Dear fellow travel bugs,
It's been 3 days since I arrived in Hanoi. The weather has just been absolutely gloomy, and I have got a cold, and have been sniffing away for the past 3 days!
What a welcome relief today, when we actually enjoyed the sun for pretty much of the day!
Armed with my camera, I decided to trot around the Old Quarters and snap some pictures.
You can see a picture above of the statue of Lý Thái Tổ in a park within the Old Quarters. Lý Thái Tổ founded the Lý Dynasty, after ascending the throne following a popular revolt against the last king of the Anterior Lê Dynasty.
Lý Thái Tổ decided to move the ancient capital to what is known today as Hanoi. The myth goes that he saw a yellow dragon ascending on his way to the new capital, so he decided to name the new capital Thăng Long.
Well, the Old Quarters has been going through massive changes. It is not uncommon to see construction and renovation works going on in many streets, as many of the original "tube houses" and temples continue to make way for new hotels, travel cafes and other new enterprises.
An aerial shot of the Old Quarters. You can now see multi-storey buildings sprouting out here and there. Much of the charm and homogeneity in the Old Quarters has been lost due to economic progress.
The Old Quarters deserves more mention, so do stay tuned to this blog for more entries on the Old Quarters.
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