Vũng Tàu (Cap Saint Jacques)

Version française

Version anglaise

Galerie des photos

Lâu lắm rồi không có ra Vũng Tàu vi chỉ nhớ có một thời  các bãi biển ở nơi nầy lắm dơ khi mình mới trở về Việt Nam lần đầu. Từ đó  để lại cho mình một ấn tượng không tốt chi cho mấy. Nay trở lại cùng anh bạn quen từ thưở nhỏ  thì chỉ có hai ngày trước Tết 2026 thì tụi nầy cảm thấy thành phố nầy  trở thành nơi lý tưởng để sống vì nó không có náo nhiệt ồn ào như Saigon, xe cộ cũng ít, người dân cũng hiền hoà tựa như môt thành phố trước 75.  Các người Pháp về hưu sống ở nơi nầy rất đông vì đời sống nó  không có  đắt đỏ  mà lại an nhàn thư thản  nhất là nó chỉ cách xa  thành phố Saigon có 90 cây số.  Chỉ mất 2 tiếng rưởi  đi với xe limousine Vip với giá trung bình là 250.000 đồng. Nhờ có cô bạn hướng dẫn quen biết, tụi nầy được  ăn  ngày đầu ở một quán ăn tên là Gành Hào ở bãi biển (Bãi Dâu)  và đựợc thưởng thức món lẫu cá  tuyệt vời.  Ngày thứ nhì, tụi nầy được đi tham quan Đền Thánh Đức Mẹ,  chùa Phật Bà Quan Âm,  lên núi nhỏ  xem hải đăng với kiến trúc độc đáo và nhờ đó được ngắm toàn cảnh thành phố từ trên cao.

Sau đó  tụi nầy đi bộ buổi trưa  từ khách sạn Phượng Hoàng ra  đến bãi biển trước. Giờ đây trông  biển lại quá sạch nhất là thêm vào đó, có gió biển và ăn được một chén chè tàu hũ nước đường gừng của cô  bán hàng rong quá tuyệt vời đấy. Tối lại  ghé lại quán  21, Eatery and Bar mà giới trẻ và ngoại quốc ưa thích ở đường  Lý Tự Trọng nghe nhóm trẻ hát nhạc ngoại  quốc rất thú vị. Còn gì bằng có được 2 ngày nghỉ ngơi như  vậy ở Vũng Tàu.

Version française

Cela faisait longtemps que je n’étais pas allé à Vũng Tau. Je me souviens seulement que les plages étaient très sales lors de mon premier retour au Vietnam. Cela m’avait laissé une impression plutôt négative. Aujourd’hui, de retour avec un ami de longue date  deux jours avant le Têt 2026, nous trouvons que cette ville est devenue un endroit idéal pour vivre : elle est moins bruyante et  animée que Saigon, la circulation y est plus fluide et les habitants sont gentils  comme dans une ville d’avant 1975. De nombreux retraités français y vivent car la vie n’y est pas chère et le cadre est paisible et reposant, d’autant plus que la ville n’est qu’à 90 kilomètres de Saigon. Le trajet en limousine VIP n’a duré que deux heures et demie, pour un coût moyen de 250 000 VND. Grâce à une ami qui nous a servi de guide, nous avons pris notre premier repas au restaurant Gành Hào, en face de la mer (Bãi Dâu) et dégusté un délicieux hotpot de poisson. Le lendemain, nous avons visité de bonne heure  le sanctuaire de  Notre-Dame, le temple bouddhiste Quan Âm, puis gravi la petite montagne pour admirer le phare à l’architecture unique et profiter d’une vue panoramique sur la ville. Enfin, dans l’après-midi nous avons flâné  à pied de l’hôtel Phénix (Phượng Hoàng) où nous étions jusqu’à la plage.

La mer est si propre, surtout avec la brise marine et un dessert  de tofu sucré au gingembre acheté à une marchande ambulante. C’est absolument merveilleux. Le soir, nous sommes allés au restaurant  portant le nom  21 Eatery and Bar. C’est  un lieu prisé des jeunes et des étrangers  et situé  à la rue Lý Tự Trong. Nous avons écouté un groupe de jeunes chanter des chansons étrangères, c’était vraiment  agréable. Quoi de mieux que passer deux jours de détente comme ça à la ville Vũng Tàu ? 

Galerie des photos

The post Cap Saint Jacques (Vũng Tàu) appeared first on Quêhươngtôi.

