Hanoi Ceramic Road

Length from An Duong gate to Van Kiep gate, the total path length of the ceramic is 6018 meters along the Red River with a total area of approximately 6500 square meters with many interesting topics.

Hanoi Ceramic Road

Ceramic Road was recognized as the longest pottery mural in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records last September, 2010 as a special way to celebrate the city’s 1000th anniversary

The road has ceramic pottery patterns as murals that were popular during the Dong Son, Ly Dynasty, Tran Dynasty, Le Dynasty and Nguyen Dynasty eras. The mural is also decorated with traditional architectural designs of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic groups, paintings of Hanoi, of children and of local and international artists.

Images of some Hanoi icons like the One Pillar Pagoda, The Huc Bridge, Khue Van Cac Pavilion in the Temple of Literature are also part of the road project work.

The whole thing was completed on September 25, and on October 5, 2010, a representative of the Guinness Book of Records inspected Ceramic Road and acknowledged it as the longest mural in the world.
This is typical creation also the gate into Vietnam’s fascinating history, and an unbelievable artwork, Ceramic Road is set to become one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist attractions.

Hoa Lo Prison

Relic Hoa Lo Prison in the heart of Hanoi. French colonialists built the prison in 1896 to detain fighting French colonialism, which is called the Maison Centrale, but because the prison was built on the land of Phu Khanh village,Hanoi. This village which is specialized in the production of pottery, kilns burning day and night, so the village was called Hoa Lo prison here and also known as Prison Fire Fireplace.

The prisons are often isolated from other residential areas, particularly in central Hoa Lo Hanoi - the capital of the then colonial government. Besides jail felony and is building a secret base, forming the tripod legs, ready to suppress the revolutionary movement of our people. Hoa Lo is permanent buildings in most of Indochina, the ants also difficult to pass well.

Prison is surrounded by stone walls, reinforced 4m high, 0.5 m thick, reinforced by barbed wire systems have high voltage lines running across the four corners of the tower is likely the most observed election most all of the prisons. Particularly iron gate system, was brought from France to lock.
The cell, dark, cramped cell, lack of air and the infamous jailers, senior govern ready Con Dao prison repression, even killing prisoners.

Hoa Lo Prison

Hoa Lo Prison is indeed hell. Since unfinished, May 1,1899 to Hoa Lo Prison was detained persons undertaking. According to the original design, just enough Hoa Lo prison 500 inmates, but it has been extended several times to have more space detained prisoners. The years 1950 - 1953, Hoa Lo prison of 2,000 inmates. Currently, Hoa Lo relics preserved the guillotine has been working for the French, May 1,1930 carried out up to the 13 Yen Bai Vietnam soldiers captured Nationalist uprising Yen Bai (headed by Nguyen Thai Hoc).

Many generations of Vietnam has imprisoned at Hoa Lo Prison, which is the patriotic scholars such as Phan Boi Chau, Luong Van Can, Duong Ba Trac. to Mr. Nguyen Van Cu, Truong Chinh, Le Duan, Nguyen Van Linh, Do Muoi ... the outstanding people of our nation, which later became General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, with many soldiers and officers from other networks. Although the enemy was beaten, shackled in the dungeon cell, even to sacrifice their lives, but the soldiers will still keep fighting. Hoa Lo Prison became school revolution, the ideological training environment, will the revolutionary struggle. Even in the Hoa Lo Prison, the training focus is political opening, the Red Prison newspaper, magazine Prison ... born enemies to respect that. In 1930, the cost of the first Communist Party was founded by Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet secretary has taken a leadership role, many organizations struggle, victory.

After the complete liberation of the capital (10.10.1954), Hoa Lo prison under the control of the revolutionary government. Since 1964 - 1973, Hoa Lo Prison was used to detain American pilots shot down during the war of destruction of North American imperialism, including P.Peterson - later the first U.S. ambassador in Vietnam.

1993, on the grounds of the Tower of Hanoi, Hoa Lo - a commercial center is built, the rest become historic revolution especially in the capital, which is evidence of the crimes of the French. It also kept many documents and records of the mirror indomitable fighting heroically sacrifices of many generations of communist soldiers arrested imprisonment. Hoa Lo relic is still pretty much intact with precious materials, scientific display, is fascinating attractions, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists to Hanoi every occasion.

Cốm Vòng (Pounded Young Glutinous Rice)

In Việt Nam when you pass by rice-fields in autumn where the first glutinous paddy grains bend the fresh stem, you will surely smell the fragrance of the young rice ears. Inside the green cover of each rice grain, there is a drop of fragrant white milk. In the sunlight the drop of milk gradually condenses; the rice stem becomes more and more curved due to the greater and greater weight of this precious substance given by nature, as writer Thạch Lam describes.

Many places know how to reap this paddy and process it into cốm, but most famous cốm is that but most famous cốm is that made in Vòng village.

