Hanoi, Vietnam (1)

We're in Hanoi in autumn, a fine time to visit the north of Vietnam. We've had a bit of tropical rain but even more sunshine, with daily temps around 30 degrees C. Perfect tourist weather!

Vietnam has a population of 100 million; Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and has 9 million people (and 7 million motorbikes, literally). It's visited by almost 20 million tourists per year.

Before we get into any history, I'll share our adventure on Train Street. It's a street with railway lines running through it (surprise!). There are no cars and very few motorbikes. Homes and businesses literally open out onto the railway lines, and locals who live there seem completely unperturbed about the trains that pass through 12 times each day. In fact the small cafes that line the track do a thriving tourist business!

Our guide Phong (which means wind in Vietnamese — call me Windy, he said) ushered us into some chairs, organised some fresh juices, and made sure we were settled comfortably for our train-viewing spectacle.

We're staying in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. The architecture throughout the city shows the variety of influences in Vietnam's history — traditional Chinese, French, socialist. I was particularly intrigued by the tall narrow buildings side by side, which look like single apartments stacked one on top of another.

Hanoi is a very leafy city. There are mature deciduous trees, tree-lined avenues, oversized banyan trees growing over walls — and bonsai trees. Lots of bonsai trees. Typhoon Yagi struck northern Vietnam a few weeks ago and damaged 60% of trees in Hanoi, according to Windy. As the trees fall, their roots tear up the pavements. We were conscious of continual road repairs, particularly at 3am in the morning!

The history of Vietnam is very turbulent and jolly complicated. Vietnam has only been a single country since 1974, when North Vietnam and South Vietnam were unified. More on that subject later. For centuries, ancient kingdoms in the north and south rose and fell (and many heads were chopped off, by all accounts). As you'd expect in this region, China has dominated much of the history, influencing Vietnamese culture, language and traditions.

We stayed near Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword). The lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and always seemed to be busy. There was a lot of activity around the lake relating to the upcoming 70th anniversary of the national day. (This date relates to 1954, not 1974. More on that later too.)

Hoan Kiem Lake means 'Lake of the Restored Sword'. The legend relates to a magic sword that the Dragon King had given to the local Emperor, who used it to defeat Ming China. One day, when the Emperor was boating on the lake, the Turtle God surfaced and asked him to return the sword to the Dragon King. Hence, the sword was restored. (So, no, it's not exactly like the lake where — as Monty Python has it — the watery tart threw a sword at Arthur.)

Near the northern shore is the Temple of the Jade Mountain, from the 18th century. Jade Island is connected to the shore by a wooden bridge.

The small tower in the middle of the lake is called Turtle Tower. Giant soft-shelled turtles were endemic to this lake. Sadly none of them are left in this area, and only three survive elsewhere in the world. Their demise was exacerbated by the introduction of American red-eared sliders (terrapins) to the lake. The terrapins have thrived but the giant turtles are no more. These stuffed specimens in the small lake museum were the last two turtles that lived in the lake.

I cannot believe how many of my blog posts from so many places in the world mention introduced animal species and the resulting disasters. What is wrong with you, animal authorities?

Staying with the Chinese history of Hanoi, the Temple of Literature was built in 1070 to worship the Chinese philosopher Confucius. It then became the first university of Vietnam. This was where clever young men sat examinations to become mandarins. Mandarins were the Emperor's functionaries, or uber-bureaucrats, in that they helped to administer his rule in the kingdom.

Any young man 'of property' could sit the examinations. The only exceptions were criminals, musicians and singers, and those in mourning. Draw your own conclusions.

The lake called the Well of Heavenly Clarity lies in the centre of the temple. When the lake was still heavenly clear, young men would check their reflection in the water before entering the inner temple. The names of successful examinees were carved into the steles above the turtle statues — and then removed if they angered the emperor.

I was charmed to discover that we were there on a day when the top high-school graduates in Hanoi were practising for their graduation ceremony in the temple.

Dong Xuan Market is the largest wholesale market in Hanoi and is about 150 years old. You can probably find anything there — on our brief visit we saw shoes, clothes, bric-a-brac, processed foods like fish sauce, and fresh produce. According to our guide Windy, Vietnam is very proud that it is now the world's biggest producer of clothing. Yes, it has overtaken China. The clothing isn't sold in Vietnam, however. Overseas retailers have their clothes and shoes manufactured here, then shipped to the retailer to sell. So if you buy a pair of Nike shoes in Vietnam, it has probably been made here, travelled to the US and travelled back here before it ends up in a local store.

I'll tackle Vietnam's colonial history and wars in the next episode, but before I end this one, I must mention the food. It has lived up to our very high expectations. We've had some wonderful meals, including bun cha at a restaurant with one Michelin star. The only dish served at the restaurant is pork bun cha. Bun cha is grilled pork, rice noodles, fresh herbs and dipping sauce. Do you remember when Obama had bun cha in Hanoi? All I can say is: yum.

Still to come in Hanoi: more recent history, colonisers, wars, prisons, memorials. And more food.