Lam Nguyệt Cốc (Lệ Giang)

Galerie des photos

Cách phố cổ Lệ Giang khoảng 15 cây số, Lam Nguyệt Cốc còn gọi là thung lũng Trăng Xanh, là một thung lũng nhỏ nằm dưới chân núi Ngọc Long. Lam Nguyệt Cốc đến từ làn nước trong xanh màu ngọc bích dưới thung lũng. Chính vì được hình thành từ băng tuyết tan nên dòng nước ở đây quanh năm buốt giá kể cả mùa hè.

Située à environ 15 kilomètres de la vieille ville de Lijiang, la vallée de la Lune Bleue est une petite vallée au pied du mont du Dragon de Jade. Elle doit son nom à ses eaux claires, d’un vert émeraude. Formée par la fonte des neiges et des glaces, l’eau y reste glaciale toute l’année, même en été.

Located about 15 kilometers from the old town of Lijiang, the Blue Moon Valley is a small valley at the foot of Jade Dragon Mountain. It gets its name from its clear and emerald green waters. Formed by melting snow and ice, the water remains icy cold all year round, even in summer.

Pictues gallery

[Return CHINA]

The post Vallée de la lune bleue (Yunnan) appeared first on Quêhươngtôi.

[Return Shangrila]

The post Little Potola (Tùng Tán Lâm) appeared first on Quêhươngtôi.

Chung Cư Nguyễn Thiện Thuật (Bàn Cờ, Quận 3)

Chuyện bên lề ở giữa lòng chung cư 

Version française
Version anglaise
Galerie des photos

Từ lâu không có dịp ăn Tết ở Việt Nam nên lần nầy mình cùng anh bạn của thời thơ ấu,  hai đứa rũ  nhau về trước Tết để tìm lại trong ký ức những kỷ niệm của một thời thơ ấu. Chính vì vậy tụi nầy muốn  tìm lại những gì mà tụi nầy không được thấy từ lâu, không được ăn từ bao nhiêu năm nay nên tụi nầy quyết định tìm một khách sạn không những vừa thích hợp với túi tiền mà còn phải ở gần chợ và dân cư nghèo để hiểu được nếp sống của họ trước những ngày Tết. Bởi vậy tụi nầy mới tìm ra được một khách sạn rất xinh xắn, mang đậm phong cách của người Hoa ở gần chợ  Bàn Cờ và chung cư Nguyễn Thiên Thuật. Công trình kiến trúc nầy  được xây dựng vào năm 1968 sau Tết Mậu Thân.  Lúc đầu là nơi ở các binh lính quân đội Mỹ trong chiến tranh Việt Nam. Nghe kể lại có một lần  nơi nầy bị pháo kích nhưng  về  sau nó trở thành một chung cư dành cho các người nghèo lao động. Có thể xem nó như là  một thành phố Saigon thu nhỏ lại, một chung cư được thiết kế theo dạng nhà ống. Mỗi căn hộ nó có chiều dài  đáng kể và chiều  ngang chừng 3 thước rưởi. Các căn hộ nầy được liên kế  sát bên nhau nhờ có một  hành lang nhỏ tuy khá hẹp nhưng được  tận dụng làm  nơi để phơi quần áo  và  nó  còn dùng để bọc xung quanh cả chung cư  khiến nó tạo ra một lối sống thân cận của cộng đồng.

Vì ở trên đường Nguyễn Thiện Thuật  nên chung cư nầy cũng mang tên đường này luôn. Các tầng trệt được tận dụng làm các gian hàng ẩm thực và các quán cà phê. Những  con đường (hay hẻm)  ở trong chung cư lúc nào cũng náo nhiệt, lúc nào cũng có người đi qua lại, tiếng kèn xe gắn máy vang lên không ngừng. Gần đây, chung cư Nguyễn Thiên Thuật đã xuống cấp nhiều nhưng vì nó vẫn  gợi lại  hình ảnh Sàigon của những năm 70 nên  nhờ đó nó trờ thành  địa điểm làm người khách nước ngọài ưa thích và đến đây để tham quan và chụp hình.

Có thể nói nó được xem như loại favela ở  các nước Nam Mỹ. Còn tụi nầy thì thích cái nét hoài cổ cũ kỷ, cái retro và nhất là với  cái nhịp sống mạnh mẽ  của người dân lao động nghèo. Nó còn được xem là thiên đàng ẩm thực vi nó rất  đa dạng về các món ăn và đồ uống. Nó còn phô trương thường ngày cuộc sống bình dị của người dân nơi nầy. Đi loanh quanh trong chung cư  du khách có cảm giác lọt vào mê cung, đi đầu nầy ra đầu kia. Tuy nó đơn sơ nghèo nàn nhưng nó có cái gì khiến làm tụi nầy  lúc  nào cũng  muốn trở lại một lần nữa. Nó còn để lại cho tuị nầy biết bao nhiêu câu hỏi  mà không có  câu trả  lời cho đến ngày trở về Paris. Sức hấp dẫn mà nó mang đến cho tụi nầy  khiến làm tụi nầy  không bao giờ thỏa mãn cả.

