Hanoi Charm - Sit back Relax, Enjoy Hanoi Hanoi Charm - A City Of CharmHanoi is the capital of Vietnam. This city is a fascinating blend of East and West, with Chinese influence from the centuries of dominance, and French design from its colonial past. It is largely unspoiled by modern architecture of the 1970s and 80s, and is now going through a modernization that is making it a rising star in the Southeast Asia. Hanoi makes a fine capital. It has held that title for more than a thousand years, through several invasions, occupations, restorations, and several name changes. The Chinese conquered the imperial city of of Ðai La in 1408 and had it renamed to Tong Bình. Le Loi repelled the invaders in 1428. For his efforts, he received the crown and a slew of legends about his heroic exploits, many centered around the Hoan Kiem Lake in the charming Old Quarter. The Nguyen Dynasty gave the city its modern name of Ha Noi in 1831, but they had transferred power to Hue by that time; it remained there until late 1887, when the French made Hanoi the capital of all Indochina. It changed hands again in 1954, when it was ceded to Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh after almost a decade of fighting where it became the capital of North Vietnam. And upon reunification in 1975, it assumed that title for the entire country. The first Western-style universities in Vietnam were founded in Hanoi, and today, it is the leading center of scientific study and research from within the country. Hanoi retains much of its older colonial charm, despite the many battles that have raged over it; conflict had the side effect of making it largely oblivious to modern architecture, and as a result, very few buildings in the city center area are higher than five stories. The Old Quarter is second only to charming Hoi An for uninterrupted stretches of colonial and pre-colonial architecture, well-preserved on dense warrens of narrow, wonderfully atmospheric streets. It trades the commercial boom and sprawl of Ho Chi Minh City in the South for a more understated charm, that is worth enjoying for an extra day or two, and with countless transport options and travel agents, it makes a perfect base for deep exploration of the North. The Tourist Information Center - tel: (84-4) 926 3366 - on Dinh Tien Hoang, just north of Hoan Kiem Lake, can provide a fairly useful map (bewilderingly, the blow-up of the old town is missing making it useless in that part of town) and other English-language advice, as well as limited free Internet access. They aren't completely without bias, however, and seem to support certain companies, for example An Phu Tour (bus company).
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