Hanoi preservation

LookAtVietnam - Many religious monuments and temples, along with other infrastructure works in Hanoi, are in a race of thoughtless renovation and reconstruction to welcome Hanoi’s millennium anniversary by October of this year.
Today, Pham Khanh Toan will complete his contributions in transforming the Xuan Tao communal hall, or dinh in Vietnamese, into what is both a pagoda and a temple. The dinh is located in Minh Tao village, about 10 kilometres from Hanoi’s centre. 

In the yard, people are busy installing a pair of stone lantern pillars, which originate from China and are commonly used in public gardens, at the dinh’s gates. Toan, a builder and contractor, stands in front of a guardian statue made of ferro-concrete and coated by South Korean paint. He pushes his drill into the statue’s chin and the flute of the upper lip, then installs screws into the holes and fixes some black electricity wires onto them. Now, the statute’s young face looks a little bit older, with its new beard and moustache. more>>

Tramcars to run in Hanoi next month

LookAtVietnam - The pilot project to operate tramcars around the Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi’s Old Quarter for tourists will be kicked off in July 2010.

The tramcar route will start from Dinh Tien Hoang Street and stop at 53 Hang Duong – Dong Xuan Market – 25 Hang Chieu – 9 Hang Vai – 97 Hang Buom – 80 Ma May – 42 Hang Bac – 6A Hang Bo – 22 Bat Dan – 47 Hang Quat – 14 Le Thai Tho – Bo Ho Post Office – Ba Kieu Temple.

Khoi told Hoan Kiem District to put this route into operation as of July and also requested that the Department of Transportation and Police Agency submit the rules for tramcar operation before June 20.  more>>

related:

Visiting Hanoi’s Old Quarter by tramcar

Hanoi: Electric cars for tourists “delayed”

Electric tourist cars to hit Hanoi in February

Vietnam’s “scientific city” to use electric cars

Hanoi, Je t’aime

Ngoc Linh’s miniature paintings were created in 1991 on old lottery tickets as at the time he couldn’t afford actual paper

People tell me that the artist Ngoc Linh is 80 years old but I’m not convinced. When I arrive at his door I come face to face with a sprightly man who seems far, far younger.

Born in Lang Son province, Ngoc Linh is ethnic Tay and was originally named Vi Van Bich by his parents. His grandfather Vi Van Dinh was chief of Ha Dong and Thai Binh provinces in French colonial times. His father studied in France before returning to Vietnam to open up a small business on Hang Dao street. more>>

Hanoi removes 1800 households from Old Quarter

Hanoi's deputies worry about Hanoi's future

Hanoi's Old Quarter streets not slated for UNESCO

Residents' co-operation vital in efforts to preserve Old Quarter

The untidy pavement of a street in the Old Quarter.

To encourage the people to move to Viet Hung, the local government will allow them to buy apartments on installment plans with soft interest rates or to lease apartments at low prices. Hoan Kiem district asked the city to build high-rise buildings on 11 hectares of land in Viet Hung to serve these people.

Families that voluntarily move from the Old Quarter can sell their rooms to the remaining families living in the same house.

For the Old Quarter, after 1800 households are moved, the city will reallocate land to ensure per capita area up to its plan.

At present, the population density in the Old Quarter is over 84,000 per one square kilometer. The Old Quarter has nearly 900 buildings and other structures of cultural, historical and religious significance, including 245 houses built many centuries ago, as well as the relatively undamaged remains of Thang Long, the imperial city of long ago.

The Ancient City Management Board says much has been done to safeguard the old quarter in recent years, but damage is still occurring.

More than 15,000 households inhabit the area in question, 63 percent of them in very old houses and 12 percent in condemned buildings, and the infrastructure of the area is way too primitive for an expanding population.

To solve the overpopulation problem, the city plans to move many of these households to Viet Hung new residential area. The management board is keen on the idea as the residents will be able to live in safe, unpolluted conditions and the old city's preservation will be a simpler task.

However, many residents are angry and afraid about having to move to a new place as they have a strong attachment to the area where their families have lived for generations.

Hanoi gets culture complex

Visitors and local Hanoians will have somewhere new to enjoy Vietnamese art forms and Vietnamese cuisine, as a new cultural complex has recently opened in the capital city.

Named the Vietnamese Cultural Space, the 3,800m² complex, located in 79 Hang Trong Street by Hoan Kiem Lake, is expected to be a cultural space promoting Vietnamese culture and offering entertainment for all people.

