Hanoi, Vietnam's Independent And Millennial City
From Temples And Uncle Ho To The Old Quarter, Hanoi Has Good Karma
Apr 30, 2009
On October 10, 2010 Vietnam's capital Hanoi will welcome the world to its millennial anniversary. The city has kept the country's national heritage alive and vibrant throughout that time. Already beginning the countdown, Hanoi beckons tourists.
Visitors can find serene moments in several temples, state-power in the complex dedicated to Ho Chi Minh, and raucous shopping in the Old Quarter. No staid city this; after centuries of war and occupation, independent Hanoi has something for everyone.
Hanoi and Vietnam's Journey To Independence
The Chinese dominated Vietnam for 1000 years until China was weakened by its own dynastic changes and Vietnam established its own empire. In 1010, Emperor Ly founded Hanoi along the Red River. However China, Vietnam's own squabbles, and other countries continued to be a thorn in Vietnam's side.
- the Mongols invaded and the Ming dynasty re-occupied it in the 1400s
- for over 400 years Vietnamese warlords competed and civil wars divided the country into two and even three parts
- the French invaded in 1858, taking Hanoi in 1873. The Vietnamese harassed the French constantly, especially from the streets of the Old Quarter and finally, the Viet Minh army with communist Ho Chi Minh ousted them in 1954
- the Americans entered Vietnam as part of the containment of Communism and escalated operations beginning in 1965, including the 1972 Christmas bombing of Hanoi
Hanoi persevered through it all and now honours the legacy of independence in many ways. Instead of denying, Hanoi recognizes and includes the foreign elements.
Hanoi's Temples and Mausoleums
Clearly the Chinese influenced Vietnamese culture and the Buddhist and Confucian temples bear witness. For example there is
- Ngoc Son Temple, near the Old Quarter and reached by a graceful red bridge called the Huc. This18th century Buddhist pagoda on Hoan Kiem Lake commemorates a hero who defeated invading Chinese in the 13th century.
- the Confucian Temple of Literature, built in 1070. It is a series of courtyards, meditative pagodas and cloisters, red and gold laquered statuary, and a parade of stone turtles mounted with diplomas of scholars.
Both Russian and Chinese communists lent a style of grandeur to the Mausoleum and complex, dedicated to Ho Chi Minh, known affectionately as Uncle Ho who died in 1969. It includes
- the huge awe-ful tomb resembling Lenin's and Mao's. It's a gray granite building with red marble from the Marble Mountains near Danang, site of the 1968 Tet offensive and contains the embalmed body of the founder of the Vietminh independence movement. There is a military precision to the double-filing of silent tourists who pay homage if not curiosity to the father of the nation.
- the One-Pillared Pagoda, shaped like a lotus flower and built in 1049 originally. Graceful and representing mercy and good health, it is a 1955 reproduction after the departing French bombed it.
- Ho Chi Minh's house, garage and museum, ranked 17/57 of popular sites by Trip Advisor. One can catch a glimpse of framed photos of Marx and Lenin in Ho's rooms while walking the mango tree-lined path.
Hanoi's Old Quarter and French Influence
The 36 streets enclosed in 13th century medieval walls made up the Old Quarter. There is only one gate left, the Eastern, but the guild streets still operate with markets and artisan stalls. Hang Bac or Silversmith Street is one of the oldest and one restaurant on Ma May (Rattan Street) still has a secret tunnel used by resistance fighters.
Nearby are French cafes and colonial opulent buildings, such as the Metropole Hotel and the Hanoi Opera House, built in the early 1900s.
Hanoi has remained true to its entire checkered heritage, incorporating it into a bustling city with good karma. Hanoi, independent and with no hard feelings, will welcome the world in 2010.
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