Tour West Lake Hanoi in an Enviro-Buggy

New York's Central Park is a defining part of the city. Museums and wealth hug its edges and its cleaning power regenerates the air. Most Asian cities are missing this kind of grand central green lung and although they can boast ancient monuments and historic contexts, very few can combine the two. 

Hanoi has West Lake partly filled with floating greenery, partly surrounded by hotels and restaurants, its edges dotted with temples and pagodas. West Lake is a vast cooling air conditioner in the heart of the city that can cook your toes in May and June. It's not a pond. It will take a few hours to walk around it and even the battery-driven tourist cart is an hour and a half venture.

Duong Lam, Ancient Vietnamese Village

Duong Lam Village ©aesta1 All rights reserved.

Duong Lam, an ancient Vietnamese village about 47 kilometres from Hanoi is a gem of a place to visit. We went one weekend to see for ourselves. The market was in full swing when we arrived in the village. We parked and started to go around this typical Vietnamese rural village. But many things are not typical here in Duong Lam.

Some of the old structures, pagodas, ancestral homes, common houses, and wells date back hundreds of years. Two Vietnamese kings were also born here.

Old Stove in Duong Lam ©aesta1 All rights reserved.

Going around the village, old doors and windows intrigued us as they often do. Then, the owners of some of these family pagodas invited us to come in and have a peek at these ancient structures. We were really impressed with how well preserved some are. The furniture were still there as well as the tools they used to polish the rice and to grind the corn. They still have their family wells and some still cook in the old kitchen.

One ancestral pagoda, about 400 years old, surprised us most especially because it was Holy Saturday. This pagoda did not have the usual statues. Instead, at the centre is the picture of Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help and around are pictures of saints in the Catholic Church. The owner's grandfather became Catholic during the French period so he has an altar in his pagoda.

Aside from this, he showed us how he makes rice wine. In fact, he made us sample some. It was sweet with a lovely smell.

We visited the 18th century Mong Phu communal house as well as the other family pagodas. The people are very friendly. We ended our visit in the Mia Pagoda and joined the locals in asking for a blessing.

Other Places to Explore in Vietnam:

West Lake, Hanoi
Perfume Pagoda

Hoa Lo Prison

We are now in Hanoi and live right beside Hoa Lo Prison. After avoiding it for over a month, I finally decided to go in. The entrance is only $1.

American friends I hang out with were not keen to go as they'd rather not remember anymore of that war. But my curiosity got the better of me and I went in. I, then, realized that this is not just the prison for the Americans. Built in the 1890's by the French, it was the prison for the Vietnamese resisting French rule.

What is interesting is how this prison got its name. It used to be the village of ceramic producers. All the time, they fired pottery kilns thus their village was known as Hoa Lo (fired pottery kilns). These potters were of course moved by the French when they decided to build this prison to house the many Vietnamese at that time who started to demand independence.

There are displays of letters of these brave men and women, things they did while in prison and pictures of their food and health conditions.

During the war in Vietnam where the Americans got involved, American prisoners were placed here. Most of them were airforce men the most popular of whom was Senator McCain who came back to visit the place. Pictures of these American prisoners are also on display most of the good days they have including their march to the airport after they had been freed.

It is worth visiting as a memorial to the bravery of both the Vietnamese and the Americans.

Other Interesting Places to Visit in Hanoi:

West Lake

The Temple of Literature in Hanoi

One Saturday morning going on our usual walk, I suggested that we go to the Temple of Literature as we really have not done much tourism since we arrived here in Hanoi.

Knowing that it is just an easy walk from where we stay, off we went with our map. And we were pleasantly surprised. Confucius is at the centre of the temple which is dedicated to sages and Confucian scholars.

This first University of Vietnam was constructed in 1076 and today, it still has its ancient architectural style and its relics.

Many students scheduled to take their exams are there asking the sages and scholars for help. You can easily spend a morning there understanding the system they used at that time.

Other Places to Visit in Vietnam:

Perfume Pagoda
West Lake
Duong Lam Village