Designed by the French, bombed by the Americans and never appreciated by the Russians, Hanoi not so long ago was written off by outsiders as a crumbling bunker for Vietnam's communist leaders. No more. These days the capital's colonial villas and tree-lined boulevards catch the sentimental eye of nearly every Westerner who visits. Australian, British and French ministers have made Hanoi's renovation a personal cause. U.S. Senator John Kerry spent a good portion of a November 1994 visit outlining plans for a ``reconstruction fund'' with the city's chief architect. ``Hanoi is a real asset, an extraordinary jewel,'' says the Massachusetts Democrat,...
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