Vietnam’s capital Hanoi ranks sixth in the list of Asia’s best cities, one rank lower than last year, according to a recent readers’ survey by US magazine Travel and Leisure. The survey, announced last month, asked readers to rate cities on the basis of sights, culture/arts, restaurants/food, people, shopping, and value. The magazine associates Hanoi with Boston, saying “with its mist-shrouded lakes, faded colonial façades, and cooler climate, Hanoi is the moody, reflective [city], harboring a rich intellectual and artistic life.” Asia’s best city Bangkok ranks third in the world behind Florence and Rome. The Italian cities pushed Sydney down from the top spot it held for the past four years to fourth place this year. Another Thai city, Chiang Mai, ranks second regionally and fifth globally. New York, Sydney, Buenos Aires, and Cape Town top the list of best cities in North America, Oceania, Central and Southern America, and Africa, respectively