Jardin botanique Noong Nooch (Pattaya)
Vườn thực vật Noong Nooch (Pattaya)
tourisme
Les bouquinistes le long de la Seine
Les bouquinistes le long des quais de la Seine
Version française
Version anglaise
Galerie de photos
Nằm dọc bờ sông Seine, những quầy sách là một nét đặc trưng của cảnh quan Paris. Tương tự như những người bán hoa ở Phố Cổ Hà Nội, họ bán sách cổ, áp phích, bưu thiếp và đồ sưu tầm. Du khách có cơ hội ngắm nghía hàng hóa của họ khi dạo bước giữa Nhà thờ Đức Bà và Bảo tàng Louvre. Thật thú vị khi được lục lọi những chiếc hộp xanh lớn. Tổng cộng có 900 hộp. Nếu trời mưa, những người bán sách sẽ nhanh chóng đóng quầy. Chỉ trong vài phút, mọi thứ lại biến mất vào chiếc hộp xanh lớn. Paris thật kỳ diệu.
Étant installés le long des quais de la Seine, les bouquinistes font partie de l’une des caractéristiques du paysage parisien. Analogues aux marchandes ambulantes des fleurs du vieux quartier de Hanoï, ils vendent des livres anciens, des affiches, des cartes postales et des objets de collection. Les touristes ont l’occasion de jeter un coup d’œil sur leurs produits en flânant entre l’église Notre Dame et le musée du Louvre. Il est intéressant pour les touristes de les fouiller dans les grandes boites vertes. Il y a 900 boites en tout. En cas de pluie, les bouquinistes vont fermer rapidement leurs boutiques. En quelques minutes, tout disparait à nouveau dans sa grande boite verte. C’est magique, Paris.
Located along the banks of the Seine, the bouquinistes are part of one of the characteristics of the Parisian landscape. Similar to the flower vendors of the old Hanoi district, they sell old books, posters, postcards, and collectibles. Tourists have the opportunity to take a look at their products while strolling between Notre Dame Church and the Louvre Museum. It is interesting for tourists to rummage through them in the large green boxes. There are 900 boxes in total. In case of rain, the bouquinistes quickly close their shops. In a few minutes, everything disappears again into its large green box. It’s magical, Paris.
Po Nagar Shrine (Sanctuaire Po Nagar): Part 1
Thánh Địa Po Nagar
This sanctuary is a must-visit for those who have the opportunity to visit Nha Trang, the most upscale seaside resort in Vietnam. Located on a hill at the mouth of the Cái River, it was built continuously from the 8th to the 13th century according to inscriptions found on site. The appearance of this sanctuary in the Champa kingdom is linked to the turmoil that Champa experienced in the 8th century. The Champa kingdom was actually a federation of several states or rather « city-states, » with the most powerful one playing the role of « leader » (vai trò chủ đạo). Upon the advent of a new dynasty, its pura ascended to the top rank and thus became the capital of the kingdom. Thanks to Chinese historical documents and Cham inscriptions, it is known that until the beginning of the 7th century, the pura (or city-state) of Singhapura (lion citadel) in Trà Kiệu (in the current district of Duy Xuyên, Quảng Nam province) predominated.
At that time, the northern royal lineage was always protected by the male deity Bhadresvara, a linga representing a benevolent form of Shiva honored in the most sacred sanctuary of Mỹ Sơn. A new royal lineage soon made itself recognized in the mid-8th century in the southern part of the Champa kingdom (Kauthara) and needed another deity to protect it.
Po Nagar Shrine
The Trà Kiệu and Mỹ Sơn region, belonging to the current Quảng Nam province (the Cham province of Amaravâti), thus lost its importance in favor of Khánh Hòa (Nha Trang plain) and Ninh Thuận (Phan Rang region). Although its political center of power (Virapura) has not been located to this day, it is claimed to be somewhere around Phan Rang. On the other hand, it is certain that a major political event took place in the south of this kingdom, as this perfectly aligns with the date 758 provided in Chinese annals to mark the beginning of the Huanwang period (or Hoàn Vương in Vietnamese), lasting about 100 years. Lin Yi (or Lâm Ấp in Vietnamese), the former name given to this kingdom, is no longer used and is replaced by Huanwang in Chinese texts. This deity is a one-faced linga and is honored in the sacred Pô Nagar sanctuary located by the sea. She is clearly feminine and presented as the shakti of Shiva, Bhagavati.