Version française

N’ayant pas eu l’occasion de célébrer le Têt au Vietnam depuis longtemps, cette fois-ci mon ami d’enfance  et moi, nous avons décidé de revenir avant le Têt pour revivre les souvenirs de notre enfance. Pour cette raison, nous voulions retrouver ce que nous n’avions pas vu depuis longtemps et  ce que nous n’avions pas mangé depuis de nombreuses années.  Nous avons décidé de trouver alors  un hôtel qui est non seulement à prix abordable mais aussi proche du marché et des logements des gens déshérités pour comprendre leur mode de vie avant le Têt. C’est pourquoi nous avons trouvé un hôtel très charmant de style chinois, tout proche  du marché  Bàn Cờ  (L’échiquier) et du complexe d’appartements de nom Nguyễn Thiện Thuật.

Ce projet architectural fut réalisé en 1968, après l’offensive du Têt. Il servit d’abord de logement aux soldats américains pendant la guerre du Vietnam. On a entendu dire qu’il fut bombardé une fois, puis il devint un complexe d’appartements pour les travailleurs à faibles revenus. On pourrait le considérer désormais comme un mini Saïgon, un  complexe d’appartements de forme parallélépipédique. Chaque appartement est d’une longueur assez importante et mesure environ trois mètres et demi de large. Ces appartements sont reliés côte à côte par un petit couloir étroit servant à étendre  les vêtements et à ceinturer tout le complexe,  ce qui crée ainsi un mode de vie communautaire soudé en appartement.

Du fait qu’’il se trouve dans la rue Nguyễn Thiên Thuât, ce complexe d’appartements porte aussi le nom de cette rue. Les rez-de-chaussée abritent des stands de nourriture et des cafés. Les rues (ou ruelles) à l’intérieur du complexe d’appartements sont toujours animées, avec un va-et-vient incessant et le klaxon ininterrompu des motos. Récemment, le complexe Nguyễn Thiện Thuật s’est considérablement dégradé,  mais comme il évoque encore le Saigon des années 1970, il est devenu un lieu de prédilection pour les touristes étrangers qui viennent y prendre des photos. On peut qu’il ressemble aux favelas trouvés en Amérique latine. Quant à nous, nous aimons l’ambiance nostalgique et désuète, le style rétro, et surtout le rythme de vie effréné de la classe ouvrière pauvre.

Etant connu comme un paradis culinaire, il offre une grande variété de plats et de boissons et il met en exhibition la simplicité de la vie quotidienne de ses habitants. Les visiteurs ont souvent l’impression de se perdre dans un labyrinthe. On y entre de ce côté et on en sort de l’autre côté. Malgré la simplicité dans sa pauvreté, cet endroit avait quelque chose qui nous donnait envie d’y retourner car il nous a laissé tant de questions sans réponse jusqu’à notre retour à Paris.  L’attrait qu’il exerce fait que nous ne sommes jamais satisfaits.

English version

Having not had the opportunity to celebrate Tet in Vietnam for a long time, this time my childhood friend and I decided to return before Tet to relive the memories of our childhood. For this reason, we wanted to find what we had not seen for a long time and what we had not eaten for many years. We then decided to find a hotel that was not only affordable but also close to the market and the homes of the underprivileged people to understand their way of life before Tet. That is why we found a very charming Chinese-style hotel, very close to the Bàn Cờ market (The Chessboard) and the Nguyễn Thiện Thuật apartment complex.

This architectural project was completed in 1968, after the Tet Offensive. It first served as housing for American soldiers during the Vietnam War. It was said to have been bombed once, then it became an apartment complex for low-income workers. It could now be considered a mini Saigon, a parallelepiped-shaped apartment complex. Each apartment is quite long and measures about three and a half meters wide. These apartments are connected side  by side by a narrow small corridor used for hanging clothes and encircling the entire complex, thus creating a close-knit community lifestyle within the apartments.

Because it is located on Nguyễn Thiên Thuât street, this apartment complex also bears the name of this street. The ground floors house food stalls and cafés. The streets (or alleys) inside the apartment complex are always lively, with constant comings and goings and the uninterrupted honking of motorcycles. Recently, the Nguyễn Thiện Thuật complex has considerably deteriorated, but since it still evokes Saigon of the 1970s, it has become a favorite spot for foreign tourists who come to take photos. One might say it resembles the favelas found in Latin America. As for us, we love the nostalgic and outdated atmosphere, the retro style, and especially the frantic pace of life of the poor working class.

