Now that I have visited all three major cities that make up Vietnam’s north, central, and southern regions, I think it’s only right to add to the resentment felt by each city toward the others by determining which one is better—Hanoi, Hue, or Saigon. One is the capital city where all power is centralized, the other is where Vietnam’s historic and intellectual roots run deepest, and the city to the south is the economic heartbeat of the entire nation. Who will come out on top?
Using broad generalizations based on only a few days of visits, stereotypes, personal bias, and an arbitrary point system, I will finally put this debate to rest.
Energy
Every city has a certain “energy” to it. It can either electrify you with its zooming traffic and modern vices or lull you into a sleepy pace. This energy is unique to each city and is the determining factor to whether or not it if fitting to your own personal energy. Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon all run on a distinct energy that is the result of their location, history, economy, and people.
Once the capital of all of Indochina under the French and the current one under Vietnam’s communist government, it is difficult not to feel the authority this important city carries. All important governmental organizations and decisions are centered here. In cities such as these, there is always an air of stuffiness. Hanoi emits an energy of subtle restraint that exudes from the way people speak, dress, and conduct themselves. People speak very politely (though their thoughts may differ) and are always dressed properly here, despite the overbearing heat. The architecture, left over from the French, gives the city a sense of “chic-ness” that would be commonly associated with Paris. And because French influence is found all over the city, there is a sort of romantic mood to it that is quite charming and if not for the flurry of motorbikes and Vietnamese signs, can be mistaken for any other city in France.
Saigon’s enery is a stark contrast to Hanoi. Saigon is basically New York, but 10x more exciting, 20x noisier, 30x more congested, and 40x more polluted. Saigon is a fast city—of fast traffic, fast money (it is the economic powerhouse of Vietnam), and fast people. Saigon is anything but subtle restraint. No one waits for anyone here and they are not shy to tell you so in colorful words. The style of dress is loud, a sort of ghetto-fabulous with a Vietnamese twist. The constant boom of construction gives this city an impression of constant development. The city is ever-expanding, adding new districts and high rises to give room to an expanding upper class with so much money amidst so much poverty. Saigon’s energy is the sort of energy found in the world’s economic capitals, with all its glories, temptations, and downsides.
Hue, the often forgotten middle child overshadowed by its more glamorous sisters. Unlike Hanoi and Saigon, Hue’s energy doesn’t emit authority or fast exhilaration. Rather, Hue is more of a sleepy city, moving at a slow pace similar to the flow of Hue’s famous Perfume River. The sleepiness of Hue lends to a relaxed mood that is made apparent by the slower traffic and the pace at which people move. Also once the center of Vietnam’s Nguyen dynasty, the historical roots unique to Vietnam gives this city a more traditionally Vietnamese feel than its more modern siblings to the north and south.
Winner: Hue, for its relaxed ambiance and firm grasp of history and tradition (+1)
(-)Hanoi’s air of restraint can feel a bit suffocating and uppity/ Saigon’s nonstop pace and congestion gets really tiring.
Architecture/Scenery
As mentioned, Hanoi’s architectural layout is very similar to that of a French city. Narrow streets balanced with grand, tree-lined boulevards, and tiny parks dotted all over the city, Hanoi is Paris with a Vietnamese twist. It is difficult not to become enamored by the architecture in this city. It has that old world feel and charm of a French city. There are also a lot of historical buildings still standing, dating far back in time--Vietnam’s first university, old temples, and buildings integral to Vietnam’s mythical beginnings. A walk around Hanoi really is a walk through Vietnam’s pre-modern history. The scenery around Hanoi is lovely and has been the focus of many poetry and songs, all of which discuss the beauty of this ancient city. There are many trees and parks scattered throughout the city, giving the city a sense of calm amidst the chaos of the city. The areas around the many river banks that run through Hanoi are especially beautiful. Around evening time, when the sun is just about to set, people come out and sit along river banks to catch the rare breezes that come by. This lovely scene took me back to no other place than the Seine River in Paris.
As charming and beautiful the architecture is in Hanoi, Saigon is not. Sorry, not to hate BUT Saigon is not pretty. My mom told it used to be pretty back in her time, before war, before all the construction, and before the population ballooned to an unsustainable size. Saigon was originally designed to contain 500,000 people. Today, it is home to over 5 million people. One district in Saigon is bigger than all of Hanoi. It is huge and constantly expanding by opening up new districts in areas that were once populated by nothing but jungle. There are construction sites all over Saigon and modern high rises sprouting in the midst of old, dilapidated homes. Sure, this is a sign of Vietnam’s economic development, but it has come at a cost of congestion and pollution. The pollution is AWFUL. Scenic sites in Saigon? Maybe I’m just ignorant, but nothing special comes to my mind.
Hue has the royal citadel. Enough said. It is a gorgeous complex and with a calmness that allows one’s imagination to run far with recreations of life under the Nguyen dynasty. Hue’s Perfume River is also gorgeous. The river bank has maintained that “naturalness” of a river environment by preserving the trees and long grass stalks that line the river. Around evening, with the sun hitting the water, the Perfume River (and the city) is just breathtaking.
Winner: I love the French charm of Hanoi (+3)
People
Friendliness
In terms of friendliness, I would rank Hanoi at the bottom, Hue in the middle, and Saigon at the top. The rudest situations I have experienced so far were in Hanoi. People there didn’t really appreciate my southern accent and I had a lot of trouble understanding the northern accent, so there were some moments of miscommunication. What I have noticed is that while the northern accent can sound extremely polite, when it can sound rude and mean, it is very rude and mean.
I can’t understand central Vietnamese accents at all. It is like another language to me. But, it sounds really pretty, so everyone I spoke to there sounded very nice. They could insult me to my face and it would still sound pretty.