Vòng village is in Từ Liêm district, a few kilometers northwest of the heart of Ha Noi. It comprises four hamlets namely Vòng Tiền, Vòng Hậu, Vòng Sở and Vòng Trung. Yet only Vòng Hậu and Vòng Sở hamlets are famous with their delicious com.

Cốm Vòng (Pounded Young Glutinous Rice)

When rice is harvested, it is unadvisable to crush or tread on it. The seed should be plucked from the rice ears. The secret of Com Vong is how to dry the paddy with the frying pan.

Skills and years of experience have led the women of Vòng village to produce high quality cốm using firewood to keep the fire smoldering.

After being fried, the rice grains must not be allowed to cool down. Pounding must also be done carefully, regularly and too heavily. While the pounding is being carried out, cốm must always be turned upside down. After that the cốm flakes are sieved and starched. Finally, they are spread very thinly on lotus leaves.
“Com is not a dish for those who are in a hurry. While eating cốm, people should take it slowly, little and have the time to ponder. Only by doing so, can we enjoy the fragrance of new rice, of wild flowers and grass. One will find, in the green color, the freshness of young leaves, and in the sweetness, the softness and purity of vegetation. Besides, each com flake has the scent of old lotus leaves that seem to keep the warmth of summer days on the lake” (Thạch Lam).

Com can be taken with bananas and preferably with red ripe persimmons. In the past, in the corn season, the future son-in-law usually presents com and persimmons to his parents-in-law.

For over half a century now, the cốm cake has been used as wedding cake. It is square, covered with green banana leaves and bound by red bamboo tape.

The cake itself has the green color of young leaves. In spite of being fried with sugar and fat, the com flakes still keep the fragrance of glutinous rice. The fillings comprise well-kneaded ground green beans and some strands of copra.

Bun Cha (Grilled Chopped Meat And Rice Vermicelli)

Thạch Lam wrote poetry-like prose to describe the attractiveness of baskets of bun cha in Ha Noi streets in the 1930’s: “When you are hungry and sitting down-wind, you smell the aromatic smoke of grilled chopped meat, you’ll be very much likely to become a poet.

Blue smoke spirals up like a misty veil on the mountain side; fat sizzles on burning coal and the bamboo fan gives the sounds like those coming from the moving branches of a tree.

The meat for making chả is of two types: for chả băm (grilled chopped meat), people use lean shoulder of pork and for chả miếng (grilled meat piece), they use belly pork. The meat is pressed between two bamboo slats, and then grilled on a small box of burning charcoal. The huckster slightly fans the flame with a small bamboo fan, just enough for the meat to be done to a turn without being burned and losing its flavor.

Bun Cha Hanoi

Bun in this dish is different from other kinds and it should be thin strands made into small rolls. The vermicelli is placed on a small tray covered with green banana leaves, in a corner of which there is some cabbage, lettuce, coriander, perilla ocymoides, cockscand mint, and particularly basil grown in Láng village. The sauce must be well-prepared with fish sauce, sugar, lemon, garlic, chili and pepper in such a manner that is neither too salty nor too sour.

Bun Cha Hanoi

The preparation of the sauce to be served with bun cha is in fact a culinary art. In the past, this specialty in Hà Nội was sold by hucksters in the streets or markets. Now it is sold everywhere, at many stalls. People no longer use bamboo slats but steel-grids and the vermicelli is not the same as in the past. Bún chả has partially lost part of its past charm.

Hà Nội's Specialties

Well-known Vietnamese writers of the 20th cen-tury such as Thạch Lam, Nguyễn Tuân and Vũ Bằng have written many articles praising Hà Nội specialties. “Hanoians take food daily but never pay atten-tion to it. 

However, if they go to other provinces for some time or even to Hải Phòng, Nam Định, they will realize how delicious Ha Noi foods is” (Thạch Lam). “Even the most delicious specialties are all available in Ha Noi Old Quarter” (Vũ Bằng).

In this booklet, we wish to review the most popular foods of Hanoians.

Phở (Noodle Soup)

In Paris, Geneva, Montreal, Sydney, and throughout the world wherever there is a Vietnamese community, there is phở. But only in Hà Nội can you fully taste its peculiar flavor. We don’t know when phở came into being but early in the 20th century the well-known phở restaurants in Hà Nội already appeared. The noodles, made from rice flour, are cut into thin and narrow strands. Before serving eaters, the seller would parboil them to make the noodles resistant but not breakable. At the request of clients, meat can be prepared separately or together with the noodles. 

Noodle Soup

Tái means thinly sliced fillets of beef, mixed with ground ginger, dipped into the boiling soup for a moment and served immediately. The fatty meat from the chest of the cow called gầu is favoured by young men. Nam means sinewy beef. Pho Ha Noi must be served with all the necessary spices: pepper, lemon, chili, onion, coriander. 

