Recently, my program partook in a traveling seminar throughout Vietnam. Although the trip did not include many stops, it gave an incredible look into the diversity that I never knew existed within the country.
Our first stop was the capital—Hanoi. When talking to some people in Saigon, they described Hanoi as being a much more toned down version of Saigon that wouldn’t get as rowdy and didn’t have as much to do. Despite only being there for roughly 4 days, I’d beg to differ. Hanoi was an absolutely incredible city and had so much to offer. We were fortunate to be in a very popular area of the city—The Old Quarter—so getting around was not difficult.
Hanoi's history, unsurprisingly, is very scattered and the architecture consists of remnants of an old citadel alongside French villas that are now occupied by fusion restaurants. During the 20th century, Hanoi was the capital of Northern Vietnam and now, subsequently, modern Vietnam. Walking around the streets, and when talking with locals, the capitalist/communist influence is very evident.
On one morning, we partook in a Sophie's Art Tour which took us to various museums and galleries and explained the cultural significance of the works in context with the happenings within the country. The morning was incredibly insightful and shed light on how the government inserts itself into freedoms deemed inalienable in America. We were shown pieces that highlighted a pre-colonial period, French colonization, Japanese occupation, American intervention, and eventual freedom. Each period told of how the powers in charge influenced arts curriculum and what people were allowed to portray. Also, it was interesting to see paintings now hung for the guise of public interest that were once banned mediums. Cubism, for example, was barred by the government to limit public exposure and creativity—but now, once underground works hang in celebration of Vietnam’s history.
One of my favorite spots in Hanoi was the Hoa La Prison. More commonly known as "The Hanoi Hilton," the Hoa La prison was built by the French and used to imprison Vietnamese revolutionaries. However, post-colonization, it became known for imprisoning many American POW—most notably, Sen. John McCain. Personally, I love prison museums because I just think they are so fascinating. (When I first visited Dublin, my favorite tour was the one of Kilmainham Gaol.) I think the fascination stems from the fact that all of these sights held people that were so fervent in trying to spread freedom. It might also be that prisons operate in an almost cross-cultural capacity and they each have a lot in common with one another and you are able to really take notice to the small differences each one houses. For example, Hoa La had two functioning guillotines—never seen one of those before!
Aside from just the history, Hanoi has incredible food.
They have a special drink that originated in Hanoi. It’s called “Egg Coffee” and it’s delicious. Basically, it consists of a meringue type mixture that then has coffee poured over it. It is very sweet and creamy and also delicious. The drink has said to have originated at a time when milk was not as available so they had to cut the coffee somehow.
Also, Hanoi has a special dish that is a fried rice platter served with pickled bok choy and stir-fried beef—I have been told that it's called, "cơm rang dưa bò." It was one of the best thing's I've ever eaten. The flavors were all amazing and it was a fairly large portion. I can't really articulate all the flavors you could taste, but there was a healthy amount of garlic and every good dish has a healthy amount of garlic, truthfully. To top it off, it was $3.
I'd also be remiss if I did not mention that halfway through our excursion in Hanoi, we went to Mai Châu. Mai Châu is a district in Northen Vietnam that is home to the Thai minority group. There are 50+ ethnic minority groups in Vietnam and our program wanted to expose us to how these minority populations lived. It was a very short trip, and although not incredibly informative, the landscape of Mai Châu was incredibly breathtaking.
Mai Châu has undergone a lot of change in recent years and has found a lot of success with a burgeoning tourist industry. It was a little disheartening to see the juxtaposition between the local people and the backpackers and see just how much the latter has influenced this once secluded community. And, yes, I recognize the irony in my statement considering that I am, in a sense, one of those "backpackers."
The trip to Hanoi really solidified how happy I am to be in Vietnam. I think I have greater understanding of Vietnam's history and, with that, an appreciation for the past that I did not have before. Despite there being difficulties adjusting, Vietnam has proven to be an absolutely fantastic country.
