We went to the French quarter of Hanoi it was a grand building in a neo-classical French style. It had a beautiful tropical, colonial style garden surrounding it. Think "Mem Saab", think Somerset Maugham, or the raffles Hotel, Singapore. It was cool inside, for such a hot day.
I was struck by the simplicity of the displays in the archeological museum, compared to the razzmatazz of the national museum or the monumental grandeur of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Everything is diligently catalogued displayed, and labelled well, Then, I realized what a luxury a such a museum is for such a poor country.
Vietnam fought and overthrew the French in the 1950's, then there was the Vietnam war, which we all know. They are surely recovering economically, physically, medically,:- remember agent orange. So you would imagine it there would not be resources left over for luxuries such as science, study, research, or archeology.
And there it is so proudly displayed, dignified and modest.
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| The Grand Tribute to Ho Chi Minh |
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