Hanoi, Spiritual Heart of Vietnam

Its Soul is Evident in its People, its Architecture and its History

Jun 4, 2009

With its congested lanes and alleys, narrow shops and street traders, Hanoi may not seem a spiritual place, but it is here that the beating heart of Vietnam pulses.

Hanoi has much to offer the tourist, not least culture shock. It is best taken in easy stages, museums and French architecture one day perhaps, then the Lake and the Water Puppets another, then the maze of streets in the Old Quarter. Always, of course, accompanied by hordes of Vietnamese riding bicycles. Crossing the street means not hesitating, just ploughing straight into the cyclists and hoping for the best!

The Lake of the Restored Sword, Hanoi

Hoan Kiem Lake is the centrepiece of Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi, and at dawn it belongs to the elderly residents as they do their daily stretching and tai chi exercises away from the younger people playing ball games under the willows that ring the lake.

The maze of streets just north of the lake is known as the Old Quarter and many of the lanes date back to when the neighbourhood was divided into artisan’s guilds, a full five centuries ago. Many of the names still reflect this, Leather Street, where you’d go to buy a pair of shoes, Cotton Street, Pickled Fish Street, Coffin street, Silk street, Metal-working street – all self-explanatory.

The narrow shops date back to a time when taxes were based on street frontages but they extend very far back. An exciting place at any time of day, it comes into its own at night when the locals come out into the streets to shop, gossip, or have their hair cut on the pavement.

The educational heart of Hanoi, the temple is a collection of walled courtyards and a pleasant retreat from the noisy streets. Founded in 1070 it is a rare example of well-preserved Vietnamese architecture still managing to retain an air of harmony and tranquillity. The temple houses stone records of examination results dating back to 1442. The central area of the main temple buildings holds an altar to Confucius in the ceremonial hall.

This temple is on an island in the lake surrounded by water and shaded by trees. A quiet place to rest. Reached via the red-painted wooden bridge (Rising Sun) bridge.

One Pillar Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot), Hanoi

Supposedly constructed in 1029, built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25m. in diameter, the One Pillar Pagoda is designed to resemble a lotus blossom - symbol of purity - rising out of a sea of sorrow. The French destroyed the pagoda before quitting Hanoi in 1954 and the new government has reconstructed it.

Dien Hu Pagoda, Hanoi

This is a few metres from the staircase of the One Pillar Pagoda and is one of the most delightful in Hanoi. An elderly monk can sometimes be found performing pressure point massage on the front porch.

Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, Uncle Ho of Vietnam

The mausoleum is a gigantic marble edifice in which the waxy, embalmed body of Uncle Ho, his wispy goatee trim, his black coat sober, lies in state in his humidity-controlled sarcophagus. Uncle Ho hadn’t wanted this, he wanted cremation but his request was ignored - Vietnam needed heroes to worship at the time. There is usually a long queue to visit - sometimes it can take one hour.

Behind this is his stilt house (Nha San Bac Ho) where he lived from 1958 until 1969, built in the style of Vietnam's ethnic minorities and preserved just as Ho left it. Set in a well-tended garden next to a carp-filled pond and not to be missed.

Hanoi demands more than the 3 or 4 days most tourists allow for a visit. For one thing it’s tiring, noisy and difficult to get around, and for another, it just cannot be absorbed in a few days. It needs time for quiet reflection on its bloody history and time to enjoy the exhilaration of a new nation coming into being.

The copyright of the article Hanoi, Spiritual Heart of Vietnam in Vietnam Travel is owned by Mari Nicholson. Permission to republish Hanoi, Spiritual Heart of Vietnam in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.