Festival

Perfume Pagoda (Huong Tich)

Date: January - March Celebrated from the 6th day of the first month to the end of the third month according to the lunar calendar, the Perfume Pagoda is the most prominent of pilgrimage for the Buddhists in the northern parts of Vietnam. Thousands of pilgrims endure hardships to reach these sacred caves where they go to pray for well-being, happiness and prosperity in the future. Surrounded by an epic landscape and lush greenery the festival is observed in three places- Huong Tich, Tuyet Son and Long Van. These areas can be reached either by riverboat and a short hike along the riverbank or by taking the Hanoi - Ha Dong - Van Dinh - Huong Son route by road. Most of the crowds visit between the 15th and 20th day of the second month of the lunar calendar.

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Overview & visitor information

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Nui Ba Festival

Activity

During the Nui Ba annual celebration, thousands of Buddhists and tourists flock to the Ba Mountain to worship and sightsee. The festival is celebrated during spring till the 30th day of the 1st lunar month and reaches its peak on the day of the full moon of the first month. People from the Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of the south gather in crowds at the mountain to celebrate on the day of the peak. Pilgrims start at the bottom of the mountain and climb one half of the mountain to Saint Linh Son's communal house, then; they follow a path that leads to a pagoda where they feast on the vegetarian meals offered at the pagoda. Tourists can enjoy the meal for free and donations to the pagoda can be made depending on budget and ability.

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Lim Festival

Activity

Lim Festival in Hanoi celebrates northern Vietnam's beloved quan ho folk songs and the founder of these songs, Hieu Trung Hau. Practicing a traditional dramatic art form that dates back several centuries, performers at this annual festival in the Bac Ninh Province, converse in a specific style of quan ho folk singing. It takes place every year on 13th day of the 1st lunar month. The participants make for a spectacular sight adorned in traditional quan ho attire and millions of visitors come to enjoy the dialogue performances between 'lien anh' or male singers and 'lien chi' or female singers. They are the country's most skilled quan ho singers. Besides this, visitors are treated to traditional temple games and competitions in addition to all the religious observances that take place.

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‘Tet’ in Hanoi

Activity

Date: January-February Tet is a major event in Hanoi which is enjoyed by both locals and tourists every year. This festival is celebrated at the beginning of January or at the end of February, and marks the beginning of the New Year by the lunar calendar. It is one of the most sacred and important festivals to locals, and while it is officially a three-day affair, festivities may continue for a week or more with locals and tourists alike indulging in eating, drinking, merry making and other enjoyable social activities. People are seen in their best attires, decorating their homes and stocking up on traditional Tet delicacies. Festoons adorn the city streets and shops and stalls are decorated with colored lights, selling traditional candied fruits and jams, traditional cakes, and fresh fruit and flowers.

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Whale Festival

Activity

The Whale Festival in Hanoi lasts for only two days and is commemorated in the middle of the 3rd lunar month. It is considered to be the biggest water festival among the fisherman of the Danang province where the Whale God is worshipped in the hope that it will ensure safety and prosperity for the entire village for the coming year. Irrespective of wherever they might have been all fishermen and boats return to the village for this celebration and it is accompanied by chanting and prayers, as well as a feast that entirely excludes any seafood. It is an elaborate ceremony, rich in color, and a large part of the ceremony is the decoration of the temple, the houses and all fishing boats in the village.

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Cow Racing Festival

Activity

Date: March/April The Khmer celebrate this festival as a part of the Don Ta Ceremony in which tributes are paid to the fore-fathers. The festival is witnessed in the Tinh Bien and Tri Ton districts, and allows visitors to explore the ethnic culture of Vietnam. Guests are warmly and grandly greeted by the members of the Khmer tribe because the guests are believed to have been sent by the ancestors and after an elaborate meal and prayers at the pagoda a meticulously planned cow race is held. The event is extremely entertaining, full of color and revelry and is a day long affair.

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Hung Temple Festival

Activity

Held for 3 days from the 9th to the 11th day of the third month as per the lunar calendar, the festival celebrates the Hung Kings, whose contribution to the foundation of the nation is highly revered. A flower ceremony is held where all the representatives of the state participate and the offspring of the Hung kings from across the country come to the temple to offer incense. Massive processions are a mark of this festival, with state officials and their children even taking part. The processions also consist of other marches like the Elephant march after which, the Xoan song, a classical song is performed in the Thuong Temple and Ca Tru, a classical opera is held in Ha temple. Even other traditional activities like bamboo swings, nem con or the custom of throwing a sacred ball through the ring, cham thau or beating bronze are carried out.

