This was stated by German journalist Maris Kristin, who agreed with 14 other reporters, who went on a week-long tour of the city called “the Heart of Vietnam”, organised by the municipal People’s Committee from September 9-15.

Moved by Hanoi ’s beauty, Park Hae-Yoon from the Republic of Korea , wrote 7 pages on Hanoi , describing it as active, but ancient and peaceful.

Coming from a country which is famous for its culture, Refat Ablelsamiaa Abbas Abdelmoaty Hussein from Egyptian Television, learnt about Hanoi through its folk songs. He said he loved these melodies and intended to use them as background music for his report on Hanoi . He added that he wants to get a CD of Vietnamese folk music.

Meanwhile, Vansili Bounthi, a reporter from the Laotian daily newspaper the Pasason, described the tour as his return to his home. “ Hanoi is very close to my heart and I have with many memories of when I was a student there,” he said.

During the tour, the foreign reporters visited world heritage sites recognised by UNESCO, including the Thang Long Royal Citadel and the Temple of Literature , the country’s first university. They also visited the historical sites of Son Tay citadel and Duong Lam village and the craft villages of Van Phuc for its silk and Bat Trang for its ceramics.

While writing about the capital city’s culture, traditions and economic development, all the journalists on the tour said they believed that Hanoi would have wonderful 1,000 year birthday celebration.