Hanoi Impression

Old quarter of Hanoi is a bustling, lively, boisterous place.

Pedestrians, motorcycles, cars, buses, street vendors are mixed in the streets. Motorcycles run in wrong direction in one-way streets was common. We saw monocycles with 4  people on them quite a few times - usually parents with two young children! I had to take a picture of it as a proof.

Crossing streets is an art. We observed how locals and others crossing streets - just walk across street without stopping, maybe a slight pausing occasionally, and mastered the art pretty quickly. 

Surprisingly, despite the chaotic, messy situations, we did not see a single accident during our time at Hanoi. No body was in a rush, everyone took it easy.

a street at old quarter

motorcycles ran in wrong direction in a one way street

family of 4 on a motorcycle

The other street scene that had a deep impression on me was that people eat food on small stools, low tables by the road side, from street food vendors, even in the middle of the cold nights, wearing dark heavy coats. These small stools, low tables take over sidewalks. That's why pedestrians have to walk in the streets. One day we had Bahn mi from a street vendor sitting on the small stools :)

eating on the sidewalk from a street vendor at dinner time

Experience eating on the small stools on the roadside for a lunch bite - Bahn mi

Many people at Hanoi, apparently Vietnamese, take holidays seriously. When we first visited Ho Hoan Kiew in the morning of December 28, a Saturday, we saw many people, families, groups of women, young and old, dressed up, have pictures taken by the lake and other tourist attractions, typically men in formal dresses, women in colorful skirts, blouses. It was the first time I saw so many people dressed up for a Saturday. I wondered if it was a special holiday, it was not upon checking, just a regular Saturday. This phenomenon says something about Vietnam which I could not pinpoint. 

Ancient or modern architectures and landmarks have resemblance to that in China. 

Imperial palaces,   temples and pagodas are similar and all have Chinese characters inscribed on the gate/door frame, above Buddhas, gods. Long, i.e. Dragon in Vietnamese, a symbol for Emperors, is the same.  Checking history, Vietnam was part of China from 111 BC (Han Dynasty) to 939 AD (Tang Dynasty), a span over 1000 years. Successive Vietnamese monarchical dynasties absorbed Chinese influences through Confucianism and Buddhism. But the history of being part of China is not mentioned or indicated in museums or tourist attraction, the history of Vietnam starts after Chinese rule, such as an mural at Ninh Binh's ancient capital, indicated.

the gate to Ngoc Son Temple

pillars to Hoang Thanh Thang Long

Sculptures depicting the Tang Monk's journey to the west near Ninh Binh  

this mural celebrates the Ninh Binh palace's 1100 anniversary from 924 AD  

The modern Vietnam has many similarities to China as well, as both countries are under communist party control - same symbol on their communist part flag with Hammer and sickle, similar red national flags, Vietnamese flag has one star, Chinese has 5. There are correspondences in the main buildings for the government - national assembly building to  great people's hall, military museums, memorial to funding presidents - Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum to Chairman Mao's Mausoleum. We saw banners with political slogans at all official buildings at Hanoi, including the Mausoleum of Ho, just like that in China.

Memorial Monument to Fallen Soldiers

I saw wall posters at many places, many were nature oriented, related to tourism, but there were also propaganda posters. In the hotel we stayed in the old quarter, there were a few propaganda posters in the guest rooms as well as common areas, but there was also a peculiar rat's getting married painting on the wall by breakfast area. The latter intrigued me and the reason I took pictures of a political poster along with the rats painting. 

I investigated the background history of the painting rats getting married. From internet, using Google lens, Wikipedia and ChatGPT, it turned out that the painting is a famous Vietnamese painting from Dong Ho school of folk art, painted 500 years ago. The painting humorously critiques corruption and societal hierarchies. The rats represent common people who must appease higher authorities (symbolized by the cat) through bribes or gifts to avoid trouble. The wedding procession of the rats also reflects a joyful aspect of Vietnamese rural life, symbolizing harmony, prosperity, and the importance of family and tradition. This artwork is cherished for its satirical nature, vibrant colors, and ability to tell a multi-layered story (*see more commentary in the note section at the end of this post). Comparing the photo I took and the original painting displayed on Wikipedia, I could tell that the one from the hotel was a reproduced painting. The other thing I noticed was that the reproduced painting seems to make Chinese characters less readable, reflecting an effort to deemphasize Chinese influence in modern years.  

The display of this satirical painting and ordinary people dressed up for regular weekends led to think that both actions are ways for ordinary people to release the stress from the society, and enjoy life as much as they can.

a poster 

rats getting married - picture of a wall frame at the hotel

from Wikipedia

Hanoi' pollution was very severe when we visited, as bad as the infamous Beijing's Pollution I experienced. The visibility was less than 1km. When we were at old quarter, we could not see far, we did not see the haze or smog, but we could feel it due to agitated throats. Any time I looked at far away places, I saw haze, smog, even over lakes. It was not only the city, when we traveled to Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh, we saw and felt the poor air quality as well, which was depressing and dampened my appreciation of natural beauties there.

Haze over West Lake (Ho Tay)
The air quality was specially unhealthy on December 30 visually and according to weather forecast

The smog over the coast at Ha Long Bay

The haze over Ha Long Bay

The smog at Ninh Binh

Note (from ChatGPT)

The Vietnamese painting Rats Get Married (originally known as Đám Cưới Chuột) is part of Vietnam’s folk art tradition and reflects a rich cultural and historical narrative. This painting comes from the Dong Ho school of folk art, which originated in the Dong Ho village in Bac Ninh Province. Here's the story and its significance:

The Painting and Its Story
The Rats Get Married painting depicts a wedding procession of rats. It is divided into two parts:
• The Wedding Procession: Rats are shown joyfully parading to celebrate a wedding, carrying gifts and playing musical instruments.
• The Offering Scene: A group of rats is seen offering bribes (in the form of fish or other items) to a menacing cat, which is likely a government official or local authority figure in disguise.

Interpretation and Symbolism
• Social Commentary: The painting humorously critiques corruption and societal hierarchies. The rats represent common people who must appease higher authorities (symbolized by the cat) through bribes or gifts to avoid trouble.
• Harmony and Celebration: The wedding procession of the rats also reflects a joyful aspect of Vietnamese rural life, symbolizing harmony, prosperity, and the importance of family and tradition.
• Conflict and Power Dynamics: The interaction between the rats and the cat highlights the tension between the weak and the powerful, a theme resonant in many folk tales and cultural artworks.

Cultural Significance
This artwork is cherished for its satirical nature, vibrant colors, and ability to tell a multi-layered story. It reflects both the struggles and the resilience of ordinary people in a feudal society while celebrating their festive traditions.