Jan's Blog: Memories of Ha Noi

After our Cambodia/Viet Nam tour had finished, Pat and I had a few days in Ha Noi. After the hectic pace of the tour, it was good to have this time to explore the city at our own pace. Here are some random shots from this exploration:

Walking along the footpath was always a challenge.

Churchgoers parking beside the Ham Long Catholic Church, waiting to go in.

Some students who interviewed us near the Hoan Kiem Lake for an English assignment.

Huc Bridge to the Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake.

Little girl seriously posing to have her portrait sketched.

One of the many brides being photographed beside Hoan Kiem Lake, this time in western wedding dress.

Watching the bride.

For her backdrop, this bride has chosen Thap Rua (Turtle Tower), often used as an emblem of Hanoi.

Opposite our hotel.

The French influence could be seen in the pastry shops.

The Ha Noi Opera House basks in the afternoon sun.

The Opera House was erected by the French colonial administration between 1901 and 1911. It was modelled on the Palais Garnier, the older of Paris’ two opera houses, and is considered to be one of the architectural landmarks of Hanoi.

While we were there, Viet Nam was preparing to celebrate 57 years of independence on 2nd September.

Typical Vietnamese “tube houses” seen from our hotel window.

Bach Ma Temple, Old Quarter, Ha Noi. This small temple is said to be the oldest in the city, although much of the current structure dates from the 18th century.

Bach Ma Temple was originally built by Emperor Ly Thai To in the 11th century to honour a white horse that guided him to this site, where he chose to construct his city walls.

Inside Bach Ma Temple.

Ha Noi is very cosmopolitan. The first thing you will notice inside Finnegan’s Irish Pub is a motorbike. People here are very protective of their motorbikes. I even saw one inside a dress shop, next to a bridal gown.

The Hanoi Legacy Hotel, in the Old Quarter, was a surprise. As we walked past, the manager invited us in for a look, as they do.

We went in, under the chandelier in front of the ornate front door. (You can see our reflection in the glass doors.)

The marble carvings in the lobby were quite spectacular. But the biggest surprise was that it had only been open for 17 days. (We think Judy would like this hotel.)

Dinh Kim Ngan: Restoration of the jewellers’ communal house

The communal house of Kim Ngan was built to honour of the legendary founder of the silver trade, Hien Vien. Originally, this was where the silver was melted and cast in moulds and where currency exchange was conducted. From the end of the 19th century through to the 20th century, the house became a meeting and training centre for silversmiths in the street.

For several decades, twenty families had occupied the building that was in an advanced state of decay. Only the place of worship and a meeting room still remained open to the public. In 2004, the City of Ha Noi made the decision to restore this historic building with support from the City of Toulouse and to re-house the families. The restoration was achieved at the beginning of 2011.

Thus, the dinh retains its ever vibrant function as a place of worship and is also a meeting place for the inhabitants of the street. It also hosts cultural activities intended to promote and showcase the best of the work of the craftsmen, while also handing down their skills.

In the temple area of the Kim Ngan communal house.

While we were there, there was a hat display on.

Young girl telling us about hats.

Children at the Kim Ngan communal house.

The “Boking office”.

Keeping the fish fresh.

Balloons flying over the Huc Bridge to the Ngoc Son Temple on Hoan Kiem Lake.

As well as negotiating cooking fires on the footpath, sometimes you had to make your way around piles of burning rubbish.

Pat checking out Au Lac, a beautiful colonial French restaurant where we had lunch one day. Actually, the duck we had was quite fatty and tough, but the restaurant was beautiful:

Ha Noi Ceramic Mosaic Mural is a ceramic mosaic mural on the wall of the dyke system of Ha Noi. With a length of about 4km, the Ceramic Road is one of the major projects that were developed on the occasion of the Millennial Anniversary of Ha Noi in October 2010.

The mosaic wall is made from ceramic tesserae from Bat Trang, a village famous for its Bat Trang porcelain.

The content of the mosaic represents the decorative patterns from different periods in the history of Viet Nam. Also incorporated on the wall are modern art works, paintings of Ha Noi and children's drawings.

It was created from 2007 to 2010, involving 20 Vietnamese and 15 foreign artists and 500 children from across the country and around the world plus 100 craftsmen from traditional ceramic villages.