4 Best Sights in Vietnam

One of colonial Hanoi's most iconic edifices, the Hanoi Opera House was built by the French in the first decade of the 20th century as an Indochinese twin to Paris's largest opera house. Today it hosts traditional and modern performances by Vietnamese and international musicians and dancers. Public tours are not offered—only ticket-holding guests can enjoy the ornate architecture inside. There's a small ticket office between the columns on the right.

It's hard to describe exactly what the Kiss of the Sea show is other than a grand spectacle involving stunning visual effects set to music. One of Southeast Asia's largest multimedia art displays, the 30-minute show projects 3D images onto a cascading curtain of water with fire, lights, dance and acrobatics (performed by 60 international artists) all culminating in a spectacular fireworks display. There is a loose storyline narrated in English but it takes a back seat to the incredible effects in this futuristic performance venue built over the sea

One of the most beautiful buildings in Haiphong, the Opera House, built by the French in 1907, has all the exterior designs of a classic, except for its coat of splendidly yellow paint. Once the site of lavish French and Vietnamese productions, the 400-seat theater was taken over by the Vietminh following World War II. President Ho Chi Minh addressed the world's youth from the steps in June 1946, and a huge portrait of him, visible from hundreds of yards away, hangs above the wooden front doors, making this feel eerily like the focal point of the city. In a way it is; the Haiphong People's Committee now holds its major meetings and assemblies here. Stage productions and concerts do take place, but they're rare. If you're not attending a show, you need written permission from the authorities to step inside, although tourists have been known to be waved in on occasion. The stone courtyard in front of the opera house is a popular place for families on weekends and couples after sunset.

Never one to downplay its influence, the Soviet Union assisted with the design and construction of this brutalist compound. Inaugurated September 1, 1985, the rigid 120-room white colossus stretches from Yet Kieu Street to Tran Binh Trong Street. The palace actually consists of three structures: the performance building houses a 1,200-seat concert hall, and the study and technology buildings contain a library, conference hall, and observatory. At the various clubs hosted here, Hanoians gather to share ideas on everything from biochemistry and chess to billboard usage in the Old Quarter. The Vietnam Trade Union headquarters is just across the street, next to the Ministry of Transportation and Communication. The broad open space here known as May 1 Square is conducive to commemorating the past and present glories of the Communist Party, and you'll invariably see propaganda posters and waves of dangling street lights consisting of blinking yellow stars and red hammers and sickles. With the introduction of the city metro, this entire neighborhood is undergoing intense transformation.