Saigon has the friendliest people. Southern Vietnamese are stereotyped as being carefree, fun-loving, and open people. Of course, this stereotype has its negatives, like our inability to prioritize, our laziness, and our spendthrift habit. And, I can actually understand what they are speaking. Plus, my family is from here so that beats everything
Winner: Saigon, mainly because my family is from here. (+4)
Attractiveness
I wouldn’t even have this category if it weren’t for all the beautiful people I saw in Hanoi. Because seriously, Hanoi is full of good-looking people—girls and guys. First of all, northern people are of a MUCH taller build than the south. Secondly, people in Hanoi have a chic sense of style. Part of it is the proximity to all the government organizations, so the style of dress is more restrained and professional. Guys in tailored suits riding on motorbikes. Sigh. I was really distracted in Hanoi. Hue and Saigon (especially) cannot compare.
Winner: Hanoi (+5)
Food
Hanoi: Dog meat is common fare here, so NO. And, their pho sucks.
Hue: I do love central Vietnamese food—bun bo hue, banh uot, banh bop loc comes to mind, for example, but…
I grew up on Southern food and Saigon is home to the best Southern Vietnamese cooking in the world, so no competition. Saigon may not be the prettiest city, but the food. Gosh, the food is to die for. Eating out is always an adventure and a good place to pig out is a stone’s throw away.
Winner: Saigon (+10)
Weather
It is hot all over Vietnam, but each city has its own type of heat. The heat is awful in Hanoi. Literally, it feels like walking through an oven. When I was there, it was over 100 degrees and the humidity…It really felt like I was walking through a sauna. It’s the type of heat that suffocates, stays on you, and tires you out. No matter how many showers I took or applications of deodorant I put on, the constant sweating made me reek of BO all day. Awful, awful.
Hue, like all of Central Vietnam, has dry heat. Somewhat more bearable than Hanoi, this type of heat doesn’t stay on you. I am used to this type of heat, so while it was as hot as Hanoi, I was able to withstand it. However, the sun BURNS. This type of sunshine beats you down and periods longer than 30 minutes spent under the sun, uncovered by layers of clothing will surely leave you with a nasty burn.
I thought weather was awful in Saigon, but really, it isn’t as extreme as either Hue or Hanoi. It is hot and humid, but relatively moderate compared to the other two cities. I could go outside around 12-2, when the heat is at its worse and still feel alright, not worn out like I felt in Hanoi and Hue. The only downside is the pollution, which only smells worse in the summer heat, like heated garbage.
Winner: Saigon, for its relatively bearable weather (+2).
I will reiterate, humidity in Hanoi is AWFUL…just for that (-1) Hanoi.
Pollution/ Air Quality
Saigon is the sure loser when it comes to pollution. The air quality is awful. Every time I am outside, I feel like I am suffocating on smoke. If I spend a day out in Saigon, I always come back home having felt as if I smoked a cigarette. There are just too many motorbikes in Saigon, millions more than the city has capacity for, and each one emitting too much smog into the air. After I take a ride on a motorbike, no matter how short the ride may be, I always wash my face when I come home because if I don’t, I can scratch a layer of black dirt. This is not to mention the pollution that is everywhere. The streets are just full of trash, minus Saigon’s city center. When it rains, sewage flows out into the street, filling the air with a putrid stench. No other city I have been to in Vietnam has pollution as bad as Saigon.
Hanoi doesn’t suffer as much from pollution and poor air quality as Saigon. For one, Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam so for sure the government pours in a lot of money to the ongoing maintenance and cleanliness of the city. Hue doesn’t have as much money pouring in from the government to keep up with cleanliness, but for a big city in Vietnam, it was pretty clean. Not as clean as Hanoi, however.
Winner: Hanoi (+1) and for the pollution in Saigon (-5)
Traffic
The narrow streets of Hanoi are really not conducive to traffic. A traffic jam on a street in Hanoi prevents cars from either way from getting through, literally leaving everyone stuck with nowhere to move. Driving a car around Hanoi most certainly result in traffic tickets because there is no space for parking.
Traffic in Saigon can get really chaotic. I have been stuck in the middle of traffic hour and I must say, it is a scary experience. Every motorbike is trying to get through and no one is willing to compromise, so you see all these cars just running at each other from every direction, until they all reach the middle and are stuck wriggling their way out. Cars are also becoming really popular in Saigon, making traffic in the city even worse than what it is. Despite the chaos, traffic jams are not as bad as in Hanoi because streets in Saigon are very wide so while everyone struggles to get through, they all eventually do. In Hanoi, they’re just stuck.
Hue is less populated and the streets are wide, so traffic here is nothing compared to either Hanoi or Saigon.
Winner: Hue, better traffic also means less accidents. (+1)
Nightlife:
I honestly wasn’t in Hanoi and Hue long enough to experience any nightlife. But, I can’t imagine them comparing to Saigon. I read somewhere that Saigon is becoming the new Bangkok. I wouldn’t argue with that because a simple motorcycle ride through Saigon at night is to take a glimpse into Vietnam’s #1 party city. There is a whole block dedicated to Karaoke bars and an entire district known for its beer restaurants. And unlike Hue and Hanoi, Saigon is much more liberal and carefree, an influence that locals say was left behind by American soldiers that were once stationed here. Whether it is a night out to eat at the many food stands that remain open late for partiers or to party the night away, Saigon is the city to go.
Winner: Saigon (+4)
So, the overall winner: Surprise, surprise…the winner is Saigon! Just for the food and the people, Saigon outranks the other two cities. This is the city where my mom grew up, where history determined my parents’ fate, and where my relatives still reside. Despite its ever-changing landscape and the awful pollution, Saigon really holds a special place in my heart.
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