(Nha Hat Lon). The
centerpiece of French architecture in Hanoi and
one of the grandest buildings in the city, the
Hanoi Opera House is a small-scale version of the
Paris Opéra designed by Charles Garnier and
completed in 1875. The Hanoi structure, finished
in 1911, incorporates the same grand elements of
Napoleonic architectural style. Perhaps because of
the theater's French history, its steps were the
site of frequent denunciations against colonial
rule. Immediately following World War II, in
August 1945, Vietminh troops commandeered the
Opera House and announced from its balcony the
triumph of the August Revolution.
Complete with an
enhanced orchestra pit for 60 musicians and a
movable stage, the 400-seat, three-tier theater
hosts national celebrations, ballet, symphonies,
pop and rock concerts, and opera. Seeing a show
may be the only way to get into the Opera House,
as its doors are usually closed.
Address:
1 Trang Tien St., Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: 04/824-8029
