2022
Saigon - Hanoi are the two largest cities in Vietnam representing the North and South. I live and work in Hanoi for 7 years and have been living in Saigon for a while but enough to recognize the difference between the two cities.
1. Cuisine
The first is the taste, in addition to the North often eat salty, most dishes are added salt added. Southern people like to eat sweet and teary, which can be seen in all dishes here: sugar sauce and chili. Most of the people outside the North are not good taste. With my own, this food I love, the first time was eaten.
Usually in Hanoi, in the morning, people often eat noodles, eat noodles, eat bread ...
in Saigon, breakfast starts with a bowl of rice noodles, a plate of rice flakes or a thin cake of soft fragrant. Some other delicacies in Hanoi we often have such noodle bun, fish noodles, shrimp paste noodles in this, people prefer rice paper, noodle barbecue, hot pot and also chicken (boiled chicken) It's not KFC). In addition to Hanoi or eat noodles rolls, in this, I usually eat noodles Nam Vang (also called dry noodles).
2. Tea - Coffee
It is not difficult to see the tea pavement in Hanoi. Ice tea with sunflower discus or candy bar is so screaming all day. Human ceiling is also an interesting drink with mild sweet taste. It can be said, tea culture has gone into the subconscious of the people of Hanoi ever since.
Apart from Hanoi, there are lemon tea delights. What's great is the gathering of buddies, sipping lemon tea and participating in seemingly endless stories. Also remember to go to school, in the campus of the campus has a B6 campus famous for lemon tea. In the afternoon this area is full of people, sit near the house but have to scream in the ears to hear what you say. It is noisy as a market, but so happy new, there is not when of a "great guillotine"
In Saigon, the first thing that hit my eyes was coffee. Oh, coffee here is everywhere. Coffee pavement, coffee stalls, coffee stroll ... It seems the city of nearly ten million people injected coffee into the blood to live. It is easy to understand because the hot weather in Saigon all year round, people need a refreshing drink and increased concentration. Milk coffee is the best drink I've ever tried. Go anywhere you can buy yourself a cup of milk coffee at an unbelievable price, only 10 thousand, 15 thousand you will have a cup of tea full belly always!
In this, people also drink ginseng. At first I thought it was water from Ginseng, but actually ginseng here is a leaf. Drink ginseng is very cool, very sweet. A few thousand ginseng bottle is enough to quench your thirst in the hot weather of Saigon.
One more thing is the ultra-cheap fruit smoothie. Mango, guava, custard apple, strawberry, saboche ... for only 15, 20 thousand. In Hanoi, you can only enjoy the vitamins in the cafes for double, triple, moreover, the amount of fruit is not as rich as Saigon.
Another point worth mentioning is that this cafe is very beautiful, just like a garden. They also include waterfalls, fish tanks and lots of greenery. If you have a chance to go to Saigon you have to visit the same old as Du Mien, Da Lat Pho, legendary cafe ...
3. Streets and Districts
This is an interesting point between the two cities. If you are in Hanoi, you do not need to know where you are in any county, just know the street name is finished. Friends gather together just to short the house number, the street name. You can get exactly where you want to go.
What about Saigon? If you apply the rules in Hanoi, you will definitely get lost. Saigon is very large, districts are clearly separated and there are countless streets with names. Even when I was on the SG a dozen times, the last time here is still lost because of its Dien Bien Phu street stretching across 4 districts and have at least 2 identical addresses is 638 Dien Bien Covered. So, if you go to Saigon, you definitely have to remember the name of the ward and the county where you want to go!
4. Seasons of the year
Hanoi has four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. Spring is very drizzly rain, the streets are always wet. Going out on the way to wear raincoat is uncomfortable, do not wear home to wrap up the water is very irritating. Summer is hot, the whole city is like a fire pan. On the way to the hot road, the night of the heat continues to flare up causing people to die. Therefore, the song "Hot" of Big Daddy and Hanh Sino has quickly become the familiar song of young Ha Thanh. Winter is super cold. Those days that the weather down to 13 degrees, the cold hands do not want to go anywhere. The weather is only in the house clusters of cotton eat boiled corn, baked potato is the best!
Hanoi is the most beautiful in the fall. Autumn is cool, airy, light yellow light yellow. This is also the season of the couples. Throughout the museum, on the banks of the lake, in the West Lake, you will see men and women playing hand in hand. For young FA will be extremely fall in autumn because if only alone, autumn scene sad to bowel intestines. When I was in college, I heard the legend of a sad engineer sitting at the lake, the sunlight withering, the light winds made him a scene of distraction, jumped into the lake, but fortunately a boy you jump to save another. Since then two people have lived together happily.
