I’ve lived my whole life here in Ho Chi Minh City. There’re several buildings that hold significant meaning in our cultures. Among these, the one which I enjoy visiting the most is Duc Ba Cathedral.

It’s located in District 1 – right in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. The church is surrounded by other important structures such as Reunification Palace on the right, HCM Post Office on the left and at the back Diamond Plaza - a great place for shopping. To get there is quite easy. It’s a 5-minute-walk from here.

Even though there’re plenty of churches around here, this one is quite unique for it was built by French colonizers before they left Vietnam.

The architecture of Notre Dame is not only impressive but also unique. It’s quite large. It was built out of bricks and concretes. Its distinctive shape makes it look like a whole lot of mushroom to me. The church comprises of a rectangular building with 2 towers at the sides of the entrance, along with the statue of Mother Maria in front. Because the building is quite old, certain parts of it have been reconstructed time and again.

There’re several activities take place at this place. For example, Christians go there to say their prayers, tourists pay a visit to this must-visit structure, husband-and-wife-to-be pose for their wedding photos while young people just sit around for a chit-chat and take in the view.

I guess I love this building not only because of its distinct look but also due to the memories I have had there with my friends and loved ones.

1.Phố Cổ - The old quarter

• Located in the middle of Ha Noi, the Old Quarter with its old-styled narrow streets full of antique brick houses seems to resist the flow of time while still actively trying to adapt to the dynamic atmosphere of the modern city.
• Ha Noi Old Quarter consists of many small, busy streets, each bears the name of the goods that were specifically traded there such as Hang Bac (Silver Product), Hang Ma (Paper Product), Hang Go (Wood Product) ·
• Visiting this unique historical vestige, tourists get lost in a different world from the rest of the city and have the chance to explore the energetic life of the local a hundred years ago, where there were no high-rise buildings, too much traffic; things will get a little bit smaller, as visitors may have used to those skyscrapers and shopping centers in other parts of the city, but not at all less lively and vigorous ·

2. Hồ Hoàn Kiếm

• Hoan Kiem Lake means "Lake of the Returned Sword". The lake is the heart of Ha Noi capital. There is a legend about the name of this lake The lake is considered the center of Hanoi, not only physically but also symbolically. In fact, the more you spend time learning about the lake, the more special it becomes.
• The tale goes that a King came across a shining metal bar when he visited his friend. It turned out that his friend caught the bar in one of his attempts for fish. The King asked for the bar, brought it home and molded it into a sword. All of a sudden, there were two words printed on the sword “Thuan Thien” (harmonious with heaven). The King then understood that the sword was a gift from heaven. He used it for the battle against the war with China. At the beginning of 1428, when peace prevailed, on one of his trip to the lake there was a tortoise rising above water and shouting: “Please return the sword to the Dragon King”. Without hesitation, the King threw the sword to the lake. The tortoise took the sword and dove down the water. From then on, the lake was named Hoan Kiem lake.
• The lake is not only special in history. The watercolor of Hoan Kiem Lake is not commonly found in other lakes elsewhere in the country: greenish. The lake is full of tortoise, which is second to none to be found among Vietnamese lakes. If you are lucky, you will catch sight of these giant animals rising out of water. And because the tortoise is considered a sacred animal in Vietnam’s culture (along with the dragon, phoenix, and unicorn), Hoan Kiem Lake then becomes a holy place that nurtures tortoise.
• If you can wake up early in the morning, at about 5 a.m., you will see lines people doing exercise from yoga to tai-chi to aerobics. It looks as if the whole city was up and running for morning exercise. They work out in a group or by themselves, with or without equipment. When darkness takes over, you can see couples holding hands walking side by side along the lake, trying to breathe in the breeze of summer night or keep warmth against the winter cold. If you have time and want to observe Hanoi’s life, sit down on one of the stone benches, enjoy the view and have a good talk with some local friends ows have been performed. Every year, about 500 shows are offered to approximately 150,000 audiences. Moreover, the theater has brought water puppetry art to more than 40 foreign countries in the world through performance tours, or international cultural exchange program or puppetry festivals.
• Traditional content of water puppet performance mentions the daily life of Vietnamese farmers (cultivating, tending buffalo, catching fishes…), communal entertainment (swimming contest, dragon dancing…), or historical legends

4.Nhà thờ lớn – The big church

• Saint Joseph Cathedral (simply called “Big Church” in Vietnamese) is located on Nha Chung Street near the Hoan Kiem Lake. This is a Roman Catholic cathedral with neo-gothic which was built over 100 years ago.
• In 1882, after the French army conquered Hanoi, the cathedral was constructed and completed in 1886. The cathedral was built on the land belonging to Bao Thien pagoda – an important pagoda that dates from the 12th century Ly Dynasty.
• Besides Western style, the main interior part is decorated in Vietnamese way with two typical colors yellow and red. Outside, in front of the cathedral is the statue of Mother Maria.
• The big church is always crowded with hundreds of people including both Christians and non-Christians at the weekend or during religious holidays like Christmas ·
• Today, taking advantage of beautiful architecture and good venue at the center of the city, the area surrounding the cathedral is always packed with hundreds of local people and tourists hanging out with friends for drinking, talking, and watching the street. Moreover, the Saint Joseph Cathedral is not only the attractive place for Christian couples hold their wedding, but also a great venue for non- religious grooms and brides to take nice wedding shots. ·