When having phở, we can feel the hotness of pepper and chili; taste the particular flavor of the other ingredients and that of tender fresh beef. All these spices are mixed and produce and particular taste of the delicious hot soup flavored with stewed beef bones, ginger and roasted onions.

That is phở served with stock. As for fried phở, the noodles must be fried until they turn yellow, mixed with fried beef and then served on a plate along with onions, spring onions, coriander, etc. Phở sốt vang is a kind of stew in which the beef, marinated in liquor, is stewed with ingredients such as anise, cinnamon, Tasaki, etc.

Noodle Soup

Beef noodle soup is traditional phở. In the early 1940’s in Hà Nội, chicken phở began to appear. In a number of phở stalls, beef was substituted with chicken. At first chicken phở was not popular. However, this food has gradually attracted the people with its peculiar taste. Some slices of lean chicken with yellowish skin are mixed with thin strands of fragrant lemon leaves, some green spring onion, coriander and red chili. “All the above ingredients are dipped into a very clear soup, giving the dish of phở a special flavor, as sweet as a Virgo, if beef phở is to be compared with a young man full of strength and spirit” (Vũ Bằng).

In Hà Nội, almost all quarters have phở restaurants but gourmets usually select a regular one for themselves. However, well-known stalls last for dozens of years only. Today in Nam Ngư Street (linking Lê Duẩn avenue to Phan Bội Châu Street), there are many phở stalls with different kinds of phở. And in Bat Dan Street, there is a “traditional Pho' stall which is favored by lots of gourmets.

Chi Lăng Park

Bordered by three roads, Trần Phú, Hoàng Diệu and Điện Biên Phủ, this nice park is named after the Chi Lăng victory over the Ming invaders on 10th October 1427. At Chi Lăng, now in Lạng Sơn province, the Vietnamese army defeated the reserve troops commanded by Liễu Thăng, leading to the liberation of Đông Đô (Hà Nội) two months later.

Chi Lang Park

Chi Lăng Park was originally a lake inside the Ha Noi Citadel (Trần Phú Road was the Citadel’s southern wall). This hike was where soldiers bathed and was called Elephant Lake. Under French domination, the Ha Noi Citadel was destroyed (1894-1897), and Hà Nội was subjected to re-planning. The lake was filled and this park was built. In the comer of the park on Hoàng Diệu Road there was a group of statues.

On the pedestal, two French soldiers were depicted, one pointing his rifle at the flag tower, the other throwing a hand-grenade. At four sides of the pedestal were representatives of the four classes of local society: man-darins, peasants, craftsmen and traders. At the front side was a peasant carrying a plough. For this reason, the park was commonly called “Farming Park”.

In 1985, a 5.2m high statue of Lenin was set up here on a 2.7m granite pedestal.

Lenin Park

This park lies between four streets namely Trần Nhân Tông, Lê Duẩn, Đại Cồ Việt and Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, and occupies an area of more than fifty hectares.

Lenin Park

Before 1958, the Ha Noi People Committee decided to transform the dump into a recreational park. At the time, all Hanoians were mobilized to voluntarily work for this project which was completed in 1960. On 11th January 1960, President Ho Chi Minh planted a memorial banyan tree in the park.

Lenin Park

As the country was then not unified yet, the park was called Thống Nhất (Unification) to show the affection of the apital’s people for their southern compatriots.

In 1975 the country was reunified. On 19th April 1980, the Ha Noi People’s Committee renamed the park after Lenin in commemoration of his 110th birth anniversary.

The park has two big gates on Trần Nhân Tông and Lê Duẩn Streets and two smaller gates on Đại Cồ Việt and Nguyễn Đình Chiểu Streets. In the park, there are many trees and flowerbeds, a large lake, tree-covered islands, recreational areas for children and quiet places for the elderly. Early in the morning, people, who live around the park, come here to do their physical exercises and to enjoy fresh air.

Every year, a “Spring Flower Festival” is held here, attracting lots of people with a wide variety of flowers and ornamental plants.

Chí Linh Park (Or Indira Gandhi Park)

Surrounded by Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Lê Lai, Lê Thạch and Ngô Quyền Streets, this park was originally part of the compound of an ancient pagoda named Phổ Giác or Tàu in Hậu Lâu village. In 1883, the French colonialists moved this pagoda to the garden of the Institute of Royal Physicians and built the Mayor’s Office, Treasury, Post Office and a park in the former’s place.

In 1886 when Resident General Paul Bert died, the French named this garden after him. A year later, a statue of Paul Bert was set up here followed by a great inauguration ceremony. This statue was placed on a stone pedestal where the present round flower basin stands, looking out to Sword Lake. Behind the statue was an eight-sided house where the military orchestra played every Saturday evening. This statue was removed in 1945.

