art

Paris est une fête (2025)

j050807 art, site touristique, Paris, Villes

Paris est toujours une fête

Khu phố sang trọng của Paris được thắp sáng bởi những mặt tiền của các thương hiệu lớn của Pháp và nước ngoài ở đường  Saint Honoré và quảng trường Vendôme vào dịp cuối năm 2025.

Le quartier chic de Paris est illuminé par les façades des grandes marques françaises et étrangères à la rue Saint Honoré et à la place Vendôme à l’occasion de la fin de l’année 2025.

The upscale district of Paris is illuminated by the storefronts of major French and international brands on Saint Honoré Street and Vendôme Square at the end of 2025.

2025_PARIS

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Năm Ngọ nói chuyện ngựa

j050807 art, Chine, Histoire, Lịch sử, Văn Hóa, Vietnam

Parlons ensemble de Cheval

en cette année du Cheval de feu

Version française
Version anglaise
Galerie des photos

Ngựa là loại động vật mà không biết từ lúc nào bị loài người chinh phục được, nuôi dưởng và thuần hóa nó khiến nó trở thành từ đó một gia súc có lợi trong mọi cộng tác xê dịch, vận tải và chiến chinh. Nó là con vật không chỉ có sức mạnh phi thường, dẻo dai mà còn lại rất trung thành với chủ khiến nó  đựợc xem một vũ khí lợi hại trong binh mã. Những chiến công hiển hách ở đất nước ta đều có sự tham gia của ngựa. Bởi vậy vua chúa ta hay thường tri ân ngày xưa bằng cách tạc hình ngựa voi bằng đồng bằng đá cùng các quan văn quan  võ với quân sĩ để minh chứng những thời oanh liệt của dân tộc ta chống ngọai xâm. Người với ngựa như hình với bóng trong thời chinh chíến, chia sẻ gian truân cùng chung số phận. Không chỉ nữ sĩ  Đoàn Thị Điểm đã nhắc lại sự việc nầy trong « Chinh Phụ Ngâm»:

Hơi gió lạnh người rầu mặt dạn
Dòng nước sâu ngựa nản chân bon
Ôm yên gối trống đã chồn
Nằm vùng cát trắng, ngủ cồn rêu xanh

Còn Thái Thượng Hoàng Trần Thánh Tông bùi ngùi khi trở về kinh thành sau chiến thắng giặc Nguyên Mông và thấy những con ngựa đá, chân còn dính bùn ở trước ngọ môn,  phải thốt lên trong lễ hiến phu hai câu thơ như sau:

Xã  tắc hai phen bon ngựa đá
Non sông thiên cổ vững âu vàng.

Trong truyền thuyết nước ta có hai lần nhắc đến con ngựa. Lần đầu ở  trong truyền thánh Gióng tức là Phù Đổng Thiên Vương. Dưới thời ngự trị của vua Hùng Vương thứ VI thì có giặc Ân-Thương  ở  bên Tàu rất hùng mạnh xâm chiếm nước ta. Vua buộc lòng sai người đi rao khắp nơi để kiếm người tài năng ra giúp nước diệt giặc.  Lúc bấy giờ ở làng Phù Đổng tỉnh Bắc Ninh có một đứa  trẻ  còn nằm nôi, nghe sứ giả đi mộ khắp dân gian xem có ai phá được giặc thì ban cho tước lộc. Bé dậy hỏi mẹ, mẹ mới bảo rõ ràng như vậy. Thánh Gióng mới nói: « Thế thì mẹ đem nhiều cơm đến đây cho con ăn » theo lời kể trong Việt Điện U Linh. Ngài mới ăn vài chén cơm.

Mấy tháng sau ngài cao lớn lên, rồi tự ra ứng mộ. Sứ giả thấy lạ mới đem ngài về kinh sư. Theo lời thỉnh cầu của ngài, vua  mới cho người đúc một con ngựa sắt và một chiếc roi dài cũng bằng sắt. Sau khi ăn mấy nong cơm mới thổi xong, ngài mới vươn vai một cái thì ngài cao lớn hơn 10 thước rồi ngài nhảy lên lưng ngựa, cầm côn sắt mà hét lớn « Ta là thiên tướng đấy »  rồi phi thẳng ra chiến trường. Ở nơi nầy, ngài thì hoa côn, ngựa thì phun lửa, giết vô số quân địch khiến nỗi làm côn gãy và buộc lòng nhổ tre mà đánh tiếp khiến quân Ân tẩu tán khắp nơi. Sau đó ngài phóng ngựa lên núi Sốc Sơn rồi biến mất. Vua Hùng nhớ ơn mới truyền lập đền thờ ở làng Phù Đổng thuộc huyện Gia Lâm ngoài thành Hà Nội. Năm nào cũng có lễ hội để tưởng nhớ ngài cả vào ngày mùng 8 tháng 4.

Chúng ta nên nhớ lại  nước ta rất rộng lớn lúc bấy giờ tên là Văn Lang  được  giáp  tới Nam Hải  (Quảng Đông) ở phiá đông, phía tây với  Ba Thục (hay Tứ Xuyên), ở phía bắc thì tới Ðộng Ðình hồ (Hồ Nam) và phía nam với vương quốc Hồ Tôn tức là Chiêm Thành (Chămpa). Dân tộc ta là nhóm dân Bách Việt còn sống thời đó ở vùng sông Dương Tử bên Tàu.

Trong Kinh Dịch được dịch bởi giáo sư  Bùi Văn Nguyên thì tác giả có nói đến một cuộc viễn chinh quân sự được thực hiện trong vòng ba năm bởi vua hiếu chiến của nhà Ân-Thương tên là  Vũ Định (Wu Ding)  ở  vùng Ðộng Ðình Hồ  (Kinh Châu) chống lại các dân du mục, thường được gọi là  « Qủi ». Dù biết là truyền thuyết nhưng với các cuộc khai quật gần đây, các cuộc thí nghiệm ADN, thì truyền thuyết nầy không phải chuyện hoang đường mà nó nói lên có sự xung đột giữa dân tộc ta với nhà Ân. Bởi vậy nước Văn Lang không có thiết lập bất kỳ mối quan hệ thương mại nào ở thời đó với nhà Ân-Thương cả.

Lần thứ nhì, ngựa được nhắc đến trong truyên Sơn Tinh Thủy Tinh. Trong truyền thuyết nầy, vua Hùng vương thứ 18 có một người con gái là Mị Nương, sắc đẹp lạ thường. Khi đến tuổi lấy chồng, tiếng tăm của nàng lại càng vang lên ở khắp bốn phương. Nhà vua quyết định chọn cho nàng một người chồng tài giỏi. Lúc đó có hai chàng trai, thông minh và tuấn tú, tình cờ đến cùng một lúc và xin cầu  hôn  Mị Nương. Một người được gọi là Sơn Tinh, chúa của các vùng núi non cao và các rừng sâu, còn người kia là Thủy Tinh, chúa các của các sông nòi và biển cả thăm thẳm.

Băn khoăn, vua cha không biết phải chọn người nào vì cả hai đều có tài năng vô song và quyền lực vô hạn nên mới bày ra thữ thách như sau: một trăm đĩa xôi, một con voi chín ngà, một con gà trống chín cựa, một con ngựa chín hồng mao. Người nào đem đến trước  với sính lễ nầy được làm chồng của Mị Nương.

Ngày hôm sau, lúc rạng đông, Sơn Tinh đến trước với đầy đủ lễ vật và đưa người đẹp lên núi. Vừa hoang mang vừa tức giận, Thủy Tinh lao tới, dâng cao lên mực nước, quyết định vào núi bắt cóc Mị Nương. Sơn Tinh nâng núi cao hơn nữa. Thủy Tinh trổ tài năng của mình, đánh đuổi gió bão, sấm chớp làm rung chuyển cả núi rừng. Sơn Tinh giữ núi một cách vững vàng. Thủy Tinh nhờ đến thủy binh mà xông lên theo dòng nước, xông pha toàn lực. Sơn Tinh dùng các lưới sắt, cắt  đường tiếp tế,  lăn đá lấp hồn và đè bẹp  các thủy quái trôi dạt vào bờ. Chuyện nầy được kể lại trong Lĩnh Nam Chích Quái của Trần Thế Pháp dưới tên là Truyện núi Tản Viên. Cứ hàng năm cở tháng bảy tháng tám dân ở vùng chân núi nầy hay thường bị gió to nước lớn làm ruộng đồng bị thiệt hại. 

Trong sính lễ có một con ngựa chín hồng mao. Vậy nó phải là con ngựa phi thường, nó phải như thế nào mới được chọn trong sính lễ.  Cho đến giờ  thì  người xưa có nhắc đến  Ngựa Hạc (lông trắng toát), Ngựa Kim (lông trắng), Ngựa Hởi (lông trắng, bốn chân đen), Ngựa Hồng (lông màu nâu –hồng), Ngựa Tía (lông màu đỏ thắm) vân vân  vậy con ngựa chín hồng mao tức là phải có chín cái lông màu hồng, nó  phải có nên mới có ghi chú trong truyền thuyết nhưng chắc chắn nó phải hiếm hoi như ngựa hãn huyết ((mồ hôi đỏ như máu) (Hãn huyết bảo mã)) mà  được mang về  Trường An  bởi Trương Kiên vào năm -114 trước Công nguyên. Kích thước, tốc độ và sức mạnh của các con ngựa nầy  làm hài lòng vua Hán Vũ Đế vô cùng. Ngài không ngần ngại đặt cho những con ngựa này  với cái tên là « thiên mã » (tianma) (thiên mã). (thiên mã= ngựa trời). Chính vì con ngựa nầy mà Hán Vũ Đế  buộc lòng phải tổ chức cuộc thám hiểm quân sự tốn hao quá mức không chỉ về trang bị và ngựa mà còn nhân mạng nửa  để có một kết quả không đáng với khoảng ba mươi con  thiên mã và ba nghìn con ngựa giống và ngựa cái bình thường. Nói đúng ra Hán Vũ Đế  cảm thấy bị sĩ nhục trước  sự từ chối cung cấp các con ngựa  nầy để đổi lấy quà tặng của nước Đại Uyên (Daiyuan), một tiểu vương quốc  nằm ở trong thung lũng Ferghana. Con ngựa thiên mã nầy nó trở thành biểu tượng quyền lực của Hán Vũ Đế và cũng nhờ đó mới có sự ra đời của con đường tơ lụa.

Tuy là truyền thuyết nhưng chuyện Sơn Tinh Thủy Tinh cũng nói lên một phần nào lũ lụt triên miên mà dân tộc ta phải cam chịu lúc còn cư trú ở hạ  lưu sông Dương Tử (văn hóa Lương Chử) và cho đến ngày nay  ở đất nước ta.

Nói đến ngựa chúng ta cũng không quên nhắc đến « Trảm Mã Trà ». Đây là một loại trà đước chế biến từ búp trà lên men trong bao tử ngựa khiến nó  có hương vị đặc biệt và làm giảm  đi độ chát. Cách chế biến nầy  được xuất phát từ núi Vu Sơn ở  Tứ Xuyên. Để lấy được trà này, người ta  phải bỏ đói ngựa vài ngày trước. Khi đến chân núi Vu Sơn thì ngựa được người thả ra. Bị bỏ đói gặp được rừng trà xanh non thì  ngựa vội vã ăn cho tới khi no bụng. Sau đó, con ngựa bị lùa ra khe suối gần  núi. Suối ở đây  hay th ường  có lá trà rụng xuống khiến lá bị  nát mủn nên nước suối  có màu đen và được gọi là suối Ô Long. Ngựa uống nước suối xong xuôi thì được đưa trở về nơi xuất phát. Lá trà trong bụng ngựa đã ngấm đều với nước suối Ô Long và lên men sau khoảng một ngày đường đi. Lúc nầy  con ngựa mới bị giết để lấy trà trong bao tử mà làm thành một loại trà độc đáo dành bán cho giới qúi tộc. Cách chế biến nầy cũng không thua chi cách chế biến gan ngỗng ở Pháp quốc nhưng cách biến chế nầy có phần cầu kỳ và kinh dị đấy.

Ai có đến Hà Nội  thì sẽ có  dịp đến viếng thăm đền Bạch Mã. Nó tọa lạc ngày nay ở phố Hàng Buồm. Đây là một trong tứ trấn của thành Thăng Long xưa: Đền Quán Thánh (trấn giữ phía Bắc kinh thành), Đền Kim Liên (trấn giữ phía Nam kinh thành),  Đền Voi Phục (trấn giữ phía Tây kinh thành)  và Đền Bạch Mã ((trấn giữ phía Đông). Nó được xây dựng từ thế kỷ 9 để thờ thần Long Đỗ (Rốn Rồng). Khi vua Lý Thái Tổ dởi đô từ Hoa Lư về Thăng Long thì ngài  có ý đắp thành cho vững chắc nhưng lúc nào thành cũng bị sụp nên vua sai người  đi cầu khẩn thần Long Đỗ  ở đền thì thấy một  con ngựa trắng ở trong đền đi ra. Nhờ  theo vết chân của ngựa, vua mới xây được  thành  vững  chắc.  Vua Lý Thái Tổ mới  phong thần làm thành hoàng của kinh thành Thăng Long.

Trong sách chữ Hán lại có câu: « Hồ Mã tê Bắc phong; Việt điểu sào Nam chi » có nghĩa là: Ngựa đất Hồ vào miền Trung nguyên thấy gió bắc thổi thì hí lên còn chim đất Việt vào miền Trung nguyên vẫn làm tổ ở cành phía Nam. Theo truyền thuyết thì ngoài lễ  sính vật như vàng ngọc châu báu, voi, tê giác,  Hùng Vương còn  biếu  cho vua Tàu một con bạch trĩ.  Con nầy  đựợc  nuôi trong vườn thượng uyển. Lúc nào nó cũng kiếm đậu ở các cành cây hướng về phía nam.  Bởi vậy mới có thành ngữ  « Chim Việt đậu cành Nam » để ám chỉ  người Việt dù ở nơi nào đi nữa lúc nào cũng nhớ quê hương và nước non. Còn con ngựa Hồ, đây là một phẩm cống mà Hán Vũ Đế  nhận được từ nước Hồ nằm phía bắc Trung Hoa. Nó cứ buồn rầu không ăn uống chi cả chỉ khi có gió bắc thì nó hí lên một cách thảm thiết.

Như ta được biết ngựa rất trung thành với chủ nhân cũng như chó. Bởi vậy ở Việt Nam nơi nào có chùa của người Hoa thì có thờ  Quan Vũ, một vị tướng nổi tiếng thời Tam Quốc thì bên cạnh ông luôn luôn có một con ngựa đựợc tạc tượng tên lả Xích Thố. Con ngựa nầy theo ông lập nhiều chiến công. Đến khi  Quan Vũ bị giết, con ngựa Xich Thố  này bỏ ăn rồi chết theo. Từ nay ngựa Xích Thố trong văn hóa dân gian lại gắn liền với hình tượng nhân vật Quan Vũ (Quan Công). 

Mỗi năm được tượng trưng bởi một con vật trong Âm lịch nước ta. Như vây năm 2026  là năm con ngựa (hay Ngọ) được chọn trong 12 con vật. Theo thuật số  thì có 4 con vật  xung khắc với nhau  trong các năm tuổi như đã quy đinh trong câu: « Tý Ngọ Mẹo  Dậu tứ hành xung ». Như vậy ai mà tuổi ngọ năm nay  là cái tuổi  đang nhiều vận hạn  mà còn xung khắc với các năm Mẹo, Dậu và Tý.

Ở Việt Nam nhất là ở trong Nam hay thường dung chữ «ngựa » để ám chỉ các phụ nữ  hư thân mất nết hay dữ tợn, lúc nào cũng lồng lên như ngựa thượng tứ. Ngựa nầy xuất phát từ cửa Thượng Tứ ở Huế, nơi có cái trại nuôi ngựa của hoàng gia.  Ngựa nuôi ở đây là loại ngựa chiến, rất dữ tợn, lúc nào rừng rực nhất là với mùa hứng tình lồng lộn ưa hí. Bởi vậy mới có sự kết hợp giữa từ đĩ của miền Bắc và từ ngựa Thượng Tứ ở miền Trung để rồi trở thành từ đó cái thói quen, lối chưởi của  người miền Nam đế  nói lên sự khinh miệt đối với các phụ nữ mất nết na thùy mị và đoan trang.

Version française

Le cheval est un animal dont on ne sait pas depuis quand il a été conquis, élevé et domestiqué par l’homme, ce qui en a fait depuis lors un bétail utile dans tous les types de déplacement, de transport et de guerre. C’est un animal non seulement fort et résistant, mais aussi très fidèle à son maître, ce qui en fait une arme redoutable dans la cavalerie. De nombreuses victoires glorieuses de notre pays ont été remportées grâce aux chevaux. C’est pourquoi nos rois ont souvent rendu hommage au passé en sculptant des chevaux et des éléphants en bronze ou en pierre ainsi que des mandarins et des soldats civils et militaires, pour commémorer les périodes glorieuses de la résistance de notre nation contre les envahisseurs étrangers. 

L’homme et le cheval sont inséparables en temps de guerre, partageant les difficultés et le même destin. La poétesse Đoàn Thị Điểm a rappelé cet événement dans « Chinh Phụ Ngâm (La complainte de la femme d’un guerrier) » comme suit:

Le souffle du vent froid  froisse le visage impassible
Dans l’eau profonde, le cheval découragé peine à s’avancer.
S’appuyant sur un coussin vide avec la selle posée dessus, il a été épuisé.
Couché  sur les dunes de sable blanc, il dort au milieu de monticules verdoyants et moussus.

Étant de  retour dans la capitale après sa victoire contre  les envahisseurs mongols et voyant les chevaux de pierre aux sabots couverts de boue devant la porte Ngọ Môn, l’empereur émérite Trần Thánh Tông s’exclama dans les deux vers suivants lors de la cérémonie d’offrande :

La nation a été ballottée deux fois par des chevaux de pierre,
Les montagnes et les rivières resteront inébranlables pour l’éternité.

