• It has to submit visa on entering into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Time difference is 7 hours advanced from the standard time. Currency is DONG but we can spend dollars in kind of souvenir shops.
  --> It is not necessary to submit visa since January 1, 2004. The condition is within 15 days stay for sightseeing or business, having passport effective date of more than 3 months and having travel ticket.

• Land area of Vietnam is 330,000 square kilometer, population is 77,000,000, Hanoi has 4,000,000, 70 percent is Buddhist, 10 percent Christian.

• Northern part of Vietnam, such as Hanoi, has four seasons. Rainy season is May to October and dry season is November to April. Southern part is land of everlasting summer.

• Capital Ha Noi means "in the river". Ha sounds river in Chinese and similar to Japanese pronunciation. And Noi means "in" also in Chinese. It locates in delta area of the Hong River. It has many lakes such as the famous Lake Hoan Kiem. It has been the capital city of Vietnam since 1010 until 1802 and it is the historical town.

• In 1882, France occupied Hanoi and Vietnam practically became French colony. In 1946, France defeated the Vietnam Independent Alliance, and controlled southern part of Vietnam. It split into South and North Vietnam. In 1960, National Liberation Front was created and declared war against the United States and the Vietnam government backed by the U.S. In 1975, Saigon was fallen and the current Socialist Republic of Vietnam was borne.

• I used a rental mobile phone at Narita and it was useful because there seem to be many antenna in Hanoi even it has gone from the center of the city.

• Refer to Vietnam map, Hanoi map and Hanoi central city map.

Panoram photo from 20the floor of Melia Hotel nea Hoan Kiem Lake. By clike and open 4366x1094 panorama
President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum was opened on September 2, 1975			Hanoi Cathedral
Inaugulated on Christmas Day in 1886 after two years of construction, neogothic style		Also called as Saint Joseph Cathedral	Left nave
Humble stained-glass	It was just holding mass, Seats were fully occupied.		Similar to Notre Dame
Bride and bridegroom	Street by the Cathedral	Oldest University and	Temple of Literature
Confucius Mausoleum	Built in 1070	University started in 1076	82 stones carved names
of persons who passed	the bureaucrat tests	test was once in 3 years	Confucius Statue
Typical Chinese style	Entrance fee 2,000 DONG	Summer opens in 7:30-17:00	Winter, 8:00-17:00
It used to be an education agency for Royal children	and it has opened to general public	Became oldest university in Vietnam	Current buildings were made in 19th century
monuments of university is	one of Hanoi symbols	Bikes are everywhere	bikes in cross section
Vietnam harp in restaurant	This has only one string	View from Hanoi Hotel	Sunset of Lake Giang Vo

2002/06/01