Lý Thái Tổ

After the August 1945 Revolution, the park was renamed Chí Linh. Chí Linh is a mountain area west of Thanh Hóa province which was the base of the uprising led by Lê Lợi in the 15th century. The park’s name is apparently associated with the Lake of the Restored Sword and the legend of King Lê Lợi returning his sword to the Turtle God.

On the lake’s west bank there is a temple and a statue dedicated to the King. Around the lake, apart from Lê Thái Tổ (Lê Lợi) Street, there are streets named after this King’s generals: Lê Thạch, Lê Lai, Nguyễn Xí and Trần Nguyên Hãn.

In order to strengthen the Indo-Việt Nam friend-ship, since 1984, the park has been named after the late Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.

Hà Nội’s Ancient Quarter And Old Streets (Part II)

The French occupied Hà Nội in 1883, and by 1886, a plan of the new Hà Nội was developed by the occupying government. At first, the area around Sword Lake was reconstructed. Today, the house at No. 3 Hàng Khay Street still bears the number of the year 1886. This reconstruction was followed by the destruction of the old citadel and the filling of the To Lich River and many ponds (Ỉ 894-1896).

Hà Nội’s Ancient Quarter And Old Streets

The ancient streets were “straightened” and the infrastructure was improved. Many of the old houses were reconstructed but their original architectural styles were kept. A number of new homes were built in Western architectural style, with two or three storeys, and European ornament.

As a result, the “Western” quarters emerged, one to the south of the Lake of the Restored Sword, one around the area where the old citadel had stood, and one in the Concession Area which was built earlier.
The Concession Area is a rectangle whose longer sides are Bạch Đằng Road, Lê Thánh Tông and Trần Thánh Tông Streets, and shorter sides are Tràng Tiền and Nguyễn Huy Tự Streets. The area was originally the naval base of the ancient Hà Nội province.

Hà Nội’s Ancient Quarter And Old Streets (Part II)

In August 1875, it was conceded to the French Army to be built into military barracks, villas and hospitals, which were considered “orthodox” architectural projects built in curved shape with black-stone roofs, and surrounded by peripheral corridors. The villa of the French Army’s Chief of Staff (now the Ministry of Defence’s Guest House) still bears the construction date “1874-1877”. The Lanessan Hospital (now the Vietnam Military Hospital 108 and the Việt Nam-Soviet Hospital) was built between 1892 and 1893.

The old citadel area consists of Phan Đình Phùng, Hùng Vương, Hoàng Diệu, Điện Biên Phủ,Lê Hồng Phong, Chu Văn An, and Trần Phú Streets. As the ground preparation work here was quickly done, the construction was also completed in a short time. This area is notable for its long and wide tree-lined boulevards with wide pavements. The imposing and majestic Palace of the Indochinese Governor General (now the Presidential Palace) was built from 1900 to 1902. It should be noted that the houses there have a slope roof and colorful and detailed ornaments at the doors and roof. They were originally owned by the residents from the northern part of France.

The architecture of this area resembles that of Northern France.

The area to the south of Restored Sword Lake is a rectangle bordered by Tràng Thi - Tràng Tiền, and Trần Hưng Đạo Streets (longer sides), Phan Bội Châu and Phan Chu Trinh Streets (shorter side). This area was built at the same time as the old citadel quarter, but it was completed later because many surrounding villages had to be dis-located for the project. The Great Opera House, which stands on the edge of this area, was constructed in 1902-1911. Tràng Tiền Street was mainly inhabited by French businessmen and some Chinese.

A number of large offices such as the Yunnan Railways Company (now the office of the Confederation of Trade Unions) situated at the intersection of Trần Hưng Đạo and Quán Sứ Streets were built in 1902; the National University in Lê Thánh Tông Street in 1904; and the Palace of the French Resident Superior (now the Government Guest House at the end of Ngô Quyền Street) in 1919.

In this quarter, the majority of buildings are villas with flat roofs and many doors, which are typical of the architecture of South France.

In the three above quarters, in the 1920’s and 1930’s there appeared constructions whose architec-tural style had both Western and Oriental features. Some have high aesthetic value like the Finot Museum (now the Museum of History) built in 1929- 1932, the Finance Service (now Ministry of Foreign Affaừs) in 1929-1931, Pasteur Institute in 1930, the great hall of Hanoi National University fin Lê Thánh Tons Street; in 1928, etc. The three above areas make up the old street quarter and a treasure of Hà Nội.

Hà Nội Children’s Cultural Palace

It is located where, under French rule, there were two establishments: to the north was a kindergarten where festivals for adults such as beauty contests and periodical markets, etc. were often held; and to the south was the French club.

After the Vietnamese Government took over the capital, the two buildings were turned into the Young Pioneers’ Club, where children could enjoy entertainments. In 1973, with assistance from Czechoslovakia, the old club was tom down to give place to the Children’s Palace.

