Hotel in Hanoi Reference

Article by Piousbox

This 1000-year old city is the capital of Vietnam. Being located in the northern part of the country, it is the second biggest city of the state. Urban area of Hanoi has more than 6 millions of inhabitants. It is recognized as one of the economical and political centers of Vietnam. During its history, Hanoi was the capital of various ruling dynasties, Chinese invaders and French colonial powers. It was the capital of Northern Vietnam for a couple of years in the middle of 20th century. Modern Hanoi is the main educational center of Vietnam. First universities where founded in the beginning of the last century. It has more scientist then other parts of Vietnam brought together. Nowadays, it is also known as a popular tourist destination. And there are several reasons at a time. One of them is rich cultural heritage. Many landmarks haven’t survived because of time and wars, but there still are some monuments and nice places to go to. Another one touches shopping. Hanoi has reputation of a top shopping location of Asia. Some big areas of a kind are available. That was the reason why I went there with my beloved one – she is shopaholic. While she was buying lovely, but helpful things, I was exploring the city. The Sword Restored Lake is located in the center of Hanoi. According to the legend, it was the place where the sword, which helped King Le Thai To to win his battles, was found. After the end of wars, this sword was taken back by a great turtle. In our days, this lake is popular amongst citizens and backpackers as a place for rest and walks. There are a number of other lakes in the city as well. The Old Quarter is a piece of Hanoi from pre-colonial times. Earlier, there were only few streets in the city. All of them had many shops that trade silks, jewelry and other goods. Some of these stores operate till our days. Famous night market which is open three nights per week can also be found there as well as many other points of interest. Many bars, shops and cafes are located there too. Colonial Hanoi is a nice illustration of French presence in Indochina. For a long time, Hanoi was a capital of mentioned province. That status caused need in some official and living properties. That was the reason why such places as the State Bank of Vietnam, the Presidential Palace, Grand Opera House, Saint Joseph Cathedral, Hotel Metropole and others were built. Many buildings in there are done in electrical mix of colonial French architecture and local traditions. You may see this viewing National Museum of Vietnamese History, Indochina Medical College and the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts. The Temple of Literature is a unique monument that was a part of the first Vietnamese university. It was built in 1070 in honour of Confucius. The first Vietnamese university, named Quoc Tu Giam, was opened 8 years later. This beautiful landmark can be found just in 2 km away from Hoan Kiem Lake.One Pillar Pagoda is situated in the western part of Hanoi city. Its original name can be translated as “long lasting happiness”. Wood was used during its construction in 1049 in times of King Ly Thai Tong rule. Its pillar was ruined in times when Vietnam was a part of French colony in the year of 1954. But after the country got its independence, it was restored. I looked forward to visit a couple of other places in that Travel to Hanoi, but my sweetheart called me and told that she want me back. And how could I ignore such a request?

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It was about 12:30 when our bus got to the port, however, it was definitely worth the wait because the view at Halong Bay was outstanding.  It was especially memorable since we were able to enjoy our seafood lunch on a short cruise.  The weather was also a little chilly, but just right to contrast the mid-day sun, and it made the boat travel very calm, relaxing and enjoyable.  Around mid-afternoon, we were able to reach the caves at Thien Cung and Dau Go, where we were shown the rock formations inside the caves.  The stalactites and stalagmites were very unique which were even further emphasized through the background lighting made on the stone structures.  From the caves, we were escorted back to the boat and we had a good view of the Halong sunset as we returned to the city port.  We had some snacks and drinks while we were serenaded by the boat’s band, with the accompaniment of Vietnamese traditional musical instruments.  After the boat ride, we were back on our tourist bus and soon were headed back to Hanoi.  After another long drive, we had a dinner of fried noodles, spring rolls and more seafood at the Thang Long Restaurant – yummy!  The Water Puppet Show was our next stop afterwards — a novel, and one-of-a-kind type of entertainment in Thang Long, Hanoi.  It is said to be a must-see in Hanoi being part of Vietnamese cultural tradition of puppetry being done by puppeteers who were partly immersed in water at the backstage.  Honestly, however, I was not able to appreciate this show very much because the language used was Vietnamese, and the audience merely had to try to look at the actions of the puppets to understand the stories.  Since the show was quite short – less than an hour — before long, we were already at the hotel for our much-awaited rest after a very tiring day.