Despite the sidelining of the Prathivindravarman lineage of the South reported in Chinese annals in 859 and the seizure of supreme power by the Bhrgu lineage in the northern kingdom at Indrapura (near Hội An) in 875 with the new king Indravarman II, the deity of Nha Trang in Kauthara continued to be honored as the protective goddess of the kingdom.
This shows the willingness of the Bhrgu lineage to integrate it into a coherent religious system which, until then based on the veneration of Bhadresvara (Mỹ Sơn sanctuary), recognizes a complementary position for Bhagavarti. The religious bipolarity around the god Bhadresvara at Mỹ Sơn and the goddess Bhagavati at Nha Trang would henceforth dominate the entire kingdom. The veneration of Bhagavarti aligns not only with the importance given to the matrilineal system adopted by the Chams but also with the unity the Chams needed at that time in the face of their enemies (Vietnamese, Khmers, and Javanese).
In order to acclimate to an unfamiliar natural environment where the stupas and religious constructions of the Chams, bearing the deep mark of Indian culture, were visibly strange, frightening, and mysterious with statues of Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, and Pô Nagar, these new Vietnamese arrivals were forced to develop a lifestyle adapted to their new cultural environment. They did not hesitate to use the remnants of Cham culture to transpose them into their own religious universe and places of worship. They attempted to establish harmony between the supernatural and temporal powers of the territories they had managed to conquer. Fearing to disturb local spirits capable of bringing them harm, they sometimes appropriated the places of worship of the defeated or local people. This is the case of the Pô Nagar sanctuary where the Champa goddess Uma was appropriated by the Vietnamese. They did not hesitate to assimilate the legend of Po Nagar into a mythology arranged in their own way without managing to erase the Cham substrate of the myth. The Champa goddess thus became Thiên Y A Na (Thiên Y Thánh Mẫu) of the Vietnamese. This appropriation is renewed in other places in Vietnam during the southward march: the Black Lady in Tây Ninh or the goddess Chúa Xứ on Mount Sam (Châu Đốc).
In his inventory of Cham towers located on the Pô Nagar site, the French archaeologist Henri Parmentier recorded about a dozen worship buildings grouped in an area of 500 m2 at the top of a hill. Due to weathering and war, only 5 buildings remain spread over two construction levels. At the top, there are two rows of towers, the first consisting of three towers from north to south: the main tower dedicated to the goddess Yan Pu Nagara (or Thiên Y A Na in Vietnamese), the southern temple, and the southeastern kalan. As for the second row, only one tower with a curved saddle-shaped roof remains, dedicated to the children of Thiên Y A Na.
Facing the main tower of the first row, at the lower level, stands an open mandapa consisting of two rows of ten octagonal brick columns, each measuring three meters in height and more than one meter in diameter, surrounded by fourteen similar columns of smaller size. These columns were intended to support a roof shaped like an inverted boat hull, whose structure was made of wood.
This mandapa was built by Senapati Par and mentioned in the steles erected by this general of King Harivarman in 817. It was connected to the main tower by a brick staircase. This type of building is found at other Cham sites: Mỹ Sơn (Đà Nẵng), Po Kloong Garai (Phan Rang), or Bánh Ít (Bình Định). According to Henri Parmentier, next to these brick buildings, there was a wooden temple (or bimong in Cham) which was somewhat a resting place for offerings.
Thanks to Cham inscriptions, we learn that in 774, the wooden religious sanctuary of Pô Nagar was pillaged and destroyed by the Javanese (Chà Và in Vietnamese). This term refers to the populations of the South Seas, i.e., the archipelago and the Malay Peninsula. It was rebuilt in 784 in brick and stone by King Satyavarman. Then, around the middle of the 10th century, the site of Nha Trang was sacked by the Khmers, whose inscriptions spoke of the loot (a gold statue) taken from the goddess Bhagavati.