The palace, which was inaugurated on 19th February 1977, is located on Lý Thái Tổ Street and covers over 10,000 m2. At the center is one six- storey building. It has got an area of 1,875 m2 for use and nearly 100 rooms for studying and other activities. Each room has got modern equipment for specific purposes: machines and models for scientific and technical research; soundproof rooms and musical instruments for music performances; a dancing room of 100 m2.

Hà Nội Children’s Cultural Palace

The Technical Department of the Palace is well-equipped for drawing, sculpture, paper cutting, serigraphy, metal forging, housewifery, lace-weaving, embroidery, knitting, photography, etc. The Sports and Gymnastic Department has such games as table tennis, badminton, chess, national martial arts, karate, gun shooting, parachuting, etc. There is also a library with 60,000 books and a cinema of astronomical films.

On the left of the central building, there is a building called Khăn Quàng Đỏ (Red Scarf) Cinema. The cinema covers an area of 1,500m2 and has 520 seats. On the left of the building is another building with the “traditional house” of the Young Pioneers’ Union and other administrative department. In particular, one room of this building witnessed President Ho Chi Minh signing the Preliminary Agreement on 6th March 1946 with the French Agreement on 6th March 1946 with the French Government. The entire palace can seat 5,000 children at a time. This is a place to foster child talents in science and arts for the Capital.

Hà Nội Friendship Cultural Palace

It is situated on Trần Hưng Đạo Street, overlooking the May 1 Square, on the site that was originally the ground of the Trade Fair Center for Indochinese natural resources and products. This two-storey, 100mx25m building was constructed by the French Administration in 1902. In 1943, it was destroyed by us bombers attacking Japanese troops.

After taking over Hà Nội in 1954, the Vietnamese Government built on this site an open theatre, called People’s Theatre, designed for the general public.

Following Việt Nam’s reunification in 1975 the Central Council of the Soviet Union Trade Union decided to present Việt Nam’s Trade Union with a cultural palace for workers. The project was completed on the site of the former People’s Theatre on 1st September 1985, and it was named the Việt-Xô Friendship Cultural Palace for Laborers. Today the palace serves various cultural, scientific, artistic, sports and gymnastic activities of Hà Nội’s laborers.

Hà Nội Friendship Cultural Palace

The palace has a total area of 3.2 ha, including three main buildings: the performance building, the study building, and the technical building. The four-storeyed performance building, 26m high, and 96m long, has four floors facing Trần Hưng Đạo Street. It has got a large stage and two big conference halls. The bigger hall has 1,256 seats and the smaller, 375. 

According to the initial design, four-language interpreting devices may be installed in these halls. Also in this building, there are two large halls beautifully decorated. The hall on the 1 st floor is adorned with a picture of Saint Giong, 4.5m high and 18m wide, and that on the 2nd floor 

has a set of bronze artwork boards on four seasons.

Surrounding the performance building is a corridor 6m wide and a row of 12m tall pillars supporting the building’s roof. At the backside of this building is the three-storey study building, which houses a library, lecture hall and an observatory. Connecting the two buildings is the technical building. The entire Palace has 120 rooms, 20 staircases and two lifts.

The Palace houses up to 3p clubs, such as clubs of electronics, bio-chemistry, mechanics, lovers of Hà Nội, etc.

Hanoi City Tours, Hanoi City Tours Full day!

Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

The Viet Nam Museum of Ethnology both a scientific organization and a cultural center with the following functions: to conduct scientific studies about ethnicities in Việt Nam; to collect, classify, preserve, restore, display the historical and cultural values of the ethnicities; to provide ethnological documents; and to train personnel for various kinds of ethnology museums.

The museum was inaugurated in November 1997. It covers an area of 3ha on Nguyễn Văn Huyên Street, in Cầu Giấy district. It has two parts: indoor and outdoor. The former has got an exhibition section, a research sections, a great hall, etc. The latter will be completed soon.

Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

The museum has got a valuable collection of 10,000 objects, nearly 15,000 photographs, 100 cassette and video records about the 54 ethnicities of Việt Nam. Visitors can get to know and do research on the ethnicities, the diversified cultural identity of each ethnicity, each region as well as evil the common traditional values of these ethnic groups.

Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

The objects include not only valuable antiques but also ordinary tools and utensils of people such as knives, back baskets, loin-cloths, flutes, pipes, mats, etc. They reflect different aspects of the material and spiritual life of the ethnicities. There are 54 collections for 54 ethnicities which are categorized by utility: farming tools, fishing tools, weapons, household utensils, musical instruments, etc. There are also separate sections for objects related to religious beliefs, weddings, funerals, and other spiritual, social activities.

In the exhibit section, most of the space is reserved for regular exhibitions and the rest for temporary displays on certain themes. At the moment, the regular exhibit section is divided into nine major areas.

