A country strung a thousand miles along the sea: a Confucian capital in Hanoi, a French-built Saigon of boulevards and cafes, ancient trading ports frozen when their rivers silted up, an imperial citadel on a river named for perfume, and a French alpine town hidden in the highlands. Colonial arcades, dynastic gates, and lantern-lit lanes all still keep their own hours.
Cities
In-depth reads
Hanoi's Bronze Casters: Quan Thanh's Guardian and the Island of Ngu Xa
Quick Read·4 min
The Turtles of Hoan Kiem Lake: A Legend, and the Last One
Quick Read·3 min
Hoan Kiem Lake: The Returned Sword and the City Around It
Companion·6 min
Hanoi's Railway Through the City: From Long Bien Bridge to Train Street
Quick Read·4 min