Hanoi Ceramic Road

Length from An Duong gate to Van Kiep gate, the total path length of the ceramic is 6018 meters along the Red River with a total area of approximately 6500 square meters with many interesting topics.

Hanoi Ceramic Road

Ceramic Road was recognized as the longest pottery mural in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records last September, 2010 as a special way to celebrate the city’s 1000th anniversary

The road has ceramic pottery patterns as murals that were popular during the Dong Son, Ly Dynasty, Tran Dynasty, Le Dynasty and Nguyen Dynasty eras. The mural is also decorated with traditional architectural designs of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups, paintings of Hanoi, of children and of local and international artists.

Images of some Hanoi icons like the One Pillar Pagoda, The Huc Bridge, Khue Van Cac Pavilion in the Temple of Literature are also part of the road project work.

The whole thing was completed on September 25, and on October 5, 2010, a representative of the Guinness Book of Records inspected Ceramic Road and acknowledged it as the longest mural in the world.
This is typical creation also the gate into Vietnam’s fascinating history, and an unbelievable artwork, Ceramic Road is set to become one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist attractions.

Markets in Hanoi

Located right in the center of Hanoi, Vietwind Travel is near all the big markets of Hanoi, makes convenient for all travelers to go shopping.

Dong Xuan Market is a tourist attraction comprising of a three-storey building and hundreds of stalls. It is about 1km from Hoan Kiem Lake

Cua Nam Market is on the corner of Le Duan and Cua Nam streets. There are many stalls of Vietnamese traditional market style in the 1st basement, while 13 storeys are for offices.

Hang Da Market is on the junction of Hang Dieu, Duong Thanh and Hang Da Streets. The market is good for imported foods, wine, beer, flowers, and fabric and ready-made clothing.

Hanoi Night Market

Hom Market, on the corner of Hue and Tran Xuan Soan strs.This is a good place to buy babric if you plan to have clothes made.

Hanoi Night Market

Spreading across Hang Dao, Hang Ngang, Hang Duong and Hang Giay streets, Hanoi Night Market has become a destination during weekends of Hanoians and tourists. From 6h30pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a lot of people come here to stroll or go shopping. The market creates a busy and crowded walking street.

Coming to the night market, the tourist can buy souvenirs, handicrafts and also taste traditional foods or enjoy cultural activities such as ca tru, and cheo. Performers of other traditional arts like dan bau or xam artists are also invited to demonstrate their talent in the night market. For this reason, the night market is considered efficient way to preserve and propagate the values of the traditional culture of Vietnam.

Hoa Lo Prison

Relic Hoa Lo Prison in the heart of Hanoi. French colonialists built the prison in 1896 to detain fighting French colonialism, which is called the Maison Centrale, but because the prison was built on the land of Phu Khanh village,Hanoi. This village which is specialized in the production of pottery, kilns burning day and night, so the village was called Hoa Lo prison here and also known as Prison Fire Fireplace.

The prisons are often isolated from other residential areas, particularly in central Hoa Lo Hanoi - the capital of the then colonial government. Besides jail felony and is building a secret base, forming the tripod legs, ready to suppress the revolutionary movement of our people. Hoa Lo is permanent buildings in most of Indochina, the ants also difficult to pass well.

Prison is surrounded by stone walls, reinforced 4m high, 0.5 m thick, reinforced by barbed wire systems have high voltage lines running across the four corners of the tower is likely the most observed election most all of the prisons. Particularly iron gate system, was brought from France to lock.
The cell, dark, cramped cell, lack of air and the infamous jailers, senior govern ready Con Dao prison repression, even killing prisoners.

Hoa Lo Prison

Hoa Lo Prison is indeed hell. Since unfinished, May 1,1899 to Hoa Lo Prison was detained persons undertaking. According to the original design, just enough Hoa Lo prison 500 inmates, but it has been extended several times to have more space detained prisoners. The years 1950 - 1953, Hoa Lo prison of 2,000 inmates. Currently, Hoa Lo relics preserved the guillotine has been working for the French, May 1,1930 carried out up to the 13 Yen Bai Vietnam soldiers captured Nationalist uprising Yen Bai (headed by Nguyen Thai Hoc).

Many generations of Vietnam has imprisoned at Hoa Lo Prison, which is the patriotic scholars such as Phan Boi Chau, Luong Van Can, Duong Ba Trac. to Mr. Nguyen Van Cu, Truong Chinh, Le Duan, Nguyen Van Linh, Do Muoi ... the outstanding people of our nation, which later became General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, with many soldiers and officers from other networks. Although the enemy was beaten, shackled in the dungeon cell, even to sacrifice their lives, but the soldiers will still keep fighting. Hoa Lo Prison became school revolution, the ideological training environment, will the revolutionary struggle. Even in the Hoa Lo Prison, the training focus is political opening, the Red Prison newspaper, magazine Prison ... born enemies to respect that. In 1930, the cost of the first Communist Party was founded by Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet secretary has taken a leadership role, many organizations struggle, victory.

