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Credits:

Photographs, research and writing by Drew Carney.

Hanoi

Introduction to Hanoi

Hanoi doesn't normally get its fair share of press - that's traditionally been reserved for its younger southern cousin, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). But when the government opened up the country to foreign investment ten years ago, tourists started arriving to the official capitol of Vietnam in droves, triggering an explosion of tourist shops, internet cafes and mini-hotels.

Hanoi is often thought of as less sophisticated than larger, more commercial Ho Chi Minh City. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth - although the southern city may be financially flush, in all other aspects, Hanoi is the more compelling of the two.

At the center of it all is the Old Quarter, home to a teeming street life. Much of Hanoi's oldest sector perfectly captures the atmosphere and color of Vietnamese life, with its exotic mix of eastern spirituality and European colonial legacy.

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