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Vietnam
Touring
Virtual
Tour of Vietnam With Pictures
Images
of Major Tourist Attraction in Vietnam
A
glance at Vietnam
Vietnam National Parks
Vietnam
Protected
Sites
Tours
On Offer
To Visit
Hanoi & the North
Hanoi
Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội) , estimated population nearly 6.5
million (2009), is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. From 1010
until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam. It was
eclipsed by Huế during the Nguyễn Dynasty as the capital of Vietnam, but
Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina from 1902 to 1954. From 1954 to
1976, it was the capital of North Vietnam.
The city is located on the right bank of the Red River. Hanoi is located at
1,760 km (1,090 mi) north of Ho Chi Minh City.
October 2010 will officially mark 1000 years of the establishment of the
city. On this occasion, Hanoi has been named by Frommer's travel guide as one of
the world's "Top Destinations 2010".
The capital, Hanoi, sprawls on the banks of the Red River. It is a beautiful
city that retains an air of French colonial elegance with pretty yellow stucco
buildings lining leafy streets. Hanoi is also a city of lakes, which adds to its
air of sleepy grace. At present there are relatively few cars – many people
travel by bicycle or moped. It is a city that appears lodged in a bygone age. In
the middle of the city lies the peaceful Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored
Sword) with the 18th-century Ngoc Son Temple (Jade Mountain Temple) sittingon an
island in its center. The temple can be reached by The Huc Bridge (Rising Sun
Bridge). To the north of Hoan Kiem Lake is the Old Quarter, a fascinating maze
of small antiquated streets lined with markets and pavement restaurants and
cafes. West of the Old Quarter and south of the West Lake is the former Ville
Française. This is the old French administrative center and is characterized by
enormous colonial-era châteaux and wide spacious boulevards. It also houses
Hanoi’s most popular attraction, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. When visiting the
Mausoleum, it is important to be respectful both in dress and attitude. Ho Chi
Minh was the father of the modern state and is still held in reverential regard.
His house, built in 1958, is also on public view. Other museums in Hanoi include
the Bao Tang Lich Su (History Museum), the Bao Tang Quan Doi (Army Museum), Ho
Chi Minh Museum, Bao Tang My Thuat (Fine Arts Museum), Bao Tang Cach Manh
(Revolutionary Museum) and Independence Museum. There are a number of
interesting pagodas in Hanoi. The One Pillar Pagoda, first constructed in 1049
(subsequently destroyed by the French just before they were ejected from the
city and then rebuilt by the new government), was built to resemble a lotus
flower – the symbol of purity rising out of a sea of sorrow. The Temple of
Literature built in 1076 was the first university in Vietnam. It is a graceful
complex of small intricate buildings and peaceful courtyards. To the northwest
of the Citadel is the West Lake, which is about 13km (9 miles) in circumference.
The shores of the lake are popular amongst the Hanoians for picnics and there
are a number of cafes. The lake also contains the wreckage of a crashed American
B52 bomber.
Near Hanoi
Hai Phong is located in the center of the Red River. It is approximately 100 kilometers (60 mi) from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Hai Phong serves as the primary seaport for the northern region of Vietnam.
About 100km (60 miles) from Hanoi, near the port of Haiphong, is Ha Long Bay.
This is an amazing complex of 3000 chalk islands rising out of the South China
Sea. The area is strange, eerie and very beautiful. Many of the islands contain
bizarre cave formations and grottoes. Near Ha Long Bay is Catba Island, a
designated National Park and a rich repository of plants and wildlife.
About 250km (155 miles) north of Hanoi, high in the Hoang Lien Mountains, is the
old hill station of Sapa. This area is inhabited by the Hmong and Zhao hill
tribes. Every weekend there is a market when the local tribespeople come into
town to trade. In the evening, they celebrate with huge amounts of potent rice
alcohol. It is absolutely vital that when visiting this area tourists are
sensitive to local culture and traditions. If one follows the road from Sapa
200km (125 miles) further into the mountains (this can only realistically be
attempted by jeep), one reaches Dien Bien Phu, scene of the humiliating defeat
of the French by the Viet Minh that finally put paid to French colonial
occupation in Indochina. This is a wild, beautiful and remote region.
Central Vietnam
Hue
Huế (help·info) ( in chữ Nôm) is the capital city of Thừa Thiên - Huế province, Vietnam. Between 1802 and 1945, it was the imperial capital of the Nguyễn Dynasty. It is well known for its monuments and architecture. Its population stands at about 340,000 people.
Midway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City lies the city of Hue. The former
capital of the emperors of Vietnam, it is known for its beautiful imperial
architecture, although a great deal of this was destroyed during the Tet
offensive in 1968. The Perfume River forms the border between the city itself
and the former ‘Forbidden Purple City’, the mighty Citadel. This ‘city
within a city’ with its tombs, pagodas and lakes covered in lotus flowers was
largely destroyed during the Vietnam War, but one can still see evidence of its
former magnificence. Within easy reach of the city are the tombs of several of
Vietnam’s emperors. Most interesting, perhaps, are the Tomb of Minh Mang and
the Tomb of Tu Duc. The city also houses fine examples of Buddhist pagodas and
other temples, such as the Thien Mu Pagoda.
Near Hue
Da Nang (occasionally Danang; in Vietnamese: Đà Nẵng About this sound pronunciation
is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of the North-South Railway also makes it a hub for transportation. It is located within 100 km of several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Imperial City of Huế, the Old Town of Hội An, and the Mỹ Sơn ruins. The city was also known as Tourane or Turon during the French colonization of Vietnam.
