The Hoa Lo Prison Relic is identifiable by its high, thick stone walls, which once stood four meters tall to contain those inside. Constructed by French colonial authorities beginning in eighteen ninety-six, the site replaced an entire…
Hanoi French Quarter Colonial Walk
Walk through Hanoi's French Quarter to see the striking architecture and complex history left behind by decades of colonial rule. We will stop at grand Parisian-style landmarks, a historic luxury hotel, and a sobering colonial prison.
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1. Hoa Lo Prison Relic
2. Nhà Thờ Lớn Hà Nội
St. Joseph’s Cathedral, known locally as the Big Church, is instantly recognizable by its twin square bell towers that rise over thirty-one meters into the Hanoi sky. This Gothic Revival landmark features a stone-colored facade of baked…
3. Government Guest House (Tonkin Palace)
The Government Guest House, also known as the Tonkin Palace, is an imposing, symmetrical neoclassical building at twelve Ngo Quyen Street. Designed by the French architect Auguste Henri Vildieu and completed between nineteen eighteen and…
4. Vườn hoa Con Cóc
Vườn hoa Con Cóc is defined by a central circular fountain featuring a square stone pillar, around which four bronze toads spray water toward the center. Officially known as Diên Hồng Park, this space was completed in nineteen oh one as a…
5. Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi stands out for its classic white facade, dark green shutters, and original wrought iron, a look that has defined this corner of the city since it opened as the Grand Métropole Hotel in nineteen oh one.…
6. Hanoi Opera House
The Hanoi Opera House is recognizable by its vibrant yellow facade and the rows of Roman Ionic columns lining the exterior. Completed in nineteen eleven, the structure was built by the French colonial administration and modeled after the…
7. Vietnam National Museum of History
The Vietnam National Museum of History occupies a ochre-yellow building distinguished by its prominent central cupola and sweeping, double-layered roof. Designed by French architect Ernest Hébrard and completed in nineteen thirty-two, the…