Invested in and managed by the National Song, Dance, and Light Music Theatre, the complex includes a 300-seat theatre, an open-air stage and a gallery. An area displaying traditional handicrafts will also be included in the complex.  more>>

Hanoi’s Old Quarter in graffiti

LookAtVietnam - An old apartment block in Long Bien district, Hanoi, has become a destination for graffiti artists to offer paintings about the Old Quarter.

Hanoi - Old streets and traditional trades

Hanoi’s Old Quarter looks untidy as millennial anniversary approaches

Hanoi “renews” the Old Quarter

 

 

Local people don’t prohibit youngsters from painting on the wall.

Hang Be Street with electric wires.

Hang Ga Street with tile-roofed houses.

Hang Bo Street with garment materials.

Hang Ma Street with lanterns and unicorn heads.

A corner of Hang Thiec Street.

The water tower on Hang Dau street, the oldest of its kind in Hanoi.

The old bridge of Long Bien.

Hoan Kiem Lake and Turtoise Tower.

This playground is about to be broken down to build a new residential area.

Source: VNE

Hanoi's sunset

In the fading sunlights at the end of the day, Hanoi appears brilliant and romatic. Enjoy a shot of Hanoi in the sunset taken by Xuan Chinh from above:

Hanoi in the rainbow

A cloudly sky

Fading in the dusk

Yellow cloud in the sunset

Paceful West Lake

Romantic Thanh Niem Road

Historical Long Bien Bridge

Hanoi Flag tower

Hoan Kien Lake from above

Hanoi’s coffee culture – like no other

VietNamNet Bridge – There is nowhere like Hanoi for coffee connoisseurs to enjoy a wide variety of cafes.

Not only do Hanoians love drinking coffee but there is a special kind of coffee culture here where it is done at a cornucopia of different and decorative cafes. Hanoians drink a lot of the dark, caffeinated beverage and love sipping their stronger blends outside in front of a small shop with some sweet milk and a spoonful of sugar. Every morning, on hot days in the summer and cold and dull days in the winter, you can see people all over the city with a cup of coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other.

The ancient capital city of Hue has cafes in green orchards. The resort city of Da Lat features romantic, quiet cafes. Saigon has both street and luxury cafes. What about Hanoi?

It is difficult to draw a complete picture of Hanoi’s cafes because the city has hundreds, all with different styles. In the past, Hanoians only knew Lam Café or Nhan Café, and to enjoy a real cup of coffee, aficionados had to go to the old quarter in the morning. This is no longer the case. Nowadays, Hanoians drink coffee everywhere and all the time.

Cafes are as prevalent as their customers, ranging from chains like Trung Nguyen and Highlands to small cafes in alleys, gardens and even on sidewalks. Hanoians seem to favor quiet cafes to relax after a tense working day; hundreds can be seen along lakes like Truc Bach, Hoan Kiem, Giang Vo, Ho Dac Di, etc.

Cafes in Hanoi can be categorized in terms of style and quality but most are popular. For many Hanoians, the most important factor of a café is not its luxuriousness but the quality of the product.

Old people love cafes which have been around a long time, located on old streets or inside deep alleys. Office workers like cafes with romantic and quiet styles like Pho Co café. Young people love the noisy and busied atmosphere of modern and luxury or pavement cafes.

Hanoians also choose their café based on their feelings that day. When they are happy, they go to boisterous ones like Windows or Bao. When they are sad, they go to quiet ones, located deep in alleys. Those who need a luxurious atmosphere enjoy European style cafes like Paris Dehli, Bobby Chinn, Ciao or Lan Vien. The wealthy go to cafes at five-star hotels like Sofitel Plaza or the Daewoo to see Hanoi’s wide expanse from the panoramic view on the roof. Sipping coffee while watching the buzz and business of life outside is enjoyable and Serenade café’s on Ngo Quyen Street blends are just right.

It is difficult to choose a suitable café and one should experience dozens before seeking the one best acquainted with him or herself.

Pavement cafes are a strangely popular spot. Plastic chairs are all it takes. Hanoians all know the famous pavement cafes on Nguyen Du, Trieu Viet Vuong, Hang Bac and around Truc Bach Lake. Just one good cup of coffee on a plastic table is enough for coffee drinkers there. These cafes are always crowded, regardless of the weather.

However, street cafes like the La Terrasse du Metropole on Ngo Quyen and Le Phung Hieu are totally different. These are European-style pavement cafes that are very expensive.

There are cafes where customers can drink coffee both inside and out like Highlands Café, 84 Nguyen Du or Huy Café; of these, Highlands Café is of the highest regard.

Hanoi’s coffee culture calls on coffee addicts from every corner of the globe!

