Day 22 - Hanoi, Vietnam

Monday, May 27, 2013

A whole day in Hanoi, Vietnam.  We did enjoy the complimentary breakfast downstairs with more French pastries and fresh fruit.  Then we mapped out our tour plans for the day.  We made a list of the things that we wanted to see.  Then, the kind receptionist wrote the names of those sites --- in her language.  That was in case we wanted to get a taxi or a rickshaw, we could point and the driver could read where we wanted to go.  There are too many museums, temples, pagodas and markets and they all have their own names, and they are not in English.  

This is the hotel that we had booked, The Gia Bao Grand.

This is the hotel that we had to move to cuz the a/c didn't work.

The Gia Bao Palace Hotel

This is our balcony.

Out the window to the right.

center

to the left

our very "fancy" bathroom bowl

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel

Hanoi's most prestigious and oldest hotel, was built in French-colonial style, with plenty of wrought iron and Art Nouveau decorations.  Originally opened in 1901, it was for many years the most favored accommodation in all of French Indochina.  Although the hotel became deplorably rundown during the austere years of state socialism between 1954 and 1986, it has since been magnificently restored to its former glory and luxurious grandeur.

Kent's new best friend.  

Her English was so good that she was able to direct us to the next tourist site on our list.

A woman on the way to a market.
Notice the woman on her white scooter who is covered from head to toe 
for protection from the sun, wind and dirt.

The Opera House

Also known as Nha Hat Lon or Big Song House, opened in 1911 and is modeled on the Paris Opera.  Before Wold War II, the Opera was at the center of the city's cultural life.  At the end of the French rule, it gradually fell into disrepair and all but abandoned by the mid-1980's.  In 1994, after three years, it was restored and reopened at a cost of 14 million dollars.  The 600-seat theatre now boasts of gilt mirrors and grand stairways is home to the Hanoi Symphony Orchestra.

  

A bride and groom having formal photos taken.

The National Museum of Vietnam History -1st building

This young lady was at the entrance, selling admission tickets and working on her needlework project.

On display was a special exhibit entitled "Vietnamese ancient lamps" organized by The Vietnam National Museum of History with 50 objects spanning 2,500 years up to the early 20th century.  Its "key aim is to provide domestic and foreign visitors with an introduction to the historical significance of the lamp, including displays of valuable lamps and demonstrations on how to use and make lamps, as well as the hidden values of history, culture and the fine arts in this collection."

The lamp is one of the most ancient human inventions.  Thanks to this invention, people were gradually able to control fire which was both in terms of daily life uses and for traditional ceremonies.  

In Vietnam, the lamp has been made for thousands of years.  It was not only used for daily life such as lighting, heating and cooking, but also for rites and religious activities - an important object in the worshiping space of the Vietnamese people.

The basic structure of an old lamp includes two main parts.  The first one, the so-called "lamp", comprises a fuel-box and a wick-tube (with some particular kinds, people put the wick directly into the fuel-box, and the tip of the wick is put on the rim of the lamp).  The other one is lamp-stand.  The lamp is put on the surface of the lamp-stand and could be separated.  A lamp-stand is to decorate and to prevent fires.  The lamp-stand is the part which contains precious values of history, culture, aesthetic and fine art.

a decorative lamp stand

fuel box and wick tube

Lamp in kneeling human shape

Dong Son Culture, circa 2,500 years before present

Recently certified as one of Vietnam's National Treasures.

Champa Sculpture

sandstone sculptures with religious themes

made by Champa people

Another display is the Oc Eo, an ancient culture formed and developed on the local level in the first ten centuries AD in the Mekong Delta area.  Thousands of Oc Eo finds have been excavated and studied.

this statue was carved from wood

bracelets

Other exhibits included:

Mandarin boots and shoes, early 20th c.

a qual, or fan, 20th c.

Statue of Avalokitesvara, 1656

a statue for worship

The many eyes and arms see and help all.

 National Museum of Vietnam History

This is the back of the 2nd building and was built in 1925 and is known in Vietnamese as Bao Tang Lich Su.  Two floors display artifacts from the prehistoric Dong Son culture, Sa Huynh and Oc Eo civilizations and sculptures from the Champa Empire. 

park behind the museum

The Hoa Lo Prison Museum

The French built this prison (named Maison Centrale) in 1896 and originally it was intended to hold 450 prisoners.  By the 1930's the number of detainees (political prisoners) had reached 2,000.  During the Vietnam War, Hoa Lo Prison achieved notoriety as a place of incarceration for downed U.S. pilots, who ironically nicknamed it the Hanoi Hilton.  It is now a museum.  On display are instruments of torture and solitary confinement cells.  In 1945, over 100 prisoners used a narrow sewer system to escape.  

Memorial monument area of Vietnamese patriots 

and revolutionary fighters.

Senator John McCain's plane was shot down in October 1967 in 

Truc Bach Lake.  After his capture he was imprisoned here for seven years.

