Hanoi Opera House (Nha Hat Lon)

The Hanoi Opera House, Nha Hat Lon, stands at 1 Trang Tien Street in the Phan Chu Trinh ward of Hoan Kiem, at August Revolution Square in the French Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam. Completed in 1911 to designs by Broyer, Harlay and Lagisquet, it is a reduced version of the Palais Garnier in Paris and the most emphatic piece of French colonial architecture in the city. The pale yellow facade has a colonnaded portico, a copper dome, wrought-iron balconies and sculpted detail, and it dominates the wide square in front.

Its balcony was the site of the Viet Minh's declaration of control over Hanoi in August 1945, and the building later hosted the first National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Inside, the horseshoe auditorium seats about 600 and includes a decorated ceiling, a marble staircase and a gilded foyer. When operating, it hosts opera, ballet, orchestral and traditional Vietnamese performances, and architectural tours cost 120,000 VND, with a tour-plus-performance package at 400,000 VND.

The building is currently closed for a major renovation that began in 2026 and is expected to last about two years, so interior access is suspended. The visit is now to the facade, the square and the neighbouring Hilton Hanoi Opera and History Museum. Visitors should check current status locally before planning any interior visit. The exterior and square are accessible at all hours, and a visit takes 15 to 20 minutes.

The best time is after dark, when the facade is floodlit and the square is busy with residents and photographers, and the steps of the portico are a favourite place for wedding photographs. The wide square offers the clearest angle for a full-frontal photograph, and the steps and side streets give closer detail. Crowds are moderate during the day and increase in the evening. The Opera House is a ten-minute walk east from Hoan Kiem Lake along Trang Tien, close to the History Museum and the shopping streets of the French Quarter.