A woman rides past the HCMC People's Committee building, April 2020.
Photo by VnExpress/Giang Son Dong. 

Leading U.S. news site Reader's Digest has named Hanoi and Saigon, Vietnam's two largest metropolises, among the most popular travel Asian destinations. 

According to Reader's Digest with over three million viewers, Hanoi is "a feast for the senses" thanks to "picturesque temples and pagodas to vibrant markets."

The news site advised travelers to stroll the narrow streets of Hanoi's Old Quarter, which used to be a residential, manufacturing and commercial center consisting of guild streets, each specializing in a particular trade.

Hanoi's Old Quarter is captured in an autumn morning, 2019.
Photo by VnExpress/Son Nguyen.

Reader's Digest also mentioned Hoa Lo Prison in Hoan Kiem District as an important part of Hanoi. Built by the French in 1896 and called "Maison Centrale", Hoa Lo was dubbed "Hanoi Hilton" by American war prisoners.

Ho Chi Minh City is home to the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral and 19th-century Central Post Office. Ben Thanh Market is overflowing with food, handicrafts, and souvenirs. The incense-filled Jade Emperor Pagoda, War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, and Giac Lam Pagoda are musts, the site stressed.

"Don't leave without touring the Mekong Delta fruit orchards, paddy fields, and marshlands. Do make sure to avoid these stressful vacation mistakes," it added.

The list was compiled based on natural splendor, eye-catching architecture, rich culture, and culinary delights.

The remaining Asian destinations on the list include Japan's Tokyo, Thailand's Bangkok, Singapore, mainland China's Beijing, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Japan's Kyoto, Seoul in South Korea, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.

Vietnam eased its social distancing measures on April 23 with all local tourist destinations reopened, though the country remains closed to foreign entry except for special cases to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.