The back story
-
Neighbourhood guide
Ba Đình and the Temple of Literature
The Imperial Citadel, Ba Đình Square, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature and two of the city’s starred tables.
Neighbourhood guide · Hanoi
Ba Đình: the citadel and the scholars
The Imperial Citadel, Ba Đình Square, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature and two starred tables.
What's onThis week in Hanoi
What to see and do
-
UNESCO, 2010
The Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long
Thirteen centuries of the city’s seat of power: the Đoan Môn gate, the dragon steps of the Kính Thiên palace and the excavated layers on Hoàng Diệu.
19C Hoàng Diệu, Ba Đình, HanoiExplore View on map
-
Hanoi’s first university
The Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám)
Five courtyards of lawns, ponds and gateways, the Khuê Văn Các pavilion and the stone stelae of the doctors, carried on the backs of tortoises.
58 Quốc Tử Giám, Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
-
Official visiting hours only
Ba Đình Square and the Mausoleum complex
The great square of Ba Đình and the Mausoleum complex beside it, a historic site with strict visiting rules.
-
A lotus on a pillar
The One Pillar Pagoda
A small wooden pagoda raised on a single stone pillar in a lotus pond, near Ba Đình Square.
-
Lacquer and silk
Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts
The national collection of Vietnamese art, from early sculpture to the lacquer and silk paintings of the 20th century, opposite the Temple of Literature.
-
Behind the Mausoleum complex
Hanoi Botanical Garden (Bách Thảo)
Shady lawns, old trees and a lake behind Ba Đình.
Where to eat
-
One MICHELIN Star
Gia
Contemporary Vietnamese tasting menus opposite the Temple of Literature. One MICHELIN Star in the 2026 guide.
61 Văn Miếu, Quốc Tử Giám Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
-
One MICHELIN Star
Tầm Vị
Northern Vietnamese cooking served like a family meal, near the Temple of Literature. One MICHELIN Star in the 2026 guide.
4B Yên Thế, Ba Đình Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
-
Bib Gourmand
Mammom
Vietnamese cooking on tree-lined Phan Đình Phùng. Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide.
23 Phan Đình Phùng, Ba Đình Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
Bars
-
The highest view
Top of Hanoi
The rooftop bar of Lotte Hotel Hanoi, with the whole city below.
54 Liễu Giai, Giảng Võ Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
Where to stay
-
High above the city
Lotte Hotel Hanoi
A hotel in the upper floors of the Lotte Center on Liễu Giai, with the Top of Hanoi bar near the summit.
54 Liễu Giai, Giảng Võ Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
Share your Ba Đình & the Temple of Literature tips
Been to the citadel and the Temple of Literature? Tell other readers how you planned the morning.
- Loading the conversation…