Playing tourist today in Hanoi by just sightseeing by ourselves some of the more well known sights in the downtown area. Put our 'walking shoes' on and set out first of all for one of the symbols of Hanoi, the Flag Tower, and the adjacent Vietnamese Military History Museum.
Photo above of Landmark Hotel, on right, where we stayed for 3 of the 4 nights in Hanoi.
The local train passed by right outside our hotel window many times each night and probably during the day as well but we weren't there to hear it then. We love hearing trains go by so didn't mind one iota.
Getting a hair cut in the street.
Photos of Vietnamese Military History Museum & Flag Tower:
The huge museum complex chronicles Vietnam's battles for independence and unification against the French and American patrons of the former South Vietnam.
In the Museum's courtyard: A MIG-21 fighter from the former Soviet Union.
The Flag Tower or Cot Co as it's called in Vietnam was built in 1812 during the Nguyen dynasty as part of the Hanoi Citadel.
Climbing to the top of Cot Co gave us good views of the Military History Museum's grounds below.
The cannons, below, at Cot Co were made in the early 19th C. but not discovered til April, 2007.
Figured we better make a beeline for the Museum itself as we knew it closed sharply at 11:30 for a 90 minute lunch break and there were several buildings in the Museum we wanted to check out.
Photos of the Museum:
The signs here referenced these national heroes who were 'invincible generals and outstanding military men.'
Titled 'European and African prisoners of war captured during Tay Bac campaign in 1952.'
Titled 'Guns and arms used during the first days of the War of Resistance against the French in December of 1946.'
Tank used to 'attack and occupy Sai Gon's Regime (now called Independence) Palace on 4/30/75.' We visited the palace when we were in Sai Gon. The jeep was recognized a a national treasure in October of 2012.
'Military Parade held on 9/2/75 in Hanoi to celebrate the total victory' i.e. vs the US.
'Flag of a Hero Group presented on 9/12/75.'
Photo titled 'People in South Vietnam Seeing Off their Sons for Re-Grouping in the North.'
Lieutenant Alvarez: The 1st US pilot downed and captured in North Vietnam in August of 1964.
Above and below: The pamphlet all US forces were required to carry with them during the war.
Personal items belonging to an American pilot found when he was captured in December of 1972.
Handmade flowers made by officers and soldiers to decorate on Tet Holiday in 2000.
Just before the museum was just about to close for lunch, we popped into the room below 'dedicated to women fighting to liberate and defend the country.'
The powerful photo is titled 'Lost Husband, Lost Children But Not Lost War.'
Interesting reading.
Photo of Ho Chi Minh in 1949 with female guerilla fighters.
Items and descriptions of some of the items used by female fighters which make for interesting reading:
Photo of 'revered former fighter with schoolchildren.' The display made me think of the commonality of war and how people across the world react when sending family members off to battle and how those remaining at home must fight as they see fit for their country.
Between 1965 and 1972 the US dropped millions of tons of bombs on North and South Vietnam including 13 kinds of anti personnel mines. More than 80,000 Vietnamese people died during the war.
Virtually all open space at the Museum was taken up with either captured US planes or Russian jets.
Titled 'Wreckage of French and US aircraft shot down in the Resistance War against the French colonialists from 1945 to 1956 and the US Sabotage War in North Vietnam from 1964-1973.'
Our visit to the Vietnamese Military History Museum was fascinating and intriguing. For the first time we got a sense of Vietnam as always having been colonized by foreign powers and the Vietnamese people wanting to unify their country versus the French invaders in North Vietnam. Reading the signs and noting the terminology of the American aggressor made us remember that a war's winner always gets to write the story.
Walked next to the Fine Arts Museum as it was the only tourist sight open during lunch hour. On the way, we passed the Iranian Embassy above and also the nearby Israeli Embassy where I also took a photo. However a plainclothes Vietnamese man speaking English demanded I delete the photo and watched while I did so. Never had that happen before.
Photos of Buddhist art during the Ly Dynasty from 1010-1225:
Replica Buddha from 1057.
Lacquerware from the 16th C.
Lacquerware wood Buddha from 1794.
Lacquer landscape done in 1944.
In Vietnam pure lacquer is extracted from lacquer trees and then processed by artists into a precious metal for use in painting. Gold and sliver are laminated and stuck on shiny black plate to create a deep light with a strong contrast.
Photos of some lacquer and lacquer wood engravings:
Look at the work's incredible detail below.
