STORYBOOK

THE INSIDER’S HANOI MORNING/ AFTERNOON

(8.00 hrs. - 12.00 hrs/ 13.00 hrs - 17.00 hrs)

Meeting point: ​Saint Joseph's Cathedral

1. First stop: Serein Coffee & Lounge

Vespa history in Vietnam

The Vespas came to Vietnam with the French, who occupied the country until 1954. When the French
left, their Vespas stayed. After the Vietnam War, Vespas became very rare due to economic isolation
and borders that were closed to foreign imports. In 1990, when the borders opened back up, many
brand new Vespas got into the country. Many of the old Vespas from the “Golden Era” were salvaged
and have survived until today!

History:

2. Second stop: Train tracks.

Timing for the stop: 20 minutes
Stories:

The railway built by the French in 1889 is owned by the stated-owned Vietnam Railway. The
“railroad” neighborhood was previously a block of fourth-class houses for railway workers. Nowadays,
in order to provide accommodation for a multi-generational home, each dwelling was expanded with
every space exploited to the fullest. The corridor is used for clothes hanging, cooking, parking, bonsai
or organic vegetables planting. At the same time, residents deploy the railway itself as a place to dry
numerous stuffs, from chicken’s food to scrap. People carry their stuffs back into the houses if they
see a train coming. However, this just happens maximum twice in daytime so their daily work is not
really affected.

The children, being used to the sound of hooters and the running trains, may recognize them
even before adults. As time passes by, the inhabitants spend a peaceful life along the way. Some left
their huts for rent with rather cheap prices. The railroad neighborhood is an ideal place for workers,
students, and especially scrap dealers to accommodate (10-12m2) because of cheaper costs, only
40-50 USD/month for a tiny hut alongside the train track compared to their approximately 150 USD of
average train worker wage. (buying value of right side is 6 billion average). Although the train pases
by ofently but the daily life of the people of this neighborhood maintain normally.

Property ownership in Vietnam

Private ownership of land is not permitted in Vietnam and the people hold all ownership rights with the
State as the administrator.
However, the laws of Vietnam allow ownership of a right to use land. This right is called the Land Use
Right (“LUR”). LUR to foreign investors allows title holders to conduct real estate transactions,
including mortgages.

There are lots of small places that serve meals for the low wage workers besides the train
track that run through Phung Hung Str. Firewood stove is used very popularly in the neighborhood
railroad because of being cheaper and more convenient to carry when trains arrive. In many locations,
people make the temporary wooden stairs from the corridor to the railway, before he could enter the
house. No safety fence between the house and the railway, people here always remember the train
schedule. During the day, the train density less than the evening and night, so people feel more
comfortable to live. When talking to Mr. Nguyen Duc Thanh living here over 30 years, he said: "In the
afternoon, when people are back from work, railway track like a living community where people share
about their day work"

3. Third stop: Đền Hữu Tiệp/ Đền Cát Triệu

If you have an opportunity to come to Vietnam, why don’t you visit Ngoc Ha village, a famous
landscape not only in Hanoi but also in the world with various flowers (such as roses and pansies).

Huu Tiep temple was built about 400 years ago (there’s older temples but they are too touristic)
through 24 generations of Trinh family, worshipping Mother of Thanh Hoang (the head of village
governance). It is considered one of the oldest temples in Hanoi still keeping intact ancient temple
structures such as floor tiles and wooden roofs. Trinh family was famous for silk trading. This family
had great devotion for the country from time to time of Le dynasty and Nguyen Lords which is granted
to land at 48 Hang Ngang. Especially in the French war, Trinh family donated an amount of 5474 kilos
of gold for the Communist Party.

We will meet a 65-year Hanoi woman – Trinh Phuong, who lives there in order to look after and
welcome guests in temple. A lot of journalists and the young generation come here to listen to her
stories about Hanoi in the past. We often say to each other that she is like an alive history book and
her stories are difficult to find in any history book. she was born in Ngoc Ha flower village and she
liked many kinds of flower especially roses. She used to get up at 3.am – the most suitable time in a
day to get a good smell - to cut flowers in her garden with her mother and sold them to customers.
She said bunches of roses were the love of Hanoi besides war and Hanoian girls had been taught
etiquettes such as walking, saying hello…gracefully. They are specialties Hanoi.