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Giong Festival

Activity

This festival captures the patriotic ardor of the Vietnamese people and their love for freedom, and is a celebration of their national heroes. Celebrated annually in the Phu Dong Village, Gia Lam District in Hanoi, the widely popular festival is held on the ninth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar and commemorates the hero of the village, saint Giong who saved the village by defeating the An invaders. One of the predominant attractions of the Giong Festival is the elaborate procession that starts from the Mother Temple and heads towards Thuong Temple and ends with a religious service. Combining the Vietnamese affection for their national heroes with an earnest desire to preserve their cultural heritage, the festival is a unique experience for visitors and provides a true insight into the nationalistic nature of the Vietnamese people.

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Elephant Festival

Activity

Acknowledged as the biggest festival in the middle highland of Vietnam, this festival is significant for epitomizing the martial spirit of the M'nong ethnic group, noted throughout the country for their valor and gallant skill in hunting dangerous wild elephants. Generally commemorated in the Don village or in forests in the vicinity of Sevepoi River (Dac Lak) a distinct elephant race is the primary attraction of this festival. The race is held to the beat of drums and the roars of an excited crowd, as twelve elephants race side by side on a track in the middle of the forest. After the race the audience can interact with the majestic creatures as it is customary to feed them sugar cane after the race.

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Le Mat Snake Festival

Activity

Date: April/May Mat is an ancient village in Hanoi and is a purely agricultural one, but it's a long-standing trade has been snake catching and breeding, being practiced here for almost 900 years. Snake wine and tonics and snake dishes are some of the specialties of the Mat village. After the morning ceremonial prayers are over, the villagers gather at the temple yard to see the performance of the young man killing the snake and saving the princess as the popular legend is played out accompanied by drums and traditional music. While attending the Le Mat Snake Festival in Hanoi, guests can be offered a cup of snake wine with 3 or 5 snakes inside.

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Chu Dong Tu Festival

Activity

Chu Dong Tu Festival in Hanoi is celebrated over three days from the 10th to 12th day of the third month in the lunar calendar. It is celebrated in Chu Dong Tu Temple in Da Hoa and Da Trach villages, which are approximately 25 kilometers out of Hanoi. The package of dragon procession, martial arts competitions, lion dance, and cheo performances make this festival grand, colorful and popular among the tourists. There is much to enjoy with the host of processions, dance, music, food and entertainment on offer; including wrestling, fighting with sticks, Chinese chess and lion dances. To reach the festival tourists can ride downstream on the Red River on a boat or a canoe to reach the temple or hire a motorbike and travel along the dyke of Red River for 20 km from Hanoi.

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Thanglong Water Puppet Theatre

Theatre

Water puppet theatre is an ancient art form in Vietnam which appeals to all ages. These shows are colorful, entertaining and accompanied by traditional Vietnamese music. It’s advisable to book tickets in advance for the best seats. The show is performed throughout the week, three times on a Sunday and twice Monday through Saturday.

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Paddleboats

Activity

The paddleboats can be found at the boat launches along Thanh Nien and with a little work you can sail out onto Truc Bach or West Lake in your own private plastic goose. Children have to be accompanied by an adult.

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Municipal Water Puppet Theater

Theatre

Another water puppet theatre show in Hanoi is the municipal show, with performances held regularly, and popular with the locals.

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Ho Tay Water Park & Moon Park

Park

Five kilometers north of the city centre, this is an excellent day out with children on a hot day. The park opens early and stays open till 9pm. Water slides and refreshing pools are enjoyed by all ages, while the adjacent Moon Park offers roller coasters and other exciting activities for when it gets cooler in the evenings. The park is open for eight months of the year from April to November.

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Central Circus

Activity

The huge tent, which is a permanent fixture at the northern end of Lenin Park, is home to Hanoi's Central Circus. Shows are held Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm and on Sunday mornings at 9am. The Sunday morning show is held with children in mind, and is a popular Sunday activity with residents of Hanoi.

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St Joseph's Cathedral

Churches

St Joseph's Cathedral, also known as Nha Tha Lon, is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Hanoi and was consecrated on the night of Christmas in 1886. Built by the French on the site of a demolished pagoda; St Joseph's Cathedral is known simply as the "Big Church" among the Vietnamese of Hanoi and is designed to resemble the Notre Dame in Paris.