John McCain's flight suit, parachute, shoes and other gear are on display.

Ambassador's Pagoda

Established as a stopping point for visiting Buddhist dignitaries, Chua Quan Su or Ambassador's Pagoda is named after a guesthouse that once stood here in the 15th century.  The present day pagoda dates from 1942.  Many monks are in attendance.

Entrance gates to Ambassador's Pagoda

Presidential Palace

The Presidential home, of French Colonial architecture, was built between 1900 and 1906 to house the French Governor-General of Indochina.  When Vietnam achieved its independence in 1954, Ho Chi Minh refused to live in the grand structure due to symbolic reasons.  It is not open to the public but does host government meetings.  

a home overlooking the Botanical Gardens

Botanical Gardens (Vuon Bach Thao)

This oasis in the city sits on 50 acres and has two small lakes and many rare species of trees.  It was designed by the French and established in 1890.  It is basically the backyard of the Presidential Palace.

Ho Chi Minh Museum

Established in 1990 - one century after Ho Chi Minh's birth.  This museum chronicles and celebrates the revolutionary leader's life and achievements.  There are personal memorabilia and photographs from his youth and the time he spent in Europe and China.  Images and papers documenting the independence struggle, founding of the Communist Party, and the fight against French imperialism and U.S. intervention are also featured.  

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

On the west side of Ba Dinh Square, a heavy grey structure, built of stone quarried from Marble Mountain near Danang, is Ho Chi Minh's last resting place.  An unassuming man, who notably shunned the comforts and trappings of power, Ho Chi Minh had allegedly requested that he be cremated and his ashes scattered in Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnam, symbolizing the national unity to which he had devoted his life.  In keeping with these beliefs, it is said that he also vetoed the construction of a small museum on his life at his home village near Kim Lien, arguing that the funds could be better employed in building a school.  However, after Ho Chi Minh's death in 1969, the leading members of the Vietnamese politburo reportedly altered his final testament by deleting his request to be cremated.  Instead, with the help of Soviet specialists, the leader was embalmed and installed at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in 1975.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

The mausoleum is an important pilgrimage site for many Vietnamese.  Inside, the mood is somber.  Ho Chi Minh is dressed in simple clothing and lies in a chilled, dim room.  But we did not get to see inside since it was a Monday.  It is only open from 7:30 to 10:30 am on Tuesday through Thursdays and Saturdays and Sundays.  It is usually closed for two months, usually in October and November for embalming maintenance. 

Our chauffeur who took us to our next stop.

Did we mention that it is hot?

Van Mieu Gate

The elegant entrance to the Temple of Literature

The oldest and possibly the finest architectural complex in Hanoi, Van Mieu or the Temple of Literature, was established in 1070, during the Ly Dynasty (1009 - 1225).  Founded in honor of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, it served as a center for higher learning, educating future mandarins for more than seven centuries.  

The temple was modeled on the original Temple of Confucius in the Chinese city of Qufu, and consists of five courtyards, the first two of which feature well-tended gardens.  Each courtyard is separated by walls and ornamental gateways, and a central pathway through the complex divides it into two symmetrical halves.  

Khue Van Cac

Also known as the Constellation of Literature, this ornate gate was built in 1805 to reflect the brilliance of Van Mieu's literary legacy.  Its upper story features four radiating suns facing the cardinal points.

Tortoise Stele

Mounted on giant tortoise pedestals, these stone stelae are inscribed with the names and brief personal details of scholars who passed Van Mieu's examinations.  Dating from the 15th to the 18th centuries, only 82 stelae out of the original 112 stelae survive today.

Temple of Confucius

Located just behind Bai Duong, is the long, red-lacquered and gilt temple to Confucius.  Inside are statues of the great philosopher and four of his main disciples, all dressed in rich robes of red and gold.

The tortoise is an auspicious symbol.

The Hoc or Sunbeam Bridge on Hoan Kiem Lake

Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the city's most popular venues, generally packed with people taking a stroll.  The lake plays a major role during the city's celebrations.  You can cross the bridge and enjoy the serenity of the island.

                                        
                                         a young couple posing for pictures

After our all day "walking" tour we checked out the menus at the upscale mall that we discovered.  Decided on a fast food place called Lotteria.  Kent got chicken and french fries and I got fish nuggets and french fries.  I know, I know, you want us to report that we had fish eyes or something exotic!  Then stopped at the French pastry shop for dessert.  Back to the hotel to cool off and check emails and look at guidebooks for the next day.  We went back out for a short walk.  Carol bought two cold oranges and Kent bought a candy bar.  (Isn't this blog exciting?)  Back to the hotel (and we didn't get lost this time) for showers.  Lights out by 9 pm.  

the greatest little fresh fruit market with cold oranges

we did a Google translation - this means "power"

otherwise I have no idea why it is there or what it is for

but you find them randomly along sidewalks; always on a broken tile