The first steel bridge over the Red River, the bustling flower market at midnight, etc. are interesting facts about Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
Contents
8 interesting facts about Hanoi
12 seasons of flowers
One of the most interesting facts about Hanoi is that each month almost Hanoi has a blooming flower. That’s why composer Giang Son wrote the song “Hanoi 12 seasons of flowers” to praise this beauty. In January, the capital exploded with peach blossom. By February, mountain-ebony flowers fill purple up the city. March is the month of millions of tiny flowers of fragrant rosewood. April is with beautiful lilies, and summer comes in May with purple crape-myrtle flowers (known as bang lang) and red-flamboyant.
The aromatic lotus season in West Lake is in June. Dracontomelon appears in July, while August is full of Chinaberry or Bead flower. The smell of passionate milk flower is associated with Hanoi’s autumn. Daisies flower season falls in October, and the violet with forget-me-not flowers is in November. In December, the golden canola blooms along the Red River brightly that marks the end of the year. Photo: Ha Thanh.
36 old wards
The 36 streets were initially named for the goods that used to be traded there, such as Hang Ma, Hang Gai, Hang Bo, Cha Ca, Thuoc Bac, etc. Today, people on many streets have turned to other goods. However, in some places, this tradition is still maintained, such as Thuoc Bac (Chinese medicine), Hang Bac (silver jewelry). Hanoi Old Quarter is always listed in the list of destinations to explore in international newspapers such as Telegraph, CNN, Independent, etc. Photo: Kieu Duong.
Egg coffee
Once voted by The Guardian as the 20 best food places in the world, Hanoi has many imprints in the hearts of diners. One of the unique dishes at the top of the list to try is the egg coffee.
Mark Lowerson, who runs Street Eats Hanoi, said: “The majority of the guests like this drink. When I described it, they couldn’t imagine how eggs would go together with coffee. I’ve never seen anyone who dislikes it. Most tourists want to come back to enjoy it, even people who don’t drink coffee will be amazed at the taste of egg coffee. “
This signature drink of the capital was also served to international reporters at the US-Korea Summit in 2019. Some of the delicious egg coffee addresses in Hanoi suggested by CNN are Giang, Dinh, and Loading T, etc. Photo: Deborah Findling / CNBC.
World’s Largest Ceramic Mosaic
Stretching nearly 4 km along the Red River dike, the ceramic mosaic currently holds the Guinness record of “World’s Largest Ceramic Mosaic“. The colorful paintings stand out on the busy streets, using ceramics produced in Bat Trang in which depict different periods in Vietnamese history. The artists started this project in 2007 and finished it in 2010 to celebrate the ceremony of 1,000 years Thang Long. Photo: Diggers2004 / Wikimedia Commons.
Hanoi’s Train Street
The train street has been introduced on the travel site Culture Trip, SCMP newspaper, CNN, etc. The train still runs through the residential area many times a day with very close distance, just within a hand reach. The people are living normally on the tracks and if there was a signal light to warn the arrival of the train, everyone quickly packed up and stood aside. After the train passed, the rhythm of life returned as if nothing had happened.
This is a unique feature of Hanoi and a favorite photography location for many tourists. “Extraordinary”, “unique” or “only in Vietnam” is what travelers describe the Hanoi train street on TripAdvisor.
Although this is a tourist destination, the authorities decided to close the train street in October 2019 to ensure safety for both residents and visitors. Photo: Wayne Duncan.
Night flower market
Discovering the Quang Ba night flower market is one of the things that tourists often have the recommendation to go when coming to Hanoi. CNN once voted this place as one of the most beautiful places in the world to celebrate Lunar New Year.
The market is located on Au Co Street, Tay Ho District, one of the oldest and largest wholesale flower markets in the city. The market is open all night, but it will usually be the busiest between 1 – 3 am. The lively atmosphere with buyers and sellers, the sound of carts, etc. attracts many tourists to visit and take pictures. Photo: EK111 / Flickr.
The flag raising and lowering ceremony at Ba Dinh Square
Visitors to Hanoi can witness the flag-raising, and flag-lowering ceremony at 6 am and 9 pm daily, in front of President Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. A solemn atmosphere filled Ba Dinh square when the sound of speakers announced. Many people who are walking exercise also gather in line to see this formal ceremony. Photo: Giang Huy.
The first steel bridge spanning the Red River
Considered as a historical witness, the Long Bien Bridge was built between 1899 – 1902. The bridge was designed by architect Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the Eiffel Tower, with 2,290 m long and was the first steel bridge to cross the Red River. Today, there are trains, motorbikes, and pedestrians passing by regularly.
The bridge is brightly illuminated at night and is a favorite destination for many visitors to Hanoi. “What impresses me is the light. It is not the light you can find in other cities in Southeast Asia. The light here is soft and gorgeous. It is fascinating to go on the bridge because I think it can collapse at any time. A feeling of fear and awe at the same time, “Der Hagopian, a Swiss tourist, shared with CNN. Photo: Thong Dong.
Source: Ngân Dương Vnexpress
