Friday, July 6, 2012

Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi

 

Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi
Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi

Location and History of Ba Dinh Square


The square adjacent to the Ho Chi Minh complex is called Ba Dinh square, where many important national historical events in modern history took place. The square was originally developed by French colony and known as Round Point Pugininer. On September 2nd, 1945 – now Vietnam National Day- Ho Chi Minh has read the Vietnam Independence Declaration. In the Declaration, he quoted French and the United States’s Independence Declaration that “All men are created equal and that everyone has the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness”.

Representatives from all social sectors, including workers, youth, educators, soldiers, cheered over the country’s unity and independence is that historical moments. About 24 years later, the square also hosted the funeral of Ho Chi Minh. It was the same crowd who mourned and cried in the rain to send off their revere leader. It was then decided by in-power Vietnamese government that Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum be built on the square so that the national hero can be forever remembered.

Events & Activities in Ba Dinh Square


Nowadays, Ba Dinh square is one of the few green and unoccupied areas of urban Hanoi. Many important events such as parades and commemoration of veterans take place at the square. Interestingly, despite its solemnity during the day, during the night time, the square is a popular gathering place for the local: families who want a walk, elderly who want to exercise and friends who want to hang out. A visit to Ba Dinh Square can be combined as a day or half-day trip to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum and One-pillar Pagoda.
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Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The National Museum of Vietnamese History

National Museum of Vietnamese History
National Museum of Vietnamese History
The National Museum of Vietnamese History (Vietnamese: Viện Bảo tàng Lịch sử Việt Nam) is located in the Hoan Kiem district of Hanoi, Vietnam.

Vietnam History Museum in Hanoi

National Museum of Vietnamese History building The museum used to be the museum of the Research Institute for Far-East history under French colonial rule (École française d'Extrême-Orient). 
National Museum of Vietnam History
Today, it is a museum showcasing Vietnam's history with a very large display of every period. It is housed in a colonial French building. The building, designed by the architect Ernest Hébrard is considered as a successful blend between the colonial French architecture and traditional Vietnamese architecture.
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Monday, July 2, 2012

Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi

Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi
Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi
Quan Su Pagoda (or the Ambassadors' Pagoda) is at 73 Quan Su Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Characteristic: Formerly, it was a small Buddhist Pagoda, which had been constructed during the Le Dynasty in the 15th century to receive foreign envoys and ambassadors.

Quan Su Pagoda

Quan Su Pagoda was built on the land of An Tap Village, Tho Xuong District, on the southern gate of Thang Long Capital (Quan Su Street, Hanoi nowadays).
Quan Su Pagoda
In 1934, the pagoda was the headquarter of the Northern Buddhist Association.

Since 1942, the pagoda has been restored and expanded many times with a larger and better architectural structure.

Since 1958, this place has acted as the head office of the Vietnam Buddhist Association.
The pagoda opens daily from 7.30 to 11.30am and 1.30 to 5.30pm. 
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Hanoi Opera House

Hanoi Opera House
Hanoi Opera House
The Hanoi Opera House is situated on Le Thanh Tong St., Hanoi; near the Red River and several hundreds meters east of Hoan Kiem Lake.
Characteristics: It is an old theatre with French architecture and typical Gothic and Mosaic characters reflected on the door domes and the glassed room respectively.

Opera Housein Hanoi

For a long time, the Hanoi Opera House has been a rendezvous for those who love theatrical performance and traditional songs and music, symphonies, opera and classical opera. It is also a tourist attraction for local and foreign visitors.

The Hanoi Opera House is renowned for its unique architecture and good composition. It is furnished rationally and harmoniously. Since its establishment, the Hanoi Opera House is the largest theatre in Vietnam. Its construction started in 1901 and completed in 1911. Previously the site was a big pond, adjacent to the city gate of Tay Long (also called Tay Luong) of the ancient Thang Long Capital. The construction met with many difficulties, because the foundations of the theatre were built on the pond. Before building a concrete foundation, nearly one metre thick, the pond was emptied and dredged, then 30,000 hard bamboo stakes were placed on its bed.
Hanoi Opera House HN

The Hanoi Opera House is of the same architectural style as the Opera House in France. Some foreign architects said that due to being built nearly 300 years after the Paris Opera House, the Hanoi Opera House avoids superfluous architectural details, which make it more magnificent and attractive.

After nearly 100 years of operation, the theatre's equipment and adornments became old and run down. In 1997, the theatre was repaired and modernized under the management of two Vietnamese French architects, Ho Thieu Tri and Hoang Phuc Sinh. The original architecture of the 3-storey theatre has remained. The decorative designs on the ceiling, arches, walls, and doors were renewed. The 3-metre-high stage and the audience's hall, with 600 seats, were also modernized in conformity with international standards. The theatre has been equipped with state-of-art facilities and appliances, compatible for all types of artistic performances, from folk music and songs, ballets and piano to classical opera, reformed opera, Vietnamese operetta and drama, all made great impressions on the audience. The Hanoi Opera House has also successfully organised many large-scale international concerts.

