Hanoi 4 days 3 nights itinerary

At midnight on a weekday a couple walks out of a convenience store on Hang Bong Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Nearby, three people are eating ice cream and yogurt they had just bought at the store. Hang Bong is one of the capital’s most crowded shopping streets, but at midnight, when it is time for businesses to shut down, it goes quiet. Only three 24/7 convenience stores and a few hotels remain open afterward. Some 200 meters from the convenience store, Quoc Huy, a hotel receptionist is at his desk waiting for two Filipino guests. The hotel car has picked them up at the airport and is headed back. Huy will help them check in at around 3 a.m. Guests arriving at 2 or 3 a.m. is pretty common in October, the peak tourist season. "It’s like we don’t want our guests if we close at midnight," the 24-year-old said. Working along with Huy are three other receptionists of similar age. The bar where Masayoshi Kimoto works continues to take orders from customers at … [Read more...] about Working the graveyard shift in Hanoi

Vibrant Hanoi has charmed many foreigners with its various unexpected aspects, and Frenchman Joseph Gobin is just the latest example. Sidewalk iced tea culture in Hanoi Shan Tuyet tea –a journey from "cloud paradise" to Hanoi’s streets 27-year-old French photographer Joseph Gobin has been inspired by modest iced tea stalls on the street of Hanoi to create his photo collection. — Photo courtesy of Mai Suong Modest iced tea stalls on the streets of the capital have become the subjects of his recent project. Gobin’s photos capture the similar moments and objects in every iced tea stall in Hanoi that are normally unnoticed, like an iced tea stall covered with a shabby canvas at night, a pitcher placed by the wall, a close-up of a lighter placed on a plastic chair or the smiling but pensive faces of the customers. His works are on display at the exhibition Another City: Public, Private, Secret at the French cultural institute L’Espace in Hanoi. The … [Read more...] about French photographer tells stories of street tea in Hanoi

The fireworks will take place at six venues at high altitudes and 24 venues at lower heights across 30 districts in Hanoi, authorities said Tuesday. The city had also had firework displays in 30 locations last year. Each display will last 15 minutes starting as the clock hits midnight January 25, marking the beginning of the Lunar New Year. Specific locations have not been announced yet. Tet is Vietnam’s biggest holiday. It is the most important time for family union and gathering. The government has approved a seven-day Tet holiday that will start January 23, two days before the Lunar New Year's Eve. Government offices and state-owned companies will close until January 29. Schools and other businesses across the country usually follow the same break as government offices. Vietnam has a long standing tradition of letting off fireworks for major national celebrations including Reunification Day on April 30 and National Day on September 2. … [Read more...] about Tet 2020 fireworks to light up skies all over Hanoi

Minister-Counselor Yin Haihong speaks at the 69th anniversary of China’s National Day in Hanoi in 2018 (Source: quandoinhandan.com.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – The relations between China and Vietnam as well as between the two Parties of the two countries are growing well, said Minister-Counselor Yin Haihong at the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi at a press conference on December 12. In reply to questions on the relations between the two countries, Yin said leaders of both countries paid attention to directing bilateral cooperation and held strategic discussions on important issues in bilateral ties as well as in the world situation. She expressed the hope that the trend of cooperation will continue to be maintained. The diplomat also informed that economic and trade ties between Vietnam and China are expanding, with Vietnam now one of the top 10 trade partners of China, while China has been a leading trade partner of Vietnam for many years. She noted that the two countries have set … [Read more...] about China, Vietnam ties grow well: Chinese Embassy in Hanoi

The Tram Stream, which starts from the Phuc Tien Commune, Ky Son District, Hoa Binh Province, is a freshwater source for the Vinaconex Water Supply Joint Stock Company (Viwasupco), which provides tap water in the entire southwestern part of Hanoi, including Thanh Xuan, Hoang Mai, Cau Giay, Ha Dong and several downtown districts. The water is clear and odorless upstream. Next to the stream is a path, where a week ago, locals saw a truck dumping used oil. On Tuesday, the stream sections contaminated with oil had been thickly covered with sand, but the smell of burnt oil persisted. A section of the Tram Stream turned black due to oil contamination. Black oil at the edge of the stream. This has happened throughout two kilometers from the ravine in Ky Son District to a reservoir of the water supply company in Kim Boi District. Oil-contaminated stream flows to the Dam Bai Lake, which stores freshwater for Viwasupco. The water flows from the lake into the company's pump … [Read more...] about Blackish, pungent water still flowing into Hanoi utility company