Religion on Vietnam:

● No religion: about 80% (Communist party)

● Buddhism (Strong believe): about 7% but worship ancestors and buddha is very popular (45

millions Vietnamese pps keep old believe in their mind, go to temple and pagoda to pray for
 health, happiness and lucky for families on 1st and 15th day of lunar month - Chinese

calendar.

● Catholic: 8 to 9 % (more in the south)

Differences between Temple and Pagoda:

In Vietnam, the two terms of ​“temple” and ​“pagoda” coexist as places of reverence and sacred
worship. While ​“temple” are used to refer the worship place where gods, real human beings such as
emperors or national heroes are honored as deities; the term ​“pagoda” is reserved exclusively for
temple worshiping Buddha, that’s the reason why monks only can be found on pagodas. ​Furthermore,
Buddha can’t be found inside of a Temple because it’s more important than ancestrals but sometimes
can be found outside of it, as good example how ancestral worship and buddhism coexist in Vietnam.

Staged questions:

1) How important is this Temple for you and your family?

2) Is it true this temple have become a neighborhood meeting point for ancestral worship?
3) How differents believes coexist here? (especially buddhist and ancestral worship)
4) What was your experience on the day that B52 crashed?

4. Four Stop : Ho Huu Tiep

The place contains spiritual values and ancient structural features of Vietnamese temples. In addition,
it is also a witness of the perpetual period of the resistance war when B52 bombs were shot by the
VietCong army during 12 days and nights (Operation Linebackers II). Locals keep thinking that thanks
to the temple no one died that day on Ngoc Ha area because 8 people died on other area during the
attack.

On that operation, americans schedule to lose 3% of B52 that they use for bombing but only on that
day they lose 3% of them. There’s also some interesting fact about how Vietcongs shot down this
B52, american version it was that a SAM, soviet surface to air missile modified by north vietnamese,
shoot it down. The Vietcong version was a MiG-21 aircraft shoot it down.

Why americans were bombing Hanoi

Proposals for ceasefires and peace deals flowed back and forth regularly, even when fighting was at
its worst. Some of this negotiation was conducted publicly, some in secret through diplomatic
communications or through ‘back channels’. The period 1964 to 1972 saw at least five different peace
proposals of any significance, along with numerous third party offers that were either disregarded or
rebuffed. In October 1972, in the wake of Hanoi’s failed Easter Offensive. A more compliant Le Duc
Tho suggested to Kissinger that North Vietnam was willing to consider an agreement recognising the
government of South Vietnam, so long as it included processes for free elections and political reform.
The pair drafted a treaty, which was completed in late October 1972 and unveiled by Kissinger, with
much fanfare, at a White House press conference.

Kissinger and Le Duc Tho’s treaty was enthusiastically received around the world. After almost five
years of impasse, it appeared as if a workable peace for Vietnam was in sight. But the South
Vietnamese president, Nguyen Van Thieu, was outraged by the draft treaty, believing it placed his
country at the mercy of the Viet Cong. Thieu’s refusal to accept the treaty almost caused the North
Vietnamese to withdraw; only another massive US aerial bombardment of North Vietnam, ordered by
Nixon, kept them at the negotiating table​.

● mention that they also threat Vietcongs by potentially bombing the dike (and we will
see it) if they don’t sit on the peace negotiation table

Introduction of the next stop: We are expected to see Vietnamese traditional market in the next
stop, where we will experience the bargaining skills.

5. Fifth stop: Ngoc Ha Market.

Stories:
Generally, a market is a place consisting of various stalls/booths and offers different
commodities or specific types of goods. Booths selling relevant items were located near each
other so that it is convenient for sellers to buy.

However, there are also mobile markets including street vendors besides temples and
on the pavement in which sellers and buyers meet each other almost in the mornings. It is
noted that these markets do not usually receive the permission of the authorities.
In the traditional markets, they often sell fresh food such as pork, beef, poultry;
household facilities such as stoves, pan and pot; personal effects and dried ingredients. In
these places you can buy almost everything you need. Other oddities like bath products, hair
accessories and minor items are sometimes provided as well, but they are often of normal or
low quality, and thus pretty cheap.
It is very interesting because you can pick any livestock in the markets and any kind
of flowers you like. You can savor many types of Vietnamese cuisines and ingredients for the
dishes are bought in these markets.

