French Hanoi

The French were colonial overlords here up until 1954, when they ceded control. That was when south and north Vietnam were divided. These pictures look at the legacy left from the French colonial period.
The 1st picture is St. Joseph's Cathedral. Along the right edge you might make out some of the Christmas tree and creche. 2nd is inside the cathedral. 3rd is now a restaurant that was a house designed in the typical French colonial style (note the yellow walls and green doors/shutters) as the same architect who designed the Hanoi Opera House in the 4th picture. Next is a small pavilion in the man-made lake that shows French influence in the lower portion and traditional Vietnamese architecture in the upper. Now removed and destroyed is a statue of liberty that had sat on top. That statue was made by the same sculptor who designed that famous statue in NY harbor (Bartholdi).Read more