Hanoi: exquisite artistic atmosphere

Immersive storytelling

Just a day after our arrival, after having visited the touristy Ngoc Son Temple on  Hoan Kiem lake, I notice that we seemed to be close to Mural Street. A street dedicated to murals definitely needs exploration. Could it be something like in Sao Paulo? Drink isn't interested. Consulting Google maps, while still connected to the local wifi, I work out the route, commiting names and directions to memory. With very slight confusion, only because I wasn't quite familiar with the area, I almost walk past the first few murals simply because I don't know where to look. It takes me a while to realize the paintings are so realistic that they blend seamlessly into the life around them . A closer look reveals the wood canvas on which artists depicted scenes from history, local folklore,and daily life. Everyday aspects stand out in vibrant colours and in three-D for they also include structural elements that pop out. It's as though the artists have woven a tapestry showcasing the cultural heritage of the historic city. 

While strolling back ‘home’ I noticed locals playing traditional board games. The storytelling theme becomes as vivid as it can because anyone can join the locals and learn to play these games immersing themselves into the culture. 

Missing the obvious: a daunting venture

Having heard of the Ceramic Murals we decide it is time to look for them. You can’t miss them on the drive from the airport into Hanoi, but we did. 

We walk into the city centre for the map indicated that it began somewhere there.We have to ask at a boutique whose sales-girls kindly show us the way. It is quite complicated but we do find the murals on the other side of the highway confronting us. At the intersection where a ramp meets the highway  we have a few nerve wracking moments figuring out how to get as close as possible to the said murals without getting into an accident for we are actually on a highway with motorbikes, cars and trucks  bumper to bumper, whizzing by and impatiently honking at each other.

We decide not to cross it and it's a good thing too for these murals are better appreciated from a distance. We walk along the narrow uneven curb performing a dangerous balancing act every now and then. There is no visible end to the Ceramic Murals. 

Is there a way to get off the highway? We find a small break in the curb, with rough stones set down like stairs on the downward slope. Hoping they were steady we manage to wobble down onto the side road. This is probably an improvised shortcut created by impatient locals living across the highway. It serves us well.

Surprise at our doorstep 

We think  we should call it a day. Since we are now more familiar with the terrain we are able to find our way back home easily. And then we see more of these murals! The wall is actually part of the Red River dike system protecting the historic centre. To our surprise our accommodation is on the other side of the wall. Had we started from here it would have been a little easier and  we would have walked right beside the murals all the way to the city centre. But there would  be no escaping the traffic conundrum.

The next day we take up where we left off and continue to walk along the murals which takes us towards the Long Bien market ( described in a previous blog) and thence under the famous Long Bien bridge. 

A spectrum

The murals  cover nearly a 7 km stretch of which we did nearly 5. When we identify cultural icons from various countries it becomes clear that this long stretch of murals is no ordinary feat. The Hanoi mosaics not only  show different periods of Vietnamese history and  iconic scenes, but also tributes from other countries with their unique designs. 

Is it any wonder then that the mega pictorialisation created to celebrate Hanoi’s millennium anniversary in 2021, has earned it the Guinness World Record for the largest ceramic mosaic?  

 

Inextricably intertwined: art and culture and religion 

The mosaics continue with us as we walk towards West Lake, the biggest freshwater lake in Hanoi. As we approach it we are surrounded by posh restaurants and hotels interspersed with lush gardens and opulent villas. But the Tran Quoc pagoda nestled on an  islet charms us no end.

Founded in the 6th century it was relocated in the 17th century to escape the silt of the Red River. Renamed asTran Quoc (National Defense), it has evolved into a symbol of resilience and spiritual continuity. In its garden stands a Bodhi tree( a gift from India), said to be a descendant of the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. The garden also houses several towers and aesthetically designed stupas. The red 11-story stupa and the yellow facade as well as the bonsai dioramas add a quiet beauty to the spiritual serenity. 

Eiffel in Hanoi

Yes, Long Bien Bridge was  originally built by Gustav Eiffel, the very man  famed for the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. The cantilevered bridge was once the longest bridge in Asia. It was bombed during the Vietnam War and then restored. We find a stairway that leads from the ceramic murals to the railway station after the bridge  bridge. Since the sun is about to set and the day has cooled down we decide to walk along the bridge which has lanes only for bikes and pedestrians. 

Though rickety at places we walk the half of the 2km bridge from where we have views of the red river mud flats. It's like another tapestry but of lush vegetation both floating and otherwise, interjected by a boat or two making watery tracks on a green surface. The banks are again a tapestry of vegetable gardens. The lanes on the bank sport artististic sculptures from recycled plastic bottles and incense burning drums. Walls are covered with murals depicting lily or lotus ponds.

As luck would have it

As we return to the railway station we see a crowd. It is getting dark and most are staying put. We hang around for a while and when we decide to move off, the tracks begin to vibrate. There is a gust of wind. The anxious wait of nearly 10 min is worth every minute. We are actually going to see the train that will chug past us into the tracks that lie between restaurants and pubs adorned with attractive graffiti, just two steps away from the tracks. Another surprise: the tracks go along the top of the wall that is famous for its murals and continue on a raised track into the old quarter shopping area.  We've been to the places before but were completely unaware of the proximity of the tracks.

Aesthetics every which way

Everyday street art abounds from the way vendors arrange their goods on carts, the intricately embroidered dainty baskets to the flower bouquets and wreaths. Pop up cards  of iconic Vietnamese buildings and mythical creatures are sold as souvenirs.

One day we noticed sea creatures made of recycled plastic bottles sitting on the pedestrian bridge over the 6 lane thoroughfare that we cross everyday to get to the old quarter.  The next day the collection increased with more of these animals and waveforms. By evening they were hung up and being wired. We left the day after but now I know that a group of artists had transformed the bridge into a vibrant,  buoyantly delightful, illuminated work of art in the evening.

We chose well

We hadn't realised we were just across the old quarter when we booked our airbnb.Historic landmarks, cultural delights,  tourist sites quite central, fairly walkable, old quarter, French quarter.