Driving Highway One: Hanoi

by Lisa Spivey, Feb 1, 1995 | Destinations: Vietnam / Hanoi
Van Mieu or the Temple of Literature, was founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly and dedicated to Confucius in order to honor scholars. Vietnam's first university was established here in Hanoi in 1076.

Van Mieu or the Temple of Literature, was founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly and dedicated to Confucius in order to honor scholars. Vietnam's first university was established here in Hanoi in 1076.

Van Mieu or the Temple of Literature, was founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly and dedicated to Confucius in order to honor scholars. Vietnam's first university was established here in Hanoi in 1076.
This is a temple on Hanoi's West Lake.
Hanoi is full of examples of French architecture, giving the city a feeling of an old French town.
The old French Ministry of Information building serves as the Hanoi Museum of Fine Arts today.

Return to Driving Highway One by Lisa Spivey

More From This Author

A woodblock.

Traditional Tet Paintings - Dong Ho Prints

Vietnam
Lisa Spivey
Scattered throughout the Old Quarter are pagodas and temples such as the Huyen Thien Pagoda at 54 Hang Khoai. These places of worship are quite active even today, and people of all ages may be seen especially during auspicious lunar days. Tourists may walk into the pagodas, and are welcome to take pictures.

Walking Hanoi's Old Quarter

Vietnam
Lisa Spivey / Albert Wen
The puppeteers line up in front of the screen at the end of the performance.

Water Puppet Performance: The Cast

Vietnam
Lisa Spivey/Albert Wen
Flags are hoisted to signal the start of the show - springing up from beneath the water's surface; they somehow emerge completely dry.

Water Puppet Performance: The Program

Vietnam
Lisa Spivey/Albert Wen
About ThingsAsian

ThingsAsian is an Asia travel website with stories contributed by a worldwide community. Although we cover a wide range of topics, our emphasis is on art, culture, history and travel. Our writers, photographers and contributors are real people who tell you the stories of their personal travels and experiences. Some of the countries we currently cover are Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Email: info@thingsasian.com

© 1994-2015 Global Directions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.