{"id":38128,"date":"2025-03-14T19:47:28","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T10:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/designcompass.org\/?p=38128"},"modified":"2025-11-29T13:35:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-29T04:35:31","slug":"hanoi-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/designcompass.org\/en\/2025\/03\/14\/hanoi-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Hanoi, the light green leaves fluttering in the wind"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is my third visit to Vietnam. In Nha Trang, I felt the leisurely atmosphere of a resort city by the sea, and in Ho Chi Minh, I felt the energy of a rapidly growing city. This time, in Hanoi, I felt the calm charm of Vietnam, different from other cities. I was worried about the exhaust fumes from Vietnamese motorbikes and the very open kitchens for Koreans, but this trip, I was not worried at all. The streets where people walk are wide, and there are many stylish cafes and restaurants, so I had a lot of fun eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hanoi (H\u00e0 N\u1ed9i) is the capital of Vietnam and the political, economic, and cultural center of the North. It is a large city with a population of about 8 million people, boasts a history of over 1,000 years, and was the capital of the Vietnamese dynasty. Under French colonial rule for over 80 years, you can find French-style architecture throughout Hanoi, such as the Opera House, St. Joseph's Cathedral, and Long Bien Bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hanoi, where tradition and modernity coexist, is centered around the Old Quarter, which is full of old buildings and entertainment, the French Quarter, which is full of French-style luxury buildings, and Hoan Kiem Lake, a large green space in the center of the city. There are various temples and shrines that combine Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian cultures, and representative historical sites include the Temple of Literature, the first university in Vietnam, and the mausoleum of national hero Ho Chi Minh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before leaving for this trip, I studied a lot so that I could fully enjoy the city. I really felt that the more I knew about the city\u2019s history and culture, the richer my experience would be. This article is a compilation of stories, food, and places that will help you feel the charm of Hanoi more deeply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

French & Vietnamese movies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Green Papaya Fragrance<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Among Vietnamese film directors, Tran Anh Hung is a famous one. The director was born in Da Nang, Vietnam in 1962 and immigrated to France with his family due to the Vietnam War. Since then, he has directed works that deal with themes of longing for and loss of the homeland, and in particular, he tends to emphasize the role of women and love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representative works include The Scent of Green Papaya, which won the Golden Camera Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1993, and Cyclo, which won the Grand Prix at the Venice Film Festival in 1995. Both films beautifully capture the scenery that can only be seen in Vietnam. Through the films, we can see the structure of traditional Vietnamese houses and the lives of families. Thanks to this, the traditional houses I visited during my trip felt completely different. I imagined that Mui, the main character, cooked here and that her grandmother slept here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tran Anh Hung is very meticulous in describing the cooking process, and I was happy to see it in The Scent of Green Papaya. In the recently released French Soup, her obsession with cooking reached its peak. She slowly savors the process of preparing and cooking ingredients one by one, to the point where it feels perverted. It felt more like creating a work of art than something that tastes good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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lover<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Director Jean-Jacques Annaud's film The Lover, released in 1992, is often featured in textbooks when studying film. Based on the novel of the same name by French novelist Marguerite Duras, it depicts the forbidden love between a fifteen-year-old French girl (Jane March) and a wealthy Chinese youth (Leung Ka-fai) in French Indochina (now Vietnam) in the late 1920s. It is an erotic and lyrical film that captures the complexities of love and separation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is said that it was very popular in the East when it was released. The reason was that it featured an attractive Asian actor who was only considered the main character of martial arts or comedy movies. The scene where fingers slowly touch in the car also paid homage to Director Park Chan-wook's 'Decision to Leave'. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film gives a sense of a modern Vietnamese city deeply influenced by France and China. Thanks to the beautiful mise-en-sc\u00e8ne, it feels like a love story is hidden somewhere in the smoky Vietnamese city center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Coolies don't cry.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Coolie Never Cries is director Pham Ngoc Lan\u2019s feature debut, which won the Best Picture Award at the Berlin Film Festival. It is a poetic film that delicately weaves together Vietnamese history and personal memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The protagonist, Nguyen, returns to Hanoi with the inheritance of her husband who returned to Germany and the 'coolies' left after the zoo where she worked was dismantled. Her niece Van, whom she raised like her own child, is pregnant and is preparing for an early marriage with her inexperienced boyfriend, worrying about an uncertain future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The film depicts the two women's wandering in search of the 'promised land'. The fact that the past is told verbally rather than shown in flashbacks shows that time that has passed cannot return. A rare animal called a 'coolie' appears as a symbolic being that watches over her misfortune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Temple of Literature, the spiritual root of Hanoi<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The Temple of Literature is the site of the Imperial College, the first national university in Vietnam. It was built in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong. It is considered the center of Vietnamese Confucianism and a symbol of education. In the Temple of Literature, there are steles with the names of those who passed the state examination, placed on turtle-shaped pedestals. The turtle symbolizes longevity and wisdom, and it is said that the turtle-shaped pedestals were made to forever commemorate the achievements of the scholars who passed the state examination. People believed that touching the head of the turtle would bring good luck and help them pass the exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Heroes who achieved freedom and independence<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Le Loi William Whyte from Dublin, Ireland \u2013 Ly Thaito