According to VNExplorer, Vietnamese capital Hanoi ranks 10th place in the list of Reader’s Digest thanks to its picturesque temples and pagodas and vibrant markets. Despite being home to an array of modern developments, plenty of historical relics remains on display throughout the capital.
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| Hanoi at night. Photo: Hopon-Hopoff |
Ranked at number eight on the list is the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City, an urban center most famous for Notre-Dame Cathedral and the 19th-century Central Post Office. Other popular sites include Ben Thanh Market which is overflowing with food, handicrafts, and souvenirs. The incense-filled Jade Emperor Pagoda, War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, and Giac Lam Pagoda are must-visit destinations.
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| HO Chi Minh city |
According to vietnamtourism.gov.vn, Reader’s Digest described Hanoi as a “feast for the senses” from its “picturesque temples and pagodas to vibrant markets”. It highlighted the harmonious combination of modern and historical features in the Vietnamese capital city.
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| Tran Quoc Pagoda. This feature was originally published in the May 2019 issue of The Spirits Business |
Coming to Hanoi, tourists can stroll around the narrow streets of the Old Quarter, visit the creepily fascinating Hoa Lo Prison turned museum, and admire traditional Vietnamese architecture at the Temple of Literature, the former site of a Confucian academy, the magazine stated.
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| Hanoi old quarter |
Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City is well-known for its many attractive tourist sites, such as the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the 19th-century Central Post Office, and the Ben Thanh market “overflowing with food, handicrafts, and souvenirs”.
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| Bui Vien |
The incense-filled Jade Emperor Pagoda, War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, and Giac Lam Pagoda are also must-visit places in the city, Reader’s Digest said, insisting that visitors should not leave without touring the fruit orchards, paddy fields, and marshlands of the Mekong Delta.
The remaining Asian destinations in the Reader’s Digest list included Tokyo (Japan), Bangkok (Thailand), Singapore, Beijing (China), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Kyoto (Japan), Seoul (Republic of Korea), Macau (China), Hong Kong (China) and Sri Lanka.
