A group of French tourists taking in the sights from their boat at the Halong City tourist-boat jetty. There are many French tourists in Hanoi. In fact, I have not encountered so many French tourists in any other Asian city that I had visited. This must be a legacy from the days when France ruled Vietnam as a colony until 1954. Other signs of French influence can be seen in the daily life of the people. Wines, for example, are readily available and served in restaurants (more so than in Singapore even). And it is probably the only country in South-east Asia where vendors can be found selling baguettes or French loaves on the streets and even alongside highways like as if it was the staple food of the people in the country...