Known as a culinary paradise, it offers a wide variety of dishes and drinks and showcases the simplicity of the daily life of its inhabitants. Visitors often feel like they are lost in a labyrinth. You enter from one side and exit from the other. Despite the simplicity in its poverty, this place had something that made us want to return because it left us with so many unanswered questions until our return to Paris. Its appeal means we are never satisfied.

Galerie des photos

The post Chung cư Nguyễn Thiện Thuật (Bàn Cờ, Quân 3) appeared first on Quêhươngtôi.

Vườn thực vật Noong Nooch (Pattaya)

[Return THAÏLANDE]

The post Jardin botanique Noong Nooch (Pattaya) appeared first on Quêhươngtôi.

The main  kalan

French version 

With its height of 22.8 meters, this main kalan is one of the tallest towers in Cham architecture. Its style is considered an intermediate style between the Mỹ Sơn A-1 style and that of Bình Định (11th-12th century). It is distinguished by a square base and a tapered three-tiered roof. This roof is so ornate and well-preserved to this day that it is impossible not to appreciate its beauty and splendor despite the visible absence of the crest (kailasa or the residence of Shiva). One of the characteristics of this roof is the presence of stone animals (vahana) (goats on the first tier, geese (hamsa) on the second tier, and elephants on the top tier).

The South temple

Despite the deterioration of its roof over time, it continues to maintain its charm and is a very original and unique model in Cham art. It was built by Senapati (1) Par of King Harivarman with the purpose of creating a temple for the Sandhakalinga (a hermaphrodite linga) and to present together Shiva and Bhagavarti in the form of a mukhalinga, half-god, half-goddess.

To respond to this fusion form of these two masculine and feminine deities, a new architectural adaptation appears through this temple. The building has two parts: the square body attached to the vestibule and the domed roof whose composition recalls those of Hưng Thạnh and Bằng An.

The body of this temple is relatively low and has three false doors adorned with six superimposed spearheads whose size increases towards the back. At the level of its pedestal, there are borders in the shape of lotus flowers. The entire base of this kalan is decorated with lotus petals engraved in squares.

Its vestibule is quite long and has a raised pediment.

Thanks to Cham inscriptions, it is known that the Southeast and Northwest towers were built by the governor of Panduranga and commander-in-chief Senapati Par or Parraun of King Harivarman, one for the deity Sri Maladakuthara (another form of Bhagavati) and the other for Sri Vinayaka (Ganesa)(2). The deity Maladakuthara, called the little goddess (yan pu aneh), was presented as the daughter of the great goddess of Pô Nagar.
Southeast Temple
This is also one of the reasons explaining why the Southeast tower was placed next to Bhagavarti (main kalan) and the Sivalinga (South temple).

To respond to this fusion form of these two masculine and feminine deities, a new architectural adaptation appears through this temple. The building has two parts: the square body attached to the vestibule and the domed roof whose composition recalls those of Hưng Thạnh and Bằng An.

The body of this temple is relatively low and has three false doors adorned with six superimposed spearheads whose size increases towards the back. At the level of its pedestal, there are borders in the shape of lotus flowers. The entire base of this kalan is decorated with lotus petals engraved in squares.

Its vestibule is quite long and has a raised pediment.

Thanks to Cham inscriptions, it is known that the Southeast and Northwest towers were built by the governor of Panduranga and commander-in-chief Senapati Par or Parraun of King Harivarman, one for the deity Sri Maladakuthara (another form of Bhagavati) and the other for Sri Vinayaka (Ganesa)(2). The deity Maladakuthara, called the little goddess (yan pu aneh), was presented as the daughter of the great goddess of Pô Nagar.

     Southeast Temple

This is also one of the reasons explaining why the Southeast tower was placed next to Bhagavarti (main kalan) and the Sivalinga (South temple).

[Return to CHAMPA]

Bibliographic references.

Les ruines Cham. A la recherche d’une civilisation éteinte. Trần Kỳ Phương. Editeur Thế Giới 1993

Po Nagar de Nha Trang. Anne-Valérie Schweyer. Aséanie 14, Décembre 2004, p. 109-140

Pérégrinations culturelles au Champa. Nguyễn Văn Kự- Ngô Văn Doanh. Editeurs EFEO- Thế Giới Publishers 2005.

Văn Hóa Cổ Chămpa. Ngô Văn Doanh. Editeur Nhà Xuất Bản Văn Hóa Dân Tộc 2002.

The post Pô Nagar shrine (Sanctuaire Pô Nagar): Part 2 appeared first on Quêhươngtôi.

