Cultural tours – one of the most interesting activities in Hanoi, with alleys full of interesting things and ancient villages imbued with Vietnamese culture. Let’s join Impress Travel by following the article below to learn more details!

Cultural tours in the capital

Cultural tours in the capital

With more than 1,000 years of civilization, from the time it was the capital of Thang Long until now, Hanoi has always been the largest cultural center in the country, with tangible and intangible cultural relics. The good land has given birth to a folk culture with many legends, folk songs, proverbs, heroes, famous people who are praised by the people, and folk festivals with rich historical colors, a profound impact on the spirit of the people.

What makes Hanoi remarkable is that the four directions gather to bring different cultures, making cultural tours here more diverse, and nowhere else in our country has as many cultural villages as Hanoi. Villages with Buddhist, folk, and French architecture are scattered throughout the city, making tourists from all over extremely fascinated by the cultural values ​​that still exist in a bustling city like Hanoi.

Cultural tours in Hanoi in the integration process

Cultural tours in Hanoi in the integration process

Openness and international integration are vital rules and principles for development and creating equality between countries. The results brought about by international integration have opened up many opportunities for many countries, especially developing countries, among them Vietnam. There are great opportunities but also great challenges, the important issue is “Preserving and promoting national cultural tours identity in each country".

In fact, in recent years, the success factor of cultural tours in Vietnam has achieved this because it has been successfully exploiting the unique values ​​of national culture in tourism sales. Through cultural tours, the exchange and interference between domestic and international tourist flows and indigenous residents has given birth to a unique type of cultural product: tourism products.

Tourism products are cultural products that serve different types of tourists. When cultural products are included in tourism sales, tourism products will be created.

Hanoi’s cultural tour destinations are definitely not to be missed

Ba Dinh Square – Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum

Ba Dinh Square – Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum

If you have set foot in the land of a thousand years of civilization, Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum – Ba Dinh Square is a tourist destination in Hanoi that you cannot miss. This is the political center of Vietnam, with the National Assembly, Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum, etc.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is where the body of the beloved leader is kept. Outside the mausoleum are rows of immense green bamboo. Note, when visiting Uncle Ho’s mausoleum, you need to be careful to dress neatly, not bring electronic recording devices, and maintain order in the mausoleum.

Sword Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake

Sword Lake, or Hoan Kiem Lake, is one of the places to visit in Hanoi during cultural tours of the capital. Located in the center, Hoan Kiem Lake is considered the heart of this thousand-year-old city. The lake’s surface is like a large mirror reflecting ancient trees, willow trees with flowing hair, ancient roofs of temples and pagodas, mossy old towers, and new high-rise buildings rising to the blue sky.

An interesting experience for tourists is to walk around the lake, you can see an ancient but still modern Hanoi clearly visible. Next to the lake are architectural works such as But Tower, Nghien Tower, The Huc Bridge leading to Ngoc Son Temple, etc.

Hanoi Old Quarter

Hanoi Old Quarter

If you want to learn about life, cultural tours, and the people of Hanoi, don’t miss the Old Quarter, one of the tourist locations in Hanoi full of fun and attractions for tourists. Hanoi Old Quarter is located to the west and north of Hoan Kiem Lake, a densely populated place with 36 streets. Each street here mainly focuses on selling a certain type of item.

St.Joseph’s Hanoi Cathedral

Hanoi Cathedral

I don’t know when Hanoi Cathedral became a familiar “virtual living" place for many people during cultural tours of the capital. Located at the intersection of Nha Tho Street, Nha Chung Street, and Ly Quoc Su Street, Hanoi Cathedral creates a distinct highlight with its classic Gothic architecture mixed with romantic Indochina style. Few people know that this is the oldest Catholic church and the first Western architectural work in Hanoi. Thanks to its convenient location, close to many dining and entertainment venues, Hanoi Cathedral attracts a large number of tourists and locals to visit every day. You can come here to take check-in photos, then enjoy snacks and the famous cup of “church lemon tea".

Hanoi Opera House

Hanoi Opera House

The Hanoi Opera House was built by the French following the original model of the Opéra Garnier Theater in Paris, but on a smaller scale. With an “age" of more than 100 years (from 1911 to the present), the Hanoi Opera House has become the “representative face" of the city’s beauty. Visitors can combine visiting the architecture of the Hanoi Opera House with watching unique art performances. Around the Opera House, there are many unique places to eat, visit, play, and entertain. 

West Lake

West Lake

West Lake has been present since the reign of King Hung, is located in Tay Ho district, and is the largest natural lake in Hanoi – with a circumference of about 14.8 km and an area of ​​more than 500 hectares. This famous and beautiful lake has a few other interesting names. According to many geological experts, West Lake was originally a section of the Red River that stagnated due to the river changing its flow, creating a natural freshwater lake. One feature that makes the West Lake unique is that the water color changes according to the climate and time of day – guaranteed to bring you an extremely “satisfying" experience. 

It may take more than a day for you to experience all the outstanding tourist activities near West Lake, such as SUP boarding, going to West Lake Water Park, taking photos in West Lake Flower Valley, etc. 

Van Phuc Silk Village

Van Phuc Silk Village

A place in Hanoi that has the traditional beauty of cultural tours dating back thousands of years that you should visit is Van Phuc Silk Village. This is one of the most famous silk-weaving villages in Vietnam. This is not only a traditional village with proud silk weaving, but also recorded as “The oldest silk weaving village still operating today" awarded by the Vietnam Record Book Center. Not only can you take check-in photos, you can also immerse yourself in the very ancient traditional space of traditional silk weaving. Ancient houses and traditional weaving workshops line the small road. Exploring the silk village, you will also be able to see firsthand the traditional silk production process, from silkworm-rearing to the hand-weaving stage!

Bat Trang Pottery Village

Bat Trang Pottery Village

Whether you love the traditional art of pottery making or not, you have probably heard of Bat Trang Pottery Village. Located on the left bank of the Red River, now in Gia Lam district, Hanoi, Bat Trang Pottery Village has more than 500 years of existence and development, is the “headquarters" of ceramic production, with small units next to large-scale companies.

Over time, Bat Trang Pottery Village still retains the artistic values ​​and precious traditional cultural features placed in each product. The most interesting thing about traveling to Bat Trang Pottery Village is that you will be able to see the meticulous ceramic-making process at the skillful hands of artisans. Don’t forget to bring home some utensils and decorative items as souvenirs.

Long Bien Bridge

Long Bien Bridge

You may not know: Long Bien Bridge is the first steel bridge across the Red River, built from 1898 to 1902. In the beginning, the bridge was called Doumer, built by the French with the expectation that it would become an effective tool for colonial exploitation in Indochina and Vietnam. As a project of Daydé & Pillé Company (Paris, France), Long Bien Bridge was once known as the largest construction project in Indochina at the time, applying technical advances in advanced construction science to ensure the preservation of both technical and artistic elements. Today, this “historical witness" bridge connecting Long Bien district and Hoan Kiem district of Hanoi is an emotional virtual living coordinate. 

Watch Thang Long Water Puppet Show

Thang Long Water Puppet Show

Water puppetry is a famous intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam. You can see this unique performance art in Ho Chi Minh City. However, the Water puppet show at Thang Long Theater in Hanoi is also a wonderful activity that you should also experience. After a long day of exploring Hanoi, what could be more wonderful than being immersed in traditional music and contemplating the teachings of our ancestors conveyed through folk tales? Do not miss it!

Conclusion 

The above article, Impress Travel has just been introduced briefly so you can learn about and visit some famous cultural tour destinations in the Capital. Hopefully, this article will help you understand more about cultural tours in Vietnam!

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