Area: 921.8 sq. km Population: 3,216.7 thousand habitants (2006). Administrative divisions: - Districts: Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Dong Da, Hai Ba Trung, Tay Ho, Thanh Xuan, Cau Giay, Long Bien, Hoang Mai. - Rural districts: Dong Anh, Soc Son, Thanh Tri, Tu Liem, Gia Lam. Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Hoa... Hanoi is the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the center of culture, politics, economy and trade of the whole country.

Location: Vietnam History Museum is located at No. 1 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi; behind the Hanoi Opera House. Characteristic: Vietnam History Museum was founded in September 1958 and it contains a great deal of valuable objects, which reflect all the periods of Vietnamese history.

Location: Vietnam Fine-Arts Museumis located at 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. Characteristic: Vietnam Fine-Arts Museum is a lively historical treasure depicting the origins and evolution of Vietnamese fine arts.

Location: Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is located on Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi. Characteristic: It contains more than 10,000 objects, 15,000 black and white photos and hundreds of video tapes and cassettes which depict all aspects of life, activities, customs, and habits of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam.

Location: In Ba Dinh District, Hanoi Characteristic: Located in a large garden at the back of the Presidential Palace is a nice road covered with pebbles and bordered with mango trees that lead to a stilt house, Uncle Ho's residence and office from May 1958 until his death. The perfume of jasmine flowers and roses is omnipresent.

Location: One Pillar Pagoda is on Chua Mot Cot Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. Characteristic: The One Pillar Pagoda is a cultural and historic relic, unique for its architectural features.

Location: Tran Quoc Pagoda is located on an islet of West Lake in Hanoi. Characteristic: Tran Quoc Pagoda is one of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam and a cultural symbol of Vietnamese Buddhism.

Location: In Ba Dinh Square, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. Characteristic: The construction of the Mausoleum started in September 1973, on the foundations of the old rostrum in Ba Dinh Square where president Ho Chi Minh used to chair national meetings. Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum was completed nearly two years later on August 29, 1975.

Location: Hoan Kiem Lake is located in the center of Hanoi. Characteristic: Hoan Kiem Lake also called Lake of the Restored Sword. The name Lake of the Restored Sword is derived from a legend.

Location: Bat Trang Pottery Village is located in the south east of Hanoi, passing Chuong Duong Bridge turns right and go about 10km along the dike of Red River. Bat Trang belongs to Bat Trang Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi. Characteristic: This is a pottery village with a half-millenary historic development.