Tags: Enjoying, Exploring, Part, Vietnam
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The food at the restaurant looked somewhat strange, but it was also an adventure to get to pick items at the rows of buffet tables.  Most of the items tasted good though, perhaps because of the Asian taste and my inherent Asian upbringing.  It was an enjoyable dinner as a whole and we didn’t stop until we had our fill of the prawns and crabs and noodles.  My fellow officemate and I slipped away from our companions and had a short photo session outside the restaurant shortly afterwards.  It was here that I got to encounter a dragon fruit monument which denotes the fact that the dragon fruit is one of the more popular fruits in Vietnam – that is, among the many other fruits that are abundant here.

After dinner, we had the free time to rest although travel time back to the Hanoi Horison Hotel took almost another 2 hours because of the traffic.  It reminded me so much of the Philippines, but definitely, the traffic situation in Hanoi was worse.  However, what was noticeable though was the clean streets, the absence of people walking along the roads at that time, and the almost uniform measurement of the houses in the area.  We rationalized that this is perhaps due to the type of government Hanoi is, being under Northern Vietnam which has a Communist government, which was later confirmed by our tour guide.

The next day, we had the opportunity to go to Halong Bay, one of the more popular tourist spots in Hanoi, but it took almost a half day’s travel to get to the destination.  We were able to have a short stop at Hong Ngoc, a shopping destination for tourists where I was able to see on display as a table centerpiece, a large snake coiled inside a glass container about 1.5 feet in diameter, with a clear brownish liquid which was supposed to be snake wine.  Snake wine is very popular in this locality, and they sell it to tourists as a kind of potency drink.

Tags: Enjoying, Exploring, Part, Vietnam
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Article by Myles Bryan

Hanoi. When a war torn city that’s subject to the fireplace and flames of war, now it is a commerce center for eastern Far East. This city is a thriving center for your country of Vietnam, full of surprises, cultural heritage, and exotic landscapes. It really is astounding the resiliency of humanity shows itself. Often bombed throughout the Vietnam war, the infrastructure of Hanoi was completely destroyed. But this city has survived worse.Hanoi gets the imprints of your city which has been ruled by many people, and each ruler has left 12 inches print out and about. Beginning from Ly Thai To, the 1st Ruler of the Ly Dynasty, Hanoi may be renamed and rebuilt often times. In 1408, china in the Ming Dynasty attacked, and brought with these plenty of the advances that this Chinese had, in addition to a few of the culture the Chinese have been seen for. Following a Chinese example, other Dynasties invaded and slipped, the Jap attacked, the French occupied the town, and lastly the usa tried to destroy it. Each of these foreign powers left its mark with this remarkable city. Some left Pagodas. Some left Statues. Some left architectural styles. Them all provide a unique flavour to the capital of scotland – Hanoi.Vietnam travel is really a rising industry in the nation. Tourism is booming because individuals are beginning to note an advantage of a nation which has lain unexplored for so very long. Just about the most stunning of those locations, Ha Long Bay, is really a wonderous sight of limestone marvel. Towers of rock stand as many sentinels for a bay of human inhabitants. The lake from the bay is phenomenally calm, the unsettled sea buffered by the towers of limestone that stand tall inside the ocean. The formation with this geographical marvel is a fascinating one. The towers are constructed with limestone, a rock which is easily eroded by water. Vietnam is really a particularly wet area, during monsoon season, with peak precipitation reaching thirteen inches within the month of July. This gigantic volume of rain causes fast elope and absorption to the ground. The river filters from the ground into underground aquifers running through high of Vietnam’s underground, which is carried by the aquifers to the ocean. What’s interesting though would be that the elope inside underground caverns takes some of the walls from it. This erosion process slowly whittles down the support to the roofs of these aquifers, and in the end the soil above the underground rivers collapses into sink holes. When several sink holes are created near the other person, they could become full of water and turn into lakes. These lakes can eventually connect with the ocean, so when this occurs you get unusual rock formations, with big towers surrounding lakes that have been once sink holes.Vietnam travel could be phenomenally rewarding if you consider the effort to accomplish their research. You obtain in what you obtain out, or so the word goes. People who make the time for it to have a great Vietnam travel trip will never be disappointed. Vietnam is often a beautiful, maybe quixotic landscape, with a people who understand the need for treating travellers well. After being under an embargo from the US and of Europe for many years, Vietnam knows what its enjoy being isolated. Traveling there now and find out what occurs when capitalism is let in after which left alone, it is a terrific experience. This once backward country is currently around the upwards move, with producing and trade up more now than in the past. Vietnam travel is a wonderful education experience. I wouldn’t miss it.

