, on par with rhinoceros horn, ivory and precious handworks in Vietnam. It has long been a universal byword of luxury, often worn by the richest, most powerful citizens. Most visitors somehow have heard about the significant role of this kind of material in Vietnam, yet might wonder where the cradle of Viet silk is. The mentioned Van Phuc Silk Village is proud to be the origin of best silk and silk-making industry of Vietnam, which is attached to a long-lasting history of more than two thousand years. Though passing by lots of ups and downs, during the recent years, the village’s craft has enjoyed revival due to a surging demand for silk in both the domestic and foreign markets.

Today, the fine and lustrous cloth that originates from the cocoon of the silkworm is more affordable for "ordinary" folk. Furthermore, silk is currently enjoying a fashion renaissance, particularly since its many varieties can be made into a wide range of designs suitable for all facets of modern life. Should you intend to have a silk pair of formal clothes made, just come here and select your suitable materials, and professional tailors here will bring you satisfaction!

Like other visitors to the village, you will be surprised at this “silk shop town”, where almost all houses along the paths have been turned into shops selling silk products. Specifically, the village is now home to 1,280 households, 90% of whom are involved in silk production and business. The village makes more than 2 million meters of silk per year. Yet, more than that, you are offered a good chance to explore the Vietnamese traditional industry of silk-making.

No tourists here are uncontented with the glisten of various silk products. They are always confronted with an initially bewildering array of silk products, from raw materials, to garments, and a myriad of silk accessories. The local silk is known for its smooth and lightweight appearance, and qualities that enable it to be dyed more colors to suit a variety of skin tones. In
order to cater for the changing demands and tastes of customers, Van Phuc silk producers are expanding their silk and garment repertoire: traditional glossy, embroidered silks, double layers, wrinkled silks, and of course, more colours, hues and weights, for which they have invented new techniques in dying and thermo-processing the threads.

If you are going to buy something from Vietnam as gifts for those at home, silk and clothes made of silk are available around in the village for your choice. Though the days when Vietnam's silk was reserved for nobility are long gone, what would never change is the sense of romance and luxury imparted by silk, a luminous cloth type. With 2000 years of history behind them, the silk weavers of Van Phuc Silk village are still busy, weaving dreams.

How to get there? With a view to reaching Van Phuc village, tourists should travel south west out of Ha Noi on Nguyen Trai Street until they reach the border of Ha Dong District. Then turn right and dive for about 3km. The village is on the left, some 8 km from central Hanoi. Motorbike, bus, or taxis are all of good use.