Hanoi Towers

Hỏa Lò Prison (Vietnamese: [hwa᷉ː lɔ̂], Nhà tù Hỏa Lò; French: Prison Hỏa Lò) was a prison in Hanoi originally used by the French colonists in Indochina for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. During this later period, it was known to American POWs as the "Hanoi Hilton". Following Operation Homecoming, the prison was used to incarcerate Vietnamese dissidents and other political prisoners, including the poet Nguyễn Chí Thiện. The prison was demolished during the 1990s, although its gatehouse remains a museum.

The Alcatraz Gang was a group of eleven American prisoners of war (POW) held separately in Hanoi, North Vietnam during the Vietnam War because of their particular resistance to their North-Vietnamese military captors. These eleven POWs were: George Thomas Coker, USN; Jeremiah Denton, USN; Harry Jenkins, USN; Sam Johnson, USAF; George McKnight, USAF; James Mulligan, USN; Howard Rutledge, USN; Robert Shumaker, USN; James Stockdale, USN; Ron Storz, USAF; and Nels Tanner, USN. These prisoners were held in solitary confinement from 25 October 1967 to 9 December 1969 at a special facility (dubbed "Alcatraz" by Commander Stockdale) in a courtyard behind the North Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, about a mile away from Hỏa Lò Prison ("Hanoi Hilton"-named by Lieutenant Commander Schumaker, the earliest captured prisoner among the eleven). The prisoners were shackled with legcuffs every night in 3-by-9-foot windowless concrete cells with the light on around the clock. The eleven Americans were separated because they were leaders of the prisoners' resistance. Stockdale once tried to kill himself so that the North Vietnamese could not force him to make a propaganda film. The suicide attempt failed and the film was never made. Of Stockdale, Lieutenant Coker said "He was probably the strongest, most exemplary leader of the whole North Vietnamese POW environment". Coker and McKnight were the last POWs assigned to the Alcatraz Gang, being so assigned for previous fierce resistance to their treatment and an unsuccessful escape from the Power Plant or "Dirty Bird" prison camp.The group received special torture and were taken into torture sessions in order of rank, highest to lowest. Coker was the youngest and lowest ranking of the eleven POWs and was taken in last. He said he is still grateful for every minute the others held out. During the end of his session, something changed and the session stopped, which the POWs thought was because of a political decision from higher authorities to stop the sessions. All of the prisoners except Storz were moved to other prisons in December 1969. Storz, debilitated from sickness and untreated injuries, was left behind and died in captivity on 23 April 1970.When all the POWs were released from North Vietnam in February and March 1973 (Operation Homecoming), so much had changed back in the United States that Coker (and Commander Denton) said it was as if "... we weren't here (in America) at all. We were strangers in our own country, and we didn't like a lot of what we saw". Many still have throbbing in joints from the rope torture and Coker's wife says, "In his sleep, he holds up 'the wall'". Coker also said, "If you're never tested, you don't know (what you can do)".Howard Rutledge died at 55 on 11 June 1984, after an 18 month battle with cancer. Harry Jenkins was killed in an aircraft accident on 2 August 1995. James Stockdale, who was awarded the Medal of Honor, died on 5 July 2005 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease. Jeremiah Denton, who went on to become a Senator, died in 2014. Tanner died on 12 June 2015 at 82. Sam Johnson, who served in the House of Representatives, died in 2020. This leaves three survivors - George Coker, James Mulligan, and Robert Shumaker.

Quán Sứ Pagoda (Vietnamese: Chùa Quán Sứ, chữ Hán: 舘使寺) is a Buddhist temple located at 73 Quan Su Street, Hanoi, Vietnam. The temple is the headquarters of the Buddhist Sangha of Vietnam.

Labour Square or 1-5 Square (Vietnamese: Quảng trường Lao động or Quảng trường 1-5) is a town square located in Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi, Vietnam. The square is formed by the intersection between Quan Su and Tran Hung Dao streets and the front ground of the Ha Noi Friendship Cultural Palace.