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Article by Solomon Clemons

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Address: 1 Le Thanh Tong St, Hoan Kiem Dist, Hanoi, Vietnam

Tel: 84-4 9330500

Fax: 84-4 9330530

Situated adjacent to the Hanoi Opera House in the heart of Hanoi, the opening of the Hilton Opera Hanoi hotel is music to the ears of business and leisure travelers alike. Inspired by the character of the famous Opera House, this magnificent boutique-style hotel is a fusion of two long-established traditions – gentle Vietnamese hospitality and graciousness, and the Hilton’s assurance of total reliability, impeccable service and first-class facilities.

The minute you arrive at our new 7-stories colonial-styled home, you feel the warm and friendly embrace of the Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel. This grand new hotel blends beautifully with its surroundings – a new landmark that sits elegantly in the heart of the city center within walking distance of the business district, local attractions & shopping districts, especially the Old quarter.

Hilton Opera Hotel hanoi Room

All 269 cosmopolitan apartment & suites in fashion a angry versus lawn tragedyécor, nearby City or Opera House views.

All Often talented alongside A/trouble-free (H/trouble-free), moon TV, in-tribe silent (picture), IDD Chiefly US horn, guard-box, bantam-bar, receiver/music blueprint, Formal enounce mail, substantiation anchorage, coffee/tea inception facilities, 180° angle door viewer, wild bathrooms with aside shower units.

Deluxe: chief or photocopy bedrooms exculpation the Chiefly Brit reservation. Elegant equipage Colloq Brit all the go a inflamed/sod familiar Vietnamese decor; 34 Colloq racket2.

Executive Deluxe: big wheel or imitation bedrooms onward Executive Floor, remission the Ha Noi Opera House or City. Executive Floor relish (in) exclusive arrest-Colloq trendy/missing, complimentary thrash Slang nosh … la mode the clubroom, all-day laudatory refreshments, germane hour near cakes from 3 – 5 pm, pre-dinner cocktails hard by hors calamity’oeuvres from 6 – 8 pm, 1 action per day ridden disengage suggesting regulation, newspapers, magazines and butler aid at infinitesimal cost; 36 province2.

Suite: Well-appointed by aside breathing area added to erotic, suites move near all the benefits attainable onward the Executive Floors; 75 profession

Facilities with an increment of Services

Restaurant: Turtle’s Poem – an exquisite Chinese restaurant that affords you the luxury of dining. Brasserie Chez Manon alongside views of the Ha Noi Opera House increased by Gardens augment contemporary Brasserie cuisine and local Vietnamese specialties. The JJ’s Sport besides is a cozy omitting that offers guests live music in the evenings increased by splendid bistro options at lunchtime. The unique “open” bakery with an increment of gourmet shop, Cafe Opera, has an aroma that attracts you to its irresistible pastries (coupled) with chocolates.

Facilities: : The hotel has the latest Health Club facilities including a fitness center, sauna, whirlpool (coupled) with massage center, a swimming integrate with its acknowledge snack leaving out service. Florist, gift shop added to newsstand.

Conference Center: All 9 meeting rooms feature avow-of-the-art technical stand behind Business Center. The Hilton Hanoi Opera boasts a grand ballroom that accommodates close by 600 guests for a cocktail reception (coupled) with 350 guests for a sit-down dinner.

