Hanoi is located in the centre of North Vietnam, in the Red River Delta. It dates back to 1010 when it was founded by Ly Cong Uan, who moved the capital from Hoa Lu and called his new citadel Thang Long. The city then flourished as the arts, education and trade brought about the enlargement of the city. In the late 13th century the city was ransacked by the Mongols and was under their control for over a 100 years. In 1428 the Vietnamese regained the city and it was renamed Dong Kinh. The 16th century saw a decline in the status of the city and the imperial court moved to Hue. In 1831 the city was renamed Hanoi, meaning "City on the River Bend" by Emperor Tu Duc. In 1902 the French made Hanoi the capital of their Indochinese union, until their colonial rule came to its end in 1954.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum The construction of the Mausoleum started in September 1973, on the foundations of the old rostrum in Ba Dinh Square where president Ho Chi Minh used to chair national meetings. Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum was completed nearly two years later on August 29, 1975. Engraved on the front of the Mausoleum is Chu Tich Ho Chi Minh, meaning "President Ho Chi Minh." Uncle Ho's dead body dressed in faded khaki clothes and plain rubber shoes was put in a glass coffin. The Mausoleum is the everlasting rest house of the greatest leader of Vietnam.

Ba Dinh Red Square is a complex of several beautiful cultural and historic tourist sites, situated in the center of Hanoi. Ba Dinh Hall is a meeting place for the great important events of Vietnam. The Presidential Palace is an administrative office of the Government. The One-pillar Pagoda is a famous thousand-year old cultural relic of Vietnam. There is a monument of the patriot a combatant who sacrificed their lives for the independence of the Homeland. President Ho Chi Minh¡¦s Museum and Residence are where many precious documents and relics of President Ho Chi Minh¡¦s life and works still remain. President Ho Chi Minh¡¦s Mausoleum, an imposing construction, is the where the remains of Ho Chi Minh are kept. In front of Ba Dinh Square is a large grass yard that is divided into 168 squares. Million of tourists come here to visit the beautiful architectures of this site.

One-Pillar Pagoda (Dien Huu Pagoda) Located in Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh precinct, Hanoi, the One Pillar Pagoda is a cultural and historic relic, unique for its architectural features. The pagoda was first built in 1049 under the Ly dynasty, on the west side of the ancient Thang Long capital. Its original name was Dien Huu, expressing the wish for longevity for the second Ly King. The pagoda is built in the shape of a lotus blooming on its stem. The pagoda was built after the description of a dream of King Ly Thai Tong , who reigned between 1028 and 1054, in which Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, led him to a lotus flower. The actual One-Pillar Pagoda is the miniature reconstruction of a large, ancient, royal Buddhist building.

Water Puppet Show Most civilizations have a puppetry tradition. Yet only in Vietnam have puppeteers taken their art to the water. Since the eleventh century, this unique cultural offering has been kept a guarded treasure of a few families along the Red River Delta.