PANGLAO ON THE RISE

citadel’s most important structure, the Kinh Thiên Palace, is nothing more than the “Dragon Steps” as the French pointlessly demolished the palace. Two other structures inside are the Princess’ Palace that housed the harem of the emperor, and the more modest-looking northern gate. The 18 Hoang Diêu Archaeological Site right across the street offers a glimpse into the archaeological and material cultural wealth of Thang Long.

Although most of the extant buildings in Thang Long are from the 19th century, they best represent the unique lower Red River Valley culture that thrived at the melting pot of Chinese influences emanating from the north and the Champas from the south.

The Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Hanoi was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, on the occasion of the 1,000th anniversary of Hanoi as a capital.

The Descending Dragon: Ha Long Bay

H A L ong Bay, which literally means Bay of the Descending Dragon, is not a stranger to most as it has been used as shooting locations of many movies including 2017 “Kong: Skull Island.”

According to an old Vietnamese folklore, the gods sent dragons to protect the empire. Descending on the site of the bay, the Mother Dragon and her