Today marks my third day in Vietnam.
Vietnam is such an enigma...
As a ethinic Chinese, I can identify so much of the cultural, language and religious beliefs which are similar with the Vietnamese, yet its so anti-Chinese in a way that the Vietnamese are so fiercely nationalistic that they wouldn't stand for any suggestion that they had borrowed so much of their religion, cultural and language from China.
The layered historical influences are what makes Vietnam so unique... their efforts to escape the yolk of Chinese rule with the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the colonial influence of the French, the US presence and influence of communism. This is epitomised by what our lecturer shared... talking communists, working capitalists, ruling monarchists, and dreaming internationalists.
I think what makes Vietnam so fascinating is what makes SEA as a whole so interesting, a crossroads of cultural infleunces... but the way that it mixes can be so different from country to country.
We have been soaking it in... the cuisine and the cafes (I had this interesting ice cream sundae with a chendol coconut sauce and coffee) The food has been fantastic as well.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Visit to Vietnam
Writing from Hanoi. Currently on a weeklong International Business Fellowship programme organised by International Enterprise Singapore to encourage businessmen to do business in Vietnam.
I spent Sunday afternoon walking around Hanoi. According to my phone pedometer, I walked over 20,000 steps (20km), around town. Walking around really gave me a good feel of the city, its life and its people. What strikes one is the chaos of cars, scooters and bicycles. Not quite sure how I figured how to cross the roads. But managed to do so without being knocked down.
I visited the Temple of Literature, a university set up in 1020 by the earliest emperors in Vietnam. Consisting of 5 courtyards, what was amazing where these stone steles (86 of them) that showed the names of the lauretes that were chosen from these 3-yearly Confucian exams in the 13th to 15th century. The innermost courtyards also had statues of Confucius and his 4 disciples showing the reverance that Vietnamese paid to Confucian ideals.
Also managed to swing by St Joseph's Cathedral-- with its grey-washed and bleak exteriors. The interior however was richly decorated with red and gold. In there, there a group of ladies singing the rosary.
I spent Sunday afternoon walking around Hanoi. According to my phone pedometer, I walked over 20,000 steps (20km), around town. Walking around really gave me a good feel of the city, its life and its people. What strikes one is the chaos of cars, scooters and bicycles. Not quite sure how I figured how to cross the roads. But managed to do so without being knocked down.
I visited the Temple of Literature, a university set up in 1020 by the earliest emperors in Vietnam. Consisting of 5 courtyards, what was amazing where these stone steles (86 of them) that showed the names of the lauretes that were chosen from these 3-yearly Confucian exams in the 13th to 15th century. The innermost courtyards also had statues of Confucius and his 4 disciples showing the reverance that Vietnamese paid to Confucian ideals.
Also managed to swing by St Joseph's Cathedral-- with its grey-washed and bleak exteriors. The interior however was richly decorated with red and gold. In there, there a group of ladies singing the rosary.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)