Ngoc Ha market is one of the traditional markets in Vietnam, its history has connected
closely with Hanoi’s history. In French domination time, sellers usually were young women
who sell rose, ​chrysanthemum, violet, carnation, gladiolus, etc planted in Ngoc Ha village or
alongside the street. These days, citizens living here have not remained the traditional career
but some households still keep selling flowers.
Nowadays, markets in Vietnam have still not only preserved their typical features of
the past but also got new trends from foreign countries. These places specified in selling retail
of daily necessities and foods, is sociable site for acquaintances in which people have a
chance to greet and talk to others. You will feel quite interesting because you can meet a new
friend and have a chit chat when the sellers are wrapping your food.
If you drop in Ngoc Ha market, you will witness the image in which the buyers stop
driving their motorbike, bargain and then continue their journey so called “the drive-thru” You
can hear the unique sound here that is the marvelous mix between the sounds of animals,
bargaining of sellers and buyers and greetings of someone in the morning and you can hardly
find it in anywhere in the world.
 They are all of the typical features of traditional markets of Vietnam. Vietnamese
markets nowadays still preserve the worthy and unique values such as markets in Son La,
Sapa, Mai Chau, etc. However, these days everything becomes more convenient because of
supermarkets. Customers can come to a supermarket and buy anything including both
domestic and imported products with high quality, yet traditional markets have been popular
in Vietnam especially in countryside.
I have a memory that I have never forgot. When I was a little girl, I usually awaited my
mother to buy me pancakes to reward me for my hard study after she had returned from the
market. Back then we didn’t have any fridge at home so it was normal for her to go everyday
to the market and buy fresh ingredients for our meals. Nowadays that’s changing due western
technology to keep food alive for a longer period of time, even though is more convenient she
still go there everyday because it’s a social meeting point also for her.

Introduction of the next stop: Now we are going to drive along Long Bien bridge - the oldest one in
Hanoi and stop there for some local drinks.
Driving through- Citadel

4. Fifth stop: Long Bien Bridge

The Long Bien Bridge was the first steel bridge that crossed the Red river in Hanoi, and also it was
one of the four greatest bridges in the world at the time it was built.
Long Bien Bridge was considered the pride, symbol of architecture in the Far East. The bridge was
constructed from 1899 to 1902, during the term of - who was a Governor-General of French Indochina
and the bridge was formerly named after him. In the opening ceremony of the bridge, as a courtesy,
Paul Doumer asked one of the official of the Hanoi’s feudal dynasty in French something like: “What
name would you like to call this bridge?”. The official, whose French was not very good, promptly
answered: “Loong Bi-en” which means “very long and good”. The French thought that was the name
that the Vietnamese government chose to name the bridge so they decided to keep the name “Long
Bien” besides its French name, Doumer. In 10/10/1954, after the Capital liberation, the bridge was
officially turned to Long Bien.
The bridge was a connection point to transport tons of rice from Northern and Northern Central area
of Vietnam to​ ​Dien Bien Phu​ battle, and contributed to the win of Vietnam army against French, 1954.
More than 100 years with decades of war, Long Bien Bridge was bombed many times by air attacks
by American army in 1967, 1972; and many spans of the bridge were destroyed. The left spans still
remaining today remind us of an unforgettable past. The bridge, hence, is not only a traffic
construction, a nice architecture, but also a living historical relic.
Today, Long Bien is only one of the five bridges crossing the Red river of Hanoi. However, it may be
the most special bridge with unique historic, architectural, and ​cultural value​. It is the only bridge in
Hanoi where all the riders have to go in the left hand side, where tourists can take a walk and taste
mouthwatering desserts offered by vendors.
Many people say that Long Bien Bridge is the best place to watch the sunrise or the sunset in Hanoi
and it is also a good place to take nice photos of alluvial patch. Especially, many couples choose
Long Bien Bridge to shoot for their wedding photos.

Eiffel company build the bridge?

Many people credit the design of the bridge to Gustave Eiffel. According to Doumer’s memoirs, the
company of Daydé et Pillé, from Creil in Oise Department, won the tender and started work in 1898.
Some experts claims the bridge was “built to an Eiffel Company blueprint”, others refers to Doumer
Plan (1898 - 1902) generating numerous projects for the Compagnie des Etablissments Eiffel. But
Gustave Eiffel had resigned from the company in 1893 following the Panama Canal scandal in which
he had embroiled and the rejection of his company’s bid to undertake the Paris Metro.

