SaturdayThe best way to start a day in Hanoi or pretty much anywhere in Vietnam, is with a good cup of coffee at one of the many coffee shops that were introduced by the French in Colonial times. To be honest there was a reason for doing this and that was that we took a little too long to get going this morning and arrived at the Military War museum a little too late and it was closed for lunch. So coffee helped to fill the time. We were sitting across from Lenin Park where there is a huge statue of Lenin, supposedly one of the few remaining statues of him. This museum reflects the history of founding and defending the nation against foreign invaders of the Vietnamese people chronicling 4000 years of history. Poor Vietnam seems to have been fighting one battle to the other, from the wars against China, Japan and other Asian countries to Colonisation by the French followed immediately by the war with America. It feels like it is only really in recent history that Vietnam has been able to develop free of the shackles of war. After walking around the museum we climbed up the Hanoi Flag tower which was built in 1805.
Next we strolled along to Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. Ho Chi Minh is a revered national hero whose photo was very visible in many of the exhibitions in the museum. Each year thousands of Vietnamese make the pilgrimage to see Ho. After his death in 1969, Ho joined other communist heroes and was embalmed (Lenin and Mao also are embalmed.) Ho's body is eternally in state in this formidable mausoleum, except for a few weeks of each year when it goes away for re embalming. We could not go in and see his body as the Mausoleum is only open in the morning, but we were lucky to arrive at the time of the changing of the guard - the pomp and ceremony displayed here rivals the British equivalent of Buckingham Palace, with lots of high goose stepping. The Presidential palace is right next door so we walked past this.
In the evening we found a great restaurant for a quick dinner before heading off to see water puppetry. Water puppetry I hear you cry... what could this possibly be. It is a uniquely Vietnamese form of entertainment that has been performed for over a thousand years, that brings together drama, live music and occasional pyrotechnics over a stage that is, essentially, a large wading pool. The tradition is believed to have begun in the Red River Delta near Hanoi, over 1000 years ago. Very likely its first practitioners were rice farmers accustomed to spending much of their time waist deep in the rice paddies. The puppeteers wade waist deep in the pool of water behind a bamboo screen operating brilliantly painted wooden puppets that can be almost a metre high, with nylon strings and wooden poles. Because the poles are in the water they are difficult to see and the water also provides exciting effects like waves and splashes. They performed 17 short skits related to Vietnamese myths and legends as well as day to day village life from scenes of farming. fishing and festivals, usually full of humour...Fishing turned into a game of wits between the fisherman and his prey, with the fisherman getting the short end. Lion dogs romped like puppies while dragons exhaled smoke and shot sprays of water at the audience. This was all accompanied by a small folk orchestra stationed to the side of the water stage, not on water of course. Some of the instruments they play were really different and pretty special making the music at times mesmerising. I really recommend clicking on the link to you tube to watch a clip of water puppetry so that you get a bit of an idea of what it was all about. We went to see the puppets really not sure as to whether we would actually enjoy it and left having had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Click on this link Water Puppetry. You can see the puppeteers emerge from behind the bamboo screen at the end to get an idea of how deep the water is.
SundayAgain another slow start to the day, but really we are on holidays so I feel that this is the way that days should start. Then off to the Temple of Literature. This temple was founded in 1070, and consists of a compound of traditional buildings, interior courtyards and tranquil gardens. It is interesting for both its architecture and its history, and you can easily lose track of time wandering the grounds, snapping photos and watching traditional musicians perform. It was founded by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong who dedicated it to Confucius in order to honour scholars and men of literary accomplishment. Vietnam's first university was established here in 1076 to educate the sons of mandarins. It consisted of classrooms and a dormitory for 300 students. The students were selected by local examinations from all over the country. They studied Confucian Canons, practised writing administrative documents, literary compositions and composing poetry. It took them about 3 years to study there to prepare for the National and then Royal exams to become doctor laureates and mandarins. In 1484 they began to erect Doctor's stones for engraving the names and birthplaces of 1304 doctor laureates of 82 exams held between 1442 and 1779. Among them are some apparently famous scholars that I am afraid meant nothing to me. But sitting on top of Tortoises they make great photos.
SundayAgain another slow start to the day, but really we are on holidays so I feel that this is the way that days should start. Then off to the Temple of Literature. This temple was founded in 1070, and consists of a compound of traditional buildings, interior courtyards and tranquil gardens. It is interesting for both its architecture and its history, and you can easily lose track of time wandering the grounds, snapping photos and watching traditional musicians perform. It was founded by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong who dedicated it to Confucius in order to honour scholars and men of literary accomplishment. Vietnam's first university was established here in 1076 to educate the sons of mandarins. It consisted of classrooms and a dormitory for 300 students. The students were selected by local examinations from all over the country. They studied Confucian Canons, practised writing administrative documents, literary compositions and composing poetry. It took them about 3 years to study there to prepare for the National and then Royal exams to become doctor laureates and mandarins. In 1484 they began to erect Doctor's stones for engraving the names and birthplaces of 1304 doctor laureates of 82 exams held between 1442 and 1779. Among them are some apparently famous scholars that I am afraid meant nothing to me. But sitting on top of Tortoises they make great photos.
After walking around the ancient university we decided that a perfect place to recharge our batteries was lunch in the restaurant KOTO (which stands for Know One Teach One). This restaurant was a project that was set up by a Vietnamese Australian. On a visit he had asked some street kids what it was that they really wanted and they said some training. So he set up KOTO, a non profit grassroots project providing career training and guidance to former street kids. And the food was really good. Our day really revolved around eating as our next destination was the Hanoi Opera House where we could only look at the outside but could enjoy a coffee sitting in the grounds of the Opera House under the shade of plentiful trees.
This was our final day in Vietnam, for tomorrow morning we fly out and back to the routine of work, at least for Richard. It has been a great introduction to Vietnam, and we will definitely be coming back to explore both central and southern Vietnam, but might save the south until a winter break when the weather is just slightly more bearable.
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