Before 1997, the city was part of Quảng Nam-Đà Nẵng province. On January 1, 1997, Đà Nẵng was separated from Quảng Nam province to become one of five independent (centrally-controlled) municipalities in Vietnam. Đà Nẵng is listed as a first class
city, and has a higher urbanization ratio than any of Vietnam's other provinces or centrally governed cities
Near Hue is Da Nang, city of China Beach, the Marble Mountains and the Cham
Museum, which houses magnificent examples of the art of the Indianised Cham
civilization. Approximately 20km (12 miles) from Da Nang is Hoi An. This is a
delightful small riverine town replete with temple and pagodas.
A day’s drive from Hoi An, through some of Vietnam’s most breathtaking
scenery, is Nha Trang. This is a pleasant resort with a good beach. From here it
is easy to reach the town of Da Lat in the Central Highlands, evocative of a
typical French town, which is popular among domestic tourists for its cool
climate and alpine scenery.
Ho Chi Minh-Saigon & the South
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh About this sound pronunciation (help·info)), also known as Saigon (Sài Gòn About this sound pronunciation (help·info)) is the largest city in Vietnam. It was once known as Prey Nokor, an important Khmer seaport prior to annexation by the Vietnamese in the 17th century.
Under the name Saigon, it was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina and later of the independent state of South Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. In 1976, Saigon merged with the surrounding province of Gia Định and was officially renamed Hồ Chí Minh City (although the name Sài Gòn—formally known as District 1—is still commonly
used.).
The city center is situated on the banks of the Saigon River, 60 kilometers (37 mi) from the South China
Sea and 1,760 kilometers (1,094 mi) south of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
The metropolitan area, which consists of the Hồ Chí Minh City metropolitan area, Thủ Dầu Một, Dĩ An, Biên Hòa and surrounding towns, is populated by more than 9 million people,[nb 1] making it the most populous metropolitan area[4] in Vietnam and the countries of the former French Indochina. The Greater Ho Chi Minh City Metropolitan Area, a metropolitan area covering most parts of Đông Nam Bộ plus Tiền Giang and Long An provinces under planning will have an area of 30,000 square kilometers with a population of 20 million inhabitants by
2020.
Set back from the delta formed by the Mekong River, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly
Saigon) is the main commercial center of the southern part of Vietnam, receiving
its name in honor of the leader who successfully led the nation against both
France and the USA. Locals still like to refer to it as Saigon. More modern than
other Vietnamese cities, Ho Chi Minh City has also retained its French colonial
influences. Its vibrancy is maintained by the ever-entrepreneurial Saigonese who
have taken the Government reforms to heart and re-embraced the capitalist ethic
with unrestrained enthusiasm. The streets are jam-packed with mopeds and
scooters, often carrying whole families. The markets are chaotically busy. There
is a lot to see in Ho Chi Minh City. The colorful Emperor of Jade Pagoda is an
excellent example of a Chinese temple. Inside, there are elaborate woodcarvings
decorated with gilded characters and sculptures depicting local deities. The
hustle and bustle of trading is best observed in the markets of Cholon, the
ancient Chinese quarter. The Hôtel de Ville is a wonderful example of French
colonial architecture. The twin towers of Notre Dame Cathedral have been a
familiar landmark in Ho Chi Minh City since the 1880s. The War Remnants Museum
bears witness to the suffering inflicted on the Vietnamese people during the
Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s. Other sites relevant to that era are
Re-Unification Hall and the former US Embassy. An interesting excursion from
Saigon is a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels in which the South Vietnamese Communists
concealed themselves and from which they launched attacks on US soldiers.
Near Ho Chi Minh City-Saigon
Northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh is an interesting destination as it is
the home of the Caodai religion. This is a purely Vietnamese sect formed this
century which takes teachings and precepts from most of the world’s major
religions. Tay Ninh is the site of the largest Caodaist temple in Vietnam. This
structure is colorful and unique.
South of Ho Chi Minh city are the flat, verdant planes of the Mekong Delta where
much of Vietnam’s rice crop is grown. There are several towns in this region
from which the visitor can take boat trips on the many tributaries of the
Mekong.
Nha Trang About this sound pronunciation (help·info) is a coastal city and capital of Khánh Hòa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the North by Ninh Hoà district, on the East by the South China Sea, on the South by Cam Ranh town and on the West by Diên Khánh district. The city has about 300,000 inhabitants, a number which is projected to increase to between 500,000 and 600,000 inhabitants by 2020[citation needed] according to an estimation of Nha Trang Administrative Board Statistics.
Nha Trang is well known for its pristine beaches and excellent scuba diving and is fast becoming a popular destination for international tourists, attracting large numbers of backpackers as well as more affluent travelers on the Southeast Asia circuit. It is already very popular with Vietnamese tourists. Nha Trang Bay is widely considered as amongst the world's most beautiful bays. Tourists are welcome to participate in the Sea Festival, held biennially. Nha Trang was the site of the Miss Universe 2008 Pageant on July 14, 2008 and it will also host Miss Earth 2010.
Cần Thơ About this sound pronunciation (help·info), the name comes from "cầm thi giang" - river of poems, is a city in Vietnam. The city, regarded as "Western capital", with an estimated population of 1,121,000 as of 2004, is the biggest city in the Mekong Delta. The city is located on the south bank of the Hậu River, the bigger branch of the Mekong River. It is 169 km from Hồ Chí Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city. Cần Thơ’s climate is tropical and monsoonal with two seasons: rainy, from May to November; and dry, from December to April. Average annual humidity is 83%, rainfall 1,635 mm and temperature 27 °C
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