Dans les légendes vietnamiennes, les chevaux sont mentionnés à deux reprises. La première fois, c’est dans la légende de Saint Gióng, également connu sous le nom de Phù Đổng Thiên Vương. Sous le règne du roi Hùng Vương VI, les puissants envahisseurs Yin-Shang venus de Chine déferlèrent sur leterritoire vietnamien. Le roi fut contraint d’envoyer des messagers à travers le pays afin de recruter des personnes talentueuses capables d’aider la nation à repousser les envahisseurs. À cette époque, dans le village de Phù Đổng de la province de Bắc Ninh, un bébé, encore dans son berceau, entendit les messagers parcourir le pays, recrutant des hommes pour voir si quelqu’un pourrait vaincre les envahisseurs, et leur promettant titres et récompenses. Le bébé se réveilla et interrogea sa mère, qui lui expliqua la situation. 

Selon le récit du Việt Điển U Linh, saint Gióng dit : « Mère, apporte-moi du riz en abondance. » Il n’en mangea que quelques bols. Quelques mois plus tard, il grandit et se porta volontaire pour la guerre. Surpris, le messager le conduisit à la capitale. À sa demande, le roi fit forger un cheval de fer et un long fouet. Après avoir mangé plusieurs paniers de riz fraîchement cuit, il  s’étira et grandit jusqu’à atteindre plus de dix mètres. Puis il sauta alors sur le dos du cheval. En s’emparant du fouet, il cria : « Je suis un général céleste ! » et il galopa droit vers le champ de bataille.

Là, il brandit son fouet et il tua ainsi d’innombrables soldats ennemis  avec son cheval crachant du feu,. Son bâton se brisa,  ce qui l’obligea à déraciner des bambous pour poursuivre le combat et  il dispersa l’armée Yin dans toutes les directions. Puis, il lança le cheval vers le mont Sóc Sơn et il disparut. En se souvenant de sa bravoure, le roi Hùng ordonna la construction d’un temple dans le village de Phù Đổng, district de Gia Lâm, près de Hanoï. Chaque année, un festival est organisé en son honneur le huitième jour du quatrième mois lunaire.

Nous devons nous rappeler que notre pays était très vaste à cette époque, appelé Văn Lang, bordé à l’est par la mer du Sud (Guangdong), à l’ouest par Ba Thục (ou Sichuan), au nord par le lac Dongting (Hunan) et au sud par le royaume de Hồ Tôn, c’est-à-dire Chiêm Thành (Chămpa). Notre peuple appartenait au groupe ethnique Bai Yue, encore vivant à cette époque dans la région du fleuve Yangtsé en Chine.

Dans le Livre des Mutations traduit par le professeur Bùi Văn Nguyên, l’auteur parle d’une expédition militaire menée pendant trois ans par le roi belliqueux de la dynastie Yin-Shang nommé Wu Ding dans la région du lac Dongting (Jingzhou) contre des peuples nomades, souvent appelés « Qủi ». Bien que ce soit une légende, grâce aux récentes fouilles archéologiques et aux tests ADN, cette légende n’est pas une fable mais témoigne d’un conflit entre notre peuple et la dynastie Yin. C’est pourquoi le royaume de Văn Lang n’a établi aucune relation commerciale avec la dynastie Yin-Shang à cette époque.
La deuxième fois, le cheval est mentionné dans la légende de Sơn Tinh et Thủy Tinh. Dans cette légende, le 18ème roi Hùng a une fille nommée Mị Nương, d’une beauté exceptionnelle. À l’âge de se marier, sa renommée s’étend dans toutes les directions. Le roi décide de lui choisir un mari talentueux. À ce moment-là, deux jeunes hommes, intelligents et beaux, arrivent par hasard en même temps et demandent la main de Mị Nương. L’un est appelé Sơn Tinh, seigneur des montagnes et des forêts profondes, et l’autre est Thủy Tinh, seigneur des rivières et des vastes océans.

Après trois jours et trois nuits,  Thủy Tinh  battu davantage chaque jour, fut obligé de retirer ses troupes et ramener les flots. Pour assurer sa tranquillité Sơn Tinh opéra le miracle d’élever les deux montagnes des époux au plus haut dans l’endroit  des demeures des Dieux. Plus tard, le peuple les appellera Montagne du Monsieur et Montagne de la Dame, au pied desquelles un temple fut dédié à Sơn Tinh et à Mị Nương. Cette légende a été rapportée dans l’ouvrage intitulé   » Lĩnh Nam Chích Quái (ou les contes étranges à Lĩnh Nam) » de Trần Thế Pháp sous  le nom du titre « Histoire de la montagne Tản Viên ». Tous les ans vers le mois de juillet ou Août, les habitants vivant au pied de cette montagne ont l’habitude de subir le vent puissant et violent et la grande inondation provoquant ainsi des dégâts importants au niveau de la récolte. 

Dans la dot, il y avait un cheval aux neuf crins roses. Il devait donc être un cheval exceptionnel, il fallait qu’il soit ainsi pour être choisi dans la dot. Jusqu’à présent, les anciens ont mentionné le Cheval Grue (robe et crinière toute blanche), le Cheval Or (robe blanche), le Cheval Hởi (robe blanche, quatre pattes noires), le Cheval Rose (robe de couleur brun-rose), le Cheval Pourpre (robe de couleur rouge vif), etc. Ainsi, le cheval aux neuf crins roses signifie qu’il doit posséder neuf crins de couleur rose. Il devait en avoir ainsi pour être signalé  dans la légende, mais il est certain qu’il devait être rare comme le cheval suant du sang (Hãn huyết bảo mã) que  Zhang Qian ramena à Chang An en l’an 114 avant J.-C. La taille, la vitesse et la force de ces chevaux contentèrent énormément l’empereur Han Wudi. Il n’hésita pas à donner à ces chevaux le nom de « tianma » (cheval céleste). (tianma = cheval du ciel). C’est à cause de ce cheval que l’empereur Han Wudi fut contraint d’organiser une expédition militaire extrêmement coûteuse, non seulement en équipement et en chevaux, mais aussi en vies humaines, pour un résultat qui ne valait pas la peine, avec environ trente chevaux célestes et trois mille chevaux reproducteurs et juments ordinaires. En réalité, l’empereur Han Wudi se sentit humilié par le refus de fournir ces chevaux en échange de cadeaux du royaume de Daiyuan, un petit royaume situé dans la vallée de Ferghana. Ce cheval céleste devint un symbole de pouvoir pour l’empereur Han Wudi et c’est grâce à lui que la route de la soie vit le jour.

En parlant des chevaux, nous ne pouvons pas oublier de mentionner le « Trảm Mã Trà (décapiter le cheval pour l’obtention du thé) ». C’est un type de thé fabriqué à partir de bourgeons de thé fermentés dans l’estomac d’un cheval, ce qui lui confère une saveur particulière  réduisant ainsi l’astringence. Cette méthode de préparation provient de la  montagne Wushan (Vũ Sơn) dans le Sichuan. Pour obtenir ce thé, on doit affamer le cheval durant quelques jours au préalable. Arrivés au pied de la montagne Wushan, le cheval est relâché par les hommes. Affamé, il se précipite pour manger les jeunes feuilles de thé vert jusqu’à  ce qu’il soit rassasié. Ensuite, le cheval est conduit vers un ruisseau près de la montagne. Ce ruisseau contient souvent des feuilles de thé tombées qui se désagrègent et donnent à l’eau une couleur noire. Ce ruisseau est  connu sous le nom  » Ô Long« . Après avoir bu cette eau, le cheval est ramené à son point de départ. Les feuilles de thé dans l’estomac du cheval ont absorbé l’eau du ruisseau Ô Long et ont fermenté pendant environ une journée de voyage. C’est alors que le cheval est abattu pour récupérer le thé dans son estomac. Ce thé est transformé en un thé unique destiné à la vente aux nobles. Cette méthode de préparation n’est pas moins raffinée que celle du foie gras en France, mais elle est quelque peu complexe et macabre.

Quiconque visite Hanoï aura l’occasion de découvrir le temple Bạch Mã (Cheval Blanc), situé aujourd’hui à la rue Hàng Buồm (Rue des voiles). Il fait partie des quatre temples gardiens de l’ancienne citadelle de Thăng Long: le temple Quan Thánh (gardien du nord de la citadelle), le temple Kim Liên (gardien du sud), le temple Voi Phục (gardien de l’Ouest) et le temple Bạch Mã (gardien de l’Est). Il fut construit au IXème siècle en l’honneur du génie  Long Đỗ (Nom du Dragon).

Lors du transfert de la capitale de Hoa Lư à Thăng Long, le roi Lý Thái Tổ souhaita y bâtir une citadelle imprenable mais celle-ci s’effondrait sans cesse. Il envoya alors des hommes d’aller  prier le génie Long Đỗ au temple. Ils y virent l’apparition  d’un cheval blanc. En suivant ses empreintes laissées par cet équidé dans sa marche, ils réussirent à édifier solidement la citadelle. Lý Thái Tổ conféra désormais  à ce génie le titre de dieu tutélaire de Thăng Long.

