A walking tour will give participants the chance to discover the Ba Đình area and the nearby French Colonial Quarter this Sunday.

The walking tour gives an overview of the changes to Hà Nội that began during the French period (1869-1954). The tour will touch on the development of the education system, town planning and architecture, including important political and diplomatic buildings, as well as other eclectic information regarding the past and present of Hà Nội.

Starting at Chu Văn An School—established by the French as the High School of the Protectorate, and now one of the oldest institutions for secondary education in Indochina—the tour will head to the iconic Ba Đình Square and discuss the key government buildings in the area. These include the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Communist Party – formerly the Lycee Albert Sarraut High School – and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Strolling along Chùa Một Cột Street and the surrounding avenues, participants will pass former villas now home to various embassies. The leisurely walk will take tourists to Điện Biên Phủ and into Hoàng Diệu streets, before ending the tour at Cửa Bắc (North Gate) and Cửa Bắc Church on Phan Đình Phùng Street. For those would like to stay on for lunch after, the group will walk to the nearby Ngũ Xã Islet for some phở cuốn (phở burrito).

The English-speaking tour will start at 9.30am and last for about 2.5 hours. Donation: VNĐ70,000. Limit: 12 people. Registration: Stella stellaciorra@hotmail.com.— VNS