Hanoi! Hanoi! Hanoi!
Hanoi uncovered: Vietnam Art Gallery's special report on wondrous Hanoi
Information on Hanoi
Greetings and Happy March 2005 from the team at Vietnam Art Gallery
Take a few minutes to pause and visit within the following stories the beauty that is Vietnam—and should you like to keep a piece of this beautiful country in your midst, check out our gallery for some affordable and aesthetic art that will brighten your mind with each viewing. Life's too short to live with bare walls!
=================== CONTENTS ===================
- Hanoi: City of beauty, energy and Walt Disney views Go >>
- The gorgeous Hilton Hanoi Opera and our tour of Vietnam Go >>
- The lone guardian of a fading Vietnamese art Go >>
- Featured artist: Nguyen Duy Nhi Go >>
=== Hanoi: City of beauty, energy ===
and Walt Disney views
Today, the city of Hanoi is beaming with energy. Infrastructure has improved immensely. What to me is really enviable are their wide sidewalks, which were considerately planned and constructed not only for pedestrians but also for commuters on bicycles. A common sight in the city, bikes and scooters are a practical means of transportation.
I just love Hanoi's gorgeous parks, which to me signify a caring government that can offer well-maintained parks for everyone to enjoy. At the center of the city, there is also a beautiful lake surrounded by centuries-old trees. Alternating with these big trees are weeping willow trees, their cascading branches and slender leaves languidly swaying as the breeze blew through them. Such a view can be instantly calming and soothing. It was quite enchanting. Everywhere I chose to click my camera, I was delighted to see the result: Postcard-perfect pictures, each one capturing the charm and serenity I saw and felt.
Construction is booming. There are many new houses and buildings sprouting about. Although there is visual unity in the landscape, I could not quite figure out the kind of architecture being followed. So, I did some research on it and chose the material written by Graham Simmons which described what I saw quite faithfully.
From the book, Roofs Of Hanoi By Graham Simmons: "It's like a scene from a Walt Disney movie: A wedding-cake skyscape of turrets, cones, and pagoda-like roofs. This is Hanoi, in northern Viet Nam.
"The conical roofs that grace the skyline of suburban Hanoi seem to have emerged straight from the marketplace. Modeled on traditional peasants' hats, these roofs are evidence of the anthropomorphic principle carried over into architecture. Some of these buildings are brand-new, while others date back to way-distant antiquity.
It is said that Gothic architecture in Europe derived its exquisite harmony from a system of proportional measurements based on the human body. In Viet Nam, both similar proportions and also similar forms can be seen. Not only are the roofs like hats, but some of the window apertures even seem to have "arms" sticking out at the appropriate height.
"This style of architecture is based on an old Vietnamese tradition, whereby the dimensions of houses in the countryside were based on the owner's physical measurements. In urban areas, this convention was not rigidly applied, but nevertheless, Hanoi houses evolved similarly. These houses had their own natural air-conditioning systems, with the difference in temperature between the inner courtyard and the outside street creating a natural airflow.
"Even the brickworks that you see in rural areas on the outskirts of Hanoi follow this design principle, with low-slung roofs designed to deflect the rain from stacks of drying bricks. Further south in Viet Nam (in the Mekong delta for example), the brickworks are completely different, with a beehive-shaped roof that can be seen many miles away.
"Hanoi's newest craze, the millionaires' villas that rear their heads above the other houses in the city's outer suburbs look like the fantasy creations of a surrealist designer. These new villas, each big enough to hold several families, are testimony to the emerging wealth of the new Viet Nam. If you look closely, the windows reveal much about the traditional design principles used in their construction.
"Many visitors to Hanoi have been seduced by its beauty and an impression of harmony: Harmony between architecture and the greenery of trees and lakes, harmony between man and nature, the inhabitants and the town. All pagodas, temples and vestiges found in the capital, bear the stamp of history. The serene and ethereal atmosphere reigning here is created by the architecture itself, both simple and somewhat primitive, still keeping human proportion.
"Most of the architectural works typical of Hanoi are built near a lake or a river and surrounded with many trees. Close relations between architecture and environment, between man and his dwelling places and the richness of Hanoi's architecture have been considered as characteristics of the capital.
"Concerning architecture, Hanoi can be divided into the following areas: The ancient and old streets, the old citadel and the residential areas and the new quarters. Scattered among those areas are quarters in which the inhabitants build their own dwelling houses and villages, which have been urbanized without any preconceived plan. Thus, we can see villages still existing amidst streets and streets appearing amidst villages."
=== The gorgeous Hilton Hanoi Opera ===
and our tour of Viet Nam
In February I took an 18-day trip to Viet Nam. Of the 100-plus major trips my husband and I have made, this is one of the top five. It was a fabulous trip!
