Guest blog by Emily Pham
It’s quite easy to spend your whole weeks in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. There are many fun and exciting activities as well as new things for you to explore. Every single day is a chance of opening a new door to the brand new experiences. Even though you’ve completed all the main attractions in Hanoi, or are not willing to visit them because of crowded tourists. Don’t worry, there are still numerous non-touristy things to do in Hanoi. Take a look at these below destinations; you will be amazed by knowing a new side of Hanoi that not many people can realize.
1. Hanoi Train Street
There is a railway route constructing through the old town of Hanoi. Residents usually call it as Hanoi Train Street where the trains will pass through the front house of Hanoians. The train street hallway starts from Kham Thien to Giai Phong – Dai Co Viet and crosses Dien Bien Phu through Tran Phu, along Phung Hung Street to Long Bien Bridge. Along the sides of the train street is old houses. People come here to contemplate a part of memories about the old Hanoi. They all enjoy the ancient and idyllic beauty that only sees in the heart of the capital.
People often come to take pictures or simply have a cup of coffee and a beer to experience the normal daily life of the locals. The life of the people here is still passing quietly every day with the simple activities around. In the middle of a noisy bustle Hanoi, this train street is considered as a pause of time, a space that brings a sense of peace and closeness.
However, as the trains usually running through extremely close distance, the visitors are always at risk of traffic accidents. Therefore, there were a lot of coffee shops and small vendors around the train street, but now you barely see one. However, it’s also a good sign that the train street has come back with its original peaceful scene and pleasant pace of life.
2. Trieu Khuc Village Festival
Along with the flow of time and fast-paced urbanization, the people of Trieu Khuc village still remind each other of preserving and promoting the beauty of the long-standing traditional culture of the nation on their father’s land. Every Lunar New Year, when spring comes by, Trieu Khuc village people will celebrate the village’s unique folk festival from the 9th to the 12th January of the lunar month. This is an excellent time for them to celebrate and honour the national hero Phung Hung king – Bố Cái Đại Vương Phùng Hưng.
Phung Hung king is the great king who had brought the prosperous and peaceful life to the village. Trieu Khuc Village Folk Festival is one of the most special events for local people to welcome embrace and celebrate New Year. The most unique activity in the festival is the folk dance which many local boys will dress as beautiful girls and participant in the dance. This is a one-of-a-kind feature of the festival as well as a great pride of Trieu Khuc locals. Trieu Khuc Village isn’t located in the center of Hanoi, but it’s an ideal place for you to come by when looking for a non-touristy destination to enjoy the folk and traditional side of Hanoi.
3. Early Morning In The Sword Lake – Hoan Kiem Lake
Hanoi is famous for its bustling and crowded life pace. Every day you will see line by line of packed throughout streets by streets, the scene may make people feel that life here is too hasty and cramped. That is probably only true when describing Hanoi in specific time frames, especially rush hours. And if someone has walked around Sword Lake or known as Hoan Kiem Lake in the early morning, you will surely feel the extremely opposite way. There is a very different Hanoi – A peaceful, fresh and pleasant.
The beauty of Sword Lake in the early morning is described as the beauty of a dreamy young girl. Some people come to the lake to exercise and also enjoy the balmy morning with fresh air here. There are many people who also fall in love with Hanoi at dawn when the city was still in a deep, quiet sleep. Sword Lake is tranquil when you are wandering around at that time will be the best way to kick start a brand new day. If you looking for a way to experience an offbeat side of Hanoi compared to the noisy and busy sounds, Hanoi in the early morning will be an ideal time not to be missed out.
4. Late Afternoon In The West Lake
Together with the Sword Lake, the West Lake is often referred to another romantic beauty of the landscape in Hanoi. Indeed, West Lake is like a multi-coloured picture, which gives the viewer a variety level of emotions. Sometimes it is fresh cheer and excitement in the early sunshine. Sometimes it turns to pure poetic of melancholy and nostalgic in the late afternoon. For thousands of years, West Lake is always an endless source of inspiration for writers, poets and artists to freely express their emotions through many works, songs and poems.
Other people come to West Lake to enjoy the breeze, some come for a cup of coffee along with enjoying the lake view, and others come to try famous specialities such as shrimp cakes and rolling pho. If you still wonder to find a place to chill, West Lake in the late afternoon is the perfect stop for you. This romantic lake will bring so much great emotion to anyone when visiting.
Author Bio
Emily Pham was born in Vietnam, a country with many unknown beaches, historic sites and tourist attractions. She established the blog site vina.com with the purpose of introducing the elegant beauty of Vietnam to friends around the world. If you are planning a trip to Vietnam, the blog will provide you with essential information on where to go and what to do in the country.
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We really hope that this blog helps you with making the most out of your time in Hanoi! It was certainly a city that we loved in Vietnam!
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