The capital of the north of Vietnam is the bustling, fast paced city of Ha Noi. Day or night, the city is bursting at the seams with life; Mopeds and cars flood the streets with no discernible designated sides, and crossing is like playing a game of Frogger, where it is not so much about timing as it is about skill and practice. The old quarter is filled with shops and vendors and restaurants with smiling staff waving you into their business. Most people in the area know enough English to get by in business and short chats. A short cab ride in any direction can bring you to a museum that is trying to tell the story of Vietnam. If you are interested in the Archaeological history, the social history, or the current community, there is a place for you to learn about their rich culture.
Hanoi Citadel
(front of the Citadel)
The Citadel is one of the oldest structures in Hanoi. The site itself has been used for many purposes, including a bunker that was created under it much more recently. This form of new use contrasts with the archaeological site that you pass when entering the citadel, covered with a glass case to protect it from the elements, the site shows the old road into the citadel, and the layers of construction that was built over it. Pieces of the citadel, such as the dragon banisters that appear to be climbing down the stairs in the front of the temple, are older and well kept to preserve the memory of what it once was.
(Front stairs)
Archaeological site
Across the street from the CItadel is an ongoing archaeological project, where the ancient city is in the process of being recreated and recorded. When I was there, the archaeologists of the site were in the process of re-creating a lake and waterway that was originally there, in hopes to recreate the memory of the original city that has since been forgotten. Through their efforts, they have discovered wells layered with pottery that was unfortunate enough to be lost in the process of water gathering, but lucky enough to have survived hundreds of years because of it. Once at the end of the walkway around the site, keep an eye open for a large cover with an archaeological boat printed on it. The boat, which is covered for preservation, is in what used to be the old waterway.
(Archaeological dig site with walls and floor tiles)
Ethnology Museum
The ethnology museum, which has two large buildings for exhibit space, also displays full sized traditional houses from the minority ethnic groups around Vietnam. They are built, furnished, and maintained by representatives of the minority groups community, and are open to the public to explore, from thatched roofs to clay shingles.
Inside the museum is displays showing recreation of intangible heritage practices; craft making, dances, songs, etc. The setting creates a personal connection between you and the minority group; being in their style of house; walking the stilted, woven floors; even sitting at the table gives you a feeling of being a part of their life.
(House of an ethnic minority group)
(Inside the house)
Hanoi Prison Museum
(A display of how prisinors would be kept)
The Hanoi Prison, or the “Hanoi Hilton” as it was referred to by Americans who were prisoners of war there, offers the stories of the many sides of the last two significant revolutions (known as the French and American wars) and the role that the prison played. The prison displays several artifacts from its past, which may be hard for some visitors and bring up unwanted memories. Displays include various objects from a guillotine from the French war, to the flight suit of the U.S. 2008 presidential candidate, John McCain, who was a POW in the prison.
(Flight suit of John McCain)
Hanoi Women's Museum
(Wedding outfits of a minority ethnic group)
The Hanoi Women’s Museum does a good job of celebrating women’s achievements in society. The exhibitions display the accomplishments of the culturally significant women, with an exhibition on the women who were heroines during the American war in Vietnam, to depictions of daily life as a woman in agriculture, farming, and fishing. The ‘Family Life’ exhibition provides a lot of information into the cultural aspects of living in mainstream vietnamese culture and the ethnic minority groups. The 'Mother godess' exhibit was very interesting to me, as it had quotes from a lot of community members displayed in various ways talking about what the mother godess exhibit ment to them and memories they have had from past Mother Godess festivals.
(Mother Godess Shrine set up in the exhibit)
Kiki Lathrop
(abridged from a longer list)
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