After the complete liberation of the capital (10.10.1954), Hoa Lo prison under the control of the revolutionary government. Since 1964 - 1973, Hoa Lo Prison was used to detain American pilots shot down during the war of destruction of North American imperialism, including P.Peterson - later the first U.S. ambassador in Vietnam.

1993, on the grounds of the Tower of Hanoi, Hoa Lo - a commercial center is built, the rest become historic revolution especially in the capital, which is evidence of the crimes of the French. It also kept many documents and records of the mirror indomitable fighting heroically sacrifices of many generations of communist soldiers arrested imprisonment. Hoa Lo relic is still pretty much intact with precious materials, scientific display, is fascinating attractions, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists to Hanoi every occasion.

10 Famous Places In Hanoi

As a capital of Vietnam with more than 1000 years of history, Hanoi has many cultural and historic sites that attract a lot of tourists nationwide. Vietwind Travel is pleased to recommend foreign tourists with 10 must - see tourist destinations in Hanoi.

1. Tran Quoc Pagoda

This is one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam on the eastern shore of West Lake .The current structures are very impressive and date back to 1842. The pagoda is just off the road that divides West Lake and Truc Bach Lake. Tran Quoc Pagoda is the foremost symbol of Buddhism in the country. The landmark is beautiful offering good ambience and nice photos.

Tran Quoc Pagoda

2. West Lake

To the north of the old quarter is the enormous Ho Tay. This lake is the largest in Hanoi with a shore length of around 17km (10.6 miles) and is a popular place for recreation with many surrounding gardens, hotels and villas.

3. Hoa Lo Prison

The Hoa Lo Prison was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War when it was sarcastically known to American prisoners of war as the "Hanoi Hilton". The prison was demolished during the 1990s, though the gatehouse remains as a museum.

4. National Museum of Fine Arts

For a singular glimpse into Vietnamese culture, the Country’s National Museum of Fine Arts is the best place to visit. The museum showcasing Vietnam's fine arts from every historical period. The facility contains a vast collection of art, sculpture, crafts and artifacts from every period in Vietnam’s history.

5. The Presidential Palace

Although Hochiminh President passed away but The Presidential Palace in Hanoi is a remarkable landmark. The palace was built between 1900 and 1906 to house the French Governor-General of Indochina. The Presidential Palace complex is open every day from 7:30am to 4pm, with a lunch break from 11am to 1:30pm.

6. Hoan Kiem Lake

Hanoi is a city of lakes and Hoan Kiem is one of the most popular with visitors. Superbly scenic and serene, the lake provides a habitat for soft-shell turtles and contains many picturesque pagodas and small bridges.

Hoan Kiem Lake

7. One Pillar Pagoda

The Buddhist One Pillar Pagoda is almost peerless in Vietnam, with a history that dates back a full millenium. The iconic landmark was badly defaced by French troops in 1954 but was rebuilt decades later.

8. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

One of the most conspicuous mausoleums in the world, the massive tribute to the most famous leader in Vietnam provides Hanoi with a landmark on par with Lenin’s tomb in Moscow. Open since 1975, the mausoleum site also contains a museum on Ho Chi Minh.

9. Grand Opera House

Hanoi Opera House is located on the August Revolution Square, the center of Hanoi, near Hoan Kiem Lake and the Vietnam History Museum. The theatre, designed and overseen by the French, was constructed from 1901 and was finished in 1911. It marks a significant period in the history of architectural development in Vietnam under the French at the end of nineteenth century to early twentieth century. It is a historical witness of the Revolution of Hanoi.

The Hanoi Opera House is not only a venue for art performances, but also a place for visitors to enjoy an almost 100 year old historical architecture.

10. Temple of Literature

Temple of Literature is located on Van Mieu Street, 2km west of Hoan Kiem Lake. Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam is a famous historical and cultural relic consisting of the Temple of Literature and Vietnam is first university. The temple was built in 1070 in honor of Confucius, his followers and Chu Van An, a moral figure in Vietnamese education.

Temple Of Literature

Tay Ho Palace

On the east bank of West Lake, there stretches out into the lake a strip of land.

