Today the capital of Vietnam is Hanoi, but that honour was held by Hoa Lu which was the seat of Vietnam’s first feudal dynasty in the 10th and 11th centuries.
If walls could talk you’d want to know what Hoa Lu’s brick- and vine-covered structures would say. Take a few minutes to wander around this centuries-old site, and admire its temples, pagodas, and artefacts.
The compound’s leaning archways, layered banyan trees, and rolling brick courtyards will transport you back in time.