Alluring Asia: Call Us: 800-420-5993

Vietnam

Hanoi has a great deal of charm, featuring ochre-colored colonial style buildings, tree-lined boulevards, elegant squares and verdant public parks idylically placed within the bend of a river. Established as a defensive citadel in the 8th century, Hanoi has had at least 7 name changes, but it was first chosen by King Ly Thai To as the capital of the country and was named Thang Long (Ascending Dragon) in 1010. Through several successive dynasties, it remained as the country's capital city, the heart and soul of the whole nation, and has borne a variety of names, including Dong Kinh (Eastern Capital) from which the Europeans derived the name they eventually applied to all of northern Vietnam, Tonkin. The city was finally named Hanoi (the city in a bend of the river) by Emperor Tu Duc (Nguyen Dynasty) in 1831. From 1902 to 1953, Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina.