7/10/09
Finally made it to Dong Ha, Vietnam.
7/9/09
The Royal Tombs of Vietnam
Hi all,
Here are some of the pictures from my time in during the last two weeks in Hue. I have included pictures from some of the Royal Vietnamese Tombs.
Tomb of Tu Duc.
Tu Duc's tomb is located in a narrow valley in Duong Xuan Thuong village (currently Thuong Ba village, Thuy Xuan Commune, Hue City). It is one of the most beautiful works of royal architecture of the Nguyen dynasty. The tomb lies in a boundless pine forest, 8 km from Hue.
The Tomb of Minh Mang.
The Tomb is 12km form Hue, on Cam Ke mount, near Bang Lang fork, on the west bank of the Perfume River. In September 1840, the construction of the tomb began. In January 1841, while the work was implemented Minh Mang was sick and passed away. Emperor Thieu Tri, his successor to the throne, continue this task according to his father’s plans. Emperor Minh Mang's corpse was buried in Buu Thanh on August 20th of 1841. The construction was fully completed in 1843 . Minh Mang's tomb is a standard architectural complex consisting of 40 constructions (palaces, temples, pavilions, etc.) designed on an symmetric axis running from Dai Hong gate to the foot of La Thanh (Surrounding Wall) behind the Emperor's tomb.
The Tomb of Khai Dinh.
His tomb was the most elaborate and most expensive of the Nguyen Emporers. It was very western influenced, especially by the French. Emperor Khai Dinh came to the throne in 1916 and he chose the slope of Chau Chu mountain (also called Chau E), 10 km from Hue, as the location to build his tomb. The construction of the tomb was started on September 4th 1920 and lasted for 11 years. Incomparison with those of the preceding emperors, Khai Dinh’s tomb is much smaller in surface (117m x 48.5m) but it is very elaborate. It is the result of the interminglement of many architectural trends: European and Asian, as well as ancient and modern.
We just arrived in Dong Ha, which lies in the Quang Tri province, just below the 17th parallel. We are here doing our community service portion of the our study abroad working with PeaceTrees Vietnam, which I have enclosed a link so that you can check out their history and some of the stuff we will be doing (http://www.peacetreesvietnam.org/). I am very excited to start working towards peace and contemplating how I can continue to evolve by being a more conscientious person who fights to eradicate poverty and racism by bringing a greater sense of humanity to every situation.
Geography
Located in North Central Vietnam, Quang Tri Province is surrounded by Quang Binh Province on the north, Thua Thien-Hue Province on the south, Laos on the west, and the East Sea on the east, with 75km of seaside. Except for the narrow piedmont coastal plains, the terrain is dominated by hills and the Annamite Mountains. The highlands, characterized by steep slopes, sharp crests, and narrow valleys, are covered mainly by a dense broadleaf evergreen forest. Most of the peaks are from 4,000 to 7,000 feet high, but some rise above 8,000 feet. The narrow coastal plains flanking the highlands on the east are compartmented by rocky headlands and consist of belts of sand dunes and, in areas where the soil is suitable, rice fields.
From the crests that mark the drainage divide in the highlands, streams flow either east towards the South China Sea or west into Laos or Cambodia. Those flowing eastward are swift and follow short courses through deep narrow valleys over rocky bottoms until they reach the coastal plains, where they slow down and disperse over silty and sandy bottoms. The westward flowing streams follow longer traces, sometimes through deep canyons, other times through poorly drained valleys that, like the coastal plains in the east, are subject to seasonal flooding. Its topography consists of mountains, hills, plains, sand dunes and beaches. The long coast and complex network of rivers includes the Ben Hai, Cam Lo, Quang Tri, and Thach Han rivers offering a good potential for hydroelectricity production and aquaculture. The weather features a wide range of temperatures and rainfall, with hot and dry south-west winds during the Southwest Monsoon (May through September), and much cooler wet weather during the rainy season (November to mid-March). Annual average temperature is 24ºC, but temperatures can drop as low as 7ºC during the rainy season.
Area: 4,760.1 sq. km. Population: 625,800 habitants (2006) Capital: Dong Ha Town. Administrative divisions: - Town: Quang Tri - Districts: Vinh Linh, Gio Linh, Cam Lo, Trieu Phong, Hai Lang, Huong Hoa, Da Krong, Con Co.
7/8/09
Family reunion in Da Nang, Vietnam
7/1/09
Hue Citadel, the beach & Huda Hue soccer!
6/23/09
A Hue we go!
VN 21.6.09
Checked out of hotel. Went to Hanoi Int’l Airport. I checked lost and found for my journal, no dice. Then we all checked in and flew to Hue.
We all checked into our hotel Ngoc Huong. Then we all went to the Thuan An beach. Dep qua! It was such a beautiful sight. If you could only see some of the looks I’ve been getting while I was on the beach.
That had to be the nastiest tasting water I ever had in my life (not intentional mind you). Children selling snacks on the beach are very persistent… Go to respect their hustle…
Then we (Kathie, Amy and I) went out to eat dinner. Had first bowl of Bun Bo Hue as my first meal in Hue.
VN 22.6.09
First breakfast at hotel was nice. It was buffet style. They even had Bun Bo Hue, the lady told me it was the best dish in the country… Which may or may not be true, not trying to judge, so I went ahead and tried it. The one I had the previous day was better, much better. Had breakfast with James and our TA Hoang Ngo.
Welcome reception to Hue University, College of Foreign LanguagesWe have had three days of classes so far. Very interesting lessons about the history of Vietnam by Professor Giebel.
6/22/09
Last days in Hanoi
Sorry fam that it is taking me a little more time to add new posts to my blog. Visited and had a guided tour of the Vietnamese Museum of Ethnology. It was really nice. Our tour guide was actually a former student of our professor. He was working on the famed Highway 9, East-West Economic corridor exhibit. Really nice museum. A lot of this museum had information on the war and the UXO (unexploded ordinance) that was dropped during the American Conflict in Vietnam. Which is nice to see so that we can see some of the actual UXO that was dropped, actually helps one to imagine the magnitude of the devastation and despair within the region we are going to assist. All I can say is that it is pretty sad..
.
Chua Quan Truoc (Quan Truoc Temple) “alleged” oldest Theravada Buddhist Temple in Viet
nam. Dep qua. While here there was a funeral going on, tree of enlightenment for Buddha. However, one of the coolest things we saw was the "John McCain Marker." Which means the place (lake) where he crashed and then subsequently rescued by the local people. Just think what would of happened if they would have let him drowned...
Famed Hanoi Vietnamese Water Puppet Theater. Traditional French style marionettes performing in water.
VN 20.6.09
Took a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake. Very interesting to see public parks used for mass tai chi exercises. Nice to see Viet people very active, especially the women… Even the men were lifting weights like it was Venice beach.
I thought about meditating…. And even running, but the humidity and heat is brutal… reminds me so much of Cuba.
Meet with Jodi Charles (UW alumn who works with VN CDC/Embassy) at Paris Deli.
Lunch at the famed Highway 4 restaurant, where we ate steamboat soup with tiger prawns, pigeon, crocodile and skewered wild horse, cua rang me (soft shelled crabs with tamarind), crickets with tamarind sauce, and many more...
Walking tour of the French Colonial Quarters in Hanoi.
History Museum, Vietnamese Communist Party Museum.