Hanoi city has gone through all the turbulence starting from invasions, occupations, restorations, and name changes. It has been conquered by Chinese in the 1400s but only lasted for about twenty years. Nguyen Dynasty give the name Ha Noi in 1887, but when French took over, Hanoi has been turned to be a capital of French Indochina.
When Vietnam split to North and South Vietnam, Hanoi has been turned to be the capital of North Vietnam while Saigon is for the South.
In the 1976 unification, Hanoi remains as the capital until today.
Hanoi is very much centred around Red River that runs from Yunnan in China right through Vietnam until the Gulf of Tonkin.
Although French has been in Vietnam for about sixty years, the influence and legacy of French rule is not so obvious. In fact there are not so many people who can speak French, but English is quite widely spoken.
Hanoi has a big number of bikers, and the biggest challenge is to cross the road. It took us sometime to learn and get used to crossing the road. The idea is, you have to move in a small step consistently and continuously without hesitation. You will notice the vehicles find their way around you and soon enough you are on the other side of the road.
There are many tourists in Hanoi, many potential for safety infringement, but we don't really feel unsafe maybe because they also need tourists to contribute to their economy. The only thing to watch will be cheaters and rippers besides your consistent ability to haggle.
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| At last, not so busy road. |
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