I find Vietnam's history quite fascinating. Legend has it that Vietnam's origin lay in the harmonious union of Lac Long Quan, King of the Sea, and Au Co, Princess of the Mountains. Unfortunately real life was not so paradisical, as Vietnam's early history is characterised by a nearly continuous struggle for autonomy. First came an entire millenium of Chinese domination, which was finally thrown off in the 9th century. In the 19th century Vietnam was occupied by the French, whose rule lasted until World War II, when the country was invaded by Japan. At the end of the war, the predominantly Communist Viet Minh, which led the resistance movement against the Japanese, declared the country's independence. Pro-independence forces, dominated largely by the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, resisted French domination during and after World War II.
Ho Chi Minh's declaration of Vietnamese independence in 1945 sparked violent confrontations with the French, culminating in the French military defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The Geneva Accords in 1954 left Vietnam divided into two zones - a Communist north and a US supported anti-Communist south led by Ngo Dinh Diem. Free elections should have been held across the country in 1956 but Diem reneged on the plan (Ho Chi Minh seemed likely to win) and instead consolidated his power in various ways, including fixing a referendum. His government embraced Western powers.
Due to political and ideological opposition, the USA, who had been a covert presence since at least 1945, and other countries committed combat troops in 1965. The Paris Peace Agreements, signed in 1973, provided an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of US troops, signalling a famous victory for Ho Chi Minh. Saigon eventually capitulated to the Communist forces on 30 April 1975. Vietnam then found itself at loggerheads with Khmer Rouge forces along the Cambodian borders. A protracted round of fighting eventually saw China enter the fray in support of Cambodia and the killings continued until the UN brokered a deal. Vietamese forces pulled out of Cambodia in 1989. The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR in 1991 caused Vietnam and Western nations to improve relations. Whilst Vietnam still remains a Communist country, its current ideology is more akin to a developing capitalist economy and Vietnamese are free to travel abroad.
The official origins of Hanoi go back to the year 1010. According to legend, whilst King Ly Thai To was in his royal barge on the Red River (which runs through Hanoi), he saw a golden dragon fly up towards the heavens. This was a good omen, so he moved his court from Hoa Lu to here, renaming his new capital city, Thang Long, "City of the Rising Dragon". In 1831, Emperor Tu Duc changed the name of the capital to "Ha Noi" ("City in a bend of the River").
From 1010 until 1802, it was the political centre of an independent Vietnam with a few brief interruptions. It was eclipsed by Hue during the Nguyen Dynasty as the capital of Vietnam but served as the capital of French Indochina from 1887 to 1954. From 1954 to 1976, it was the capital of North Vietnam.
The first thing you notice about Hanoi is how many motorcyles and scooters there are on the road. Every person must have one. You have to be really careful when crossing roads, as the drivers somehow don't see you, they don't stop at pedestrian crossings and they have a habit of not stopping at lights. A few times I have nearly scared myself to death when I have had a near miss when I was not looking where I was going. The other thing we noticed about Hanoi was that as it is the Ted holiday, the whole place has shut down for four days. There are a few cafes and shops open but we have taken to wandering past streets of shutters (you can't even do any window shopping!).
We spent the whole of Friday 8th February walking in and around the Old Quarter of Hanoi, aka the 36 Streets. This area has existed for over 1000 years and was known as the Venice of the Far East by early explorers and traders, due to the constant flooding. From the13th century, distinct guild areas were set up. Streets are named after the original merchandise (eg Hang Bong, Hang Gai - "Hang" means selling). The various streets started out as villages, usually specialising in one particular craft or product. Today there are about 100,000 people in 100 hectares, giving it one of the highest population densities in the world. It is probably just as well that a lot of the shops were closed, as I can imagine this part of town to be really overwelming with the choice available.
On Friday evening we went to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, where we saw an interesting (if too long) show where puppets performed on water. A lot of the pieces were in Vietnamese, so we didn't really have a clue what was going on, although the puppets were good (see photo).