Dans les livres en caractères chinois, il y a une phrase : « Hồ Mã tê Bắc phong ; Việt điểu sào Nam chi » qui signifie : Le cheval du pays des Hồ, arrivé dans la plaine centrale, hennit quand il sent le vent du nord  tandis que l’oiseau du pays  des Vietnamiens se trouvant dans la même plaine, fait toujours son nid sur la branche du sud. Selon la légende, en plus des offrandes comme l’or, les bijoux précieux, les éléphants et les rhinocéros, le roi Hùng a également offert au roi chinois un faisan blanc. Ce dernier était élevé dans un jardin impérial. Il cherchait toujours à se percher sur les branches orientées vers le sud. C’est ainsi qu’est née l’expression « L’oiseau des Vietnamiens se perche sur la branche du sud »  faisant référence au fait que les Vietnamiens  où qu’ils soient, n’oublient jamais leur pays natal et leur patrie. Quant au cheval des Hồ, il s’agit bien  d’un tribut que l’empereur Han Wudi a reçu du royaume des Hồ, situé au nord de la Chine. Cet équidé triste, ne mangeait rien, et ne hennissait que d’une manière lamentable lorsqu’il y avait le souffle du vent venant du nord.

Comme chacun sait, le cheval est aussi fidèle à son  propriétaire comme le chien. C’est pourquoi, au Vietnam, à proximité de chaque temple chinois, se dresse toujours une statue de Guan Yu, le célèbre général de l’époque des Trois Royaumes. Son cheval nommé Xích Thố, l’accompagna dans de nombreuses victoires. À la mort de Guan Yu, le cheval Xích Thố cessa de s’alimenter et mourut avec lui. Dès lors, dans le folklore, le cheval Xích Thố  fut associé à l’image de Guan Yu (Guan Gong).

Dans le calendrier lunaire vietnamien, chaque année est symbolisée par un animal. Ainsi, 2026 est l’année du Cheval (ou Ngọ), choisie parmi les douze animaux. Selon la numérologie, quatre animaux sont en conflit au cours des années zodiacales, comme l’indique le proverbe : « Tý, Ngọ, Mẹo, Dậu sont  les quatre animaux antagonistes (Rat, Cheval, Chat, Coq). » Par conséquent, les personnes nées sous  l’année du Cheval connaissent de nombreux malheurs et sont également en conflit avec les années des animaux Mẹo (Chat), Dậu (Coq) et Tý (Rat).

Au Vietnam, surtout dans le sud, on utilise souvent le mot « cheval » pour désigner les femmes débauchées, sans morale ou méchantes, toujours en colère comme un cheval de Thượng Tứ. Ce cheval vient de la porte Thượng Tứ à Huế, où se trouvait un lieu d’élevage de chevaux de la royauté. Ceux-ci sont des chevaux de guerre, très féroces, toujours les plus excités surtout pendant la saison des amours où ils hennissent bruyamment. C’est pourquoi il y a une combinaison entre le mot « prostituée » du Nord et le mot « cheval de Thượng Tứ » du Centre, qui est devenue ainsi cette habitude, cette manière d’insulter des gens du Sud pour exprimer leur mépris envers les femmes sans morale.

Version anglaise

The horse is an animal whose conquest, breeding, and domestication by man are of unknown antiquity, which has since made it a useful beast for all kinds of travel, transport, and war. It is an animal not only strong and hardy, but also very loyal to its master, which makes it a formidable weapon in the cavalry. Many of our country’s glorious victories were won thanks to horses. That is why our kings often paid tribute to the past by sculpting horses and elephants in bronze or stone as well as mandarins and civil and military soldiers, to commemorate the glorious periods of our nation’s resistance against foreign invaders.

Man and horse are inseparable in wartime, sharing hardships and the same fate. The poet Đoàn Thị Điểm recalled this event in “Chinh Phụ Ngâm (The Lament of the Soldier’s Wife)” as follows:

The breath of the cold wind wrinkles the impassive face
In the deep water, the discouraged horse struggles to move forward.
Leaning on an empty cushion with the saddle placed on it, it is exhausted.
Lying on the white sand dunes, it sleeps amid verdant, mossy mounds.

Back in the capital after his victory against the Mongol invaders and seeing the stone horses with mud-covered hooves in front of the Ngọ Môn gate, the retired emperor Trần Thánh Tông exclaimed the following two lines during the offering ceremony:

The nation has been tossed twice by stone horses,
The mountains and rivers will remain unshakable for eternity.

In Vietnamese legends, horses are mentioned twice. The first time is in the legend of Saint Gióng, also known as Phù Đổng Thiên Vương. During the reign of King Hùng Vương VI, the powerful Yin-Shang invaders from China swept over Vietnamese territory. The king was forced to send messengers throughout the country to recruit talented people capable of helping the nation repel the invaders. At that time, in the village of Phù Đổng in Bắc Ninh province, a baby, still in his cradle, heard the messengers traveling the country, recruiting men to see if anyone could defeat the invaders, and promising them titles and rewards. The baby woke and questioned his mother, who explained the situation to him.

According to the account in Việt Điển U Linh, Saint Gióng said: « Mother, bring me abundant rice. » He ate only a few bowls. A few months later, he grew up and volunteered for the war. Surprised, the messenger took him to the capital. At his request, the king had an iron horse and a long whip forged. After eating several baskets of freshly cooked rice, he stretched and grew until he reached more than ten meters. Then he jumped onto the horse’s back. Seizing the whip, he cried, « I am a celestial general! » and he galloped straight toward the battlefield.

There, he brandished his whip and thus killed countless enemy soldiers with his horse spitting fire. His staff broke, which forced him to uproot bamboos to continue the fight and he scattered the Yin army in all directions. Then, he sent the horse toward Sóc Sơn Mountain and disappeared. In remembrance of his bravery, King Hùng ordered the construction of a temple in the village of Phù Đổng, Gia Lâm district, near Hanoi. Each year, a festival is held in his honor on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month.

We must remember that our country was very vast at that time, called Văn Lang, bordered on the east by the South Sea (Guangdong), on the west by Ba Thục (or Sichuan), to the north by Dongting Lake (Hunan) and to the south by the kingdom of Hồ Tôn, that is Chiêm Thành (Chămpa). Our people belonged to the Bai Yue ethnic group, still living at that time in the Yangtze River region of China.

In the Book of Changes translated by Professor Bùi Văn Nguyên, the author speaks of a military expedition lasting three years led by the warlike king of the Yin-Shang dynasty named Wu Ding in the Dongting Lake (Jingzhou) region against nomadic peoples, often called « Qủi« . Although it is a legend, thanks to recent archaeological excavations and DNA tests, this legend is not a fable but attests to a conflict between our people and the Yin dynasty. That is why the kingdom of Văn Lang established no commercial relations with the Yin-Shang dynasty at that time.

The second time, the horse is mentioned in the legend of Sơn Tinh and Thủy Tinh. In this legend, the 18th King Hùng has a daughter named Mị Nương, of exceptional beauty. At marriageable age, her renown spreads in all directions. The king decides to choose a talented husband for her. At that moment, two young men, intelligent and handsome, happen to arrive at the same time and ask for Mị Nương’s hand. One is called Sơn Tinh, lord of the mountains and deep forests, and the other is Thủy Tinh, lord of the rivers and vast oceans.

After three days and three nights, Thủy Tinh, beaten more each day, was forced to withdraw his troops and bring back the floods. To ensure his peace, Sơn Tinh performed the miracle of raising the two husband-and-wife mountains to the highest place among the abodes of the Gods. Later, the people would call them the Mister Mountain and the Miss Mountain, at the foot of which a temple was dedicated to Sơn Tinh and Mị Nương. This legend was recorded in the work entitled « Lĩnh Nam Chích Quái (or the strange tales of Lĩnh Nam) » by Trần Thế Pháp under the title « The Story of Tản Viên Mountain« . Every year around July or August, the inhabitants living at the foot of this mountain are accustomed to enduring powerful and violent winds and great flooding, thus causing significant damage to the crops.

In the dowry, there was a horse with nine pink manes. It therefore had to be an exceptional horse; it had to be like that to be chosen as part of the dowry. To this day, the elders have mentioned the Crane Horse (coat and mane all white), the Gold Horse (white coat), the Hởi Horse (white coat, four black legs), the Pink Horse (brown-pink colored coat), the Purple Horse (bright red colored coat), etc. Thus, the horse with nine pink manes means that it must have nine manes of pink color.

He must have been such to be noted in legend, but it is certain that he must have been rare like the blood-sweating horse (Hãn huyết bảo mã) that Zhang Qian brought back to Chang’an in 114 BC. The size, speed and strength of these horses greatly pleased Emperor Han Wudi. He did not hesitate to give these horses the name « tianma » (heavenly horse). (tianma = horse of the sky). It was because of this horse that Emperor Han Wudi was forced to organize an extremely costly military expedition, not only in equipment and horses, but also in human lives, for a result that was not worth it, with about thirty heavenly horses and three thousand breeding stallions and ordinary mares. In reality, Emperor Han Wudi felt humiliated by the refusal to provide these horses in exchange for gifts from the kingdom of Dayuan, a small kingdom located in the Ferghana valley. This heavenly horse became a symbol of power for Emperor Han Wudi and it is thanks to it that the Silk Road came into being.

