- Ethnic group: Viet(Kinh), Hoa...

Highlights: Hoan Kiem Lake, Old Quarter, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Water Puppets, Temple of Literature, etc...

In Hanoi, visitors will enjoy an incomparable combination of tradition, elegance and progress.

The Northern metropolis possesses enique architecture of beautiful colonial villas and streets lined with old trees. However, just as the rest of the country, its capital is undergoing major changes. Wide avenues and highways are being created, hotels and office buildings are also being built, giving a whole new look to the city. Noi Bai International Airport, 35km from the centre of Hanoi, is one of the two biggest airports in the country. The airport is being modernized.

Hanoi means “the hinterland between the rivers” (Ha: river, Noi: interior). The portion of the Red River embracing Hanoi is approximately 30 km long. Hanoi also charateristically contains 18 beautiful lakes, which are the lungs of the city, with their surrounding gardens and trees providing a vital source of energy.

- Climate

Hanoi is situated a tropical monsoon zone with two main seasons. During the dry season, which lasts from October to April, it is cold and there is very little rainfall, except from January to March, when the weather is still cold but there is some light rain. The wet season, from May to September, is hot with heavy rains and storms. The average annual temperature is 23.2^oC (73^oF)and the average annual rainfall is 1,800 mm (70.8 inches). The average temperature in winter is 17.2^oC (62.9^oF), but can go down to 5^oC (41^oF). The average temperature in summer is 29.2^oC (84.6^oF), but can reach up to 40^oC (104^oF).