Hanoi – Vietnam’s cultural capital and land of the soaring dragon!

Fancy going for a drive?!

Xin Chao!

This place is crazy! The streets are chaotic with cars, motorcycles, bicycle tuk tuk’s, buses and people all doing their own thing. To cross the road its so scary the traffic will not stop for you, you actually just have to walk in front of it, yes it sounds suicidal but believe it or not the traffic just goes around you, somehow..?!



Traffic is the scariest we ever experienced!



The streets are live with energy

When settling here, roughly in the 15^th century the current Emperor of the day Ly Thai To saw a golden dragon in the clouds therefore named Hanoi, Thanh Long, ‘City of the soaring dragon’.

Eating out, literally on the pavement!

This city is so busy and buzzing with life, it’s brilliant! There are many street sellers walking around with two baskets balanced over their shoulders selling local cheap food, while the street cafés are packed with people sitting on the smallest stools, scattered across the pavements - you can barley walk on them, spending more time walking in the road, trying to avoid the many motorcycles speeding your way.



A memorial statue sitting alongside an electonically digital TV



The city is a beautiful mix of old Asia, seamlessly merged with the new, with their boutiques and designer shops alongside souvenir shops selling everything including wine with cobra’s and scorpions bottled in them!

The cities temples all built centruies ago sit alongside homes and shops without looking out of place.



Hoan Kiem Lake



Hoan Kiem Lake is great focal point and is named as such by Emperor Ly Thai To who, as Vietnamese legend goes was given a magical sword from heaven that he used to drive out the Chinese, (who occupied Vietnam for 1000 years).

 


Jason with a model of the golden Goam tortoise



One day while boating he saw a golden Goam tortoise, which grabbed his sword and disappeared back into the lake. After restoring the Emperor’s divine sword the lake is called Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the restored sword).

Jason and I visited the Ngoc Son Temple, which is on the lake and has the embalmed body of such a giant Goam tortoise, founded in the 18^th century.



The temple gates



Ngoc Son Temple

Inside the temple

The old quarter is where we stay and is decent living for $20 a night, wi-fi, satellite TV, hot shower and breakfast included, not bad J





With so much to do and see this city is by far the beating heart of Vietnam. It even has their great leader Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body on display in his own mausoleum complex, where three months out of the year it is flown to Russia for re-embalming.

Ho Chi Minh is Vietnam’s hero and founding father of Communism, a well travelled man and humanist, his picture is everywhere.



The complex entrance

 We visited the complex however just our luck chose the wrong day – Monday, which is when its closed, doh! The complex is grand, with well attended gardens and Vietnamese army officers performing their drills all around, you feel the communist vibe.

The One Pillar Pagoda, very cute.

Just to the side of the complex is the ‘One Pillar Pagoda’ built by Emperor Ly Thai Tong and is supposed to represent a blossoming lotus flower out of a sea of sorrow..well it looks pretty anyway!

The temple of the One Pillar Pagoda

Mother Buddah inside

We also visited the Temple of Literature, which is also known as the first University of Vietnam.

J at the entrance of the Temple of Literature

Originally dedicated to Confucius in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong it was later used as an educational institute.

Little models of Confucius under a large bell

In one of the courtyards

Students would learn various disciplines and had to pass exams, in the form of questions asked by the King himself. It is interesting to note that as early as the 11^th Century, Vietnam’s rulers understood the importance of educating their future generations for the success of their beloved country.

The temple has five courtyards and the architecture is of the 11^th century and is distinctly oriental, very beautiful, very Asia J

In 1484 Emperor Le Thang Tong ordered the names of those who received doctorates to be honored in the form of stelae’s created with their names inscribed on them to stand on top of stone tortoises. All 82 of them dating back to 1442 line the sides of the courtyard and make for inspirational viewing.

 







The pretty ladies



Jason and his new friends!! ;D

We realy enjoyed exploring the city by foot, taxi and bicycle tuk, tuk however there is still so much to do here. We just wish we had more time!

Jason was quite the favourite with the local Vietnamese ladies who all wanted to have their photo taken with him, being all so pretty I don’t blame him!!