A virtual walking tour of Hanoi
A city between empires
Ten stops around Hanoi, from an eleventh-century citadel to a bridge bombed in the Vietnam War. Each one shows how the city changed under Vietnamese kings, French rule, and the fight for independence. The whole tour takes about ten minutes.
Start the tourWhy Hanoi?
Hanoi’s streets tell us about more than the city itself. They show how ideas traveled across Asia, how French colonial rule changed daily life, and how Vietnamese people fought for independence.
We’ll visit ten places and ask how did the people who lived here respond to these changes? The route follows the map, not the timeline, so we’ll jump back and forth between centuries.
The route
What do these places have in common?
Ideas crossed borders
Vietnamese rulers and scholars drew on ideas from neighboring societies and adapted them to their own needs. We saw this at the citadel and Temple of Literature.
Colonial rule reshaped the city
The prison, opera house, cathedral, and bridge show how French colonial rule affected Hanoi’s buildings and daily life. People later found new uses for some of these places.
Not everyone remembers a place the same way
Ba Dinh Square, 48 Hang Ngang, and Hoan Kiem Lake all connect places with stories about independence. Comparing sources helps us ask whose experiences we’re hearing about and whose are missing.
Discuss with the class: Which stop best shows how people responded to those in power, and why?
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