Titled 'Class Evacuated During Wartime' and completed in 1978. I felt everyone could relate to the painting.
Titled 'Treating a Hero of Labor'
Titled 'Uncle Ho Visiting a Farming Family.'
Titled 'Militia Woman from the Highlands'
There are over 400 exhibits of traditional applied decorative arts in the Fine Arts Museum but we only saw a few.
These 2 gorgeous wardrobes or dressers were inlaid with mother of pearl. What fantastic and exacting workmanship!
Steven and I both thought that the Fine Arts Museum was quite a gem and were surprised that we saw only about 15 people in the entire museum. Sad so many tourists and locals are missing out on such a fine museum. I stopped in at the Gift Shop for a few minutes and was curious to see the clerk was watching an episode of Desperate Housewives on her computer!
Directly across the street from the Fine Arts Museum is the Temple of Literature where we stopped next. It was built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius. In 1076, it was combined with 'The School of the Elite of the Nation,' Vietnam's largest university.
Photos of the Temple of Literature:
Entering the grounds was our first inkling that graduation ceremonies had been and were taking place there! Graduation festivities looks the same the world over!
After we walked through the temple gate, then 2 of the 5 walled courtyards and the Great Wall Gate,we saw a large central pool known as 'The Well of Heavenly Clarity' above.
The Doctors' Stelae: A record of names and native places of graduates.
We walked inside the University for a few minutes where we could hear more graduation ceremonies taking place behind closed doors.
Notice the cranes standing on the tortoises' feet. In Buddhism, both animals are sacred and indicate the link between heaven (for the crane) and earth (for the tortoise).
The Thai Hoc Courtyard above was only built in 2000 on the 'grounds of the National University to honor the national tradition of Vietnamese culture.'
I was bound and determined to get a photo of the Israeli Embassy which was kitty corner to the Temple of Literature! Steven 'joked' that we might get a knock on the door of our hotel room that night after I took the photo.
Not far away from the Temple was the infamous Hoa Lo Prison dubbed the 'Hanoi Hilton' by American prisoners of war.
The location of the prison which was constructed by French colonists in 1896, was formerly a village famous for its earthenware items such as kettles, teapots, etc and was therefore known as Hoa Lo, i.e. the Village of Portable Stoves. The French displaced the inhabitants of the village to build the prison.
Interior entrance to the prison which like almost all government buildings in Hanoi was the same golden orange color.
Cell D, above and below, where the French kept male prisoners and the walls were painted with black tar,
There were a few holes in the roof for ventilation and holes in the corners of the floor for toilets. This cell was built for 40 prisoners but housed as many as 100.
Cell E, above and below, 'witnessed the Draconian policies of the French versus male prisoners attempting to kill their will to fight. From 1940-45, political training courses were held by the Communists in the Cell who helped each other to improve their knowledge and understanding of political theory.'
According to the Vietnamese sign, 'cruel persecution and hard life in the colonial prison killed thousands of Vietnamese patriots and revolutionaries.'
The Dungeon was used to confine prisoners who broke the laws of the prison.
Prisoners used nuts from the Almond Tree in the courtyard above to improve their health. The branches, leaves and bark were used to help treating dysentery and to make pen holders, pipes and flutes.
Over 100 political prisoners escaped from this Underground Sewer from 3/11/45 to 3/16/45; they later became political leaders.
Photos of demonstrations around the world protesting American involvement in Vietnam.
Death Row Cells.
The above was described as 'Ltn. Commander John McCain's flying suit when he was shot down in Hanoi on 10/26/67. However, McCain has said that's not the case at all as his suit was cut off him when he was extracted from the plane!
Above and below photos of American prisoners at Hoa Lo - quite a whitewash, don't you think, of how US prisoners were really treated at Hoa Lo prison?
Photo of John McCain being treated for his injuries.
The American prisoners left the 'Hanoi Hilton' for a final time on 2/12/73.
Now a US Senator, John McCain visited Hoa Lo prison in April, 2000. I wonder how hard it was for him him to return to where he had been a prisoner of war.
Before and after photos of former American prisoner of war
and first ambassador to Vietnam,
Douglas Peterson.
Decided it was time to call it a day and head on home or, at least our Hanoi home after visiting the prison.
Children playing badminton in front of St Joseph’s
Cathedral which was consecrated on Christmas night in 1866.
Great seeing kids having so much fun even if it was playing with sticks and stones on the sidewalk.
Posted on 10/29 from Hanoi, Vietnam.
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