Soccer

No sport captures the attention and hearts of the Vietnamese quite like soccer. The game's biggest crowds are down in Ho Chi Minh City, but the religiously followed semiprofessional national league packs them in at the 20,000-seat capacity Hang Day Stadium. The season runs roughly from January to August and when the Hanoi Police face off against the Ho Chi Minh City Police in the capital, you can bet the stadium is rocking. Smaller matches are held at the Army Stadium, in the southern portion of the citadel, with access from Hoang Dieu Street. Nearly every Vietnamese bar in town has a soccer schedule, and with a bit of gesturing and pointing you should be able to figure out whether or not a huge match is going on while you're in town.

Hang Day Stadium. The national V League packs soccer fans in at the 22,000-seat capacity Hang Day Stadium. The season runs roughly from January to August. Trinh Hoai Duc, Hanoi, Ha Noi. 24/3734–4922.