Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, a Southeast Asian country, blended with the harmony of Asian, French, and American cultural influences. The Postech Times had an opportunity to visit Hanoi. 

  Halong Bay, Sea of Dreamy Islands
  Halong Bay has crystal clear water filled with islands and islets topped by tropical woods. The cruise tour leads dozens of people to get on a junk boat and sail across thousands of islands and offers special activities like scuba diving, hiking, and caving. Halong Bay was formed through erosion from rain and sea for over 500 million years ago.
  There was a legend behind Halong Bay. The guide explained that in the ancient Vietnamese language, “Viet” means preeminent or descendants of a dragon soaring to the sun and “Nam” is the southern territory. The origin of the name, Halong, also came from Vietnamese meaning “descending dragon”. Legend says that long ago the Vietnamese forefathers had to fight against fierce invaders coming from the North by sea. The gods sent the Mother Dragon and her children to help the ancient Vietnamese. Giant emeralds, the teeth of the Mother Dragon and her children, appeared and scattered along the bay. After their triumph in Halong Bay, the Mother Dragon and her children never returned to the heavens but instead, nested in the Dau Go Cave.
  The Dau Go Cave was crammed with beautiful stalagmites and stalactites. The locals designated each of these rocks for animals like lions, elephants, or monkeys after their shapes. The cave consists of an exotic chamber where reflection and scattering of light occur in blue illumination. Going back to the land on a cruise ship, we could relax and enjoy the sight of the exotic scenery engraved on Vietnamese banknotes. 

  Ta Hien Street, the Heart of Hanoi
  Ta Hien is a city in Hanoi composed of both ancient and new architecture. Some buildings and houses looked just like the ones in New York, Korea, and China. French Gothic architecture was often seen too. In front of classy malls, there was street food on the side road that sold Banh Mi sandwiches which only cost about 10000 VND (500 KRW). There were restaurants that sold steaks or pizza, franchises like McDonald's, and places that sold traditional Vietnamese food like Bun Cha, Banh Xeo, Pho, etc. Although there were a lot of streets and avenues, the locals seldom obeyed the traffic lights. Locals just walk-through honks of motorcycles that seemed like students were driving. Some people might have a hard time getting used to the Ta Hien Street chaos but once they acclimatize, the mixture of unique features is definitely charming. 
 

  Trang An Ferry Tour
  The Postech Times visited Trang An, located in Ninh Binh province. The Trang An Landscape Complex was inscribed on the World Heritage List selected by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its never-ending rivers and historical sites along the way. The river is surrounded by huge and steep limestones. The King Kong movie was filmed in Trang An since the river and mountain range were extremely extensive. Before getting on the boat, the guide handed out cool bamboo hats that tourists can put on during the tour. On the small ferry where there are seats only for four tourists and a boatman, the views of the mountain ranges are stunning, impressive enough for lovers to take wedding photographs on the river. Although tourists have to undergo a one-and-a-half-hour ride on the boat, they have a chance to see different kinds of beautiful floras and cute faunas like ducks, mosses, loti, and more.