We started in Hanoi, staying at the gorgeous Hilton Hanoi Opera. The city abounds with Vietnamese/French restaurants and the food is wonderful. The lakes and parks are beautiful and the temples exotic and wondrous.
We took a hydrofoil from Hai Phong to Cat Ba Island and boarded a boat to cruise Halong Bay, which in itself was almost a religious experience. The 100-plus limestone islets, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were breathtaking.
Hue was probably the most interesting city. We stayed in a gorgeous 100-year-old hotel and took a day long trip up the Perfume River.
We passed through marble grottoes on our way to Da Nang and, finally, on the South China Sea, the Furama Resort, the most gorgeous and expensive resort in the country. Words fail when trying to describe the pools, lagoon, bars, lounges and rooms.
I would recommend this trip to anyone who loves archaeology, architecture, Asia, art or diverse cultures. Liking good food doesn't hurt, either! A great group of people only added to this experience - Vietnamese people are so friendly, welcoming and beautiful. I'm sure it won't be our last trip there.
== The lone guardian of a fading Vietnamese art ==
"I cannot pass this craft along to my children and grandchildren, because they don't want to do it."
by Nguyen Thanh
The last link to an ancient craft unique to East Asian countries is embodied by one wizened 80-year-old man.
Lai Phu Ban is the only artisan anywhere still practising the 500-year-old tradition of Kim Tien, or golden paper-making for royal edicts. Experts fear the art will die with him if steps aren't taken to preserve it.
"I cannot pass this craft along to my children and grandchildren, because they don't want to do it," says Ban, who began the practice of mashing, dyeing and embroidering the paper at age 12. "I want to give my secret to the government."
Immortal words: An edict
issued by King Le Hien Tong in the
44th year of his Canh Hung Reign.
Isamu Sakamoto, a Japanese researcher who has studied Kim Tien paper effortlessly, says the craft is very special to Viet Nam and Japanese researchers have been unable to replicate it using modern machines. "This is a precious heritage of Viet Nam," said Sakamoto, a professor at Kibi International University.
Along with the samples exhibited last month in the first attempt to draw public attention to the craft, visitors could see old edicts survive time and the climatic changes over the years. The paper is preserved in several other Asian countries, mostly in China. But the difficult practice of the craft itself, whose paper can last indefinitely, is threatened with dying out with its last practitioner.
"Even after hundreds of years have elapsed, the royal paper still preserves its original beauty," said Dr. trinh Khac Manh, director of the Han Nom Institute. "It doesn't fade or become ruined over time."
The handmade paper has been dated as far back as the 15th century. Lai Phu Ban says his ancestors in Long Dang village, in suburban Tu Liem District of Ha Noi, supplied the paper to the Le and Nguyen Dynasties, who would use it for royal edicts and other official certificates.
The paper was chosen to supply past kings because it is large, handmade, humidity-proof, and lends itself to ornate design of ornate dragons flying on clouds. The oldest edict in the exhibition, dated 1492, surprised visitors for its long-lasting quality, said Dr. Manh, taking into account Viet Nam's humid conditions.
For royal edicts, a large dragon would be drawn on the paper, symbolising the power of the emperor. After the 17th century it was dyed yellow, in the belief that the colour would strengthen that power. It has also featured further designs, including the red hallmark of the king.
The last king of Viet Nam, Bao Dai, left the throne in 1945 to give way to the birth of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam. Since then, there has been no demand for the royal paper as there were no edicts to be issued. Yet proponents say the paper would be perfectly good even today for official government documents.
Lai Phu Ban is determined to keep himself low-profile, saying he only wants to pass on his secrets to authorised people from the Ministry of Culture and Information.
"The ministry welcomes Mr. Ban's goodwill," said Nguyen Thi Ly, Deputy Head of the ministry's Preservation and Museum Department. Ly said she has only recently heard of Mr. Ban's proposal and has not met the man or discussed the matter with him.
The cultural officer said the government might take steps to start the secret technique transfer process.
The first-ever exhibition of the special paper was held in Ha Noi last month. The exhibition curators were forced to advance the date of the exhibition, owing to Mr. Ban's old age. We hope that steps will be taken to secure Mr Ban's knowledge before the opportunity is lost forever.
=== Featured artist: Nguyen Duy Nhi ===
Nguyen's art is a favourite of gallery buyers. Abstract and approachable, Nguyen leads us through daydreams and scenes of whimsy that delight the eye.
Nguyen Duy Nhi - To Miss 1 - $200 - more >>
A two dimesional work with black outlining
the figure of a woman. Her skin is passionately red.
Nguyen Duy Nhi - New - $130 - more >>
==== Other featured art ====
Phu Nhieu - Lotus 1 - $1,000 - more >>
Hoang Minh - Big Fishing - $500 - more >>
Thank you for reading! We wish you peace and good fortune for the coming month!
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