Saigon is very simple, only two seasons: hot season and season ... hot soul! Just kidding, here are two seasons: dry season and rainy season. Dry season, hot weather during the day, rarely see the rain. In contrast, the rainy season every day there is rain, especially in the afternoon. Rainy soil rotten sand, rain covered the road, rain flooded the street. Rain makes the street more lively, far away from the girl is pushing the car between the waves, across the road, What six are absorbed in catching shrimp, caught fish on the sidewalk. The most interesting is that when the big car-sized small enough to turn off themselves against the waves, the upside, reaching forward, then alas, roaring waves rising ever embracing pedestrians. In this season it is best to take the bus, roaring high, run well, rarely stalled halfway.
5. Public transportation
I really like the bus ride in Hanoi. Up to now, Hanoi has a modern bus service. Hanoi bus is painted in yellow color. All vehicles are new, airy, cool and even provide wifi for some routes. This year saw the opening bus school bus faster than the bus usually 5 minutes but not yet back to Hanoi so I have not tried. The bus stop is also very well adjusted, there are waiting room, there is signboard route route, so you will not miss the wrong direction of the route. When it's near the stop, there's an automatic notification for you, a point you like very much. In addition to Hanoi, you can also make bus passes and stamps for travel at very reasonable costs.
Saigon bus is a disaster. Each car is a car, most cars are old and extremely hot. Smoke from dirty cars, cars roaring despite crowded roads. You can not buy a month ticket but have to take turns. Heard that if students, students can buy in the package (this fun) and when the car to tear one ticket. It is difficult to identify bus stops, there are many stops without signs. The points are not only the route, I went once and was wrong in the afternoon, want to go to District 1 to the car to Thu Duc District
Combined with the Saigon bus is far less than Hanoi.
Another means is taxis. In Hanoi, Mai Linh boss. In this market Vinasun occupies most of its market share. But to date, Grab and Uber are the most popular media in both regions.
Traditional motorbikes also suffered the same fate when Grab and Uber appeared. There are things in this motorcycle hug more dose, there are many cases of motorcycle stab Grab, Uber because of the crime scramble for their area.
6. Landscape
Hanoi is known for many lakes. Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, Bay Mau Lake, Thanh Cong Lake ... The park in Hanoi is quite small, mainly have quite large park is Thong Nhat, Hoa Binh and recently Yen So beautiful park. The most unfortunate thing is that the Unified Park must pay to get in, the inside is the habit of addiction and theft, for many years it still exists, is the locus of security disorder.
Little Saigon is a lake, mainly a park and river. The park in Saigon is not wide, but very much. Go to a few streets to see a corner of the park full of green trees. Fortunately, Saigon has no policy to cut green trees like Hanoi. What is great in the midst of hot weather, is sitting relaxed amidst thousands of green trees drop the soul to cloud (but remember to look at the page lurking).
Rivers and canals in Saigon are abundant. Living in Saigon along the city, the most beautiful song in District 1 by Ton Duc Thang street.
Another interesting thing is architecture. Ờ Hanoi, many pagodas, architectural style of China, this temple, pagoda, much of the Cham architecture.
Houses in Hanoi are built solidly, the whole wall is 20, high is in this, the house looks simpler, the house is low and many small houses have lofts.
7. Service
Certainly not many people have heard of vermicelli, porridge cursed in Hanoi. Do not know what you are interested in this point that raced together to try. I do not even have that kind of service so I never come. It is said in Hanoi, service is relatively poor and lack of professionalism. If you stay in Hanoi for a long time, feel normal, but if you are from Hanoi to Hanoi, do not be shocked by the service here!
In Saigon, the service is very good and professional. The most common word you hear is "thank you". Yes, thank you goes everywhere, whether you buy a few triple or a luxury restaurant. People will receive you with a smile and the most dedicated service. There is no blame for this service.
Not only good service, generally in Saigon everything is cheaper than Hanoi. What better way to use a good service than to pay less?
8. Culture
Formerly, the Hanoi people are elegant. But this statement does not seem right nowadays when the people of Hanoi is no longer a bag. Immigrant workers also made the culture in Hanoi somewhat affected. People in the North are generally quite passive and closed. In life they worry about the future more, save money to care for the future. Most parents work hard all their lives to care for their children later on. That's why in their work they are more selfish and more tricks. Of course, it is just a few, can not reflect all the virtues of people outside of us.
Men in the South are friendly and kind. The majority prefer to enjoy rather than work hard. They are quite outspoken when expressing personal views, rarely when stars like the North. In their personal sense, Saigon people live in the style of "let's live all day today, and tomorrow leave it." The use of words in this also makes the feeling more friendly. Instead of being called "grandchildren," people are called "children", instead of "yes" people say "yes" ... feel very comfortable and close!
The above are all personal views about the difference between the two major cities. There are many other things that I can not mention. Discover and draw your own life experiences!