The Hanoi Opera House is a worthy artistic centre and a cultural and architectural relic of the capital Hanoi. 
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Hanoi Zoological Garden

Hanoi Zoological Garden
Hanoi Zoological Garden
Hanoi Zoological Garden is on Cau Giay and Buoi streets, Hanoi; it is located on the west side of Hanoi center-city. Characteristics: Hanoi Zoological Garden is the place where hundreds of animals are exhibited.

Zoological Garden in Hanoi

Hanoi Zoological Garden opened its doors in May 1977. It covers a total area of 29ha, in which water is 6ha. There is also Bo Mountain, Voi Phuc Temple here. Voi Phuc Temple, meaning "prostrated elephant," was built during the Ly Dynasty to worship the Linh Lang deity.
Hanoi Zoological Garden 1
Besides, Hanoi Zoological Garden has thousand of trees and flowers. It also features entertaining games such as driving carts, ball games, and electronic games; there is a bookshop and an outdoor stage for dancing. 
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Friendship Cultural Palace in Hanoi

Friendship Cultural Palace in Hanoi
Friendship Cultural Palace in Hanoi
Friendship Cultural Palace is on Tran Hung Dao St., Hanoi. Characteristics: The construction of the palace started on November 5, 1978 and completed on September 1, 1985.

Friendship Cultural Palace in Hanoi Capital

The Friendship Cultural Palace, also called Huu Nghi Cultural Palace, was a present from the USSR Central Trade Union Council to the Vietnam Trade Union.

The Friendship Cultural Palace covers 3.2ha, and has three major buildings: a performance house, a study house, and a science and technology house comprising 120 rooms. The Friendship Cultural Palace is the biggest cultural center in the capital of Hanoi.
Friendship Cultural Palace in Hanoi 1
The front building is the performance house, equipped with a rotary stage, and two halls (the big hall has a seating capacity of 1256, the small one 375). Behind this block is the study house with a library and rooms for clubs to hold workshops and conferences. The science and technology house connects the two buildings together. The Friendship Cultural Palace is where cultural activities, art performances, fashion shows, beauty contests, conferences, workshops, exhibitions, and sports events are usually held. 
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Hoan Kiem Lake in Ha Noi

Hoan Kiem Lake in Ha Noi
Hoan Kiem Lake in Ha Noi
Hoan Kiem Lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Hoàn Kiếm, meaning "Lake of the Returned Sword" or "Lake of the Restored Sword", also known as Hồ Gươm - Sword Lake) is a lake in the historical center of Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.

Hoan Kiem Lake in Ha Noi Capital

The lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as a focal point for its public life. Tortoise Tower (Thap Rua) in the center of the lake According to the legend, emperor Le Loi handed a magic sword called Heaven's Will which brought him victory in his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty back to the Golden Turtle God (Kim Qui) in the lake and hence gave it its present name (the lake was formerly known as "Luc Thuy" meaning "Green Water"). The Tortoise Tower (Thap Rua) standing on a small island near the center of lake is linked to the legend.
Hoan Kiem Lake Hanoi
Large soft-shell turtles, either of the species Rafetus swinhoei or a separate species named Rafetus leloii in honor of the emperor, have been sighted in the lake. The species is critically endangered and the number of individuals in the lake is unclear.

The Huc Bridge Near the northern shore of the lake lies Jade Island on which the Ngoc Son Temple (Jade Mountain Temple) stands. The temple was erected in the 18th century. It honors the 13-century military leader Tran Hung Dao who distinguished himself in the fight against the Yuan Dynasty, Van Xuong, a scholar, and Nguyen Van Sieu, a Confucian master and famous writer in charge of repairs made to the temple in 1864. Jade Island is connected to the shore by the wooden red-painted Huc Bridge (The Huc, meaning Morning Sunlight Bridge).
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Cu Chi Tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City

Cu Chi Tunnels
Cu Chi Tunnels
Construction of the first tunnels actually started under the French rule and spanned 25 years. The network is extensive, over 200 km of galleries in Cu Chi district alone.

Cu Chi Tunnels in Ho Chi Minh City

Other branches reach as far away as the Cambodian border. The network, built several stories deep, included living quarters, specially designed Dien Bien Phu kitchens' which diffused the smoke so as to be invisible from the skies, a weapons factory, command centers and even field hospitals.
Cu Chi Tunnels 1
Ironically, ignorant of the existence of the tunnels, US military installed a large base camp right on top of the network. It too them months to figure out why, at night, soldiers were being shot right in their tents. The Americans and Australian tried a variety of methods to pacify the area around Cu Chi, at that time known as the Iron Triangle. But neither bombs, napalm, defoliant, hunting dogs, nor tunnel rats were successful in driving Viet Cong guerrillas away. In 1969 the Americans decided to carpet bomb the whole area with B-52s, turning the area into what has been described as 'the most bombed, shelled, gassed, defoliated and devastated area in the history of warfare'. Although they managed this time to destroy most of the tunnel network, along with everything else around, it was too late: the war was ending and the tunnel had been an important component of the Viet Cong victory.
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