Friends at Aurora Travel

This is one of those stories that will live among the milestones of my life, since my friendship with the owner and staff of Aurora Travel has the most unlikely beginnings. My correspondence with the owner, Mai Anh Nguyen, started a few months before departure first trip to Viet Nam, as I had landed on her website page doing research for the trip. I will also tell you that after two trips to this country, and exchanges of pictures and emails and all sorts of wonderful things, I still have not met Mai Anh. One of the reasons is that she doesn't live in Ha Noi anymore, but rather in Bangkok and has some extremely capable people working for her in Viet Nam. How fortunate for us, because everything they touch turns to gold.

A couple of months ago, we learned that our dear friend Van had a baby, and she sent us photos. It's hard to imagine Van pregnant; like most Viet Namese women, she's very slight, feather thin, and demure. Bong is a beautiful chubby baby, and here are some of the first photos:

Let's revisit our first trip: Mai Anh had arranged some of our itinerary as I had had no contact with anyone else; we had decided that even though we had more than three weeks, we could not possibly see Sa Pa. In hindsight, that was the right decision. We packed so much into the trip, and since we wanted to visit Sai Gon (HCMC) and Hà Nội, I knew that one of the treks would have to be via train. So we headed north by plane, and returned south by train, with two stops en route back to HCMC. It was practically seamless, so much so, that we felt much more comfortable on the next trip to enjoy the trip to Sa Pa by train once more.

At the time of our initial journey, Aurora had a different name; it was called Vietnamstay.com and their website still bears that name. I had the joy of becoming their English editor, and that was another great way for me to learn about new places and cultural treasures for subsequent visits. Their offices are located very conveniently in the center of town. We managed to walk there from our hotel on the second go-round. We had such a hard time finding this place the first time, we almost gave up. At first it looked closed; then at the very place it was located was a garage door, and it was mostly down,-one would not think this was an office. Thankfully, someone finally came out to greet us!

Of the entire crew you see below, Van is still there, and I think most of the others are gone. She is seated fourth from left, and I am right next to her. The gentleman sitting next to me is actually quite funny, and his English is fairly good!

So you might be thinking, OK, so what's the big deal? Let me tell you about one incident which endeared Aurora's people to our hearts. Naturally, it was very very exciting to get to Viet Nam. I had too much luggage, and Chuck had too many cameras, and photographic equipment. Part of this very expensive photographic equipment had been forgotten in Sai Gon as we had left on a late train, and had to check out of our hotel, the Lucky, much too early. We had some of our things in storage, and when we left, it was not easy to take inventory.

Chuck became aware of his missing gear after we arrived in Hà Nội, and were training it down to the ancient imperial capital of Hue. When we arrived at the hotel, I suggested we call our travel experts. This is what happened: someone from VietnamStay in Sai Gon went over to our hotel, picked up the camera equipment and brought it to the Continental Hotel where we had made reservations. How many travel agents do you know that will do this?

By the way, Ho Chi Minh, or Uncle Ho as he is fondly called, is Viet Nam's hero, and you'll find his photo is most places you visit. The original offices of Aurora had this photo at the entrance, and a large map highlighting Viet Nam's familiar S shape. There are many places which commemorate him, but we missed seeing them as an episode of food poisoning kept me in bed for three days. It is interesting to note that the Viet Namese have kept Ho Chi Minh's body in much the same way as Russia's Lenin. His body is embalmed and has been visited by millions. Despite his wish to be cremated, the government violated that wish, and decided to honor its hero in this way. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is located in Ba Ðình Square in Hà Nội.

Aurora chose our hotels in Hà Nội, Hue and Nah Trang. As you will see on this blog, each and every one of them had charm, was very comfortable and at times luxurious, even though the latter is not a criterion when we travel. It's a nice bonus though.

the new offices now

On another occasion, we had to call Van from South Korea on a stopover. We had lost some luggage and had been thinking about flying into Hà Nội a day earlier. Our stop over at Incheon airport was too long (over 24 hours), and we thought we might take a flight that was leaving at an earlier time. Van did confirm what the agent at Incheon had told us: you do not want to arrive in Viet Nam prior to the time confirmed on your visa. Trust me on this one.

There are more people working at Aurora now; Van is wearing the pinkish zippered sweater.

On our last trip to Hà Nội, Van gave us some lovely gifts. Mine is still with me, and dear to my heart. It is a stunning black wool embroidered shawl, - and the decoration is very fine, in a contrasting auburn color and no matter where I go, when I wear it, everyone wants one. On our last day in the capital city, Van also arranged for us to have lunch at the famous Pham Anh Tuyet; that was not only a treat but a surprise as well. We really had no clue this was in store.

