A thousand years of Thăng Long: Hanoi’s great sights

About A thousand years of Thăng Long: Hanoi’s great sights

By the ULTIMATE Hanoi Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Hanoi was Thăng Long, the city of the ascending dragon, for most of its history. UNESCO describes the Imperial Citadel as built in the 11th century by the Lý dynasty, on the remains of a 7th-century Chinese fortress, and the centre of regional power for almost thirteen centuries; it inscribed the central sector as a World Heritage site in 2010 (whc.unesco.org). Around it the city grew in layers: the Temple of Literature to the south, the trading streets of the Old Quarter to the east, the lakes, and the boulevards and villas of the French Quarter.

The citadel and Ba Đình

The Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long is at 19C Hoàng Diệu and opens daily from 8am to 5pm (hoangthanhthanglong.vn), with a night tour on some evenings. North of it lies Ba Đình Square and the Mausoleum complex, with the One Pillar Pagoda nearby.

The Temple of Literature

Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám, at 58 Quốc Tử Giám, opens daily from 8am to 5pm, with an evening programme from 6pm to 10pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays (vanmieu.gov.vn). Its courtyards lead past the Khuê Văn Các pavilion to the garden of the doctors’ stelae.

Start early: the Temple of Literature and the citadel open at 8am, and the morning light suits them best.

Hoàn Kiếm Lake

At the heart of the city, the red Thê Húc bridge crosses to the Ngọc Sơn Temple on its island, and the small Turtle Tower stands in the water to the south.

West Lake

Trấn Quốc Pagoda stands on a spit of land in West Lake, beside the Thanh Niên causeway; the lake is ringed by a path for walking and cycling.

Our advice: dress respectfully for temples, pagodas and the Mausoleum complex: shoulders and knees covered.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with A thousand years of Thăng Long: Hanoi’s great sights before you go.