We arrived back to Hanoi in the early afternoon. I felt miserable and cold after the long, bumpy ride on the bus; the cool and rainy weather in Hanoi did not help much either. After a shower I decided for a walk over to the Quán Thánh Temple and the West Lake with the Trấn Quốc Pagoda. A nearby tea / coffee place offered a good break and I did feel well again, so after consulting my guide book and google, I decided to continue for the Hanoi citadel.

The citadel used to be the residence of the Vietnamese kings and goes back to the 11th century; in 2010 it was recognized as UNESCO world heritage site. More interesting for me though – the citadel was also home of the Vietnamese military command – complete with hidden bunkers and tunnels.