destination one | HANOI
Fast Track Despite rapid changes, Hanoi retains its traditional charms. BY KRISTY ALPERT SLOW MORNING: Tai chi near Hoàn Kiếm Lake near the Turtle Tower PHOTO: © JAROMÍR CHALABALA - DREAMSTIME.COM
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globaltravelerusa.com
TO THE UNTRAINED EYE, Hanoi appears to move at a slower pace than its neighboring Asian capital cities. People spend mornings practicing tai chi around the many calm lakes of the city while man-powered rickshaws share the roadways peaceably with motorbikes. Locals walk to work along roads filled with street vendors who pride themselves on making every dish entirely from scratch. Despite the appearance of calm and joie de vivre, this former French colony is actually one of the fastest-growing cities in Asia … and it’s about to get even faster. In 2020 Hanoi will become home to the Hanoi Motor Sport Circuit, a track that will host the Vietnam Grand Prix, the country’s first-ever Formula 1 race and the first new event to be added to the F1 calendar since Liberty Media took over the company at the beginning of 2017. Formula 1, the elite class of single-seat auto racing sanctioned by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, features speeds of more than 200 mph. The Vietnamese Grand Prix will join an exclusive calendar that includes Monaco, Singapore and Azerbaijan. The event will surely bring
AUGUST 2019
COMING AND GOING
Upon entering Vietnam, U.S. citizens must present a valid passport good for at least six months after arrival date and a tourist visa. You can apply for an e-Visa online good for a single-entry visit and valid for 30 days; it costs $25 and takes three working days to process.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE Vietnamese