5.Bảo tàng phụ nữ - Vietnamese women’s museum

• Despite being a patriarchal society, Viet Nam still reserves a special, if not sacred, place to honor Vietnamese women. Not only is October 20th is made Vietnam’s Women day but there also exists a museum dedicated to women.
• The museum displays history of women, such as women and ethnicity; women and the national struggle; Vietnam women association and the feminism; women and traditional costumes; and women’s cultural traits expressed through handicrafts.
• There are also frequent exhibitions on contemporary women, such as women working as street vendors or women’s place in the family. The Vietnam Women’s Museum is impressive and worth visiting ·

6.Nhà tù Hỏa Lò – Hoa Lo prison 

• The name Hỏa Lò originated from the street name "Pho Hoa Lo", due to the concentration of stores selling wood stoves and coal-fire stoves along the street from pre-colonial times.
• The prison was built by the French, from 1886 to 1901, when Vietnam was still part of French Indochina. The French called the prison Maison Centrale ·
• It was intended to hold Vietnamese prisoners, particularly political prisoners. It was often overcrowded, holding hundreds of prisoners. By 1954 it held more than 2000 people. it had become a symbol of colonialist exploitation and the bitterness of the Vietnamese towards the French.
• The prison was called “A Hell on Earth” and now the prison is like a war museum for those who want to understand more about the war against France of Vietnamese people ·

7.Chùa Trấn Quốc – Tran Quoc pagoda

• Tran Quoc Pagoda is located beside West Lake – the biggest lake in Ha Noi, and on Thanh Nien Road – the most romantic road of the capital ·
• The pagoda was constructed in 541 and was completed in 545 under its original name of Khai Quoc (National Founder). It has 1500- year history ·
• You might ask yourself why among several beautiful pagodas in Hanoi, Tran Quoc should be visited. Because it is considered a cultural symbol of Vietnamese Buddhism ·
• Visiting Tran Quoc pagoda can give visitors an insight into the religious life and culture of Vietnamese people - a religious relic with a spectacular ­surrounding scenery ·

8.Long Biên bridge – Cầu Long Biên

• The Long Bien Bridge was constructed from 1989 to 1902 during French’s occupation of the country. Though the bridge was designed by French, it was built directly by Vietnamese workers with materials from many provinces in Viet Nam ·
• More than 100 years with decades of war, Long Bien Bridge was bombed many times by air attacks by the American army in 1967, 1972; and many spans of the bridge were destroyed. The left spans remaining today remind us of an unforgettable past. The bridge is not only a traffic construction, a nice architecture but also a living historical relic.
• It is the only bridge in Hanoi where all the riders have to go in the left-hand side. Many people said that Long Bien Bridge is the best place to look at the sunrise or the sunset and taking nice photos. Many brides and grooms choose Long Bien Bridge as nice background in their wedding albums ·
• If you have a chance to visit Hanoi, do not forget to take a walk on Long Bien Bridge for sightseeing, feeling the daily life of Hanoians, and enjoying peaceful moments at the present but not forgetting memorable past.

9.Ho Chi Minh mausoleum – Lăng Bác

• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is an important historical attraction of Hanoi, known for honoring the national hero: President Ho Chi Minh. The building is where visitors can express their admiration and gratitude towards the great father of Vietnamese who has led the country to independence and reunification. ·
• The materials that constitute the building, from exterior granite to interior wood, were contributed by people from all over the country. Even the garden that surrounded the Mausoleum has a collection of plants and bonsais donated from all regions in Vietnam.
• The construction of the Mausoleum was against President Ho Chi Minh’s will. Actually, in his will, he wanted to be cremated than buried in three parts of the country: the north, the south, and the middle ·
• But the Vietnamese government decided to build the mausoleum and people from any part of the country and foreign friends can visit him ·

10.Temple of literature – Văn Miếu

• The Temple of Literature was constructed in 1070, first to honor Confucius and In 1076, King Ly Nhan Tong built Quoc Tu Giam as the first university of Vietnam ·
• nowadays the temple of literature is the place to celebrate the doctorates and high-rank scholars of Vietnam ·
• The temple is divided into five courtyards, each with its significance and history ·
• There are a total of 82 tombstones, with names and origins of 1307 doctors, corresponding to 82 examination courses from 1442 to 1779. If you visit the temple at the beginning of the year or in May when many important examinations take place, you will catch sights of numerous students who come and rub the tortoise head. Such an act is believed to bring them luck to pass the test.
• If you are keen on architecture, Temple of literature has one of the most typical architecture styles for centuries in Vietnam, composed of wood and tiles. Along the passway are hundred-year-old trees that have witnessed ups and downs of history ·