Vietnam: Capital, Flag and Fun Facts

About Vietnam

Vietnam is a long, narrow, S-shaped country on the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, along the South China Sea. It has mountains in the north, lush river deltas and a long coastline of beaches. It is known for rice fields, Ha Long Bay and delicious food such as pho.

About Hanoi

Hanoi is in northern Vietnam on the Red River. It is known for its lakes, including Hoan Kiem Lake, its busy Old Quarter and the Temple of Literature, which housed the country's first national university.

Fun facts about Vietnam

1. Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO site, has more than 1,000 limestone islands and islets rising from the sea.
2. Son Doong Cave is one of the largest known caves in the world, big enough to hold its own jungle.
3. Water puppetry, an art from the Red River Delta, is performed in a pool with puppeteers hidden behind a screen.
4. Pho, a noodle soup with herbs and broth, is Vietnam's most famous dish.
5. Fansipan, at more than 3,100 m, is the highest mountain in Indochina and is nicknamed the "Roof of Indochina".
6. At its narrowest point, Vietnam is only about 50 km wide from the border with Laos to the sea.