HANOI

The sights of Hanoi are at odds with its sounds. The road from the Noi Bai Airport to the city is fringed by open fields of conical hats-clad farmers and buffaloes hard at work, yet piercing the bucolic air is the deafening honking from cars and motorcycles.

The decibel level climbs a few notches once you are in the compact Vietnamese capital. And the biggest paradox is this: the centrally-located Hoan Kiem Lake and its glistening ripples provide the panacea for calming one’s frayed nerves but to get there, one must first brave – and survive – the unrelenting traffic.

All the while, you wonder if travel writers have got it all wrong with Hanoi… why is the city frequently described as laidback and cultured (maybe only comparative to Ho Chi Minh City?) when its impatient drivers are not bent on giving way or motorcyclists, with their utter disregard for rules, are prone to cutting lanes?

Then again, culture – in the sociological sense at least – broadly refers to a society’s ways of life. Hanoi’s denizens always seem to be in a hurry (some might deduce it’s the side effect of the Doi Moi economic reforms) and for the outsiders, they will quickly realise that manoeuvring its crazy roads is part of the experience, a mastered art form even.

05 TEMPLE OF LITERATURE __ In pictures, Van Mieu or the Temple of Literature is blissfully cocooned in a sanctuary of lotus ponds, willowy trees and traditional courtyards. In reality, its genteel ambience is disrupted by not only the incessant traffic honking but also the regurgitated commentary from local guides, in French, Japanese, Chinese and of course, English.

Indeed, the sprawling Temple of Literature is swarmed with tourists but to give it a miss altogether would be a pity. It is arguably the most resplendent historical site representative of ancient Hanoi. Founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong in honour of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, it was an important centre of learning for aspiring mandarins and students of Confucianism.

Not surprisingly, a statue of Confucius takes centre stage in one of the buildings, as are the images of his four main disciples and three Ly Dynasty emperors. Artefacts unearthed in the temple complex during its restoration project are also showcased.

Perhaps more distressing than the sighting of a souvenir shop in the Temple of Literature is the fact that some of the buildings are rather “contemporary”: the two buildings flanking the Dai Bai Duong (House of Ceremonies) that accommodated the 72 disciplines of Confucius were rebuilt in 1954, having been destroyed in 1947.

04 LONG BIEN BRIDGE __ Almost a century of French domination has left Hanoi with ravishing beauties like the Opera House, the former Presidential Palace and the St Joseph’s Cathedral but none are as unforgettable as the Long Bien Bridge, even in its ramshackle rusty condition.

Everyday, since 1903, this beastly-looking iron structure leaping across the Red River has been shouldering the stampede of motorcyclists and pedestrians entering the capital – from the nearby villages – to eke out a living. And every now and then, trains leaving (and arriving in) Hanoi would rattle its foundation even further.

But there is little cause for worry. Or pity, for the Long Bien Bridge is a stoic war-scarred hero, having survived the heavy bombardment from American fighter jets during the Vietnam War. (Sure, the infamous Hoa Lo Prison too was built by the French and boasts an uneasy American connection but what is a museum compared to this 1,700m-long relic, let alone one designed by Gustave Eiffel, the French architect who also gave Paris its most luminous tower?)

03 HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM __ The stream of mostly tourists snaking into the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum seems to confirm one’s fears that the resting place of Vietnam’s most revered leader might have indeed become a tourist trap.

But ordinary Vietnamese will assure you that the grey behemoth is still one of the most sacred places in the entire country – come its National Day and the lunar new year of Tet, people would flock in from other cities and provinces to see their beloved Uncle Ho.

His embalmed body rests inside a rather small air-conditioned square room on the second level. Visitors enter from one door, file past Uncle Ho – his radiant visage with his combed goatee and hands bathed in soft hues – and exit by another door. The whole procedure takes a minute or two, and the atmosphere is more solemn than sombre, and nonetheless surreal.

02 OLD QUARTER __ Despite its romantic-sounding name, the Old Quarter is not immune to the process of gentrification. Trendy boutiques, Western-style cafés, budget hotels, travel agencies and yes, souvenir shops are as much of a mainstay as those selling clothes, toys, groceries and medicine to the locals.

And it seems the traditional crafts after which the enclave’s 36 streets were named, like silk, bamboo and silver, are increasingly elusive to find. Nonetheless, the Old Quarter is where the ordinary Vietnamese live, eat, work, shop, pray and even attend school.

On the busy streets near the Dong Xuan Market, women sell vegetables and poultry meat on the pavement, unperturbed by the swirling army of flies and the exhaust fumes emitted from motorcycles. The market itself is a maze of stalls, doing a roaring trade in local foodstuffs and garments, presenting a cultural contrast to its unmistakably European façade circa 1889.

An even dated relic is the weathered Quan Chuong Gate, the only original gateway to the Old Quarter that is still standing. After all, the enclave can be traced to the 13th century when artisans settled in the area to serve the Vietnamese royalty.

More commonly found in the enclave are the narrow but long tube houses and curious onlookers can step into one, inside the Memorial House Museum (No. 87 Ma May Street). Decorated to a hilt with old photographs and traditional Vietnamese furnishings, the shophouse offers visitors an intimate idea of how merchants resided in the area centuries ago.

01 HANOI CITADEL __ Chances are, the Hanoi Citadel is more read about, talked about than walked about. After all, most parts of the original citadel are occupied by the Vietnamese military and hence closed to the public. But the lack of access only adds to the ancient site’s mysterious allure.

During the Ly dynasty (1010 to 1225), it was within the high walls of the Hanoi Citadel that the royal family lived. The citadel’s importance diminished slightly in 1802 when Emperor Gia Long shifted the capital to Hue. Then the French arrived and destroyed the citadel’s walls in the 1890s.

One of the few remaining vestiges of the citadel is its North Gate, completed in 1805 and the two hollowed dents defacing its red brick wall bearing witness to the hardly potent French bombings of April 1882. On its summit is a pavilion housing an altar dedicated to two mandarins – Hoang Dien and Nguyen Tri Phuong – who fortified the citadel with their lives.

Standing at 8.71m, the North Gate is not exceptionally towering but it is off the beaten track for the moment (even the descriptions about the citadel are in Vietnamese only). It seems the gate is the locals’ secret hangout, with young Vietnamese using its entrance for their folk dance practice, if not posing for photos.

Hanoi Citadel | Cot Co is located beside the Military History Museum at 28A Dien Bien Phu Street. As for the North Gate, your best bet is to ask a driver or tour guide to bring you there since it is rarely mentioned in most travel guidebooks.

Old Quarter | The Old Quarter is within walking distance from Hoan Kiem Lake but Hanoi’s chaotic roads are strictly reserved for the seasoned (or intrepid) traveller.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum | The city’s landmark overlooks Ba Dinh Square and is close to the One Pillar Pagoda and the Presidential Palace.

Long Bien Bridge | The bridge’s nearest reference points would be the Dong Xuan Market and the Quan Chuong Gate in the Old Quarter.