The 1st area: General introduction

The first theme is “Việt Nam: periods of history and culture”. This area gives visitors information about Vietnamese history, the integration of ethnicities and civilizations into the entity of Việt Nam.
There is a large colored map showing the distribution of the ethnicities in Việt Nam by geographical location and language family. Three cross sections in the worth, the center and the south are also shown to describe the altitude of the residential areas of each ethnic.

Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

The 2nd area: The Việt (Kinh)

There are 11 showcases representing the traditional culture of the Việt with such subjects as water puppetry; musical instruments, the cult of Holy Mother; popular toys for children some typical handicrafts including bronze casting, wood carving, lacquer, Đông Hồ woodblock printing. Visitors can see several products and production tools of such crafts, The cult of ancestors is typical of Việt culture, in this area, one can see an ancestral altar in a peasant’s house.

Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

The 3rd area: The Mường, the Thổ and the Chứt.

This area represents the hunting and fruit picking activities of the Chút, the craft of ramie weaving of the Thổ, and hunting, cloth weaving, and daily life and musical instruments of the Mường.
One can also get to know a funeral of the Mường, which, to some extent, represents the latter’s perception of life, death and the universe.

The 4th area: Ethnic groups of the Tày-Thái and Ka-Đai language family.

Visitors can see the typical architecture of the Black Thai’s houses-on-stilts. In the showcases, there are objects representing the culture of the Tày, Thái, Nùng, Sán Chay, Cao Lan - Sán Chỉ, Giấy, Bố Y, Lự. There are showcases on hand writings, the Nùng’s handicrafts, the costumes of some Tày ethnicities such as the Thu Lao, Pa DÍ, etc.

Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

Colorful costumes of the La Chi, the CỜ Lao, the Pu Péo, and La Ha (belonging to the Ka-Đai language family) are displayed next to the objects symbolizing human sex organs, which are used for dances of the cult of fertility at the festivals of the La Ha, and the trumpet-like musical instrument of the Cờ Lao.

The 5th area: Ethnic groups of the Hmông-Dao and Tibeto-Burmese language families; the Sán Dìu and the Ngái.

There are two groups of showcases in this area. One is for the display of the objects related to the Hmông, the Dao and the Pà Then such as decorations made from bee wax. Wooden household utensils, festival costumes of the Hmông, etc. The other group of showcases is designed for the Sán Dìu, Ngái, Lô Lô, Hà Nhì, La Hủ, Phù Lá, Si La and Cống (women’s attire, hunting tools, daily life utensils and musical instruments).

Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

The 6th area: Ethnic groups of the Môn-Khmer language family in mountain area.

This area represents the culture of five ethnic groups in the North (Khơ Mú, Mảng, Kháng, Xinh Mun, and ơ Đu) and 15 others in the Trường Sơn Mountain range and the Central Highland (Bru, Vân Kiều, Tà Ôi, Cơ Tu, Hrê, Co, Gié-triêng, Xơ Đăng, Ba Na, Rơ Măm, Brâu, Mnông, Cơ Ho, Mạ, Xtiêng, and Chơ Ro).
These ethnic groups have many different traditions and customs but we can easily identify their common features. In this area, one can see the clothes of Khmer women; daily life tools of the Kháng, the Xinh Mun and the ơ Đu; gourd shells, tools made of tree bark, different kinds of baskets, weaving tools, musical instruments, etc.

The 7th area: Ethnic groups of the Austronesian language family in mountain areas.

There are four ethnicities in this group: Gia Ra, Ê đê, Raglai, and Chu Ru. They share many com-mon characteristics with those of the Môn-Khmer language family. However, they still keep the ocean life-style and follow the matriarchal system. Their material and spiritual life is shown through the stat-ues in tomb houses, grave-abandoning rituals, musical instruments, tools and utensils, etc.

The 8th area: The Chăm, Hoa and Khmer

The Chăm belong to the Austro-polynesian language family; the Hoa, to the Hán language family; and the Khmer, to the Austrasiatic language family. Each ethnicity is introduced on a separate panel. There is another panel showing the architecture of pagodas and towers, and of Hinayana Buddhism. Special aspects of life of these ethnicities are displayed. For the Chăm: their religions, weaving craft, pottery, transport with ox-drawn-carts; for the Hoa: their wedding ceremonies, unicorn dance; for the Khmer: their religions, script, cloth and silk dying, farming tools, etc. These ethnic groups, together with Việt people, play an important role in the development of the southern coastal of Central V iệt Nam and the South of Viet Nam.

The 9th area: Interrelation between ethnicities

All ethnicities have been and are witnessing changes in their cultures. Given the current trend of expanding relationships and boosting socioeconomic development among themselves, exchanges between cultures will be promoted. In this process, market plays an essential role among the influential factors. This area describes a market day in the Northern mountain region.