Location

The hotel located in the heart of the central business district of Hanoi, adjacent to the Hanoi Opera House is where the hotel is located. It is within walking distance to different commercial buildings, government ministries, embassies and shopping areas. The Noi Bai International Airport is 40 kilometers away from the hotel, which is approximately 30 minutes near taxi or alternate

Jeny Bui

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If you are going to visit Vietnam or you are finding a nice place to visit in your holiday. This article is written for you.

1.Q: If I were to visit your country, what are the place that i shouldn’t miss…those trips that aren’t too costly.

A: There are so many beautiful places to visit in Vietnam. If you want to visit all these places, you have to spend at least two months. It’s hard to choose which are the best places to visit. If you want to see a fantastic mountains, you should visit Sapa and Phanxipan mountain, it’s really fantastic! Or if you’d like to se beautiful beach and some desert view, you should visit Nha Trang, Binh Dinh (there are few hotels for foreiner there), Phan Thiet. If you want to see people who live on the boat, let’s move to the Far South of Vietnam. There are some more place you should visit, such as Ha Long bay, Phong Nha cave, Nam Cat Tien national forest, Cu Chi tunel, Phu Quoc island. 

If you don’t want to spend much money, try to find a honest tourist guide. Some tips for you: An awsome dinner just cost around $ 2 – $ 3 for one person, but if you have dinner in a restaurant for a foreiner, you have to pay more. 

2. Q:When does school year start in vietnam and how many weeks are granted for vacation?

A: New school year will start in September. As I said, if you want to visit all the interesting places in this country, you need at least two months. If you want to visit one or two places, one or two week is enough. 

3. Q: Are there a lot of expats or foreigners in your country? which nationalities often visit vietnam?

A: There a a lot of foreiners live in Vietnam for a long time. Most of them came from Japan, Korea, China, Africa, USA and some from EU.

4: Q: Is it possible to stay in Hanoi and visit Halong Bay and be back in Hanoi in the same day?

A: It’s impossible to go from Hanoi to Halong bay and come back in the same day. 

5: Q: Is there really a Bridge in the River Kwai? where is it?

A: Kwai bridge is a true bridge. But it’s not in Vietnam, it’s in Thailand  

6. Q: How long (in days) does it take to do a Mekong River Cruise from Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos (complete with Siem Reap tour)?

A: Wao! You are going to take a great trip! You need at least two or three day to visit the downstream of Mekong rive, then you need to take at least one day to go to the boder of Vietnam – Laos. Then, from Laos to Cambodia, I have no idea, because I’m not been there yet.

7. Q: Okay, there is one question I need to ask you. How much is one bowl of Pho cost in Vietnam? Here in Atlanta, it is about $ 6.50 for a large bowl, and I think the quantity, the content is reduced while the price is going up.

A: Around $ 1 – $ 4 for a nice and hot bowl of pho. but the bowl will smaller, because the Vietnamese can not eat as the US. You should eat at least two bowls if you are the US. 

8. Q: How many days would you advice for the Hanoi and Halong Bay Cruise?

A: If you want to have a Hanoi and Halong Bay Cruise, you need to spend at least two day. 

9. What would be the best way to go to Hanoi from Ho CHi MInh…. boat or plane? If boat, how many hours or days would it take?

A: f you’d like to go to Hanoi from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city), the best transportation is plan if you’d like comfortable, it take you two hours to fly from Saigon to Hanoi. But if you’d like to view nice scenes, the best transportation is train, it take you around two day but very worth to try. 

10. Q: Which are the best beaches? I like white sandy beaches with palm trees.

A: The best beaches are in the Middle of Vietnam. You can visit Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, or you can visit Phu Quoc island, really nice island. There are also many other villages which have nice and pure and wild beaches but there have few hotel for foreiner and tourist guide, if you want to have a real cruise, go on! You may meet some Champa people and see some Champa monuments there. 

11. Q: What is the train system like? Does it have sleepers on its routes?

A: The train system is pretty good and safe. It have a bed – wagon so you can sleep well but you have to pay more. 

12: Are some of the cities interesting to visit? Why?

