Meliá Hanoi

Nội Bài International Airport (IATA: HAN, ICAO: VVNB) (Vietnamese: Sân bay Quốc tế Nội Bài) in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is the largest airport in the north of the country. It is the main airport serving Hanoi, replacing the role of Gia Lam Airport. The airport consists of two passenger terminals. Terminal 1 serves the domestic flights and the newly built Terminal 2 (inaugurated on the 4th of January 2015) serves all international flights to and from Hanoi. The airport is currently the main hub of the country's flag carrier Vietnam Airlines as well as a major hub of low-cost carriers Vietjet Air and Jetstar Pacific. The airport is located in Phu Minh Commune in Soc Son District, about 27 kilometres (17 miles) northeast of downtown Hanoi, via the new Nhật Tân Bridge (also inaugurated on the 4th of January 2015).[2] It can also be reached by National Road 3, which connects it with the eastern suburbs of Hanoi. The airport is also close to some satellite cities of Hanoi such as Vinh Yen, Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen. Panorama of the Noi Bai Terminal 2 The airport served a total of 13 million passengers in 2013 despite having a capacity of only 9 million at the time.[1] The new international terminal which had its first commercial flight on the 25th of December 2014[3] and went into full operation on 31 December 2014 has boosted the total capacity of the airport to 19 million passengers per year.[4]

Bat Trang, traditional porcelain and pottery village with history of seven centuries, is an interesting attraction in Hanoi that tourists should not ignore. Bat Trang, the seven-century old pottery village, is an interesting attraction in Hanoi that tourists should not ignore. History Located in an area rich in clay, the village has advantage of ingredients to create fine ceramics. Moreover, lying besides the Red river, between Thang Long and Pho Hien, two ancient trade centers in the north of Vietnam during 15th-17th century, Bat Trang’s ceramics were favorite products not only in domestic market, but also foreign ones thanks to Japan, Chinese and Western trading boats that passed by. In the18th and 19th century, due to restricting foreign trade policy of Trinh, Nguyen dynasty, it was difficult for pottery products in Vietnam to be exported to foreign countries, and some famous pottery making villages like Bat Trang, or Chu Dau ( Hai Duong province) went through a hard time. Since 1986, thanks to economic reforms and development, more attention has been vested in the village and the world gets a chance to know more about Vietnamese porcelain through many high quality exported Bat Trang’s ceramic products.

This thought-provoking site is all that remains of the former Hoa Lo Prison, ironically nicknamed the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by US POWs during the American War. Most exhibits relate to the prison’s use up to the mid-1950s, focusing on the Vietnamese struggle for independence from France. A gruesome relic is the ominous French guillotine, used to behead Vietnamese revolutionaries. There are also displays focusing on the American pilots who were incarcerated at Hoa Lo during the American War. These include Pete Peterson (the first US ambassador to a unified Vietnam in 1995), and Senator John McCain (the Republican nominee for the US presidency in 2008). McCain’s flight suit is displayed, along with a photograph of Hanoi locals rescuing him from Truc Bach Lake after being shot down in 1967. The vast prison complex was built by the French in 1896. Originally intended to house around 450 inmates, records indicate that by the 1930s there were close to 2000 prisoners. Hoa Lo was never a very successful prison, and hundreds escaped its walls over the years – many squeezing out through sewer grates.

Hạ Long Bay (Vietnamese: Vịnh Hạ Long, About this sound listen, literally: "descending dragon bay") is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a popular travel destination, in Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam. Administratively, the bay belongs to Hạ Long City, Cẩm Phả town, and part of Vân Đồn District. The bay features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. Hạ Long Bay is a center of a larger zone which includes Bái Tử Long bay to the northeast, and Cát Bà islands to the southwest. These larger zones share similar geological, geographical, geomorphological, climate, and cultural characters. Hạ Long Bay has an area of around 1,553 km2, including 1,960–2,000 islets, most of which are limestone. The core of the bay has an area of 334 km2 with a high density of 775 islets.[1] The limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation in different conditions and environments. The evolution of the karst in this bay has taken 20 million years under the impact of the tropical wet climate.[2] The geo-diversity of the environment in the area has created biodiversity, including a tropical evergreen biosystem, oceanic and sea shore biosystem.[3] Hạ Long Bay is home to 14 endemic floral species[4] and 60 endemic faunal species.[5] Historical research surveys have shown the presence of prehistorical human beings in this area tens of thousands years ago. The successive ancient cultures are the Soi Nhụ culture around 18,000–7000 BC, the Cái Bèo culture 7000–5000 BC[6] and the Hạ Long culture 5,000–3,500 years ago.[7] Hạ Long Bay also marked important events in the history of Vietnam with many artifacts found in Bài Thơ Mount, Đầu Gỗ Cave, Bãi Cháy.[7] 500 years ago, Nguyễn Trãi praised the beauty of Hạ Long Bay in his verse Lộ nhập Vân Đồn, in which he called it "rock wonder in the sky".[8] In 1962, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of North Vietnam listed Hạ Long Bay in the National Relics and Landscapes publication.[9] In 1994, the core zone of Hạ Long Bay was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site according to criterion vii, and listed for a second time according to criterion viii.[10]

The Temple of Literature (known as Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám in Vietnamese) is a Temple of Confucius in Hanoi, northern Vietnam. The temple hosts the "Imperial Academy" (Quốc Tử Giám), Vietnam's first national university. The temple was built in 1070 at the time of King Lý Nhân Tông. It is one of several temples in Vietnam which is dedicated to Confucius, sages and scholars. The temple is located to the south of the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long. The various pavilions, halls, statues and stelae of doctors are places where offering ceremonies, study sessions and the strict exams of the Đại Việt took place. The temple is featured on the back of the 100,000 Vietnamese đồng banknote. Just before the Vietnamese New Year celebration Tết, calligraphists will assemble outside the temple and write wishes in Hán characters. The art works are given away as gifts or are used as home decorations for special occasions.

Amid the flow of history, The Hanoi Opera House stands as the architectural, cultural and political symbol of the 1000 year old Capital. Hanoi Opera House is located on the August Revolution Square, the center of Hanoi, near Hoan Kiem Lake and the Vietnam History Museum. The theatre, designed and overseen by the French, was constructed from 1901 and was finished in 1911. Its design is influenced by the European architectural style under the Renaissance period. Hanoi Opera House is of great architectural value, it marks a significant period in the history of architectural development in Vietnam under the French at the end of nineteenth century to early twentieth century. It is a historical witness of the Revolution of Hanoi. Hanoi Opera House saw the beginning of the revolution in Hanoi in 1945. The National Assembly of Vietnam Democratic Republic held their first key meeting here on 3/5/1946 and on 28/10/1946, the 2nd session of the first National Assembly passed the first Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, also under her roof. With great significance in terms of architecture and history as such, in 1995 the Hanoi Opera House was restored by the government in preparation for the Summit of Francophone to be held in Vietnam in 1998. The restoration was carried out with great commitment, making the Opera House into a cultural center of the country and a cultural landmark in Southeast Asia. Now, the Hanoi Opera House is not only a venue for art performances, but also a place for visitors to enjoy an almost 100 year old historical architecture. Hanoi Opera House has its special place in history and in the heart of every Vietnamese.