It was reinstalled in 965 by replacing a stone statue by King Indravarman. The 10th-century statue under the reign of King Jaya Paramesvaravarman could be the one still seen today in the main tower, but its head was restored in the Vietnamese style.
Mausolée Tu Duc (Version vietnamienne)
Khiêm Lăng (謙陵)
Không giống như các lăng mộ hoàng gia khác của triều Nguyễn, lăng mộ của vua Tự Đức chủ yếu là nơi ẩn náu trong thời gian trị vì của ngài. Đây là lý do tại sao nó không chỉ chứa một cung điện sau này được chuyển đổi thành nơi thờ cúng sau khi ngài qua đời, mà còn có một nhà hát và hai gian nhỏ bằng gỗ đỏ xinh xắn (Du Khiêm và Xung Khiêm) nơi ngài thích ngồi để thư giãn và sáng tác thơ. Lăng mộ này, được xây dựng từ năm 1864 đến năm 1867 bởi ba nghìn binh lính và công nhân, có khoảng năm mươi tòa nhà được bao quanh bởi một bức tường đá và gạch dài 1.500 mét bao phủ diện tích 12 ha. Tự Đức lên ngôi vua vào thời điểm ông phải đối mặt không chỉ với sự phát triển của chủ nghĩa tư bản phương Tây mà còn cả tình trạng bất ổn nội bộ (Chiến tranh châu chấu do nhà thơ Cao Bá Quát lãnh đạo, việc anh trai ông là Hồng Bàng bị lật đổ vào thời điểm ông lên ngôi, vân vân). Để có thể nương tựa, ngài không ngần ngại ra lệnh xây dựng lăng mộ làm nơi nghỉ ngơi trong suốt cuộc đời và là nơi ở cho cuộc sống vĩnh hằng sau này của ngài.
Galerie des photos du mausolée Tự Đức
Trong lăng mộ này, đình Hoa Khiêm là công trình chính nơi vua làm việc, đình Lương Khiêm là nơi vua ở và ngủ. Hai ngôi mộ khác cũng nằm trong khuôn viên lăng mộ. Đó là mộ của hoàng hậu Lê Thiện Anh, vợ vua, và một trong ba người con nuôi của vua, vua Kiến Phúc.
Kiến trúc của lăng mộ này không chỉ phản ánh bản chất lãng mạn của nhà thơ-hoàng đế Tư Đức mà còn phản ánh sự tự do vốn còn thấy thiếu trong các lăng mộ khác cho đến ngày nay. Không có gì ngạc nhiên khi lăng mộ này đã trở thành điểm đến yêu thích của hầu hết du khách nước ngoài và Việt Nam.
TANG DYNASTY (Đại Đường)
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
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)
Phố Bùi Viện (Saigon Quận 1)
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
Vestiges of the past (Di tích của một thời)
Vietnamese version
Version française
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.
Saïgon (Hồ Chí Minh city)
Saïgon (Hồ Chí Minh city)
Saïgon hai tiếng nhớ nhung
Ra đi luyến tiếc nghìn trùng cách xa
Version vietnamienne
Version française
Galerie des photos
For some Vietnamese, the city will always be Saigon. For others, it is truly Ho Chi Minh City. Whatever name it takes, it will continue to be the economic center for foreign businessmen. It is here that millions of tons of rice and fish from the Mekong Delta are shipped for export. Although renamed in 1975, Saigon continues to maintain its old habits, its vagaries and its paradoxes. The city is always bustling with sleepless nights. It is a common sight on the streets or in large wooden-floored rooms where young girls learn to waltz and tango.
Saigon is still very much alive with its current 10 million inhabitants. Saigon has always had a strong vitality with a wonderful spirit of resourcefulness. The city is still bohemian, adventurous and over-excited. It continues to develop with luxury hotels with thousands of rooms in the middle of poor areas. This is the most populous city in Vietnam with an average population density of more than 4,500 people per square kilometer, even higher than Shanghai (China). It currently has a total area of 2,061 km² and is divided into 19 districts and 5 suburban districts.
