Quốc Tu Giam University

   No longer in operation, but still an important artifact to the historical society, Quoc Tu Giam stands in memory of the first official university of Vietnam. Built nearly over three centuries ago, these buildings represent the very place scholars and doctors attended in hopes of achieving the highest form of honor, an education that was earned only with the effort of the brightest and most hard-working students. A row of stone tablets with heads of turtles at the bottom display names of the most honorable students of the university that achieved the highest degree possible at the time, the degree of a doctor. 

   Inside one of the main buildings, a place of honor exists for the philosopher Confucius and his three most honorable students. On the second floor of the building, a statue stands in honor of a man that once worked in line of government for the imperial family Vietnam. Statues of kings are honored, as well as old artifacts of the university. 

   To this day, people still travel to the university to seek prayer from the great teachers and honor ancestors before them. On the day we visited, graduation pictures were being taken at the university, symbolizing the wealth of knowledge that exists in the walls of university. 

Bach Ma Temple

    Said to be the oldest and largest temple in Hanoi, Bach Ma Temple is a place of worship, as well as an attraction that many tourists tend to visit. Inside the gates of the Buddhist temple lies a magnificent pathway that leads to tall columns reaching for the heavens and buildings filled with the familiar scent of incense. Amazingly crafted statues that have existed for over hundreds of years still remain carefully kept inside each building, and a beautiful lake surrounds three sides of the temple's grounds. Chinese characters can be found everywhere, symbolizing meanings important to the essence of the temple. Overall, the temple holds a sacred place important to Hanoi's people, as well as history.

Hanoi: Day 6

 

   Hanoi. A beautiful city with a name derived from the meaning "rising dragon," this busy, urbanized center represents the capital of Vietnam. Seven million people occupy this city, and an estimated two million motorcycles roam the perimeters each day. Whereas most southern areas are fairly warm, Hanoi, which is located in the northern regions of Vietnam, has cool breezes and can even be described as chilly. It is not unusual for this area to experience snow during the winter, which I've heard to be quite magnificent. 

   As well as being known for many attractions, Hanoi is a city that holds much of Vietnam's historical value. The capital of a unified state nearly two hundred years ago, Hanoi was stripped of the title only to be renamed as capital city in 1976 after the North's victory in the Vietnam War. To this day, it is a incredible city with tons of shops, restaurants, attractions, and more.

   My family flew into Hanoi from the Saigon airport around early Wednesday morning. The first thing I recognized upon our arrival was the different accent. Just like the United States is popular for its Californian and Midwestern accents, Vietnam is known for its Bac and Nam accents. Bac, representing the accents of the North, and Nam, representing the accents of the South. Though my family does have relatives in northern regions of Vietnam, we are most familiar with the Nam accent. It takes just a while longer for me to understand the Bac accents, but I have to admit they are very interesting. 

   The following pictures and posts will pertain to different sites we visited during our tour around the city of Hanoi. They will include some historical information I picked up along the way, as well as my personal descriptions of each location. Hope all my viewers enjoy, and if there are any questions about places I visited, I will be happy to answer them.

Lamson: Day 3-Day 5

   Hello, world of the internet! I finally have some free time to share more of my crazy experiences with you. I would like to apologize in advance, though, for the delayed posts. The internet connection in Vietnam isn't always the best, depending on your location, and it doesn't help that I've practically been in an internet free zone for the past couple of days...so I'm sorry for the wait! 

   I've spent the last few days visiting relatives south of Saigon. At first, it was really strange to see everybody so grown up, especially my cousins, but everything eventually melted into place. Apparently, I'm the grown up one, and as I get older, I start to look less Asian? The theories I get about my ethnicity are questionable, but I can assure you, I'm Vietnamese. I guess it's just a joke that runs in the family. 

   Anyways, my parents grew up in a small town located in the rural regions of Vietnam. Ninety percent of the town is Catholic, and everyone knows everyone else. So when I arrived in town, of course everyone already knew Americans were coming to visit. The day after we were settled in, a banquet was held in memorial of my grandfather's death. We attended mass in the morning, and afterwards, a luncheon was hosted at my grandmother's house. In Vietnamese culture, it is very important to note the third year after one's death. It has more to do with family honor and pride than anything else. 

   The same day this all happened, I came across the amazing opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples of the area. Located in a nearby town, the temple was serene and very peaceful. Believers could be seen traveling inside the temple to worship the intricate statues of the Buddhist gods. The picture included above was taken outside of the temple, in the nearby garden. A series of steps leading to homes of monasteries, statues, and works of nature circle the mountainside of the temple. 

   This was one of many temples I saw on my journey through the neighboring towns of Lamson. The way villages are set up in the south are definitely very unique to the culture that exists there. Each village is set up to where one religion dominates the entire village, whether it be Catholicism, Buddhism, or any other religion. Neighboring villages could be five meters apart, yet still have entirely different religious beliefs. There is definitely a nice mix of traditions. 

   I am currently staying in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. We took a plane across Vietnam to the northern regions of the country exactly one day ago. So far, I've been able to explore quite a bit, and more pictures and descriptions are bound to come soon, but for right now, I'm heading off to bed as it is getting pretty late here. Feel free to leave any comments, questions, or suggestions. I love reading all the feedback! Good morning Missouri, and good night Vietnam. 

   

Saigon: Day 2

   Good morning, Vietnam. It is currently seven in the morning here in the city, and I am enjoying a traditional breakfast of hot noodle soup, known as "hu teiu." I love the fact that two of my favorite things are being combined at the moment. The first, obviously being food. And the second, an amazing view. It's pretty incredible. 

   To address my flight and travel to Vietnam, everything was smooth sailing. We experienced minor turbulence, and we actually didn't have very long delays at the airports. Our first flight flew out from Springfield, Missouri, and later stops included the following locations: Texas, Japan, and finally, Saigon. The only main setback would probably be the ear popping-mild pain in the ears that occurs with the variation of elevation in height and air pressure. Other than that, the food wasn't too bad (not five star quality, but not bad), the number of times my family got lost in an airport wasn't high, and I only spilled water on myself once. In my opinion, that's a very decent travel, and in all seriousness, we were blessed with a safe trip. For that, I'm thankful. 

   Our schedule for today includes going to the famous outside market of Saigon, Cho Benh Thanh. Later in the day, around noon, we will be traveling to my parents' hometown, Lamson, to visit family. Of course, there's excitement, but I'm also just the least bit nervous. First impressions are very important, and honor definitely comes in as a major role. 

Saigon: Day 1

   Hello everybody! I am currently blogging from Starbucks in Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, Vietnam. Five years really does change a city...it's so different from what I remembered, but it's a good different. Promise. Being here gives me a new perspective in beauty and culture, even though I haven't technically been here for one full day yet. This is going to sound totally cliche, but the city is truly full of life. 

  Everything is so busy and chaotic, and I apologize for not being able to blog about our trip sooner. So far, everything has gone pretty smoothly, except for a few minor glitches, but that's expected. I will give a more detailed update on the flights and everything later, so stay tuned! 

   Sorry this is such a short post, but I will include some pictures of our view and give more updates later! Quick shout out to Mrs. Crane, because she's just awesome, and everyone on the Spyglass team. Love and miss you all!