Every early morning or late afternoon, walking rounds, exercise or simply sitting next to a windy stone chair create a very unique, idle and bustling life of Hanoi.
From Hoan Kiem Lake, just turn a few streets to get a feel of the life of a city over a thousand years old. Those who want to understand more deeply about the soul of the land of horrors should look to traditional craft villages. One of them is Quang Phu Cau incense village, about 35km from the city center.
The whole village is like a bright red painting every season of drying incense sticks, attracting not only tourists but also domestic and foreign photographers. Coming to Hanoi, enjoying the cuisine is an indispensable part. Not only luxury restaurants or famous eateries, but also seaweed stalls have contributed to the culinary culture of Hanoi. With just a small plastic chair, a hot bowl of pho, fragrant with fried onions, visitors can feel a very charming and profound Hanoi.
Foreign tourists will find it difficult to forget water puppetry, a unique and unique folk stage type only available in Vietnam. Under the lights, the water surface becomes a magical sparkling stage, where humorous Tieu people, scenes of rural life or old legends are vividly recreated, bringing refreshing laughter.
But Hanoi does not just live by nostalgia. A young generation is proactively preserving and renewing heritage in their own way. It is the intersection between tradition and modernity that is helping Hanoi maintain its identity but constantly be new in the eyes of cultural lovers.
As "Ha Hoi", a project of young people with the goal of preserving and promoting the quintessence of traditional Vietnamese stage art, developing experiential and interactive art spaces to extend the breath of traditional art to future generations. "Ha Hoi 2025" marks the first season with a focus on Tuong art, a type of national stage with enduring vitality over the years.
Hanoi does not attract tourists with its splendor but with its profound cultural corridors. Thang Long Imperial Citadel - a World Cultural Heritage recognized by UNESCO, not only preserves the traces of dynasties of thousands of years of history, but is also a space of the intersection between archaeology, architecture and ancient royal memories. In the heart of the modern capital, the Imperial Citadel is dressed as a vivid witness, reminding us that Hanoi is not only beautiful today, but also beautiful in the endurance of memories.
