March 16th marks exactly two years since we saw our travelers off at Hanoi airport and borders closed, Vietnam is now fully reopened its borders. Visitors entering Vietnam only need to be tested negative for Covid-19 and do not have to quarantine themselves, said the Ministry of Health.
Statistics show that there are nearly 3000 French colonial houses in Hanoi, including colonial public buildings, villas, and townhouses built by the French between 1890 and 1930. The most recognizable feature of Hanoi’s French houses is that they were built in two floors (a few have more than two), painted with light yellow lime, and highlighted with blue wooden windows.
As we talked about religious beliefs in Vietnam, Vietnamese venerate their ancestors at home, honor national heroes in temples, worship protective spirits in communal houses, and pray to Buddha in pagodas. Been the cultural center of Vietnam since 1010, Hanoi has so many religious places with unique architectures and beliefs to see and learn.
Our guided Hanoi food tours occasionally walk our clients to a pagoda, where we were often asked what’s the difference between pagoda and temple, are they not the same religious place? If you also happen to be interested in learning about the local religious practice, this blog post is for you!