This morning (Saturday) we went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which is where the body of Vietnam's first president is displayed in a glass case, despite his wishes to be cremated (the Government decided to keep his body available for public viewing to let the Vietnamese people share in the history and ideology he created). His body is ghostly white and you are not allowed to take photos, and you are marched through the room in a quick procession so that all the people can get through. In the same grounds we also went to see the Stilt House and the Presidential Palace where Ho worked and lived as well as Ba Dinh Square, where he declared independence in 1945 (see photo). Included in our tour was a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, packed with pictures and other memorabilia of the President (although by this point we were so cold with all the standing around outside, we had lost the will to live!).
In the afternoon after lunch we went inside the Bach Ma Temple (see photo), which is the oldest religious site in the Old Quarter and the most sacred. It pays homage to the "White Stallion" in the legend Ly King, where a white horse emerged from the Temple site and galloped west. The king built the citadel walls along the hoof prints and the white horse was declared the city guardian. The present temple is a sacred centre of Taoist worship and there is a white wooden horse which you can pay your respects to! We also passed the Hanoi Opera House, which is based on the neo-Baroque Paris Opera House. Our last visit of the day was "Hanoi Hilton", aka Hoa Lo Prison.
Towards the end of the 19th century, in an effort to contain the growth and development of popular anti-colonial movements amongst the Vietnamese community, the French government of Indochina constructed an extensive network of prisons. Hao Lo was built on the site of a former craft village and opened in 1896. Thousands of patriots and revolutionary fighters were imprisoned and tortured, both physically and mentally. Confined for many years in tiny cells with chains and leg irons, they endured savage treatment by prison guards.
Following the liberation of the north in October 1954, Hoa Lo became a state prison and was used to detain criminal offenders. From 5 August 1964 until 31 March 1973 it was used to detain American pilots whose aircraft had been shot down over Hanoi whilst bombing or attacking the north Vietnamese people. It was during this period that the Americans named Hoa Lo "Hanoi Hilton". Two-third of the original prison was demolished in 1993 to make way for the Hanoi Towers serviced apartment and office complex but the south eastern most corner has been preserved and opened to the public as museum and a memorial to the revolutionaries imprisoned here (see photos).
Because a lot of restaurants and cafes have been shut, we have been limited as to the amount of decent food available (apart from the noodle stalls, where the noodle soup is really tasty). I haven't been impressed with much of the food in Hanoi and the food can be a bit bland. Fingers crossed we get better food as we head down South.
Ho Chi Minh's declaration of Vietnamese independence in 1945 sparked violent confrontations with the French, culminating in the French military defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The Geneva Accords in 1954 left Vietnam divided into two zones - a Communist north and a US supported anti-Communist south led by Ngo Dinh Diem. Free elections should have been held across the country in 1956 but Diem reneged on the plan (Ho Chi Minh seemed likely to win) and instead consolidated his power in various ways, including fixing a referendum. His government embraced Western powers.
Due to political and ideological opposition, the USA, who had been a covert presence since at least 1945, and other countries committed combat troops in 1965. The Paris Peace Agreements, signed in 1973, provided an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of US troops, signalling a famous victory for Ho Chi Minh. Saigon eventually capitulated to the Communist forces on 30 April 1975. Vietnam then found itself at loggerheads with Khmer Rouge forces along the Cambodian borders. A protracted round of fighting eventually saw China enter the fray in support of Cambodia and the killings continued until the UN brokered a deal. Vietamese forces pulled out of Cambodia in 1989. The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR in 1991 caused Vietnam and Western nations to improve relations. Whilst Vietnam still remains a Communist country, its current ideology is more akin to a developing capitalist economy and Vietnamese are free to travel abroad.
The official origins of Hanoi go back to the year 1010. According to legend, whilst King Ly Thai To was in his royal barge on the Red River (which runs through Hanoi), he saw a golden dragon fly up towards the heavens. This was a good omen, so he moved his court from Hoa Lu to here, renaming his new capital city, Thang Long, "City of the Rising Dragon". In 1831, Emperor Tu Duc changed the name of the capital to "Ha Noi" ("City in a bend of the River").
