Hanoi will celebrate its 1000th anniversary in 2010, yet despite its venerable past, the city is commonly known for its part in the turbulent latter half of the twentieth century. Fortunately, as Vietnam opens up, more and more visitors find that Hanoi’s reputation for hostility to foreigners is entirely undeserved, at least by its population today, verging on four million. Situated on the banks of the Red River, Hanoi is a sprawling city of huge, tranquil lakes, along which run tree-shaded boulevards set with French colonial architecture. Hanoi’s industries include cotton-spinning, brewing, distilling, tobacco manufacturing and there is significant native industry as well: carved furniture, bronze work, and silk embroidery.