Hanoi has a deeply syncretic religious culture, blending traditional Vietnamese folk religion, ancestor worship, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, alongside a significant Catholic minority.
* **Buddhism:** The most visible organized religion. Prominent sites include the One Pillar Pagoda (an iconic 11th-century wooden temple built on a single stone pillar), Tran Quoc Pagoda (the oldest in Hanoi, located on West Lake), and the Perfume Pagoda (a vast complex of Buddhist temples built into the Huong Tich mountains, a major pilgrimage site). * **Catholicism:** Brought by European missionaries and established during French rule. St. Joseph's Cathedral (Nhà thờ Lớn) in the Hoan Kiem district is a striking neo-Gothic structure and the center of Hanoi's Catholic community. Cua Bac Church is another prominent parish. * **Folk Religion:** Almost every home and business features an ancestral altar, and small shrines dedicated to local spirits or deities are common on the streets.