                                                             Hà Nội Past and Present Nguyen Vinh Phuc - The Gioi Publishers

Vietnam Museum Of Fine Arts

Located at No. 66 Nguyễn Thái Học Street, it began receiving visitors on 24th June 1966. Here, scholars can study the evolution of Việt Nam’s architecture, sculpture, and fine arts. In the museum, there are many original works of art as well as reproductions including stone axe blades, statues, jewelry, wooden statues, silk paintings lacquer paintings Đông Hồ and Hàng Trống paintings, Mường skirt belts, Tày brocades, silver and copper bracelets and necklaces. These objects speak of Việt Nam’s civilization, talented artists, and of the optimistic and healthy visions of the Vietnamese. 

Visitors are able to see works of art dating to the Stone and Bronze Ages: stone bracelets, earrings and necklaces, all 2,000 to 3,000 years old; and bronze statues, drums, and jewels. Among the items on exhibit are works spanning from the Lý to the Trần dynasties (seven to eight centuries ago), when Việt Nam’s art reached its peak in architecture and sculpture. There is a ceramic tower with beautiful decorations; a pagoda door carved with the familiar motifs of dragon; large carvings of bodhi trees, people dancing and playing musical instruments; ceramics and terracotta articles with turquoise enamel; and lots of other objects.

Vietnam Museum Of Fine Arts

Works of art produced later still maintain some characteristics of the previous time but also have new features. These new features can be observed in the rooms of exhibits of the Lê, Tây Sơn and Nguyễn dynasties, which include architectural models and drawings, such as those of Tay Phương Pagoda and Dinh Bang Communal House. Sculptural masterpieces include the statue of Quan-yin with one thousand hands and one thousand eyes at But Thap Pagoda, and the statues of Arhats at Tay Phuong Pagoda. Also of interest are the sculptures from the pagodas that depict the simple daily lives of the ancient Vietnamese people. 

The works by Vietnamese artists during French domination all speak of theừ ability to absorb Western techniques and methods of creation while keeping and developing the national identities of Việt Nam. Silk and oil paintings on display are brilliant examples. The works by Tô Ngọc Vân, Nguyễn Phan Chánh and numerous other painters are categorized as valuable relics of Vietnamese art. It should be noted that Vietnamese artists have succeeded in using lacquer in theừ paintings. In the museum, one can see a variety of lacquer paintings by Vietnamese artists. Among the masters, Nguyễn Gia Trí occupies a particular position.

Vietnam Museum Of Fine Arts

The museum gives an impression that Vietnamese art has undergone a “renaissance” since the August Revolution in 1943. The paintings and sculptures made (luring the anti-French and anti- American resistance wars have distinct features in content, themes and style. The evolution of modern Vietnamese art is clearly reflected through the masterpieces of these periods.

The museum regularly holds exhibitions on typical periods of art development or on particular authors, both Vietnamese and foreigners. In the museum, there are big collections such as “Arts of Ethnic Minorities”, “Ancient Wooden Sculptures”, “30 Years of Lacquer Painting”, “Paintings and Statues on President Ho Chi Minh”, “Folk Painting”, etc.

The Việt Nam Museum of Fine Arts is really a treasure worthy of discovery.

Ho Chi Minh Museum

It is located to the right of Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum with its main gate on Chùa Một Cột Street off Hùng Vương Street. According to the museum’s designers, the building evokes a lotus flower symbolizing the lofty morality of President Hồ Chí Minh. The building, 20.5m high, has a basement for equipment, and several floors with a technical section, a study section, a library, and conference halls, etc.

Ho Chi Minh Museum

One main floor of the museum is the museum area and another floor is for provisional exhibitions. The 13,000 m2 museum floor is the central part of the construction. In the ceremonial room in the floor’s center, there is a statue of Hồ Chí Minh. Many documents, art photographs and objects trace the important events in the life of Hồ Chí Minh. The outer part of this floor focuses on the theme “Việt Nam’s revolution linking to the world”. Everything in this museum is displayed in a modem and scientific way.

The museum started to be constructed on 31st August 1985, and it was officially opened on 19th May 1990, on the 100th birth anniversary of Hồ Chí Minh.

Hà Nội Past and Present Nguyen Vinh Phuc - The Gioi Publishers

Museum Of History

Situated at No.l Phạm Ngũ Lão Street, behind the Hà Nội Opera House, this museum was originally the museum of the école Française d’Extreme Orient, which was founded in 1932 by the French. At that time, the museum exhibited a collection of antiques collected throughout Southeast Asia.

In 1958, the French handed over this building to Việt Nam, and it became the National Museum of History. After many times of repair and up gradation, the museum has become an important cultural organ, a center for historical studies and exhibition of artifacts.

Museum Of History

Both floors of the museum are reserved for thou-sands of artifacts displayed in the order of antiquity. The Stone Age section contains stone tools and instruments for hunting and fighting, evidence of the presence of pre-historic people in Việt Nam. The stone hand axes chipped three to four hundred thousand years ago, which were unearthed at Đọ mountain in Thanh Hoá province, prove that Việt Nam is one of the ancient cradles of humans.