Here we are chatting in the ante-room; I had brought Van a baby gift

for Mai Anh as she had just given birth to a baby girl!!

It was wonderful to see everyone, and we were leaving for Sa Pa and knew we would be seeing them again before departure. We had discussed how to get from Lao Cai into Sa Pa, and apparently, there are enough mini-buses, and hawkers, as we found out when we arrived. We offered to take the crew to lunch, but they could not leave the office.

We have never hesitated to tell anyone to go to Aurora for their travel plans. As a matter of fact, I was meeting a business associate in Hà Nội on this trip. He was coming from Manila and had his own set of issues. Yet, Van was fabulous with him; just as she was so fabulous in getting us a car to take us to a paper making village I wanted to see, and that no one had heard about. The visit for me was nothing short of historic. I have no doubt that I'll be seeing Van again.

Luca comes to dinner

Part of the reason for my second visit to Viet Nam was to meet up with a business associate from Manila so that we could explore possibilities of manufacturing paper in the Northern part of the country. He is an exhuberant, jovial and hilarious Italian, and as Italian as they come. His name is Luca. He immediately felt home in Ha Noi, as his twenty years and counting of living in the Philippines have enured him to Asian culture. And certainly, there are differences, but in essence, Luca makes himself understood with his semi-farcical gesturing and irresistible tirades.

So, we invited Luca to join us for an evening of live music and dinner at the Hong Ngoc Hotel; he was staying at another one of their locations not too far from our own. When we had arrived at the hotel the first night, we had noticed the instruments hanging above the stage and I knew we would make time to enjoy whomever would play them. They were all lovely, young Viet Namese women in demure dresses, one of them wearing the traditional Ao Dai costume.

There are so many varieties of instruments in Viet Namese music which borrow from other cultures, it's hard to keep up. But I have always been interested in zithers, as an Austrian friend of mine, many moons ago, had introduced me to this instrument as it was being used with Hungarian Rhapsody # 5 (one of my favorites). As far as zithers go, I have realized that you either love them, or you hate them. Some people find them downright annoying. I'm grateful that no one that evening walked out.

Dressed in Ao Dai, she's plucking the dan tranh

Dan Tranh is a 16-chord zither. What does that mean? A zither is a plucking instrument, sort of like a lute or harp, but it sits on your lap. If you click on the link,you can get the technical details as to the length, the height, the composition of the frame, etc..In order to play the Dan Tranh, the musician will wear finger plectrums on the thumb, the forefinger and middle finger only; these plectrums can be made of tortoise shell, animal horns or metal. It is reported that Dan Tranh was developed after the Tran Dynasty Chinese zither which counted either 9, 15 or 16 strings. For the last 800 years though, the Viet Namese developed specific techniques which made the instrument their own.

This resembles the Ty Ba plucking instrument which was known in China as Pipa and in Japan as Biwa. Though it is not pear shaped, and has 2 strings instead of 4, all the other characteristics are identical. The face is undecorated, and made of light and highly polished wood. Its head is sometimes carved into a longevity figure, and it comprises 4 tuning pegs at the neck. It is a member of the lute family and its length may vary. The nylon strings replaced the olden-days use of silk. It has become a core part of the Viet Namese string culture.

the musician in the center is playing the tam thap luc

Even the name of this 36-string zither is intimidating: Tam Thap Luc . It is of Viet Namese origin, and is made from soft, and light undecorated wood. On the surface, the two rows of bridges are alternately arranged consequently making 18 bridges for each row. At the left string holders, there are 36 hooks for string hanging, while at the right string holders, 36 tuning pegs are located. Strings are made from metal. Mallets consist of 2 thin and flexible bamboo slabs with their ends covered with felt for soft sounds. This instrument can be played "solo" or in an orchestra. When playing, instrumentalist beats on the surface of Tam Thap Luc with two mallets and takes advantages of techniques such as vibration, tremolo, stopping, sliding, making chords, and others. Not easy.

a very casual, and warm atmosphere

Back to the dinner table. The room was not particularly crowded, however, this was an easy way to participate in a cultural activity while resting one's feet for more arduous journeys. We were seated to the left of the stage, and had a great vantage point for viewing and taking pictures. We were so immersed into our conversation that we forgot to take pictures of all the plates, which were as scrumptious as they looked. The Christmas decorations were done tastefully and none too gory, as they can be at times. It was a marvelous evening in every way possible; the ambiance, the food, the friendship make it all very hard to forget.

Chuck, me, Luca