Although my visit to Hanoi was only for one day, it helped me see many famous places in the capital.
I heard from my father that Hanoi is big and beautiful. There are busy streets and lots of traffic... Especially, Hanoi has Uncle Ho's Mausoleum, many supermarkets and big parks... Hearing from my father, I really want to visit the capital one day.
And my wish came true when on a Sunday in the autumn of last year, my father took me to the capital to play. This was a reward my parents gave my siblings and I at the beginning of the new school year.
My house in Hai Duong is not far from Hanoi, so my father said that it only takes about 1 hour by train to get to Gia Lam station. It was my first time taking a train, so I was excited. Just as my father said, after about 1 hour, the train staff announced that the train would arrive at Gia Lam station. Sitting on the train, looking out, I saw that Hanoi was very bustling. The streets were crowded with people and vehicles. There were many high-rise buildings on both sides of the road. Shops were close together. My mother said that Hanoi often had traffic jams in the early morning because there were too many people going to work, and it was not as spacious as my hometown.
Luckily, my father took me to Hanoi to play on the occasion of the Capital Liberation Day (October 10). The streets of Hanoi were filled with red flags with yellow stars. These days, the capital also organized many meaningful activities. To be able to participate in these activities, my parents took us to the city center where there was Uncle Ho's Mausoleum, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh Museum... I saw a lot of people around Hoan Kiem Lake. It turned out that Hanoi was organizing a peace run to honor the capital as a city of peace and to raise charity money to send to children and people with many difficulties in the mountainous provinces.
In autumn, the weather in Hanoi is cool. My family can freely visit famous places and entertainment spots. Right next to the majestic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the vast Ba Dinh Square is the National Assembly building. My father said that this is where the National Assembly sessions are held, which I often see him watching on TV. Visiting the stilt house where Uncle Ho lived, I found the space here to be very quiet and green. Everyone who comes here is conscious of preserving this peace, few people talk loudly or laugh. What I like most is going to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, where I learn about many images and artifacts related to Uncle Ho that I have only heard from my teacher or seen on TV.
After visiting the important places in the capital, it was already past noon. My parents took my siblings and I to eat delicious dishes of Hanoi. I remember the most the snail noodle soup of Hoe Nhai. The broth was light, sour, and fragrant with the smell of vinegar, very appealing. My younger brother chose Hanoi bun cha. My parents also took us to buy Trang Tien ice cream. To buy the famous ice cream in Hanoi, I had to queue. The fragrant, chewy autumn green rice ice cream is something I will never forget.
Hanoi in the autumn days is still sunny and for convenience on the way home, my father took the whole family to the Japanese supermarket Aeon. It was the first time I had been to such a large supermarket. I saw that Hanoi, in addition to the peaceful beauty of the old quarter, also has the modernity of skyscrapers and large supermarkets. Because it was Liberation Day, the supermarket organized many promotional activities. My mother was fascinated by the fruit and household goods stalls. My sister and I were attracted by the toy stores here. I saw that many children from Thai Nguyen and Thanh Hoa were also brought to the capital by their parents on this occasion.
Although my visit to Hanoi was only for one day, it helped me to see many famous places in the capital. I was very impressed with a Hanoi that is both dynamic and modern, yet ancient and peaceful. I will definitely come back to Hanoi more often.
NGUYEN VAN VINH (Grade 7A, Binh Minh Secondary School, Hai Duong City)