Sites to visit
- Panoramic view of Saïgon (Toàn cảnh Saïgon)
- Notre Dame church (Nhà thờ Đức Bà)
- Lê Văn Duyệt temple (Lăng Ông)
- Nguyễn Huệ crossroads (Quảng trường Nguyễn Huế)
- Chinese Quarter ( Chợ Lớn, Quận 5)
- Central market (Chợ Bến Thành)
- Tunic museum (Bảo tàng Áo Dài)
- Museum of Việtnam history (Bảo tàng lịch sử)
- Vestiges of the past (Di tích của một thời)
- Saigon waterbus (Du thuyền trên sông Bạch Đằng)
- Lively neighborhood Bùi Viện (Khu phố Tây Ba Lô)
It was once, during the colonial era, the Pearl of the Far East and then the capital of South Vietnam from 1956 to 1975. Today, thanks to the urban development project of the Thủ Thiêm peninsula and the recent incorporation of Thủ Đức district, it has managed to expand its urban area and rapidly increase its population while simultaneously beginning the process of metropolitanization. However, according to Vietnamese researcher Trần Khắc Minh from the University of Quebec in Montreal, this does not prevent a growing fragmentation of the urban fabric and an intensification of inequalities, particularly in access to housing.
From the beginning of our era to the 17th century, Saigon successively belonged to the kingdom of Funan, then Chenla, Champa, and Cambodia. Its name is mentioned for the first time in a Vietnamese source in 1776, recounting the conquest of the city by the Nguyễn lords in 1672. For the Khmers (or Cambodians), Saigon is only a distortion of the name Prei Nokor (forest city) that the Khmers gave to this city. Saigon was a swampy region infested with crocodiles and unhealthy at the end of the 17th century. It was not idyllic for the first Vietnamese settlers to choose Saigon as a land of exile. For this reason, there is always a popular song that the Vietnamese know to testify to the unhealthiness of this region.
Chèo ghe sợ sấu cắn chân
Xuống sông sợ đĩa, lên rừng sợ ma.
Rowing the boat, afraid of crocodiles biting the feet
Going down the river, afraid of leeches, going up the forest, afraid of ghosts.
Despite its flaws, it continues to remain the jugular vein of Vietnam. It is the one that teaches Vietnamese people about market socialism or the Renovation policy started in 1996 to promote industrialization and modernization. It is also the one that offers them a taste of capitalism and the adventure of investing in risky capital.
Like many other cities, Saigon had a long history before being colonized, then Americanized, and finally renamed Hồ Chí Minh City during the events of 1975.
For those interested in this city, its history and its evolution, it is recommended to read the following books:
- Saigon, le chantier des utopies de Didier Lauras, Editions Autrement, Collections Monde, 1997, no 95 HS.
- Saigon, 1925-1945 , de la belle Colonie à l’éclosion révolutionnaire de Philippe Franchini, Editions Autrement, Collections Monde, no17, 1992.
Forbidden city of Beijing (Cố Cung): Part 1
Forbidden city of Pékin
Cố Cung
[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
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)]
Exposition immersive de Van Gogh (Triển lãm nhập vai của Van Gogh)
Triển lãm nhập vai của Van Gogh.
Version française
Version anglaise
Galerie des photos
Triển lãm này hé lộ thế giới nội tâm hỗn loạn, mênh mông và đầy chất thơ mà danh họa đã trải qua ở mọi giai đoạn cuộc đời, với những tác phẩm gợi nhớ về những lần ông lưu trú tại Nuenen, Paris, Arles và Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Trong những tác phẩm đậm màu sắc và phong cách độc đáo của ông, chúng ta luôn tìm thấy sự giao thoa không ngừng giữa ánh sáng và bóng tối.
Ce qu’on voit dans cette exposition, c’est le monde intérieur à la fois chaotique, démesuré et poétique que l’artiste a rencontré à chaque étape de sa vie avec ses œuvres évoquant ses séjours à Nuenen, Paris, Arles et Saint-Rémy de Provence. On trouve toujours dans ses œuvres aux couleurs audacieuses et au style inimitable un échange permanent entre l’ombre et la lumière.
What we see in this exhibition is the chaotic, excessive, and poetic inner world that the artist encountered at each stage of his life, with works evoking his stays in Nuenen, Paris, Arles, and Saint-Rémy de Provence. His boldly colored works, with their inimitable style, always feature a constant interplay between light and shadow.