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Ba Da Pagoda

Temple

Ba Da Pagoda was originally called Sung Khanh Pagoda and was built in 1056 AD, during the Ly Thanh Ton Dynasty. The original temple has long disappeared and has been called many names throughout its history. It is located at the end of a narrow alley off a street that runs between the Ho Hoan Kiem Lake and St Joseph's Cathedral.

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Hoa Lo Prison

Prison

Constructed by the French in 1896; mainly to house political prisoners it was taken over by the Vietnamese in 1954. From 1964 to 1973 it was a major POW detention facility with some of the famous inmates including U.S. Sen. John McCain, Pete Peterson, the ambassador to Vietnam, and Lt. Everett Alvarez, officially the first American pilot to be shot down over Vietnam. To the west of the main complex is the guillotine room, still with its original equipment, and the female and Vietnamese political prisoners' quarters. The courtyard linking the two has parts of original tunnels once used by a hundred Vietnamese revolutionaries who escaped the jail in 1945. Visiting hours are from 8am – 5pm, and an admission fee has to be paid.

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Revolutionary Museum

Museum

Popular among war buffs and historians, the revolutionary museum chronicles the rise of the Communist Party and its leader Ho Chi Minh. Although a little neglected, this museum is a treasure trove of old oil paintings, photographs and memorabilia chronicling the life of Ho Chi Minh and the early revolutions. There is an admission fee and visiting hours are between 8am and 11.45am and 2pm to 4.15pm.

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Quan Su Pagoda

Temple

Constructed in the 15th century the pagoda became the headquarters of the Tonkin Buddhist Association in 1934, and today it is headquarters for the Vietnam Central Buddhist Congregation.

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Life Photo Gallery

Shop

Finely printed enlargements of documentary photography cover the walls of this small shop. The owner of the gallery has been capturing reflective and provocative images, mostly in black and white, since 1971. Open from 9am to 9pm.

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Bleu de Thuy

Cuisine: Fusion This restaurant is set in a beautiful converted French colonial house in the Hoan Kiem District. Upstairs offers terrace seating, and the side patio sandwiched between the restaurant and an exposed brick wall offers cozy private dining. Open from 11.30am to 2pm and from 6pm to 11pm.

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Club de L'Oriental

Cuisine: Vietnamese With a beautiful colonial decor, properly trained staff, and amazing food this restaurant is a fine, upscale dining experience. The main floor has a handful of tables set up around an open kitchen, which are perfect for couples or single diners. Open daily from 11am to 2pm and from 6pm to 11pm, visitors are recommended to make reservations.

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Green Tangerine

Cuisine: French The Green Tangerine occupies a 1928 French townhouse and provides superb food, elegant presentation, a commendable wine list and fine service. Reservations are recommended and the restaurant is open 11am to 11pm.

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La Badiane

Cuisine: French This is local chef Benjamin Rascalou's first restaurant, but he is well respected in the local community for his stunning work at the Green Tangerine. Open daily from 11.30am to 2pm and from 6pm to 10pm.

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La Verticale

Cuisine: French / Vietnamese Open daily from 11:30am to 2pm and from 6pm to 10pm La Verticale is owned by Chef Didier Corlou who has lived in Vietnam for 18 years. The menu changes by season, but expect to find inventive dishes marked with a strong Vietnamese base. Address: 19 Ngo Van So St, Hanoi Tel: +4 3944 6317

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Press Club

Cuisine: Continental Still popular with the old-boys' network, the Press Club is also attracting a younger, hipper crowd. The indoor restaurant is sizable, yet private, and Outdoor seating is available on the terrace facing a large stage that features regular live music acts.

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Restaurant Bobby Chinn

Cuisine: Fusion Blending the best of East and West, owner-chef Bobby Chinn is part Chinese and part Egyptian and brings all his influences to bear in this classy setting. Open from 11am till the last order.

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Wild Lotus

Cuisine: Contemporary Vietnamese The ambience of the Wild Lotus is upscale and chic, with a bouquet of lotuses on every table, and the intoxicating smell of fresh flowers permeating through the restaurant. The restaurant serves portions that are meant to be shared, so visitors should ask for half-portions if dining alone. Open daily from 11am to 11pm.

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Vine

Cuisine: International Signature dishes like the tuna tartare and lobster bisque remain unrivaled in the city, and still attract a loyal customer base to this upscale dining establishment. Open daily from 9am until last order.