A:  I recomment you should visit these city: Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue, Nha Trang, Da Lat (have been discovered by Dr.Yersin, teacher of Dr.Lous Pasteur), Sai Gon (Ho Chi Minh city). Hanoi have many interesting kind of Vietnamese traditional food and girls are really lovely there . Hoi An and Hue is two acient cities and you can visit Phong Nha cave (new natural wonder of the world) when you visit Hue. Nha Trang is the best place for foreiner as you, nice beach, some night club, many nice hotels, many beach activities there. Da Lat is an old French city, there are many nice mountaint view and people are kind and girls are lovely too, event more than Hanoi! . Saigon is the place that I’m living in, it’s the biggest city of Vietnam, there are many nice places around Saigon to visit, such as Cu Chi tunnel. 

I hope these answer will have you some.

I’m a freelance writer and translator. You could read more about other topics at my home page.

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Police Cars in Hanoi (Vietnam)
On BBC website, I saw a picture of the recent flood in Hanoi (VN). I remember a remark that somebody said to me about 13 years ago when I was still in Vietnam, “In Western countries, they build sewerage of a new city before building houses, but in our country, it’s the other way!”
However, my story for you is about the police car in that picture. A few policemen were trying to push it forward in “Hanoi downtown river”, the word POLICE (in English) was right in the front of the van, in a large size.
Do you know what I mean? Well, in South Vietnam, from 1975 to 1985, everybody around me tried to hide the truth that they were able to speak English.
We were told that all English speaking people would be suspected as spies for the USA, especially people who spoke English in American accent. So, speaking English in VN those days was something very dangerous, it might make you watched and put to jail for a very long time. Russian was the most important foreign language in schools and the Soviet Union paid lots of money for text-book publishing. Everyone believed that people who could speak Russian well would be the most important heading people of Vietnam.
Because my parents were exiles in America, they called me “bad life-story person” and my children were not allowed to learn Russian! They had to learn English with teachers who were always bad treated at work like “half-enemy”. Nobody knew what would happen just a few years later.
You might be very surprised if you knew that in 1986, rich and powerful communist families in Vietnam did their best to make their children become students in English classes. All Russian text-books were sold from schools to vendors for …wrapping!
The principal of a large high school, who accepted very much of bribery to do that for those powerful families, one day had to hide himself in my house to avoid talking to a police colonel awaiting him in the school office, with five armed policemen in a police car outside. The colonel just wanted his son to be transferred to a class where they would teach him English instead of Russian!
Showing my wife the picture of Hanoi flood, I laughed and said, “Fighting against America for half of a century, just to learn and speak the language of America!”
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Article by Sylvia Arad

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam for nearly 1000 years, possesses an eclectic East-West blend. A city with a backdrop that breathes history, Hanoi provides a fascinating kaleidoscope – an empire that absorbed the Cham and other cultures, a Southeast Asian Colony followed by a French colony and finally home to a Communist regime. Hanoi’s diverse neighborhoods reflect its history and lend it much of its flavor and charm. Its tiny, local colonial cafes, its numerous noodle soup stalls everywhere, its group of exercising elders by the lakes – all are scenes that greet you here.

The Red River, a part of Vietnam’s heritage, is the setting for Hanoi. Known as the “city of lakes”, Hanoi’s center and outskirts are interspersed with lakes. Set between the city’s Old Quarter and its French Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, in the city’s center, houses the Turtle Tower Pagoda and a lovely park surrounding its banks. Known as the “Lake of the Restored Sword”, it takes its name from an ancient legend where the emperor Le Loi returned a magic sword to the golden turtle god who resided in its depths, the pagoda honoring the swords return. On the lake, the Water Puppet Theater is held. A traditional form of art, puppeteers stand waist-deep in the water performing a variety of traditional plays with wooden marionettes. Near the lake’s northern shores, Ngoc Son, the Jade Mountain Temple, can be reached via a magnificent red bridge.

Ho Tay, West Lake, is Hanoi’s largest lake, spanning 17 km along its shores. Located in the very heart of the city, the lake is surrounded by manicured gardens, elegant villas and palaces and temples including Tran Quoc pagoda, the oldest in Vietnam, and Quan than Temple, on the ancient Hanoi’s four sacred temples. A central part of Hanoi life, it is a popular place for recreation. Other lakes, including Thien Quang Lake and True Bach Lake dot the city and include historic sites such as the Vien Truc Lam Palace, originally a place of worship and later a women’s prison, the Holy Mandarin Temple and the Chou Long Pagoda.

