Northern Vietnam

Northern Vietnam consists mostly of mountains and the plains of the Red River Delta. Here is where the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, is located. Although Vietnam is a tropical country, the north has a colder climate than the rest of the country. In winter here the temperature drops to a few degrees above zero in the mountains. The north of Vietnam is where in the 10th century Vietnam started to exist as an independent country, then named Dai Viet, after 10 centuries of Chinese rule. Dai Viet succeeded in taking control of the entire current Vietnamese territory over the centuries, until it became a French colony in the late 19th century. The tourist highlights in northern Vietnam are Hanoi with its colonial heritage, the area around Hanoi full of temples and historic sights, Halong bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site with stunning karst scenery of islets and rocks, and the highlands to the west with their rich ethnic heritage.