Chua Tran Quoc, Hanoi

Regarded as the freshwater lake of Vietnam, West Lake is spread over 500 hectares of land. Known for its soothing atmosphere, scenic beauty, and historic pagodas, it is an iconic escape from urban hustle attracting travellers and locals from all around the globe.

One of the most historically significant places in Hanoi has to be the Water Puppet Theater that hosts universally entertaining water puppet shows. If you attend any of these shows you will be aghast at how the puppets jerk their across shallow water pools. What’s remarkable is that the master puppeteers move the puppets flawlessly hidden behind the curtains.

Dedicated to the Royal highness Prince Linh Lang the 953-year old Voi Voi Phuc Temple is popularly called as the Kneeling Elephants Temple. Ly Thai Tong constructed this temple believing that his son is a god. This ancient place of worship occupies the exact place where the mighty elephant knelt so as to allow Prince Linh to mount on top of it and ride to the battlefield. When you go sightseeing in Hanoi city you cannot miss visiting this wood temple for the stunning architecture of the shrine. What’s remarkable is that configurations of several walls, statues and entrances of the temple have been built as per the feng shui practices.

If you are all set out for a fun Hanoi sightseeing, do not miss out on the first, most modern and the largest Aquariums of Hanoi. This aquarium contains 3 million liters of water and houses some of the most exotic sea species. You can spot rare creatures like the sea cows, otters and penguins here. More than 300 colorful fishes live inside this 4000 meters aquarium and make for a sight to behold. You get to draw valuable information about the gorgeous marine ecosystem here.

Your Hanoi sightseeing is incomplete without a visit to the Vincom Mega Mall. This mall is Hanoi’s most visited shopping destination. Here you can access multiple well-being and fashion stores. There are different sections dedicated to fun and ice skating activities all within the premises of the mall.

The Vietnam Fine Arts Museum is one of the most patriotic Hanoi tourist places, that gives you a visual representation of how the country was caught in the throes of war. You can spot a tiny collection of the indigenous artworks of the 21st and 20th centuries abound with the themes of martyrdom and patriotism. However, there are some paintings, lacquers and effigies that provide you a glimpse of Vietnamese folktales and heritage.