source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Le Loi<\/strong>is the beginning of the country that founded Dai Viet, the root of Vietnam, against China. When Le Loi fought the Ming, he received a magic sword from a turtle in the lake, ended China's subjugation, and achieved independence. When he returned to the lake after the war, the turtle asked for the sword back, and Taizu returned the sword to the turtle. This lake is 'Hoan Kiem', a lake in the center of Hanoi, and the Chinese characters are read as 'Hwan Geum' in Korean, meaning 'Lake of the Returned Sword'. This legend is a story that symbolizes the freedom of Vietnam and has great meaning to the citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tran Hung Dao source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tran Hung Dao<\/strong>He can be called the Yi Sun-sin of Vietnam. In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire attempted to invade Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. At that time, Tran Hung Dao, as a military leader of Vietnam, stopped the Mongols three times. In the two invasions in 1258 and 1285, he stopped the Mongols with guerrilla tactics that strategically utilized the northern forests and rivers. In 1287, when Kublai Khan invaded by sea, he completely annihilated the Mongols with tactics that utilized the low tide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sister Zhuang source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

High Bartlett<\/strong>The street is named after the sisters Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, who fought against the rule of the Han dynasty of China around the 1st century. The Trung sisters were the children of a northern Vietnamese tribal leader in the early 1st century. When their husband was executed by Chinese officials, they decided to fight back. They rose up against the Han dynasty of China and maintained their independence for three years, but were eventually defeated by the large Han army in 43 AD. According to legend, the Trung sisters commanded battles from elephants. There is a district in Hanoi named after them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Light soy sauce and fresh vegetables<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Hanoi food is traditional in northern Vietnam and features many dishes using light, fresh ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rice noodles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rice Noodles (Pho)<\/strong>is a representative dish of Vietnam. There are various theories about its origin, but it is generally known to have started in the Hanoi area in the late 19th century to early 20th century. When France colonized Vietnam (late 19th century to mid 20th century), the Vietnamese were influenced by French cuisine, and the French's favorite beef dish (boeuf - "boeuf") was combined with Vietnamese cooking methods, creating beef pho. There is also a theory that the name comes from French-style pot-au-feu (meat stew).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Anti-American<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Anti-Americanism<\/strong>is a baguette sandwich influenced by the French colonial era. It is made with various meats (ham, chicken, pork, etc.), vegetables, and special sauces, and Hanoi is characterized by soy sauce and simple ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Banh Xeo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Banh X\u00e8o<\/strong> is a Vietnamese crepe made with a crispy rice flour batter filled with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts, and served with fresh vegetables and nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce). \u201cB\u00e1nh\u201d means cake or bread, and \u201cX\u00e8o\u201d refers to the sizzling sound it makes when it is fried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Buncha<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bun cha (B\u00fan ch\u1ea3)<\/strong>is a dish of grilled pork dipped in a sweet and sour nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce) broth. It is served with rice noodles and eaten with fresh vegetables. The 2016 U.S. President Barack Obama<\/strong>When the famous American chef visited Hanoi Anthony Bourdain<\/strong> The scene of Obama eating at a small Bun Cha restaurant became a hot topic around the world. The restaurant Obama visited \u201cB\u00fan Ch\u1ea3 H\u01b0\u01a1ng Li\u00ean\u201d<\/strong> Afterwards, he became even more famous with the nickname \u201cB\u00fan Ch\u1ea3 Obama\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nemrang<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nem r\u00e1n<\/strong>It is a Hanoi-style fried spring roll filled with minced meat, noodles, mushrooms, etc. and eaten dipped in nuoc mam sauce. In the southern region, it is also called 'Cha gio'.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Strong and sweet coffee<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Strong condensed milk coffee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Vietnamese coffee is famous worldwide for its unique taste and culture. Vietnam is the world's second largest coffee exporter, producing mainly Robusta variety coffee beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coffee was first introduced to Vietnam during the French colonial period in the mid-19th century. When the French began cultivating coffee, the Central Highlands of Vietnam (especially places like Dalat and Buon Ma Thuot) became the center of coffee cultivation. Since then, coffee has been deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture, and its traces remain to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coffee is usually brewed slowly using a traditional Vietnamese filter called a phin (metal drip filter). Hot water is poured in so that it drips from the coffee beans one by one, creating a rich and intense flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caf\u00e9 Write (C\u00e0 Ph\u00ea S\u1eefa \u0110\u00e1)<\/strong>is a representative menu of Vietnamese coffee, an iced coffee with condensed milk and ice. Robusta beans are roasted darkly and sweetened condensed milk is mixed in. The reason it appeared was because fresh milk was not available. During the French colonial period in the 19th century, the French introduced coffee culture to Vietnam, but at the time, it was difficult to obtain milk in Vietnam due to high temperatures and storage issues, so sweetened condensed milk was used instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Matcha Latte and Salt Coffee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Egg Coffee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Drinking it hot Cafe Sua Nong<\/strong>It is called in the North. Brown Coffee<\/strong>Also called. In Hanoi, it is eaten with egg yolk added. Egg Coffee (Tr\u1ee9ng C\u00e0 Ph\u00ea)<\/strong>) is also famous. It is made up of three layers: condensed milk at the bottom, coffee in the middle, and cream on top. Salt Coffee (C\u00e0 Ph\u00ea Mu\u1ed1i)<\/strong>Wow, a mixture of coconut milk and condensed milk Coconut Coffee (C\u00e0 Ph\u00ea Dua)<\/strong>This is a unique coffee that you can taste in Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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region<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Hoan Kiem (Ho\u00e0n Ki\u1ebfm) *Major tourist attraction<\/strong>\n