Hanoi

Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam. This is a city that mixes old and new. Cultural heritage sites are scattered nearly everywhere you look. St. Joseph's Cathedral is built to look like the Notre-Dame de Paris. The whole place is completely suffused with various flavors of history. The Temple of Literature is a Confucian temple in the Chinese architectural style, and the clouds of incense in the One Pillar Pagoda indicate its importance as a popular place for locals to pray. Other than traces of antiquity, there are also many scenic spots related to Ho Chi Minh such as the Ho Chi Minh Stilt House, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. You can go to Hoan Kiem Lake, where the locals like to stroll and cool off, or you can go to the 36 streets of the Old Quarter to buy unique local souvenirs. Once night falls, go to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre to watch Vietnam's national art form - the water puppet show - come to life.