Great Escapes: Hanoi’s Urban Dynamism

The Sofitel Metropole Hanoi in the Vietnamese capital. Sofitel Legend Metropole
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It is easy to fall in love with Hanoi. Its delightful food and French architectural charms, its deep and engaging history and its truly welcoming people all make for a city visitors find hard to leave. With its languid old alleyways crowded with aromatic street-carts, its colonial remnants and ancient temples, the Vietnamese capital is often spoken of in terms of its past. But there is a genuine and undeniable dynamism, too, which energizes Hanoi, hinting at what it will soon become. It is not just its spate of new hotels, restaurants, galleries, and shops, but the monumental construction of a new metro system; plans to transform the capital into a digitally integrated “smart city”; and a Formula 1 Grand Prix set for 2020. Hanoi is not content with standing still.

But in trying to understand Hanoi, one will not get far without knowing something of its past. The land, located at the northern top of Vietnam near China, first became a political capital in 1010 AD, when Emperor Ly Thai relocated the capital of the Ly Dynasty there, christening it Thang Long, City of the Soaring Dragon (the city celebrated its 1,000th birthday in 2010).

As the capital of French Indochina, which incorporated modern-day Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia from 1902 to 1954, Hanoi underwent a dramatic transformation. The city was virtually rebuilt, with wide boulevards, Art Deco residences, cafes, a massive opera house, and exquisite museum.

During the Vietnam War, Hanoi was the frequent target of American bombs. Of particular U.S. interest was the iconic Long Bien Bridge, finished in 1902 by the same architect behind the Eiffel Tower. Though bombarded, the bridge still stands today, crowded with motorbikes, and makes for a fine spot to catch the sunset over the wide and slow-moving Red River. Though Hanoi, like the whole of the country, suffered immense damage during the conflict, known in Vietnam as the Resistance War Against America, most has been rebuilt.

Following Ho Chi Minh’s victory in 1975, Hanoi became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. But it was not until the ’90s, with a surge of foreign investment and domestic productivity, that it began its transformation into the modern cityscape it is today, with heavy traffic and glittering high-rises (the Hanoi Landmark 72 Tower is southeast Asia’s second tallest). From sightseeing to eating to self-pampering (but especially eating), there is plenty to escape to in Hanoi.


Starting out, stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake, “Lake of the Restored Sword,” an ancient landmark and cultural hub of the city. There is a Confucian temple accessible by bridge (and a small fee) at the northern side of it and a pleasant but inaccessible Turtle Tower, erected in the 19th century, on the other. Surrounding the lake are several shops, restaurants, and cafes, and also a post-office. Other historic sites worth a visit include the Temple of Literature, a 1070 BC dedication to Confucius, and the Co Loa citadel, hailing from the 3rd century BC. The Revolutionary Museum is recommended for the warbuff and the stunning colonial-era National Museum is an antiquity in itself.

The Temple of Literature is Confucian temple which was formerly a center of learning in Hanoi. Godong/UIG/Getty Images


The celebrated originals of northern Vietnamese cuisine include pho, that much popularized noodle soup; banh cuon, thin, wide sheets of rice noodle stuffed with minced pork and herbs; and bun cha, grilled fatty pork with rice noodles dipped in a soupish sauce. There is an endless variety of streetside carts at which to sample them.

For Vietnamese delicacies served in a more refined setting, try Madame Hien, an old restaurant in a beautiful colonial villa with a pleasant courtyard, owned by the French chef Didier Corlou. La Verticale and Porte D’Annam, two others of his in the city, are also excellent, offering more Franco-Vietnamese fare. A newer addition to the fine dining scene is MAD Society, a wonderfully designed Euro-Vietnamese restaurant and whiskey bar which opened within a luxury high-rise in West Lake, one of the city’s wealthier enclaves.


Outside of its bia hơis, hole-in-the-wall drinking parlors where homemade beers go for a few cents, Hanoi has not historically been known for its tipple (it was only in 2016 that the city lifted its midnight curfew). But a slew of high-class drinking dens–MAD Society among them–have given a new glow to the scene. Tadioto, full of modern Vietnamese art, is another dimly lit, hip spot churning out finely crafted libations. For splendid gin and splendid views of St. Joseph’s, a 19th century French cathedral, visit Mad Botanist, a speakeasy-style joint on the third and fourth floors above a dumpling restaurant.


Easily the most charming of Hanoi’s luxury accomodations is the Sofitel Legend Metropole, a sprawling, conveniently located French colonial hotel dripping with history. On their Path of History tour, one can visit the 1901-built wing and explore a warren of air raid shelters in the garden where the likes of Joan Baez and Jane Fonda hid out during the war (before that there was Graham Greene and Charlie Chaplin, among others). Hotel de l'Opera, with 107 rooms and adjacent to the Opera House, is also a fine stay. For a newer, more modern feel, try La Siesta Central Hotel & Spa in the Old Quarter, near Hoan Kiem Lake. Their Vietnamese-style massage will come as a welcome treat after a day of exploration.

This author’s Sofitel accommodations were paid for by the hotel.