With its blend of French, Chinese and Vietnamese architecture set amongst three-lined boulevards and lakes, Ha Noi is the jewel of Viet Nam. Charming pagodas and the 36 streets and 36 wares of the fascinating old quarter will attract your attention. Famous sights also include the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the ancient Temple of Literature, the Lake of the Restored Sword, the One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi Opera House, the Fine Arts museum and the Museum of Ethnology to name but a few.

Human habitation of Northern Vietnam goes back about 500,000 years according to archaelogical evidence. The site of present-day Hanoi has been populated for at least 10,000 years. These first inhabitants formed a feudally organized society that first relied on hunting, fishing and gathering, later developing animal husbandry and agriculture. These tribes developed in relative isolation until about 2000 years ago.