The Bronze Age section of the museum is famous for its bronze drums, the most notable of which is the majestic and beautiful Ngọc Lũ drum. Many studies have been made on its sculpture, use, and manufacturing technology, etc. Also on exhibit are bronze axes, javelin blades, daggers, spears, and other bronze weapons made during the Hùng Kings. The thin and thorny CỔ Loa bronze arrows displayed here used to frighten the northern invaders in the 2nd century BC so much that they were called magical arrows.

Over the past 2,000 years, Việt Nam has had a history of continuous struggle against foreign invaders. The museum’s many photographs of Việt Nam’s pagodas, temples, fortresses, grave sites, personages and famous generals, and many important documents, well known sayings, and original artifacts all attest to the indomitable spirit of the nation.

Visiting the Vietnam Museum of History, one can learn the history of national building and defence of the Vietnamese people.

President Ho Chi Minh’s Residence

In a large garden of trees, lie a park, at the back of the Presidential Palace, there is nice gravel covered road with mango trees on both sides, which leads to a small simple house-on-stilts. The house has a hibiscus fence and an “arched” gate made of trees. There, visitors can see two coconut trees: one was presented by the overseas Vietnamese in Thailand and the other, double-trunk, by the population of (former) Vĩnh Phú province. This is where President Hồ Chí Minh lived and worked from 17th May 1958 till he passed away.

The perfume of jasmine and dog-rose plants in the garden in front of the house is pervasive. At the back is a garden of fruit trees. The luxuriant star- apple tree presented to the President by his Southern compatriots in 1954 stands between two lines of Hải Dương orange trees bearing plenty of fruit. Hundreds of species of valuable trees of more than 30 families supplied by the (former) Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Forestry and different localities give the site some welcome shade. They include local specialties: grape fruit from Phúc Trạch, Thanh Hóa, Biên Hòa and Mê Linh; orange from Xuân Mai, Vân Du, Xã Đoài, Sông Con, mandarine from Hương Cần and Lý Nhân; apple from Thiện Phiến, Ngọc Hồ; twin-apricot from Đồng Mỹ; persimmon from Tiên Điền, etc.

There are also species imported from foreign countries, such as the 11 ngâu flower trees growing near the house, the 5 bald cypress trees found around the pond, the 26 areca trees imported from the Caribbean, and some special kinds of bamboo, etc.

President Ho Chi Minh’s Residence

The ground-floor of the house-on-stilts is where President HỒ met with the Politburo. There are 12 chaừs around a large table, three telephones and a soldier’s iron helmet that the President used to wear throughout the us war of destruction against North Viet Nam. There are two small rooms upstairs: one was used as cabinet and one bedroom. A single wooden bed occupies half of the bedroom. Next to it is a small wooden table, where the book The Resistance War against the Yuans is placed. At the door of the house there is a bronze bell which was used to notify of the arrival of a guest at the house.

The President’s personal belongings, among other things, include two fans: one made of a paper and the other palm leaves; a small thermos, a bottle of drinking water, a glass, an anti-mosquito bamboo brush, a radio presented to him by the overseas Vietnamese in Thailand, an electric fan presented by the Japanese Communist Party.

From the house-on-stilts, you can see a fish raising pond. When you clap your hands, fish emerge to the surface of water.

Dozens of varieties of beautiful orchid are hung on terminally trees (shade tree), blossoming throughout the year.

President Hồ Chí Minh’s Mausoleum

The construction of this project was formally started on 2nd September 1973 and finished on 21st August 1978. The Mausoleum stands on the place of the former platform in the middle of the Ba Đình Square. It is the place at which, for decades, Uncle HỒ had chaired great meetings.

The Mausoleum is a three-storied structure with the total height of 21.6m. The lowest part, a three- tier structure, is designed for the Presidiums of meetings. The middle part, the center of the whole structure, is composed of a room where the

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

President’s body is kept, and corridors and stairs. Each of the four sides of the Mausoleum is decorated with a row of five square granite columns. It reminds us of the traditional five-compartment house of the Vietnamese people in the countryside. The top part is the Mausoleum’s roof which is also a three-tier structure.

On the front site, there are the words “Chủ Tịch Hồ Chí Minh” (President Ho Chi Minh) made of deep red ruby.

Entering the foyer, visitors can see on the front dark red granite wall the famous phrase of President Hổ Chí Minh “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom”. Below it is the author’s signature. One stair leads to the room where the glass coffin of the President is kept. There are, on the white stone wall, the Party’s and national flags. The entrances from three sides allow many people to pay homage to the President conveniently.

The Mausoleum manifests the boundless respect and gratitude of the Vietnamese people towards their great leader.

Hà Nội Past and Present Nguyen Vinh Phuc - The Gioi Publishers