Temple of littérature 

One of the jewels in the heart of Hanoi

 (Một bảo vật giữa lòng thủ đô)

Version française

Hiền tài là nguyên khí của quốc gia.
Nguyên khí thịnh thì thế nước mạnh.
Nguyên khí suy thì nước yếu

Talent is the life source of a nation.
A gushing source is the strength of a country.
A drying source weakens it.

The first National University of Vietnam, Quốc Tử Giám, celebrated its 940th anniversary in 2016. It can boast of having preceded by a good century the ancient and prestigious Western universities of Bologna, Oxford, and Paris. Built six years after the Văn Miếu, the Temple of Literature dedicated to Confucius, within the same enclosure, it is among the monuments of the capital that have survived ten centuries of turmoil, civil wars, and foreign invasions. It is contemporary with the Trấn Quốc, Một Cột, and Kim Lien pagodas. The imposing and well-preserved architectural complex in the heart of Hanoi contains very old parts that bear the color of time and the values of a past as rich as it is little known.

Consolidation of the Vietnamese nation

It was in 1076 that the College of the Sons of the Nation, Quốc Tử Giám, was created by King Lý Nhân Tông, of the great Later Lý dynasty. Since the reconquest of independence in 939, the task facing the Vietnamese sovereigns was immense and arduous. The previous dynasties of Ngô, Ðinh, and Earlier Lê had exhausted themselves in internal divisions and wars of conquest at the beginning of the victorious march southward. At the beginning of the 11th century, Vietnam, then renamed Đại Việt, was a nation of original ancient culture in a young state.

Inside still poorly established borders in the South, it remained necessary to strengthen national unity and to overcome the rivalries of great families that threatened to tear the country apart. Outside, it was necessary to maintain good vassal relations with the powerful Chinese neighbor. The Lý showed themselves capable of meeting these challenges. The construction of dikes to address the flooding of the Red River allowed the population to settle and favored the growth of agriculture.

The buying and selling of land were regulated, which led to the emergence of a class of small landowners alongside the great feudal lords. Crafts developed (weaving, goldsmithing, pottery, porcelain), and consequently, trade. On the advice of competent Confucian administrators, the Lý managed to establish a strong centralized government and were able to give legitimacy to the ruling elite. Inspired by the Chinese administrative model, King Lý Nhân Tông organized in 1075 the first examination to recruit mandarins who would exercise power. The following year, he added to the Văn Miếu a higher school to train senior officials, the Quốc Tử Giám. The educational institution, in this tolerant country, existed peacefully right next to the place of worship. Combining a temple dedicated to Confucius and a place of learning into a single complex, this construction is a unique work that highlights the originality of Vietnam compared to China.

Rise of a National Culture

During almost ten centuries of Chinese colonization, the Vietnamese had preserved their cultural originality and assimilated a large part of Chinese culture. The College of the Sons of the Nation therefore spread Confucian humanities: Confucian classics, philosophy, literature, history, and politics. Brilliant candidates memorized the Four Books of Confucianism, but also the history of Vietnam and China. They also studied the rules of poetic composition, learning to prepare all sorts of documents: royal edicts, speeches, mission reports, analyses, essays. The language in use was certainly Chinese or hán; however, the Vietnamese very early on, probably from the 12th century, used a special iconographic script, nôm, to transcribe the popular national language, kinh.

Under Chinese rule, the Vietnamese had learned just what was necessary to become good servants. Until the tenth century, there is no trace of Vietnamese literature. Only legends may have crystallized the collective memory, prevented from freely expressing itself under the pressure of the occupier. The nôm script, derived from Chinese ideographic writing, represented a national and popular reaction to foreign cultural domination. « The soul of a people lives in its language, » said Goethe.

This is an obvious fact in Vietnam. The language transcribed in nôm experienced vigorous growth whenever the national and popular movement gained momentum. After the great Nguyễn Trãi in the 14th century wrote his poems in nôm, the demotic script gained its nobility and no scholar disdained writing in nôm. Another great Vietnamese figure, Nguyễn Huệ, carried out a true revolution by imposing nôm as the official language in administration and mandarin examinations during his reign at the end of the 18th century.

The royal examinations gave a decisive boost to education throughout the country. The National University became for a long time the keystone of the educational system. Schools were established to prepare candidates for the mandarin examinations.

Alongside the large feudal estates existed a well-organized system of rural communes. In many of them, there was a private school alongside public schools, both at the national, provincial, and local levels. The teachers were educated men who had failed the exams, or holders of a baccalaureate, a license, and doctoral laureates who did not want to become mandarins or who were disillusioned with politics. The prestige of knowledge, the respect for teachers and talent had spread over the centuries even into the poorest peasantry.

