25th August, 2102.
This is the Asia dreamed of from afar. Steeped in history, pulsating with life, bubbling with commerce, buzzing with motor bikes and rich in exotic scents, the Old Quarter is Hanoi’s historic heart. Modern yet Medieval, the streets are narrow and congested, and crossing the road is an art form. (Lonely Planet).
It had been quite a morning. We had already been to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex (with all that entailed), the Museum of Ethnology and the Temple of Literature, each of which really deserved half a day or even a day each to adequately appreciate.
It was also fearsomely hot. I was physically, mentally and culturally overloaded by the time our bus spilt us out into the Old Quarter of Hanoi and Rex set us off at a brisk pace through the narrow streets. Trying to take pictures without being left behind, getting lost, tripping over some obstacle or being run over, I trotted along in some kind of a daze, feeling that I wasn’t really there.
At the beginning of the 20th century the city consisted of only about 36 streets, most of which are now part of the old quarter. Each street then had merchants and households specialized in a particular trade, such as silk traders, jewellery, etc. The street names nowadays still reflect these specializations, although few of them remain exclusively in their original commerce. The area is famous for its small artisans and merchants, including many silk shops. Local cuisine specialties as well as several clubs and bars can be found here also.
Much of the abovementioned local cuisine happens on the narrow footpaths – cooking, eating and washing up.
Looking for a face lift?
Finally, after a long hard morning’s sightseeing, we got to have lunch. Rex suggested the City View Cafe, on the top floor of this building.
Views from the City View Cafe:
From the City View Cafe, we could also look down onto the Ngoc Son Temple in the Hoan Kiem Lake, linked to the shore by the red The Huc Bridge.
Looking down to the other end of the Hoan Kiem Lake we could see the Turtle Tower.
Turtle Tower has become an important symbol of peace and patriotism to the people of Hanoi. The revolutionary flag was often hoisted here during the era of resistance to French rule.
After lunch, we went to see a Water Puppet show in the Old Quarter.
Water puppetry is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century when it originated in the villages of northern Viet Nam.
The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them. When the rice fields would flood, the villagers would entertain each other using this form of puppet play.
This art form is unique to North Viet Nam and only found its way to the world stage in recent years as a result of normalized relations with the West.
A traditional Vietnamese orchestra provides background music accompaniment. The instrumentation includes vocals, drums, wooden bells, cymbals, horns, gongs and bamboo flutes.
Singers of cheo (a form of opera originating in north Vietnam) sing songs which tell the story being acted out by the puppets.
The theme of the skits is rural and has a strong reference to Vietnamese folklore. It tells of day-to-day living in rural Viet Nam and Vietnamese folk tales that are told by grandparents to their grandchildren. Stories of the harvest, of fishing and of festivals are highlighted.
Legends and national history are also told through short skits. Many of the skits, especially those involving the tales of day-to-day living, often have a humorous twist.
The show was most enjoyable, but the theatre seemed to have been built for the locals – even short-legged people like me found very little leg room.
Water puppets for sale.
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