Speaking of horses, we cannot forget to mention « Trảm Mã Trà (decapitate the horse to obtain the tea). » It is a type of tea made from tea buds fermented in the stomach of a horse, which gives it a particular flavor that reduces astringency. This preparation method comes from Wushan (Vũ Sơn) mountain in Sichuan. To obtain this tea, the horse must be starved for a few days beforehand. Upon reaching the foot of Wushan mountain, the horse is released by the men. Hungry, it rushes to eat the young green tea leaves until it is full. Then the horse is led to a stream near the mountain. This stream often contains fallen tea leaves that break down and give the water a black color. This stream is known as « Ô Long. » After drinking this water, the horse is returned to its starting point. The tea leaves in the horse’s stomach have absorbed the water from the Ô Long stream and fermented during about a day’s travel. It is then that the horse is slaughtered to retrieve the tea from its stomach. This tea is processed into a unique tea intended for sale to nobles. This preparation method is no less refined than foie gras in France, but it is somewhat complex and macabre.

Anyone who visits Hanoi will have the opportunity to discover the Bạch Mã (White Horse) Temple, now located on Hàng Buồm Street (Sail Street). It is one of the four guardian temples of the former citadel of Thăng Long: the Quan Thánh Temple (guardian of the north of the citadel), the Kim Liên Temple (guardian of the south), the Voi Phục Temple (guardian of the west) and the Bạch Mã Temple (guardian of the east). It was built in the 9th century in honor of the spirit Long Đỗ (Dragon’s Name).

When the capital was moved from Hoa Lư to Thăng Long, King Lý Thái Tổ wished to build an impregnable citadel but it kept collapsing. He then sent men to pray to the spirit Long Đỗ at the temple. They saw the appearance of a white horse. By following the footprints left by this animal as it walked, they succeeded in solidly erecting the citadel. Lý Thái Tổ thereafter conferred on this spirit the title of tutelary deity of Thăng Long.

In books written in Chinese characters, there is a sentence: « Hồ Mã tê Bắc phong; Việt điểu sào Nam chi » which means: The horse of the land of Hồ, arriving on the central plain, neighs when it feels the north wind, while the bird of the land of the Vietnamese, being on the same plain, always builds its nest on the southern branch. According to legend, in addition to offerings such as gold, precious jewels, elephants and rhinoceroses, King Hùng also gave the Chinese king a white pheasant. The latter was raised in an imperial garden. It always sought to perch on branches facing south. Thus was born the expression « The bird of the Vietnamese perches on the southern branch » referring to the fact that the Vietnamese, wherever they are, never forget their native land and homeland. As for the horse of the Hồ, it was indeed a tribute that Emperor Han Wudi received from the kingdom of Hồ, located north of China. This sorrowful steed ate nothing, and only neighed in a lamentable way when there was the breath of wind coming from the north.

As everyone knows, the horse is as loyal to its owner as the dog. That is why, in Vietnam, near every Chinese temple, there is always a statue of Guan Yu, the famous general from the Three Kingdoms era. His horse named Xích Thố accompanied him in many victories. At Guan Yu’s death, the horse Xích Thố stopped eating and died with him. Since then, in folklore, the horse Xích Thố has been associated with the image of Guan Yu (Guan Gong).

In the Vietnamese lunar calendar, each year is symbolized by an animal. Thus, 2026 is the Year of the Horse (or Ngọ), chosen among the twelve animals. According to numerology, four animals are in conflict during the zodiac years, as the proverb indicates: « Tý, Ngọ, Mẹo, Dậu are the four antagonistic animals (Rat, Horse, Cat, Rooster). » Therefore, people born in the Year of the Horse experience many misfortunes and are also in conflict with the years of the animals Mẹo (Cat), Dậu (Rooster) and Tý (Rat).

In Vietnam, especially in the South, the word « horse » is often used to refer to dissolute, immoral, or mean women, always angry like a Thượng Tứ horse. This horse comes from the Thượng Tứ gate in Huế, where there was a royal horse breeding farm. These are war horses, very fierce, always the most excited especially during the mating season when they neigh loudly. That is why there is a combination between the word « prostitute » from the North and the word « Thượng Tứ horse » from the Central region, which has thus become this habit, this way of insulting people from the South to express their contempt for immoral women.

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Temple Đô  (Lý Bát Đế)(English version)

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Temple  Đô  (Lý Bát Đế)

Vietnamese version

Version française

This Đô Temple was built in the year 1030 during the return of King Lý Thái Tông to celebrate the anniversary of the death of his father Lý Công Uẩn (Lý Thái Tổ). However, this building was completely destroyed during the colonial period. That is why in 1989 the Vietnamese government decided to restore it based on the still preserved historical documents. In front of its entrance gate is a water pavilion erected on a large pond in the shape of a half-moon, which once connected to the Tiêu Tương River that no longer exists today. This historic architectural complex is dedicated to the worship of the 8 kings of the Lý dynasty, which the famous historian Ngô Sĩ Liên described as a dynasty of clemency in the collection entitled « The Complete Historical Records of Đại Việt » (Ðại Việt Sử Ký toàn thư) (1697).

According to the popular saying, in the work « Florilegium of the Thiền Garden (Thiền Uyển Tập Anh) » there is a kệ (or gâtha) alluding to the 8 kings of the Lý dynasty, which is attributed either to the disciple of the patriarch monk Khuôn Việt, Đa Bảo, or to the monk Vạn Hạnh as follows:

The word Bát with the Lý family

Một bát nước công đức
Tùy duyên hóa thế gian
Sáng choang còn soi đuốc
Bóng mất trời lên cao.

A bowl of meritorious water
Flows with causality to transform the world
Brightly shining continues to light the torch
When the shadow disappears, the sun rises behind the mountains.

By implication, this Kệ (or stance) intends to evoke the 8 kings of the Lý dynasty, from the founder Lý Công Uẩn to the last king Lý Huệ Tông, through the word bát which means both bowl and eight in Vietnamese. As for Huệ Tông, his given name is Sảm. Being the combination of two words 日 nhật (sun) and 山 sơn (mountain) in Chinese Han characters, the word Sảm indeed means « the sun hides behind the mountains, » signifying the end or disappearance. This kê proves to be prophetic because Princess Lý Chiêu Hoàng (daughter of King Lý Huệ Tông) ceded the throne to her husband Trần Cảnh, who was none other than King Trần Thái Tông of the Trần dynasty. It can be said that the Lý dynasty had the kingdom by the will of God, but it was also by this will that they lost it.

Lý Bát Đế

                                       

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TANG DYNASTY (Đại Đường)

j050807 art, Chine, Histoire, tourisme, Văn Hóa

Version française
Version vietnamienne

The Chinese are proud to always be the sons of the Han. Yet the golden age of Chinese civilization is not the Han period but rather that of the Tang, which lasted three centuries later (618-907). Thanks to the abundance of documentation and the discovery of minqi figurines, ritual objects placed in the tombs of the elites of the time, we know that the Tang period was a time during which significant progress was made in sciences and technology (gunpowder, woodblock printing, mechanical engineering, medicine, cartography, etc.). It was a dynasty open to the world, showing unprecedented tolerance towards foreign cultures and religions (the Nestorian Church, Zoroastrianism, a polytheistic religion from Persia, Buddhism in full expansion, etc.).

It was also under the reign of the founding emperor Tang Tai Zong (Đường Thái Tôn or Lý Thế Dân) that the Buddhist monk Xuan Zang (Huyền Trang) began in the year 629 the sacred pilgrimage known as the « Journey to the West (Tây Du Ký) » by leaving alone from the capital Chang An for 17 years, at the emperor’s request to bring back the sacred scriptures from India. It was also a period when the flourishing of arts and letters was at its peak with poets Du Fu (Đỗ Phủ), Li Bai (Lý Bạch), Bai Juji (Bạch Cư Dị), the painter Wang Wei (Vương Duy), etc., and a time of relative freedom for women. They could excel in the arts, particularly in music and poetry. Sometimes they could have a higher status in society. This was the case with Empress Wu Zetian (Võ Tắc Thiên). Women could wear less restrictive clothing with the loose Hanfu robe (Hán phục).

It was also under this dynasty that the Silk Road experienced significant growth for various economic, political, and religious purposes through the establishment of strategic marriage policies, military conquests, and silk to consolidate alliances, bribe and divide the nomads, and expand its empire westward. Thanks to this setup, the dynasty succeeded in establishing trade and cultural links along the Silk Road. It was along this route that two Nestorian monks brought silk worm eggs from China to Byzantium, hiding them in their bamboo canes. Finally, it was also the period when Vietnam was under the control of the Tang after being annexed earlier by the Sui with General Liu Fang (Lưu Phương).

