District Guide HANOI

An overview of Hanoi’s districts

Hanoi is broken into 12 urban districts, one district-level town, and 17 rural districts. These are further divided into townlets, communes, and wards. Hanoi districts Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem are dotted with historical relics, while turtle-shaped Dong Da and Hai Ba Trung districts personify modern living. Then there’s the quieter enclave of Tay Ho, an area that has developed a thriving international scene of its own.

In this article, take a tour through six primary Hanoi districts and highlight some of the best places to visit in each.

Ba Dinh District

Ba Dinh is the political epicenter of the city government offices and main institutions are located in this city. Many embassies and government offices, including the Central Office of the Communist Party of Vietnam, are located here. Making this a secure and beautiful location with a French architecture influence. Its western part is mostly residential with a large number of new skyscrapers near the Japanese Embassy  in Lieu Giai street.

Ba Dinh Square is a known for the history it holds this is where  president Ho Chi Minh declared independence from France in 1945, as well as his resting place of Ho Chi Minh, currently  his body remains embalmed in a glass case at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 and is one of the many places  you must visit 

Hoan Kiem District

Hoan Kiem is the center of the city and home to major attractions like Hoan Kiem Lake, Hoa Lo Prison, and Ly Thai To Monument but a location you will heard the most in this district is Hanoi’s Old Quarter a center of local commerce featuring on sale merchandise in every street. 
 

This district has also a mesmerizing historical lake,Hoan Kiem Lake  which creates and abrupt change of environments within a couple of minutes , creating drastic changes from a dynamic, busy location to a peaceful-natural environment. 
This district is also home of high-end hotels like the Metropole which delivers a 5 star service and accommodation.

Tay Ho District

It’s one of the selected places for expats, Xuan Dieu is the epicenter of expats activities and living, ba Dinh is nearby and holds a large number of embassies . high-end apartments and residences take advantage of this peaceful area surrounded with the biggest lake in Hanoi ,West Lake. Great hotels can be found in this area such as Sheraton , Intercontinental Westlake and others. 

There are more expat locations like the  high-end residential Ciputra International City, many families live here due to the proximity to international schools like United Nations International School (UNIS), Singapore International School (SIS) , Hanoi Academy and  others. 

Hai Ba Trung District

The district has two distinctive side , the northern characterized for having a large number of universities like Hanoi University of Technology and a spacious French style architecture in the layout of the streets. The south is known for  hosting the biggest aquarium and mall (vincom Center) . In this area you will find high-quality fashion stores and boutiques.

Due to the large number of office buildings  and businesses makes this area also known as the “working district”. 

Dong Da District

Dong Da is mostly known for being the university sector in the city, this has also brought many residential project for this specific type of demand .  You can find here  Cheap rent, low prices services, affordable food options many bubble tea stores and large movie theaters like the National Cinema Center and CGV Vincom. The most recognizable university is Vietnams Imperial Academy with not only is part of Vietnam history but also its first national university. The temple of literature and Vietnam National academy of music are great attraction points for any one to visit and experiment the city’s cultural epicenter. 

Cau Giay District 

Similar to its neighbor Dong Da, Cau Giay district is a densely-concentrated neighborhood. It also contains three of the city’s most recognizable high schools— Pedagogical High School ,Hanoi Amsterdam and Foreign Language Specialized High School. The abundance of schools as well as new developments of residential and commercial towers such as Landmark 72(72 stories high- join by 2 48-story hotels) have made this Hanoi district an increasingly attractive neighborhood to live in.

Other districts are more in a rural environment and although there are projects taking place in them it is safe to say that they aren’t the most popular place for real estate investment  or living within the city.