What made Hanoi the destination of the US-Korea summit 2019?
Meta: Hanoi – the capital city of Vietnam has been chosen as the venue for the summit conference between the US and North Korea. Read on to discover why Hanoi has had such a great honour.
Hanoi was honoured and proud to be awarded the title “Hanoi the City for Peace” 20 years ago by UNESCO. Along with the 2-decade journey of strong development, preservation and promotion of the cultural values, Hanoi has proven to be worthy of this noble title and become an attractive destination to both domestic and international tourists.
Let’s join me in exploring the must-see destinations in Hanoi that have “conquered” the hearts of all peace lovers around the world.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is a symbolic place where President Ho Chi Minh – the great old father of the nation and the leader who led Vietnam’s revolution to a glorious victory – slept for eternity. This is a place of long and heroic history that contributes to giving Hanoi the name “ Hanoi the city for peace”.
The Mausoleum officially started construction on September 2nd, 1973 and built on the foundation of the old stage at Ba Dinh Square, where Uncle Ho once hosted many major meetings.
In terms of design, the mausoleum has a square shape. The whole architecture consists of 3 layers with a height of 21.6 meters. The lower layer takes the shape of the three-level steps, and the middle layer is the central structure of the mausoleum. Surrounded the mausoleum are rows of square columns of marble and a three-level trapezoidal roof works as a final touch to the architecture.
In the mausoleum, Uncle Ho’s body is placed in a glass case made of sparkling black stone and shining thousands of bright beads. Through the transparent glass, Uncle Ho rests in his normal grey clothes and a simple pair of rubber slippers at his feet, showing the simplicity in his personality of a great leader of a nation.
Apart from the mausoleum, there are also other small but very important and meaningful projects such as One Pillar Pagoda, the house on stilt – Uncle Ho’s rustic place of residence and work with a fish pond, gardens, and coconut groves.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is sure to be a favourite stop of peace lovers when visiting Hanoi to learn about a great man who devoted his entire life to fighting for peace and freedom.
Tay Ho Temple
Wondering why Hanoi is acknowledged by many locals and foreigners as “the city for peace”? There is no better place than Tay Ho Temple – the origin of the hospitality and the love of peace of Vietnamese people – to answer that question by yourself.
Located 4km from the center of Hanoi, Tay Ho Temple is a famous sacred place in the capital. On the full moon, traditional Tet holiday, and other important occasions, the temple is crowded with hundreds of people coming to offer incense and pray for good luck.
According to legend, the temple is devoted to Princess Lieu Hanh – the second daughter of the Jade Emperor – who was banished to the earth by breaking a glass of precious stones. Because of the princess’ great merits in helping people to settle down and chasing away demons and evil spirits, the King of Nguyen Dynasty bestowed on her the title “the mother of all people”.
Looking from the outside, visitors will be highly impressed with the massive three-door gate, exquisitely carved with three entrances. The temple is a complex consisting of the main shrine worshipping the princess and other auxiliary works.
Tay Ho Temple is an ideal place for enjoying the gorgeous view of West Lake and praying for good luck and peace in life.
The Old Quarter
To truly feel the simple and unique lifestyle of Hanoians, welcome to the narrow and winding streets of the Old Quarter.
The Old Quarter refers to 36 ancient streets at the center of Hanoi. In the past, these streets were named after the goods they were selling. But today, only a few streets are still retaining the old trading form.
The time has changed the streets as well as the people but the scene remains the same – small shops lining up with golden walls, tile roofs, and old green windows.
Besides, this place is considered a culinary paradise with countless delicious dishes for tourists to enjoy the true cuisine of Vietnam, especially Pho and Bun Cha – the two most symbolic and famous dishes.
Nightlife at the Old Quarter is not less interesting at all with many bars and restaurants occupying the whole streets, attracting locals and foreigners coming to have fun and creating an impressive cultural interference.
This is the place where many different cultures and people converge with each other with friendliness and solidarity, making Hanoi worthy of the title “ Hanoi the city for peace”.
Royal Citadel of Thang Long
Thang Long Citadel is an important cultural and historical monument of Vietnam and has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage since 2010.
The ancient citadel once was the political center of the country for 13 centuries continuously and was the capital of Vietnam for 8 centuries. The attraction of Thang Long Citadel is Hanoi Flagpole – a symbol of freedom, peace, and independence of the nation.
Apart from the Flagpole, there is a wide range of other fascinating places waiting to be discovered such as Doan Mon Square, Revolutionary relic D67, Kinh Thien Temple. Also, don’t forget to stop by the archaeological site of the citadel, where tourists can witness for themselves many architectural vestiges such as palace, citadel, old wells, and so on from feudal times.
The trip to visit Thang Long Citadel takes about 1 to 2 hours. And if you want to better understand the cultural meaning and historical stories of the Citadel, it’s advisable to hire a guide to accompany you in your history journey to this land of peace.
The Temple of Literature
Built in the year 1070 under King Ly Thanh Tong’s reign, the Temple of Literature is a sacred place to worship Confucius, scholars, and sages. The temple was also widely known as the first university in Vietnam to train talented people to serve the country. Up to now, the Temple of Literature has become a symbol of the thousand-year-old Capital and a cultural cradle of Vietnam.
The focus on education through the construction of the temple has clearly shown the goals of the city for peace. They respect and regard knowledge as a “precious jewel” to uphold peace instead of relying on war and violence.
Visitors to the Temple, mostly young students from all over the country, flock in the early days of spring to burn incense and wish for success in their future life and work.
In addition, on the full moon every year, the Temple is the host of Vietnam Poetry Festival – where poets from around the country gather, exchange poems, and have warmly discussion. This is a great and welcomed opportunity to retain and preserve the beautiful tradition of Vietnamese people.
Hanoi is waiting for you!
It is no coincidence that Hanoi is praised as a city for peace and above are the reasons why. Hesitate no more and travel to Hanoi right away to feel peace in every place and very friendly and sincere smile of Hanoians.