Which mother did not dream of seeing her sons one day take the difficult exams? The popular saying was deeply ingrained in people’s minds: « Without a teacher, I challenge you to achieve anything. » Literature and public service were not separate in the traditional Vietnamese educational system. Poets contributed to the economic life of their country. Among the most brilliant statesmen and strategists, many were poets. The most famous among them, revered as heroes by the entire population, were:

Trần Hưng Đạo (1213-1300), who triumphed over the Mongols by defeating Kublai Khan
Nguyễn Trãi (1380–1442), a great poet and statesman who ended a new Chinese occupation by the Ming.
Nguyễn Du, a diplomat under the Lê dynasty, who with his verse novel, the Kiều, brought the nôm script to perfection. The latter two are listed by UNESCO in the Pantheon of the Men of Culture of Humanity.
The obstacle-filled journey of a candidate for the royal exams.

Initially, the national exams were held irregularly, depending on the needs of the imperial administration. From 1434 until 1919, the date of the last session, they took place every three years.

When King Lê Thần Tông redefined the rules in the 14th century, the examination took place in two successive levels: regional, then national, each in four phases that could last several months in total. It was necessary to successfully pass each stage in order to qualify for the next. The final test was held at the imperial palace before the king, who personally examined the last group of future doctors.

Some figures provide an eloquent overview of the demands and importance of the royal competitions:

On average, 70,000 to 80,000 candidates competed in the regional competitions.

Between 450 and 6,000 candidates were selected from these to take part in the national exam in Hanoi. They settled for the duration of the tests on the university campus in the city center with their bamboo beds, brushes, and inkwells. In 1777, the National University and the Doctoral Quarter had become an impressive institution comprising 300 classrooms, a huge library, and a publishing house. This vast complex was destroyed by war in 1946. At the end of the final exam at the imperial palace, only 15 candidates were awarded the title of Doctor (tiến sĩ), with an average age of 32. Between 1076 and 1779, the date of the last session held in Thăng Long (Hanoi), 2,313 candidates received the title of Doctor.

1306 of them have their names and ranks engraved in Chinese characters on the 82 steles (41 on each side) in the third space of the Văn Miếu Quốc Tự Giám in Hanoi. These 82 steles preserve the memory of the laureates admitted between 1442 and 1779. It was King Lê Thánh Tông who took the initiative to pay tribute in this way to the great servants of the country. 116 national exams took place during this period, which means that 34 steles are missing, and the reasons why they were not erected or have disappeared are unknown. From 1802, with the reign of Gia Long, the triennial exams were held in Hué until their abolition in 1919. The Quốc Tự Giám became once again the Văn Miếu, Temple of Literature, but was preserved. The tradition of inscribing the Doctors of the Nation on the honor roll was also maintained.

In the Forbidden City of Hué, on the first floor of the Ngọ Môn Gate, their names are clearly mentioned on a large black marble tablet, along with their village and province of origin. The competency exams were coupled with a formidable physical challenge for those from the provinces. The journey to the capital was fraught with dangers. Coming from a distant province, the future graduates sometimes had to travel up to 300 km or more, bringing with them food, a tent, a narrow bamboo bed, and writing materials.

Along the way, they had to fear both highway bandits and attacks from tigers and snake bites. If they managed to overcome all these obstacles, most of them preferred to stay a few years on site to study, in order to ensure the best chances of success.

Popular imagery often depicted the triumphant return of doctors to their native village, announced by a procession of banners and pennants, palanquins, ceremonial objects, preceded by family and friends. Throughout the journey, drums sounded marking the arrival of the child of the country who brought back, along with the doctoral certificate issued by the king, glory to the entire village. The village was henceforth distinguished as « a land of literature (đất văn chương). »

Then the laureate did not fail to bow before the altar of the ancestors and Confucius, before inviting everyone to a sometimes ruinous banquet. During the second millennium B.C. of Vietnam’s history, the intellectual elite emerging from national competitions produced, alongside brilliant strategists, mathematicians, statesmen, philosophers, men of letters, its share of simple bureaucrats and corrupt mandarins. According to Confucian tradition, no woman had access to official education.

The patients were so numerous that Phú Doãn Hospital (the current German-Vietnamese hospital) was soon overwhelmed. It was set up within the grounds of the Văn Miếu Quốc Tử Giám, whose ramparts served as a barrier against contagion. The disease was brought under control thanks to a vaccine developed by Doctor Yersin and the dedication of the doctors. But the Temple was in such a state that the French authorities decided to transform it into a hospital. They began searching for a new location to build the new building.

