Published:  00:00 Monday - October 18, 2010

France’s newsmagazine Le Nouvel Observateur has published an article saying Hanoi could be seen as the most beautiful and captivating city in Southeast Asia.

The article said Hanoi’s beauty bears the styles of both Vietnam and France. The author wrote that since 1882, an ‘ideal’ city was built next to the Old Quarter. This city is full of green trees and has ancient pagodas and pretty villas whose architecture style can be found in France’s Cote d’Azur, the author wrote.

The article entitle ‘1000-year-old Hanoi’ read the best way for sightseeing in Hanoi is wandering on its streets and roads which combine Asian and European beauty.

It was suggested tourists visit the Hoan Kiem Lake in downtown Hanoi, next to which are the streets characterized by their crafts’ names such as Hang Chieu, Hang Duong, Hang Quat and Hang Vai.

It also mentioned Hanoi’s beauty at dawn, when old people practise tai chi chuan, children go to school and local people rush to work – all viewed from Sofitel Metropole Hotel. After this, tourists can taste the famous Pho noodle soup at local shops.

The French feature praised Hanoi’s cuisine and spoke about many hospitable restaurants decorated in a sophisticated way. One of them is a restaurant in Ba Dinh district, which serves many dishes from the country’s three regions.