Introduction of the next stop: On the Tet holiday - the most important holiday of Vietnamese people,
every family tries to have one kumquat bonsai tree in their house for decorations and good
meanings: luck and prosperities. So now, we are going to visit outside of the city, a place where
you will see plenty of kumquat trees. And we’re going to drive through the Red River dike:

- In 1010, King Ly Thai To of Dai Viet (or “Great Viet” the name of Vietnam at the time)
decided to move the capital from Hoa Lu (his homeland, 100 km South of Hanoi) to the
North. When his boat landed at Nhi Ha River (former name of the Red River), the king saw
a large dragon-shaped cloud rising from the water. The king relied on that good omen and
decided to settle the new capital in the place that he named Thanh Long or Ascending
Dragon.
- The dike, believed to be 900 year old, A part of the dyke, which is running along the urban
streets of Hanoi, has been concreted in 1990.
- Mural: The idea comes to Ms.Thuy (a local artist) when everyday she has to go working
passed by the grey concrete dike. She thought: "Why don't we use ceramic material to
decorate this wall?" Then, breaking some ceramic pots and bowls, Thuy estrated the idea
with a pilot picture of mosaic and "install" it into the dike by Photoshop software:
- The idea was immediately enthusiastically received and much appreciated by the public
and the press. At "Hanoi Embellishment Exhibition", which was held by the Architectural
Research Institute and the Architectural Journal in Hanoi in April 2007, it even got the
award "The most feasibility idea".
- With approval from Hanoi's People Committee (HPC - e.g. the Municipal Council), the
proposal idea has been improved as Project named "Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural – A gift
for Hanoi's 1000 year Anniversary"
 6. Sixth stop: Kumquat farm (Vườn quất Thế Mạnh). (Seasonal)

Timing for the stop: 20 minutes

Stories:
● Introduction of the kumquat farm: Mr Manh was the first artist to plant kumquat tree
directly in ceramic vase and flower pot and turned it into a new trend of growing and
styling bonsai kumquat tree in Hanoi. ​(What he do)

● What area are we? - ​This area is called Tứ Liên and it’s between Red river and the
dike on Au Co. Back then this area used to be for poor people that couldn’t afford a
house on the safe side of the city so they had to assume to live in a flooding area
under their own risk. Mr. Thanh have been living there for his whole life and he saw 4
floodings, last one was on 1972. Nowadays, it’s barely impossible to have another
floating. The reason why it’s Chinese government build dikes to control the water flow
to Vietnam. That meant they can produce a floating to Vietnam and use this force as
negotiation power. Vietnamese government responded building two big reservoirs in
Son La & Tuyen Quang, and two more in Hoa Binh on Da River and Thac Ba on Lo
river, those last two with a flood retention capacity of 5.4 billion cubic meters (Info
provided by Asian Disaster Reduction Center)

● Kumquat tree is one of the most important and traditional ornamental plants that
every Vietnamese family must have in their home during Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New
Year Holiday) same as Christmas tree on Christmas day. For the Vietnamese people
kumquat, or you can called by its Vietnamese name “quả quất” symbolizes the luck,
fertility and fruitfulness that the family hopes will receive for the upcoming year. A
perfect kumquat tree should have dark green bushes, hinted with some light green
leaves which are about to sprout and tiny dotted white flowers, and the most
important thing is that the tree must be full of shiny ripe orange fruits.

Stage questions:

1. How’s living in floating area (especially on 1971 floating)?

2. How you did start this art with quat trees?
3. How much care does this trees need?
 7. Snack

Tea House:

Vietnam possesses some of the oldest living tea plants in the world. In the northern province of Ha
Giang, along the Sino-Vietnamese border, Vietnam is home to tea trees that in some areas are over
one thousand years old, making them the oldest in the world

As Chinese influence slowly began to penetrate Vietnam, another layer of tea culture started to form
within the country’s higher ranks. The traditional Chinese hierarchical structure, with scholars and
noblemen held very separate from the lower classes, brought with it a tea culture that was reserved
20 for the wealthy. The ceremonial method of tea being served in a very ornate and methodical
manner came with Chinese influence and spread through the higher ranks of Vietnamese society in
Hanoi (Le). Tea consumption in a ceremonial setting is a very formal engagement with very specific
roles of drinker and preparer, further stratifying the rich from the poor as consumption was, and in
some cases still is, reserved for the wealthy

Enjoying this tea is a traditional ceremonial art of the Imperial City of Hue. During the
Nguyen Dynasty, imperial maids used to row to Tinh Tam Lake to collect dewdrops from the
sen leaves to make tea. The maids served it to kings in special teapots, one for each of the
four seasons.