Under the Tang dynasty, Chang-An was the largest cosmopolitan city in the world at that time. It was nicknamed the « city of a million inhabitants » in Chinese records. Known as « Eternal Peace, » it was the most densely populated city in the world, ahead of Baghdad and Byzantium. But according to the census record in the year 742 in the New Book of Tang (Tân Đường Thư), Chang-An and its surroundings had 362,921 families totaling 1,960,188 people, while it is estimated that more than 50 million inhabitants lived in China at that time across a territory stretching from the East China Sea to Central Asia, from the Gobi Desert in the north to beyond the Nanglin (Lĩnh Nam) mountains in the south where Annam is located. Covering an inland area of almost 87 km², the cosmopolitan capital Chang-An was not only a center of political and economic power but also a haven of peace with wide avenues, magnificent palaces, Buddhist temples, private gardens, and vast markets. Its broad avenues and streets were arranged in a rectangular grid of 114 blocks of houses, each individually walled and all protected by the same outer wall.

Musée des arts asiatiques Guimet

Dynastie_Tang

Every morning, as soon as the announcement of the opening of its main gate was made by the first beats of the drums, people coming from all corners of the empire as well as numerous foreign merchants attracted by the significant trade of the capital began to enter and go about their business. At night, one could only move from one street to another with a pass. All kinds of goods could be found there, from furniture to spices (Persian saffron, Indian pepper, etc.) in the two large markets of the city, one in the east and the other in the west. The imperial court regulated the control of prices and product quality on a weekly basis. The discovery of a number of Sogdian tombs in the capital has helped to better understand how elements of foreign culture infiltrated the Chinese society of Chang’an and vice versa. There was even a foreign quarter.

The Tang army included many important contingents of Turkish soldiers called Tujue (proto-Turkic). Thanks to this recruitment policy and the steppe experience that the Turkish officers had, it allowed the Tang dynasty to expand its empire westward. This was the conquest of the oasis kingdoms of Karakhoja by the Tang with the Sogdian general Ashina She’er (A Sử Na Xã Nhĩ) in 648 in what is now Xinjiang province. He was appointed general of the right guard by Emperor Tang Gaozong (Đường Cao Tông). He died in 655 and was buried alongside Emperor Taizong (Đường Thái Tông). He was posthumously renamed Yuan (元).

Chang An played a key role in commercial exchange on the Silk Road with regions as far away as India, the Middle East, and Europe. Its urban layout and religious architecture (the Great Wild Goose Pagoda housing the sacred texts brought back by the monk Xuan Zang) and palatial architecture (the Palace of Great Clarity (Daming Gong), or the residence of the emperors) testify to technical expertise in respecting harmony and the environment and later brought significant influence in the planning of the capitals of Silla in Korea and Heian in Japan. Chang An remains an important part of China’s historical and cultural heritage. 

Under the reign of Emperor Tai Zong, merchants and traders could move freely throughout the empire without fear of bandits. Prisons were empty, and people did not feel the need to lock the doors of their homes. Harvests were abundant: one only needed 3 or 4 qian to buy 10 liters of rice. This was not only a period of prosperity that China experienced until the reign of Emperor Xuan Zong before the revolt of the Sogdian general An Lu Shan in 755, but also a good model of governance often referenced in the history of China.

Pagode de l’Oie (Tháp Đại Nhạn)

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Phố Bùi Viện (Saigon Quận 1)

j050807 art, Sites touristiques, tourisme, Vietnam, Villes

 

Phố Tây Ba Lô

Quartier des routards européens

Còn có tên gọi là phố Tây Ba Lô, phố đi bộ Bùi Viện là một khu vui chơi nổi tiếng mà du khách nước ngoài không thể bỏ qua khi đến thành phố Saigon cũng như ở Hanội với khu phố Tạ Hiền. Nó là khu phố không ngủ về đêm và được yêu thích bởi giới trẻ Việt Nam

Etant connu sous le nom de « quartier des routards européens, le quartier piéton de Bùi Viện est un lieu que les touristes étrangers ne peuvent pas manquer lorsqu’ils viennent dans la ville de Saigon comme à Hanoï avec la rue Tạ Hiền. Celui-ci est l’endroit très animé au fil de la nuit et il est fréquenté par la jeunesse vietnamienne.

Also known as Backpacker Street, Bùi Viện Walking Street is a famous entertainment area that foreign tourists cannot miss when coming to Saigon as well as in Hanoi with Tạ Hiền Street. It is a street that never sleeps at night and is loved by young Vietnamese people.

Quartier Bùi Viện

au fil de la nuit

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Vestiges of the past (Di tích của một thời)

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di_tich_cua_mot_thoi

Vietnamese version
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It is quite surprising to see that modern Vietnam has incorporated the architectural achievements of colonial France into its national heritage. These structures have not become traces to be erased from the painful war but are now a lasting part of the architectural and cultural heritage that Vietnam strives to preserve while respecting the urban environment and building a historical identity. Some of these architectural achievements were constructed based on models from masterpieces of the French motherland’s architecture. This is the case with the Hanoi Opera House, built following the design of the famous Opera Garnier in Paris. Da Lat Station closely resembles the Deauville-Trouville station. Even the red and white painted television tower strongly reflects French beauty, with a small tower similar to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, located in the middle of Da Lat city. There are also other buildings seen erected in a classical architectural style in the center of Hanoi’s capital with massive facades. For example, the residence of the Governor-General of Indochina, built between 1901-1905, which now serves as the Presidential Palace or the Museum of Fine Arts.

Saint Joseph’s Church, often visited by tourists today, draws inspiration from the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It was built in a neoclassical style on the site of the old Báo Thiên Pagoda, which was constructed during the Lý dynasty and destroyed in 1883 by the French authorities. Today, the « Long Biên Bridge, » the famous bridge named after Governor-General Paul Doumer, still stands firmly despite being heavily destroyed (14 times in total) during the war years. Today, it symbolizes the unity and resilience of the Vietnamese people.

Vestiges d’une époque.

Remains of an era

In addition, there are buildings designed by architect Ernest Hébrard, who did not hesitate to draw special inspiration from the structural principles of temples and communal houses to choose a hybrid architecture (Indochinese style) that carries influences from both the West and Asia. For the French architect Christian Pédémusore de Loddis, Ernest Hébrard succeeded in synthesizing Eastern and Western influences by combining modern techniques and Western styles with the fundamental skills of the construction industry and the spaces of Asian tradition. By allowing Ernest Hébrard to express his creative and innovative abilities in architecture, Vietnam introduced a movement that returned to the modernity of civilization and traditional architecture through magnificent works.

Among these works, we can mention the Museum of the French School of the Far East (or Louis Finot), which today has become the Museum of History, the general finance building (1925-1928), which has become the current headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or the old Indochina University, now Hanoi National University.

For the Pearl of the Far East (or Saigon) in southern Vietnam, some colonial relics are still visible in the city center. Notre-Dame Cathedral is a neo-Romanesque church designed by architect Jules Bourard, with its exterior walls built from red bricks imported from France. The City Hall, where the Ho Chi Minh City committee is located, illustrates a rational design similar to the public buildings of France under the Third Republic. The Saigon Opera House (Ho Chi Minh City Opera House), located not far from the famous Caravelle Hotel, does not hide its flamboyant style from the French Third Republic.

Only these architectural works show us the presence of France in Vietnam in the distant past because nowadays, few people in Vietnam can still speak French, a language that for the Vietnamese people is a literary language for the local elite and is only known by older generations. According to recent census data, more than 70,000 people speak French out of a total population of over 100 million. France did not know how to exploit its historical, cultural, and economic advantages at the time when Vietnam was unified. In Vietnamese culture, there are still many elements influenced by France.

This is what we observe in the field of language at the dictionary level and in rhetoric. Despite the close attachment of the Vietnamese people to French culture and French still being chosen by Vietnam as the spoken language at the United Nations, France has not regained its dominant role. Today, French is being replaced everywhere by English, an international communication language, and then by Chinese. This observation is no longer an illusion.


 

Forbidden city of Beijing (Cố Cung): Part 3

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Vietnamese version
French version

[Forbidden city of Beijing: Part 3]

Nails on the doors, this tradition has long existed since the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907). Specifically, in the Forbidden City, all four main gates have nails, but besides this, only the Meridian Gate has five gates, while the other gates have only three gates.

Except for the East Hua Gate, which has 8 rows horizontally and 9 rows vertically of yellow nails (8*9=72) with an even number (Yang number, which is an integer divisible by 2 and multiple of 3), all other gates have 9 rows horizontally and 9 rows vertically, meaning 9*9=81, which is an odd number (Yin number). The Chinese often use Yang numbers, while the Vietnamese tend to prefer odd numbers (Yin numbers). Through the use of nails on the doors, besides their structural and decorative functions, it is also seen to reflect the solemnity and grandeur of the feudal regime of that time.

Door frame

There are many questions about the choice of Yang numbers on the eastern gate (or the East Flower Gate). This is a mystery that historians have not yet found an answer to. Some believe that when Emperor Jiaqing and Emperor Daoguang were buried, they had to borrow this gate to bring the coffin out. Therefore, this gate is often called the Ghost Gate. This explanation may be reasonable because with Yin numbers, the deceased return to the Underworld. The number of nails fixed on the gates was determined according to the rank and class of the owner in the feudal system.

