As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, Hanoi is considered to be the cultural centre of Vietnam, where every dynasty has left behind their imprint. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike. Even when the nation's capital moved to Hue under the Nguyen dynasty in 1802, the city of Hanoi continued to flourish, especially after the French took control in 1888 and modeled the city's architecture to their tastes, lending an important aesthetic to the city's rich stylistic heritage. The city boasts more than 1,000 years of history, and that of the past few hundred years has been well preserved.

Hanoi lies in the Red River Delta. The city of Hanoi is situated from longitude 20o25' North and from Latitude 105o15' to 106o03' East. It is situated in a tropical area having a strong monsoon influence. Hanoi is endowed with all the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Climate in Hanoi can be divided into two distinct seasons: the dry and the rainy seasons. The dry season. The dry season starts from October to April. This is the period characterized by spells of cold wind and drizzles. The rainy season starts in May and ends in September, there are many torrential rains and fierce sunshine in this period. The autumn season is in August, September and October. Climate in Autumn in Hanoi is characterized by a clear, blue sky and gentle spells of breeze. However at the close of the autumn in the city there are short spells of little cold which are eventually followed by long spells of severe cold and drizzles that make the sky gloomy all day long. That is the beginning of the winter time.

Average temperature in winter time is registered at 17o 2C. The lowest temperature at the same period is recorded at 5o C. Average temperature in summer time is recorded at 29o2C. The highest temperature at the same period is registered at 40oC. Average temperature in a year is recorded at 23o 2C. Annual average of rainfall is registered at 1,800 millimeters.