7 differences only in Hanoi in the eyes of foreigners

 Crossing the road requires faith

In Hanoi, crossing the street is unlike anywhere else on the planet. It's similar to bungee jumping, in some ways (wearing a rope and jumping from above). Believe it when others say "just walk, you'll be OK," even if your senses warn you not to.

There is no turning back after you have left the sidewalk and taken your first step onto the road. You may simply keep walking at a steady speed and hope that the motorcycles will avoid crashing into you.

However, everything always goes smoothly. Road traffic in Hanoi is "wild," yet it is ordered chaos, and people make their way across the street one way or another.

As you step down into the chaotic world of motorbikes, it's a moment of faith in your fellow human beings. Believe that when you cross the street, motorcyclists will avoid you!

Riding a motorcycle is similar to diving into a river and dashing through rapids. It's both dangerous and thrilling!

Sidewalk beer

Hanoi is known for its "cheap" beer, dubbed "bia hoi" by locals, which is brewed every day.

Habeco produces Hanoi's official draft beer on a daily basis. Beer ferments during the day, therefore the flavor varies from store to store depending on how frequently it is sold. When darkness struck, though, there was not much left.

At Hanoi, beer can be found in almost every corner, typically paired with meals, and diners may sometimes enjoy classical music like Abba and Boney M via a karaoke machine shown on a screen. a television image

The most renowned beer in Hanoi can be found right in the center of the Old Quarter, at Bia Hoi Corner, where Luong Ngoc Quyen and Ta Hien meet.

Stylish Old Quarter

The phrase "Old Quarter" in Hanoi isn't merely a metaphor. The region wedged between the iconic Hoan Kiem Lake, the Red River, and the surviving walls of Hanoi's medieval citadel is a maze of at least 36 alleys. The ancient town dates back over a thousand years and will continue to exist.

The ancient town has evolved into a commerce hub, with craftsmen organizing it into 36 rows (silver store, bamboo shop, hat shop, potato shop, etc.) and each row serving as a street.

Teams of artisans rehearse in the midst of a swarm of visitors, motorcycles, pubs, and zippo lighter businesses. Many temples, modest pagodas, and concealed public places, on the other hand, still have their original features from the old streets.

Tube dwellings, which are thin and tall, have become increasingly iconic in recent years. You may view it at 87 Ma May or 38 Hang Dao.

Look up at the roof to spot historic French homes with low floors that are commonly disguised as business facades.

The core of Vietnam was still under colonial administration at the time of Hanoi's birth, and the ancient town was the epicenter of anti-French resistance organizations.

The war associated with pop music

Vietnam's war against the United States is well-known for its atrocities and anti-war protests across the world. As a result, for American soldiers of the Vietnam War, returning to Hanoi has always been an essential element of their plans.

Those who grew up listening to Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones' anti-war songs can't forget the wars linked with the 1960s and 1970s rebel movements. It was a conflict that had an impact on the country's young culture. For a decade, America has been spreading pop culture over the world.

Go to Long Bien, the Red River bridge that connects freight from Hai Phong port, to uncover evidence of American bombs on Hanoi. You may also go to Hoa Lo, often known as Hanoi Hilton by American soldiers.

Street vendors

It's remarkable that Hanoi, as a tourist destination, lacks huge commercial malls. Instead, you'll discover something more unusual — stores perched on women's or men's shoulders.

Small bamboo baskets and double slings swinging from the vendor's shoulders will hold everything you want to buy. It serves as both a store and a mode of transportation for conical-hatted street merchants. Tourists are usually inspired to take photographs of them.

Purchase anything, such as pho, mangosteen, flower bouquets, or home products, and you'll have images that are always accompanied by a bright Vietnamese grin.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

Hanoi is the only city in Southeast Asia where President Ho Chi Minh's body is still on display. Thousands of visitors to the Mausoleum, where President Ho Chi Minh's remains is kept, are overcome with emotion as they pay their respects to the hero who freed Vietnam from foreign dominance.

French style sidewalk café

The Vietnamese have not forgotten the relics of the French colonial period, particularly the ancient villas, and here is the ideal location to savor French cuisine combined with East Asian friendliness.

Since the French colonial period, the skill of savoring coffee has been passed down. In Hanoi, coffee is still served in the French manner, as if the street were a stage and the café was the audience seating area. However, diners are frequently served on micro plastic seats or small rattan chairs that are only a few dozen centimeters from the ground.

The finest example of the French-Vietnamese fusion may be seen in Hanoi cuisine. Vietnamese pate sandwiches are made with French bread with fillings including pate, veggies, and melon.