This is Tây Hồ village, an ancient village of Thăng Long. In the village, right on the water edge, there is a temple dedicated to Liễu Hạnh, who lived in the 17th century and was deified as Thánh Mẫu (Holy Mother), rank-ing first in the pantheon of Vietnamese folk religious beliefs. The places dedicated to Holy Mother Liễu Hạnh are sometimes called đền (temples) or phủ (palace). Tay Ho Palace was built according to the following tale:

Tay Ho Palace

In the early 17th century, one morning, Dr. Phùng Khắc Khoan (1528-1613) and his friends were boating on West Lake when they met a beautiful girl. They talked and composed poems together. When Phùng asked her name, the girl smiled, read a poem and then suddenly vanished. By analyzing the poem, Phùng came to realize that she was Liễu Hạnh Holy Mother. After that event, Tây Hồ villagers built a palace to be dedicated to her.

Tay Ho Palace

Today, this site attracts many pilgrims who come to pay homage to the Holy Mother and to admire the natural beauty here.

Cốm Vòng (Pounded Young Glutinous Rice)

In Việt Nam when you pass by rice-fields in autumn where the first glutinous paddy grains bend the fresh stem, you will surely smell the fragrance of the young rice ears. Inside the green cover of each rice grain, there is a drop of fragrant white milk. In the sunlight the drop of milk gradually condenses; the rice stem becomes more and more curved due to the greater and greater weight of this precious substance given by nature, as writer Thạch Lam describes.

Many places know how to reap this paddy and process it into cốm, but most famous cốm is that but most famous cốm is that made in Vòng village.

Vòng village is in Từ Liêm district, a few kilometers northwest of the heart of Ha Noi. It comprises four hamlets namely Vòng Tiền, Vòng Hậu, Vòng Sở and Vòng Trung. Yet only Vòng Hậu and Vòng Sở hamlets are famous with their delicious com.

Cốm Vòng (Pounded Young Glutinous Rice)

When rice is harvested, it is unadvisable to crush or tread on it. The seed should be plucked from the rice ears. The secret of Com Vong is how to dry the paddy with the frying pan.

Skills and years of experience have led the women of Vòng village to produce high quality cốm using firewood to keep the fire smoldering.

After being fried, the rice grains must not be allowed to cool down. Pounding must also be done carefully, regularly and too heavily. While the pounding is being carried out, cốm must always be turned upside down. After that the cốm flakes are sieved and starched. Finally, they are spread very thinly on lotus leaves.
“Com is not a dish for those who are in a hurry. While eating cốm, people should take it slowly, little and have the time to ponder. Only by doing so, can we enjoy the fragrance of new rice, of wild flowers and grass. One will find, in the green color, the freshness of young leaves, and in the sweetness, the softness and purity of vegetation. Besides, each com flake has the scent of old lotus leaves that seem to keep the warmth of summer days on the lake” (Thạch Lam).

Com can be taken with bananas and preferably with red ripe persimmons. In the past, in the corn season, the future son-in-law usually presents com and persimmons to his parents-in-law.

For over half a century now, the cốm cake has been used as wedding cake. It is square, covered with green banana leaves and bound by red bamboo tape.

The cake itself has the green color of young leaves. In spite of being fried with sugar and fat, the com flakes still keep the fragrance of glutinous rice. The fillings comprise well-kneaded ground green beans and some strands of copra.

Gio Lua (Boiled Lean Pork Pie)

Pork may be processed in various ways: pie, sausage, jambow, roast pork, etc. Giò lụa is a typically Vietnamese specialty.

Giò lụa is available in all corners of Viet Nam but the best may be that of Hà Nội made by the inhabitants of ước Lễ village (former Hà Đông province), Mr. Liu, a man reputed for his making of giò lụa, once told writer Nguyễn Tuân: “Not any pork can be used for giò lụa. Frozen pork can’t be pounded. Meat must be fresh.

Giò Lụa

When cutting the pork, you must be careful not to cut your finger. The pounding requires hard work. If meat is pounded in an irregular manner, it will be spoiled. In the past, there was no electric fan. When I pounded meat, my face, my body sweated but I continually pounded in spite of mosquito bites and other distractions.

When I was tired, I looked at my grandchildren who would pour a cup of alcohol into my mouth... It’s not necessary to pound with great strength but continuously and regularly’ When I hear the beating of giò, I can guess whether it is spoiled or not. I don’t know how long ago my ancestors taught us this trade but at the temple dedicated to the cult of our ancestors there are always two wooden pestles, red lacquered and gilded about lm long. To be frank, I think, if a man does not know how to pound meat regularly, he is like a builder not knowing how to pour concrete...”

Gỉò Lụa (Boiled Lean Pork Pie)

After the selection and pounding of the meat, it is necessary to have banana leaves for packing.
The outside cover is made of old banana leaves and the inside cover, young yellowish banana leaves. The flavor of giò lụa comes from those of properly pounded meat and of fresh banana leaves after they are boiled. Giò lụa can be eaten separately or with rice, vermicelli or used in the preparation of other foods.