Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, home to roughly 8.5 million residents in the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam. Celebrating its millennium in 2010, the city was founded in 1010 by Emperor Ly Thai To under the name Thang Long. The Old Quarter preserves a grid of 36 ancient craft streets surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake, where Ngoc Son Temple sits on a small island reached by the scarlet Huc Bridge. Landmarks include the 1070 Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first national university, and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum on Ba Dinh Square. Pedestrians sample egg coffee, explore French colonial boulevards, and watch traditional water puppet performances along historic lakeside walkways.