Hanoi is Vietnam’s oldest capital, and the Old Quarter is its beating heart. Founded in the 11th century, its 36 guild streets each specialised in a single craft — silk, silver, paper, bamboo — and many still do. French colonial facades lean over narrow lanes thrumming with motorbikes and street vendors. Beyond the quarter lies the Temple of Literature, Vietnam’s first university (1070 AD), Hoan Kiem Lake with its iconic red bridge, and a street food culture that rivals anywhere in Asia.