Việt Đức Hospital (aka. Việt Đức University Hospital, Vietnamese: Bệnh viện Việt Đức, literally "Vietnam – Germany Hospital") is the largest surgical center of Vietnam, situated at Trang Thi Street, Hanoi. The Hospital was founded in 1904 as a part of Indochina Medical College by the French colonial governor Paul Doumer. During its history it bore many names: Yersin Hospital (1943), Hospital of Vietnam – GDR (German Democratic Republic) Friendship (1958–1991), Viêt Duc Hospital (from 1991 now on). The well known Vietnamese surgeon Ton That Tung more than 40 years conducted his research and operations here. At present, the Hospital has more than 500 beds for patients and 18 surgery rooms and able to perform over 800 open-heart operations annually. It has good cooperation in exchange and training programs with medical facilities in France, Germany, Australia and some other countries. In 1998, the Medicinal Laser Unit was established here to study and apply laser techniques in diagnosis and treatment of some diseases including cancer. In 2006, Hans Messer Foundation in a partnership with East Meets West Foundation and Dräger donated new equipment of total value more than US$160,000 to increase the capacity for children's surgery in the Hospital. The hospital has been a site of collaboration with Facing the World, a UK charity that trains Vietnamese surgeons in craniofacial surgery, sends UK doctors to Vietnam to perform surgeries, and provides equipment to Vietnamese hospitals.

The National Library of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Thư viện Quốc gia Việt Nam; French: Bibliothèque Nationale du Viet Nam) is the national library in Vietnam and it is located in Hanoi. It was established by a decree of 29 November 1917 as the central library of Indochina. In September 1919 the library was made open to the public with an intent to support and promote western archive and library work.It took the successive names of Pierre Pasquier (28 February 1935), Bibliothèque Nationale (National Library, 20 October 1945), Bibliothèque Centrale de Hanoï (Central Library of Hanoi, February 1947) before being given its present name at 21 November 1958.

St. Joseph's Cathedral (Vietnamese: Nhà thờ Lớn Hà Nội, Nhà thờ Chính tòa Thánh Giuse; French: Cathédrale Saint-Joseph d'Hanoï) is a Catholic church on Nhà Chung Street, in the Hoàn Kiếm District of Hanoi, Vietnam. It is a late 19th-century Gothic Revival (Neo-Gothic style) church that serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi. The cathedral is named after Joseph, the patron saint of Vietnam. Construction began in 1884, with an architectural style resembling the Notre Dame de Paris. The church was one of the first structures built by the colonial government of French Indochina when it opened in December 1886. It is the oldest church in Hanoi.The cathedral conducts Mass several times during the day. For Sunday evening mass at 6:00 PM, large crowds spill out into the streets. Prayer hymns are broadcast to the plaza outside; Catholics who are unable to enter the cathedral congregate in the street and listen to hymns.

The Vietnam University of Fine Arts (formerly Hanoi College of Fine Arts) is an art school in Hanoi, Vietnam originally established under French colonial rule in 1925. The university has trained many of Vietnam’s leading artists and each year it participates in many cultural exchanges with sister institutions overseas.

Hanoi central station or simply Hanoi station (Vietnamese: Ga Hà Nội) is one of the main stations of Vietnam Railways, serving as the terminus of 5 of 7 active routes in the national network, including the North–South railway (Reunification Express), the Hanoi–Lào Cai railway, the Hanoi–Haiphong Railway, the Hanoi–Đồng Đăng Railway, and the Hanoi–Quán Triều Railway. The station serves the capital city of Hanoi. The station is located at 120 Lê Duẩn Street, Cua Nam Ward, Hoan Kiem District in central Hanoi.

Hàng Bông Street (Vietnamese: Phố Hàng Bông), formerly Rue du Coton during the French colonial period, is a street in ancient quarter of Hanoi. It continues from the crossroad Hàng Bông - Hàng Gai - Hàng Trong - Hàng Hom to the former city gate Cửa Nam (South Gate) with length about 932 m. Hàng Bông was once a street which produced cotton to make clothes or winter blankets. Today Hàng Bông is one of the busiest streets of Hanoi for shopping with art galleries, silk shops, and clothes shops.

Hanoi Garden is a restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam. It opened in 1998 on Hang Manh street in the Old Quarter. It serves Vietnamese cuisine with a twist and is quite popular with the local Vietnamese. The restaurant has seating for about 200 people. The Vietnam Economic Times has praised its variety of dishes, saying, "You can't fault the Hanoi Garden in this respect, at least. Its bill of fare has page after page of Vietnamese dishes."

Trưng Vương Junior Secondary School (Vietnamese: Trường Trung học cơ sở Trưng Vương) is a public junior secondary school in Hanoi, Vietnam. It was established in 1917 under the name Dong Khanh Girls' School.