Since the Son of Heaven is the son of the Heavenly Emperor (Heaven), the number of rooms in the Forbidden City must be less than the number of houses that Heaven has in the celestial palace (10,000). This number is a Yang number and represents infinity in China. According to a survey in 1973, there are 8,704 rooms in the Forbidden City (a Yang number).

As for the color yellow, in Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, this color is usually associated with the Earth element and is located at the center in the management of all things and supervision of the four directions. Because it is the color of the midday sun, this brilliant color belongs only to the emperor as it symbolizes the respect and protection of the Heavenly Emperor. There was a custom of not using certain colors during the feudal period: red, yellow, and sky blue.

img_3307

Incense Burner

Conversely, the common people used: black, white, and gray colors. Therefore, it is not surprising to see the prominent use of these two standout colors: purple-red and yellow in the construction of the royal palace in the Forbidden City. The walls are purple-red, while the glazed tiles of the palace are yellow. However, there are exceptions, all related to the theory of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. That is the Wenyuan Palace, where the royal library is located. This place has a black roof. Fire was a concern in the Forbidden City. Fires were discovered many times in the Forbidden City. The last fire occurred when Emperor Guangxu was about to marry his cousin Longyu in one month. This was an ill omen for the marriage.

Using this as a pretext, Empress Dowager Cixi immediately executed the two eunuchs responsible for arranging the lanterns. Therefore, the color black, symbolizing water, was used in the Wenyuan Palace to prevent fire disasters and to protect the books in the library. Some houses near the East Flower Gate have roofs painted blue because this is where the princes lived. This is also the blue color assigned to the east in the Five Elements theory.

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Forbidden city of Beijing (Cố Cung): Part 2

j050807 art, Chine, Culture, Histoire, Lịch sử, Sites touristiques, Văn Hóa

 

Vietnamese version
French version

[Forbidden city of Beijing (Cố Cung): Part 2]

The Càn Thanh Palace has often been the place witnessing intrigues, assassinations, and betrayals during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Moreover, above the throne, on the folding screen, there is always a horizontal plaque inscribed by Emperor Thuận Trị ( Shunzhi ) that reads: « Bright and Upright. » There is also a commendatory comment praising it from his successor, Emperor Kangxi. This is a wonderful structure, transcending ancient and modern times, radiant and eternal, worthy of being a model for future generations. But unfortunately, behind this plaque, there were many underlying conflicts and power struggles within the palace.

During the 500 years of reign of the Ming and Qing dynasties, many incidents occurred in this palace. First of all, there was the story of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming dynasty (1507-1567), who was notoriously licentious and cruel beyond description, nearly suffocated by palace maids. Taking advantage of his deep sleep and avenging his paranoid behavior, the maids conspired to strangle him with a rope on the dragon bed. However, because one maid in the group betrayed them to the empress, the emperor was saved. All the maids, including the favored consort of the emperor, were immediately executed.

Then Emperor Taizong of the Ming dynasty (1582-1620), known as Zhu Changluo, suddenly died one month after ascending the throne. It was suspected that he was either sexually abused or poisoned. This caused the court to fall into a power struggle. This case is known as the Hongyuan Case because before his sudden death, the emperor had taken medicine. Finally, the penultimate emperor of the Ming dynasty, son of Ming Guangzong, Zhu Youxiao (1605-1628), known by the era name Tianqi, became entangled in the Di Gong Case. Taking advantage of the young age of the emperor, a consort of his father (Emperor Wanli), Li Xuanzi, deliberately controlled Zhu Youxiao. She intentionally stayed in the Qianqing Palace and demanded the emperor to confer upon her the title of Empress Dowager so that she could govern the court. Facing strong demands and opposition from the officials, Emperor Tianqi (Zhu Youxiao) issued an edict forcing her to leave the palace and live elsewhere, where she died a few weeks later in a fire. Ultimately, she did not die along with her daughter. Through this event, everyone noticed the emperor’s involvement, despite opposition within him. Historians often collectively refer to these three cases under the name « The Three Late Ming Cases (Vãn Minh Tam Án) »

During the Qing dynasty, there were two important events. Although Kangxi was regarded as a great emperor in Chinese history, he also faced difficulties in appointing a crown prince due to the struggle for the throne among his sons. Initially, he appointed Yinreng as crown prince at the age of two, but later Kangxi changed his mind and chose the 14th prince, Yinzhen, as his successor. He secretly hid behind a plaque with the four characters « Guang Ming Zheng Da » a box containing an edict « Transfer the throne to the 14th son, » meaning to pass the throne to the 14th prince because Yinzhen was the prince he favored. According to legend, when Kangxi was seriously ill, Yinzhen was on a campaign in the Xinjiang region. Prince Yinzhen took advantage of the opportunity to take the box and altered the edict from « Transfer the throne to the 14th son«  to « Transfer the throne to the 4th » son » by removing the character « ten. » Thanks to this, Yongzheng became emperor. According to popular discussion, Yinzhen also fled to the garden to observe Kangxi’s illness after previously giving Kangxi a bowl of ginseng soup. Historians believe Yongzheng bears some responsibility for Kangxi’s sudden death, and this remains a mystery and a topic of speculation among people.

Just after ascending the throne under the name Yongzheng, he immediately eliminated or exiled all those who had the potential to oppose him. After his coronation, to avoid disputes over succession—something he understood well and knew to be difficult in power struggles—he devised a clever method by writing the decree naming the heir in two copies: one sealed and kept in a box behind the plaque inscribed « Guangming Zhengda, » and the other he carried on his person. When he was about to pass away, the decree in the box could be retrieved and compared with the one he carried to identify the rightful successor to the throne. This way, no resistance could arise. This method of appointing the crown prince remained effective until the reign of Emperor Xianfeng, but since Xianfeng had only one child, Tongzhi, with Empress Dowager Cixi, the method lost its effectiveness. To consolidate her regency, Empress Dowager Cixi abolished this method by successively enthroning the « child emperors, » namely Guangxu and Puyi.

[Forbidden city of Beijing (Cố Cung): Part 3]

Forbidden city of Beijing (Cố Cung): Part 1

j050807 art, Chine, Culture, Histoire, Sites touristiques, tourisme, Văn Hóa

Forbidden city of Pékin

Cố Cung

 

Version française

Vietnamese version

[The Forbidden City in Beijing: Part 1]

After defeating his nephew Zhu Yunwen (also known as Jianwen Emperor), whose death remains a mystery to historians, the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Di (also known as Yongle Emperor), decided to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, mainly for strategic reasons. Facing the serious threat of the Mongols to the empire, he thought this was the quickest solution to deal with the raids. He entrusted the chief architect, the eunuch Nguyen An of Vietnamese origin, with the construction of the Forbidden City on the ruins of Khanbaliq, the Yuan dynasty city built by Kubilai Khan in 1267 and described by Marco Polo in his book titled « The Description of the World » in 1406, following a designated protocol. Two hundred thousand workers were recruited for this grand project, which lasted 14 years.

Besides the participation of a large number of provinces in supplying materials: Xuzhou (Jiangsu) marble, Linqing (Shandong) bricks, stone from the Fangshan and Panshan quarries not far from Beijing, nanmu wood for the house frame from Sichuan, columns from Guizhou and Yunnan, and so on, it was also necessary to renovate the Grand Canal dating back to the Sui Dynasty. This canal was essential for transporting materials and food to the capital Beijing. From 1420 to 1911, a total of 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties resided here. The last emperor to live in this Forbidden City was Emperor Puyi of the Qing Dynasty.

There are many questions about the preservation and conservation of the capital by the Qing army when they seized power in China because, according to Chinese tradition, the victors usually thoroughly destroyed all palaces belonging to previous dynasties. One can look at the example of Zhu Yuanzhang, also known as the Hongwu Emperor. He ordered his soldiers to completely destroy the capital of the Yuan Dynasty in Beijing and move the capital to his hometown in Nanjing. It is unclear what motivated the Qing Dynasty to keep the Ming capital intact.

 

Cố Cung

cite_pekin

 

Although the Qing emperors made efforts to renovate the Forbidden City and built many additional palaces, this Forbidden City forever retains the mark of its founder, Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di). One of the three famous emperors alongside Han Wudi and Tang Taizong in Chinese history, Zhu Di appointed Admiral Zheng He to lead the naval expeditions to the « Western Oceans, » which were later recorded by his companion Ma Huan in the book titled Ying-yai Sheng-lan (The Marvels of the Oceans). Taking advantage of the usurpation of the throne by Hồ Quý Ly, Zhu Di annexed Vietnam in 1400. Without the nearly ten years of resistance by the Vietnamese people under Lê Lợi, Vietnam could surely be a province of China today, like Yunnan or Guangdong.