Aware that he was attacking the Holy See of Vietnamese culture, the representative of the Governor-General of Indochina, Pasquier, first consulted a prominent scholar, and the latter’s conclusion was unequivocal: « Adverse circumstances have soiled the steles and make the people’s hearts bleed. The Nguyễn, by transferring the capital to Huế, respected the integrity of the Temple. If you want to move it, the population will revolt. » A few days later, the French Government allocated a sum of 20,000 piastres to restore the Temple to its original state.
At other times in its troubled history, the population of Hanoi had shown its attachment to this monument, a symbol of its intellectual curiosity, passion for study, and creativity, notably during the fratricidal wars between the Trịnh and the Nguyễn. Nevertheless, in its current state, the Temple of Literature occupies a smaller space than at its peak.

Toàn cảnh nội văn từ
Thử địa vi thủ, thiên thu cần tạo thương lưu phương

Overview of the literary content
Trying the geographical hand, a thousand years need to create a lasting fragrance

Of all the temples dedicated to literature, this one is the high place;
the scent of culture lingers there beyond millennia.

The Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu)

Chu Văn An

Ông tổ của các nhà nho nước Việt

Erection of the laureates’ steles

[RETURN]

The post The Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu) appeared first on Quêhươngtôi.

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

[RETURN]

The post Temple Đô  (Lý Bát Đế)(English version) appeared first on Quêhươngtôi.

Vietnamese version
Version française
Pictures gallery

Due to historical events, the imperial city of Thăng Long seems to fade over time in the collective memory of the Vietnamese, with its remnants hidden within the land of the ancient city of Hanoi. Vietnamese archaeologists had difficulty locating its site despite a series of archaeological excavations initiated at Quần Ngựa and in the geographical area of the Hồ Chí Minh mausoleum, etc., since 1970. It was only in 1998 that they succeeded in locating, in the geographical areas near Hậu Lâu adjacent to Hoàng Diệu street and Bắc Môn (the North Gate from the Nguyễn period), bases of stone pillars and columns with lotus motifs as well as other manufactured objects from the later Lê period. In 2000, they were allowed to carry out another excavation inside Ðoan Môn (the only gate of the forbidden city), which led to the discovery of the royal road (ngự đạo) from the Trần period. With other archaeological excavations undertaken from December 2002 until 2004 near No. 18 Hoàng Diệu street, other remnants dating back to the pre-Thăng Long era (before the 11th century) were found.

Thanks to the picks of Vietnamese archaeologists, the imperial city of Thăng Long is beginning to reveal its secrets and politics, administration, and culture over nearly thirteen centuries (under the successive dynasties of Lý, Trần, and later Lê). The architectural ruins (foundations, pillar bases, sections of royal brick roads, water drainage systems, wells, etc.) exposed in the imperial city of Thăng Long undoubtedly testify to the architectural complexity of the palaces of that era, whose existence has been confirmed by the discovery and presence of several types of high-quality ceramics with aesthetically sophisticated motifs, including ceramics from the Lê period bearing Chinese characters meaning Quan (official) or Kính (respectful) and motifs of five-clawed dragons and phoenixes.
Imperial city map

These ceramics were reserved exclusively for kings and queens. Thanks to the archaeological excavation, the following conclusion was reached: the architectural remains from the Lý-Trần-Lê periods found had been stacked on the layer from the Chinese Zong Pinh-Đai La period (Tống Bình-Đai La) (7th-9th century).

This observation does not call into question the importance given until now to the Royal Edict (Chiếu dời đô) that the founder Lý Công Uẩn of the Lý dynasty, later known as Lý Thái Tổ, promulgated in the spring of 1010 (Canh Tuất) regarding the transfer of the capital. After eliminating the Vietnamese king Lê Long Ðĩnh of the earlier Lê dynasty (Tiền Lê), Lý Thái Tổ realized that after a few years of reign, Hoa Lư, the capital of Vietnam built in a mountainous region, was too difficult to access. It was impossible to ensure prosperity there and to secure the destiny of Vietnam (tính kế cho con cháu muôn vạn đời). The capital had to be transferred to Ðại La, the former capital of the proconsul of the Chinese Tang dynasty, Kao Pien (Cao Biền), during the period of Chinese domination.

Hoàng thành Thăng Long

This city could protect the population from floods and inundations with its fairly high and well-exposed terrain, but it was also a location corresponding to the favorable orientation of mountains and rivers and to the position of the coiled dragon and the sitting tiger. To avoid awakening popular unrest, he did not hesitate to resort to the credulity of his people, as would later be done by the advisor to the hero Lê Lợi, Nguyễn Trãi, in the liberation struggle against the Ming. He spread a rumor that he had seen a golden dragon emerge from Ðại La and fly into the sky in his dream.