From 1010 until 1802, it was the political centre of an independent Vietnam with a few brief interruptions. It was eclipsed by Hue during the Nguyen Dynasty as the capital of Vietnam but served as the capital of French Indochina from 1887 to 1954. From 1954 to 1976, it was the capital of North Vietnam.
The first thing you notice about Hanoi is how many motorcyles and scooters there are on the road. Every person must have one. You have to be really careful when crossing roads, as the drivers somehow don't see you, they don't stop at pedestrian crossings and they have a habit of not stopping at lights. A few times I have nearly scared myself to death when I have had a near miss when I was not looking where I was going. The other thing we noticed about Hanoi was that as it is the Ted holiday, the whole place has shut down for four days. There are a few cafes and shops open but we have taken to wandering past streets of shutters (you can't even do any window shopping!).
We spent the whole of Friday 8th February walking in and around the Old Quarter of Hanoi, aka the 36 Streets. This area has existed for over 1000 years and was known as the Venice of the Far East by early explorers and traders, due to the constant flooding. From the13th century, distinct guild areas were set up. Streets are named after the original merchandise (eg Hang Bong, Hang Gai - "Hang" means selling). The various streets started out as villages, usually specialising in one particular craft or product. Today there are about 100,000 people in 100 hectares, giving it one of the highest population densities in the world. It is probably just as well that a lot of the shops were closed, as I can imagine this part of town to be really overwelming with the choice available.
On Friday evening we went to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, where we saw an interesting (if too long) show where puppets performed on water. A lot of the pieces were in Vietnamese, so we didn't really have a clue what was going on, although the puppets were good (see photo).
This morning (Saturday) we went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which is where the body of Vietnam's first president is displayed in a glass case, despite his wishes to be cremated (the Government decided to keep his body available for public viewing to let the Vietnamese people share in the history and ideology he created). His body is ghostly white and you are not allowed to take photos, and you are marched through the room in a quick procession so that all the people can get through. In the same grounds we also went to see the Stilt House and the Presidential Palace where Ho worked and lived as well as Ba Dinh Square, where he declared independence in 1945 (see photo). Included in our tour was a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, packed with pictures and other memorabilia of the President (although by this point we were so cold with all the standing around outside, we had lost the will to live!).
In the afternoon after lunch we went inside the Bach Ma Temple (see photo), which is the oldest religious site in the Old Quarter and the most sacred. It pays homage to the "White Stallion" in the legend Ly King, where a white horse emerged from the Temple site and galloped west. The king built the citadel walls along the hoof prints and the white horse was declared the city guardian. The present temple is a sacred centre of Taoist worship and there is a white wooden horse which you can pay your respects to! We also passed the Hanoi Opera House, which is based on the neo-Baroque Paris Opera House. Our last visit of the day was "Hanoi Hilton", aka Hoa Lo Prison.
Towards the end of the 19th century, in an effort to contain the growth and development of popular anti-colonial movements amongst the Vietnamese community, the French government of Indochina constructed an extensive network of prisons. Hao Lo was built on the site of a former craft village and opened in 1896. Thousands of patriots and revolutionary fighters were imprisoned and tortured, both physically and mentally. Confined for many years in tiny cells with chains and leg irons, they endured savage treatment by prison guards.
Following the liberation of the north in October 1954, Hoa Lo became a state prison and was used to detain criminal offenders. From 5 August 1964 until 31 March 1973 it was used to detain American pilots whose aircraft had been shot down over Hanoi whilst bombing or attacking the north Vietnamese people. It was during this period that the Americans named Hoa Lo "Hanoi Hilton". Two-third of the original prison was demolished in 1993 to make way for the Hanoi Towers serviced apartment and office complex but the south eastern most corner has been preserved and opened to the public as museum and a memorial to the revolutionaries imprisoned here (see photos).
Because a lot of restaurants and cafes have been shut, we have been limited as to the amount of decent food available (apart from the noodle stalls, where the noodle soup is really tasty). I haven't been impressed with much of the food in Hanoi and the food can be a bit bland. Fingers crossed we get better food as we head down South.
No comments:
Post a Comment