More than 2000 years old, Hanoi’s Old Quarter, or 36 Streets Market, is the vibrant center of life here. The hustle -bustle begins at dawn here and slows down at around 10 pm. The first area settled in Hanoi, the Old Quarter adheres to the guild concept, where artisans gathered together in an area to share resources. As such, many of the streets here are named after the products sold – s bamboo is sold on Bamboo St., and on Silk St. silk is sold and so on. Life here spills out to the streets from the tunnel homes, long, narrow buildings, which line the streets and extend deep beyond the store front, housing an inner courtyard and behind, residential quarters.

The Old Quarter is also home to Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, a replica of Lenin’s mausoleum, and the House on Stilts, Ho Chi Minh’s simple home representing his communist ideals. The Van Mieu or Temple of Literature is probably the most impressive site here. Considered a most important spot, it originally functioned as an elite university. One of Hanoi’s holiest sites since its beginnings in the 11th century, the complex houses 5 interconnected courtyards, manicured lawns and ancient temples and monuments of Confucius scholars and is undoubtedly one of Hanoi’s most beautiful landmarks.

The French Quarter teems with beautiful colonial buildings and wide boulevards. Many French buildings from the 19th century remain.- the Opera House, a replica of the Palais Garnier in Paris; the Governor’s Palace, an ornate colonial style building, the Presidential Palace and St. Josephs Cathedral to name just a few.

Hanoi, at its best at dawn, is a hive of energy, the markets ablaze with color and movement, armies of women doing aerobics and early morning wedding parties posing for photos. As the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi’s lovely tree-lined boulevards, lakes and parks, its French colonial buildings and elegant squares all meld to lend Hanoi a distinctive ambiance that makes it unique in this region.

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Since Vietnam opened its doors in the late 1980s, Hanoi has undergone many changes. More and more shops and food-stalls have opened, including hundreds of cafes. It’s easy to find large coffee-shop chains like Trung Nguyen and highlands, which offer luxurious settings, fast food menus and fancy coffee drinks. Nut many Hanoians still prefer the smaller, more traditional cafes

Since nothing beats a good cup of coffee after breakfast, many of Hanoi’s busiest cafes are located in the old quarter, which is also home to a wide variety of food stalls. Favorite cafes include Lam on Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Nhan on Hang Hanh, Giang on Hang Gai, Nuoi on Luong Van Can, Quat on Quan Thanh, Nang on Hang Mam, Nhi on Hang Ga, and Nghia on Duong Thanh.

These places feature simple décor and worn wooden tables and chairs.

They draw people of all ages and from all walks of life: retirees, teenagers, university students, civil servants, intellectuals, artists, and business people.

Two types of coffee are favored in Hanoi, known as mui and vi. Mui has a strong scent and a slightly bitter taste, and is generally preferred by younger people. Vi is ground and roasted at home and has a faintly bitter aftertaste tat fades to a lingering sweetness on the tongue. This traditional style of coffee is favored by middle-aged drinkers and connoisseurs.

Most of the coffee served in Hanoi is grown around Ban Me Thuat in Vietnam’s Tay Nguyen Central Highlands, where French colonialists first established coffee plantations in the 19th century.

This region produces strong-flavored Robusta coffee. Today, Vietnam is one of the world’s biggest exporters of Robusta beans.

Hanoi’s most popular cafes tend to buy raw beans and then roast, grind and mix their own blends. This process requires considerable skill. Even the relatively simple grinding process requires expertise. If the grains are too coarse the coffee will taste flat; if they are too fine the coffee will be bitter and easily burned.

Personal taste plays a big role, with patrons staying fiercely loyal to their favorite blend. As such, Hanoians develop enduring relationships with their local café, its owner, servers and other customers.

While the city is changing fast, Hanoians still take the time to linger over coffee, each cup filled with both sweet and bitter memories.

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