That is why Đại La was called Thăng Long (The Rising Dragon). Like other kings, he could have imposed his will on his people by decree, but he preferred to submit to the will of Heaven and the aspirations of the people, deliberately using their superstition to accomplish a great work for an independent Vietnam. His reign was known as « Thuận Thiên » (Following the Will of Heaven).

Orphaned, raised in a pagoda, and educated from a young age by the learned monk Vạn Hạnh, growing up in his shadow, he soon became a great king of Vietnam because he was imbued with Buddhist thought during his reign. In him, one finds not only wisdom, dialogue, insight, and tolerance but also the undeniable will to contribute to the strengthening of the Vietnamese nation (a highly centralized administrative system, a fairly flexible tax regime, Buddhism accepted as the state religion, priority given to education, etc.). It was under him that Vietnam was recognized for the first time as the kingdom of Annam. The authors of the work « The Complete Historical Records of Đại Việt » (Ðại Việt Sử Ký toàn thư) continually praised the years of Lý Công Uẩn’s reign. His dynasty was later described by the Vietnamese historian Ngô Thì Sĩ as a dynasty of clemency (Triều Lý nhân Ái).

Decorative sheet attached to the tile

Thanks to Việt Sử lược (The Brief History of the Vietnamese State in the 14th Century), we know that in the plan of the imperial city of Thăng Long built in 1010 by King Lý Thái Tổ, there was in the middle of this city the Càn Nguyên palace, later called Thiên An and finally renamed Kinh Thiên (Audience Hall) by King Lê Thái Tổ. Around this palace, to the east, there was the Tập Hiền palace and the Phi Long gate; to the west, the Giảng Vũ palace and the Ðan Phượng gate; to the south, the Cao Ðiện palace and the Long Trì veranda with its corridors on both sides; and to the north, the Long An and Long Thụy palaces, not forgetting to mention to the west and east of these the Nhật Quang and Nguyệt Minh palaces. Additionally, there were the Hưng Thiên pagoda and the Sao Ngũ Phượng tower. In 1011, the Thái Thanh palace, the Vạn Tuế pagoda, and the Trần Phúc Buddhist library were constructed. (Việt Sử lược, translated and annotated by Trần Quốc Vượng pp 70-71).

Based on the plan of the imperial city from the Lê period, Vietnamese archaeologists have delineated this city as follows: the north around Phan Ðình Phùng street, the south located at Trần Phú street, the west beyond Ông Ích Khiêm street, and the east around Thuốc Bắc street. The area of this site is estimated to be about 140 hectares during the Lê period. However, it would be slightly smaller under the Lý and Trần dynasties. On the other hand, the Hanoi citadel does not exceed 100 hectares under the Nguyễn dynasty.

During archaeological excavations, several architectural materials decorated with extremely varied themes are found. The decorative motifs include lotuses, chrysanthemums, or heads of mythical animals with rough and fierce features during the Đại La period (7th – 9th century). Then, under the period of the Đinh and Early Lê dynasties (Tiền Lê), there are lotuses and pairs of mandarin ducks, and finally, under the Lý dynasty, through dragons, phoenixes, leaves, and flowers, the art of decoration reaches the peak of beauty and perfection. Despite maintaining the basic elements of decoration from the Lý dynasty, this art tends to regain its simplicity and solidity under the Trần dynasty. As for the Later Lê period, there is a significant change in the simplicity of tile and brick decoration, along with a batch of new themes added compared to the periods of the Lý and Trần dynasties.

The remains and manufactured objects found in the imperial city of Thăng Long undeniably bear witness to a national culture and local originality because, besides the dragon of the Lý dynasty with its well-decorated crest not found in Chinese dragon motifs, one can discover the roofs of buildings from the Lý-Trần period covered with tiles adorned either with decorative leaves or with figurines of dragons or phoenixes that are not commonly seen in the royal palaces of neighboring countries. It can be said without hesitation that this site is part of a cultural heritage of invaluable worth for Vietnam, particularly for the city of Hanoi.

Listed as a World Cultural Heritage site, the imperial city of Thăng Long has become today a must-visit site when one has the opportunity to visit the capital, Hanoi.

Photos gallery of imperial city  Thăng Long

[Return PATRIMOINES]

Bibliographic references:

Hoàng Thành Thăng Long.
Thăng Long imperial citadel.
Nhà Xuất Bản Thông Tin
Hànội 2006
The Culturel Information Publishing House
 

The post Imperial Citadel of Thang Long (Hanoï) appeared first on Quêhươngtôi.

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

[Return SAIGON]

The post Phố Bùi Viện (Saigon Quận 1) appeared first on Quêhươngtôi.