“Dragon boats” moored along the banks of Hue's meandering Perfume River take tourists for exploratory trips in the vicinity of Hue or for longer journeys upstream to the tombs of the city’s former Vietnamese emperors.
THE LAND OF THE RISING DRAGON
Situated on the northern banks of the Perfume River, the Citadel at Hue, protected by massive crenellated walls punctuated by towers and ringed by lotus-filled moats, is an impressive example of Nguyen Dynasty defensive architecture.
Hanoi, Saigon, Hue, … the names conjure up images of the Far East, of glorious and mysterious emperors, incense floating around wooden pillars in pagodas, golden and red boats slowly sailing up rivers, carved stones of old temples. French cities in a faraway world, Citroens and cyclos trailing in crowded streets, people dressed in colorful clothes or white suits sipping coffee along boulevards planted with trees, umbrellas à la Manet on the Mekong. Soldiers dying in the mud, helicopters flying over desperate civilians, silent guerrillas dressed in black, lines of armored vehicles devastating paddy fields. Dien Bien Phu and Khe Sanh, Ho Chi Minh, heat and blood, napalm and agent orange, colors spread along pages in magazines once read by millions anxious to know about “Nam.”
These images, true or false, have shaped the collective imagination about Vietnam. But those who have been there know that the country is much more. Far from being devastated, in reality Vietnam is filled with dazzling natural beauty, a verdant tapestry of soaring mountains, fertile alluvial deltas, primeval rainforests, mysterious caves, fascinating rock formations, sinuous rivers, spectacular beaches and alluring islands, complemented by peaceful villages, ancient historic sites and pulsating cities, and populated by an incredibly resilient people! In a remarkably short time – just over two decades – since the North and South were reunited in 1975, Vietnam has been able to offer visitors a feast of culture and history – not to mention probably the best cuisine in Asia! In the north, alpine peaks, the Red River delta, the Cao Bang and Vinh Ven plains, Halong Bay, historic Hanoi and a diversity of ethnolinguistic minorities attract visitors. In the center, the ancient imperial city of Hue, the many ethnic minorities and the beaches, dunes and lagoons have tourist pull. In the south, Ho Chi Minh city – the former Saigon – offers a modern experience while the Mekong delta to the south provides a fascinating insight into life on a flood plain.
Against this complex topographical background, Vietnam’s history, both early and recent, has been characterized by a permanent flux of migrations, internal movements and an almost continuous struggle for independence. For centuries Vietnam fought to maintain its identity: against China that, for nearly 1,000 years, put the country under a domination that was thrown off in the ninth century, and never ceased to pretend to be the legitimate ruler of its southern neighbour (hence the name of the country, “beyond the South”); against France, whose colonization lasted less then a century but deeply transformed the country before its rule was ended at Dien Bien Phu; against the USA, that launched a vain but devastating war until the fall of Saigon allowed Vietnam to enjoy peace and started the economic process that make it today one of the fastest growing emerging countries. Thus Vietnam learned to live by many standards and develop a superb ability to syncretize its would-be masters’ cultural patterns into its own culture.
Peaceful hamlets, verdant paddy fields dotted with tomb-stones and tranquil waterways contribute to the quiet charm of North Vietnam.
The multiplicity of Vietnam’s early and recent history is evident throughout its culture, including its spiritual life and architecture, which are often inextricably mixed. Spiritual life in Vietnam comprises a medley of belief systems, including Buddhism (the dominant religion), Christianity and the curious fruits that sometimes developed from these faiths crossing, such as Caodism. Architecturally, there is a hodgepodge of styles although most constructions fall into five main categories: Vietnamese vernacular, ethnic vernacular, traditional Chinese, French colonial and Vietnamese modern.
Single-story vernacular Vietnamese buildings, commonly seen all over the country but particularly in the villages and hamlets around Hanoi, are distinctive for their wooden framework, put together by shafts, dowels or wooden pegs, heavy flat-tiled roofs designed to withstand typhoons, brick, bamboo, wood or bast fiber mat walls and packed earth or tile floors. None have ceilings or chimneys. (It is not uncommon to find Hanoi residents purchasing such houses for amalgamation with their existing homes.) Larger traditional community halls or dinh, usually built on sturdy piles, are also of wooden construction.
Ethnic vernacular buildings, whether raised on piles or built flat on the ground, remain in mountainous areas, midlands, and plains throughout the country where they are built of lightweight materials to enable disassembly and reassembly as the need arises. The recent permanent settlement of villages, however, has resulted in the adoption of more durable designs. Timber is increasingly used as the walls are load-bearing and roofs may be made with tiles or zinc, a popular material since it displays the wealth of the homeowner. Painted window frames, doors or pediments, unknown in transportable houses, are now worth the time and money spent on them.
The Chinese influence on Vietnamese architecture is most obvious in the country’s vast numbers of historic temples and monastries, especially its pagodas, whose distinctive features include roofs with elevated hip rafters and half-round tiles, heavy ornamentation and the lavish use of embellishments and motifs. Although the layout and orientation and the use of statuary and steles and other exterior elements are usually Chinese in origin, the architectural details of Vietnamese pagodas, although superficially similar to their Chinese antecedents, differ greatly. Chinese influence is also seen clearly in the architecture and furnishings of the the long, thin “tube” townhouses of Hanoi and Hoi An.
Colonial buildings in Vietnam are more than a direct replica of French architecture. Adaptation to a very different climate led to many distinctive features, making the style into a genre in its own right. Good examples of colonial buildings can be found all over the country, but the Town Hall in Ho Chi Minh City and the Opera House in Hanoi, along with the city’s many colonial villas, are particularly splendid