1 Porte du Midi (Ngọ Môn)

2 Tiền Triều (Waichao)

  • Điện Thái Hoà (Taihe)
  • Điện Trung Hoà (Zhonghe) 
  • Điện Bảo Hoà  (Baohe) 

3  Hậu tẩm (Neichao)

  • Cung Càn Thanh (Qianqing)
  • Điên Giao Thái (Jiaotai)
  • Cung Khôn Ninh (Kunning)

4) Six Palais de l’Ouest (Lục viện)

5) Six Palais de l’Est (Luc viện)

The Forbidden City is truly a city within a city and was built on a rectangular piece of land measuring 960 chi in length and 750 chi in width. The Forbidden City is divided into two parts: the front section called the Outer Court (waichao), designated for ceremonial life (such as coronation ceremonies, investiture ceremonies, and royal weddings), and the rear section called the Inner Court, reserved for the emperor and his family. There are three halls in the Outer Court: the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony, which together form the complex known as the Three Halls of the Outer Court. In the Inner Court, there are the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Union, and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, each surrounded on the east and west sides by six six-yards (residential quarters). This is commonly referred to as the Three Palaces and Six Yards of the Forbidden City.

When visiting the Imperial City, tourists are obliged to pass through Ngo Mon Gate. This is the main gate of the Imperial City. At one time, this gate witnessed many ceremonies related to military departures or the triumphant return of the royal army, as well as the announcement of a new lunar calendar. It is the only gate, or more precisely, a U-shaped structure, 8 meters high, with five buildings on top featuring double roofs and five gates, but the middle gate is reserved only for the king. This architectural complex is often called the Five Phoenix Pavilion because its shape resembles a phoenix. Beyond Ngo Mon Gate, there is a very wide courtyard crossed by an artificial river with shimmering golden water called Neijindhuihe. This river has five beautifully decorated bridges, with the middle bridge reserved for the emperor. Along the riverbanks, there are stone balustrades carved with dragons and phoenixes.

The front court enjoys Yang energy, so the palaces here are usually built higher than the palaces in the rear chambers, thanks to a large common foundation with three steps carved from jade stone, raised to highlight not only the splendor of the front court palaces but also the majestic and magnificent nature of Yang energy. Similarly, the rear chambers enjoy Yin energy, so the palaces here are all low, except for the Kien Thanh Palace, where the king works and discusses state affairs with high-ranking officials, which enjoys Yang energy and is therefore taller than the other palaces.

In this place, one can see a typical metaphor, which is Yang within Yin, often mentioned. Between the Qianqing Palace, where the emperor resides and enjoys Yang energy, and the Kunning Palace, the empress’s resting place receiving Yin energy, there is the Jiaotai Hall. Considered the connecting link between the Qianqing and Kunning Palaces, Jiaotai Hall not only represents the perfect harmony of Yin and Yang but also symbolizes peace within the Forbidden City. All the palaces in the Forbidden City face south to benefit from the advantages of Yang energy.

Based on traditional Chinese feng shui, to the north of the Forbidden City, there is an artificial mountain called Jinshan and the Great Wall to prevent the harmful effects of Yin energy coming from the north (cold winds, nomads, ghosts, and so on). To the south, thanks to water-filled pits and an artificial river with shimmering golden water (Neijindhuihe), the qi buried in the earth can circulate, which is difficult to disperse due to the levels created on the surface. This arrangement is seen in the construction of the three-tiered foundation for the three halls used for rituals in the front court. As a result, qi is guided up and down through the halls to break the monotony of the flat land and reach the summit where the emperor’s throne is in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. As the connection between Heaven and Earth, the emperor usually faces south, with his back to the north, the east on his left, and the west on his right.

Each direction is protected by a guardian creature: the pink swallow in the south, the black turtle in the north, the blue dragon (qinglong) in the east, and the white tiger (baihu) in the west. On the ceiling, at the vertical axis of the throne and above the emperor’s head, there is an exquisitely decorated celestial dome featuring a recessed panel with two golden dragons carved playing with a huge pearl. It is here, when visiting, that tourists wonder how many dragons are used in the decoration of this palace, as this guardian creature appears everywhere. According to some records, there are a total of 13,844 dragons of various types and sizes, giving this place a solemn and majestic appearance never seen in other palaces.

Located along the main north-south axis, the Forbidden City is decorated according to rules of numbers and colors. The choice of Yang numbers (or odd numbers) is commonly seen through the arrangement of mythical creatures on the eaves of the palace roofs or the ornate display on the doors of the Forbidden City with yellow nails, as well as the number of bays the Forbidden City has.

The number of divine beasts on the eaves corners of the palace can range from 1 to 10. Depending on the importance and scale of the palace as well as the rank of the owner in the court, this number can vary. The number of these divine beasts is specified in the book that records all the regulations under the Qing dynasty, known as the Da Qing Hui Dian. These divine beasts are arranged in odd numbers 1-3-5-7-9 on the eaves corners in a clear order as follows: dragon, phœnix, lion, heavenly horse, seahorse, aplustre, fighting bull, suan ni, sea goat, and monkey. Always leading these divine beasts is a figure riding a chicken or phoenix, often called the Prince Min. Nearby is an additional horned beast, the ninth son of the dragon. Each divine beast represents a good omen or virtue and is thus cherished and worshipped. However, there is an exception: the Hall of Supreme Harmony has up to 10 divine beasts on its eaves corners because it is where the emperor holds important ceremonies (such as coronations, weddings, birthdays, year-end celebrations etc.). The use of these divine beasts mainly serves to protect the palaces against evil spirits and to demonstrate the emperor’s power and prestige. Conversely, the Palace of Heavenly Purity, although it is where the emperor works and discusses state affairs with officials, does not have as significant a role as the Hall of Supreme Harmony and therefore only has 9 divine beasts on its eaves corners.

As for the Khôn Ninh palace, seven divine beasts were found on the eaves of the hall because this was the palace of the empress during the Ming dynasty. However, this place was also where the sacrificial rituals to the Tát Mãn religion’s spirits were held, which corresponded to the position of Yin under Yang during the Qing dynasty. It is important to remember that before conquering China, the Qing dynasty was originally Manchu, so they still maintained their own religion.

[The Forbidden City of Beijing (Part 2)]

 

Maison Loo, centre d’exposition d’art privé

j050807 art, Chine, Gallery, site touristique, Paris

Une somptueuse pagode chinoise au cœur de Paris.

Ngôi chùa Trung Hoa độc đáo giữa lòng Paris.

Vietnamese version

English version

Au début du 19ème siècle, un marchand d’art chinois de nom Ching Tai Loo racheta un hôtel particulier de style français classique  construit en 1880  au cœur du quartier chic, non loin du parc Monceau. Pour l’amour de son pays et le lien qu’il voulait garder avec son pays d’adoption, il  demanda à l’architecte Fernand Bloc de transformer ce bâtiment en une somptueuse pagode d’inspiration chinoise peinte en rouge comme la cité interdite de Pékin  dans sa totalité car à cette époque le permis de construire ne lui fut pas demandé. Malgré les protestations des gens vivant aux alentours, la maison Loo continue à exister jusqu’aujourd’hui et devient un centre d’exposition collective  d’art privé pour les collectionneurs avertis. Etant invité par la galerie d’art Hioco, j’ai l’occasion de le visiter ce matin. Je suis frappé non seulement par le caractère original de cette maison insolite mais aussi la présentation des objets d’art des galeries associées  à cette exposition. Un grand merci à tous les exposants.

Vào đầu thế kỷ 19, một thương gia nghệ thuật người Trung Quốc tên là Ching Tai Loo đã mua lại một biệt thự theo phong cách cổ điển Pháp được xây dựng vào năm 1880 tại trung tâm khu phố sang trọng, không xa công viên Monceau. Vì tình yêu dành cho đất nước Trung Hoa và mong muốn giữ mối liên kết với quê hương thứ hai của mình, ông đã nhờ kiến trúc sư Fernand Bloc biến tòa nhà này thành một ngôi chùa lộng lẫy mang cảm hứng từ Trung Hoa, được sơn đỏ như Tử Cấm Thành ở Bắc Kinh, bởi vì vào thời điểm đó ông không cần xin giấy phép xây dựng. Mặc dù có sự phản đối từ những người sống xung quanh, ngôi nhà Loo vẫn tồn tại đến ngày nay và trở thành trung tâm triển lãm nghệ thuật tư nhân dành cho các nhà sưu tập tinh tường. Được mời bởi phòng tranh Hioco, tôi đã có cơ hội tham quan nơi nầy vào sáng nay. Tôi không chỉ có ấn tượng bởi tính độc đáo của ngôi nhà kỳ lạ này mà còn bởi cách trưng bày các tác phẩm nghệ thuật của các phòng tranh liên kết với cuộc triển lãm nầy. Xin gửi một lời cảm ơn chân thành đến tất cả các nhà triển lãm.

At the beginning of the 19th century, a Chinese art dealer named Ching Tai Loo bought a French classical-style townhouse built in 1880 in the heart of the upscale district, not far from Parc Monceau. For the love of his country and the connection he wanted to maintain with his adopted country, he asked architect Fernand Bloc to transform this building into a sumptuous pagoda inspired by Chinese design, painted red like the Forbidden City of Beijing in its entirety, as at that time no building permit was required. Despite protests from the local residents, the Loo house continues to exist today and has become a private collective art exhibition center for discerning collectors. Invited by the Hioco art gallery, I had the opportunity to visit it this morning. I was struck not only by the original character of this unusual house but also by the presentation of the art objects from the galleries associated with this exhibition. A big thank you to all the exhibitors.