Week 1: Hanoi: Ancient History and Culture
Highlights of the week. During this week we anchor in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Here we visit several historical monuments including the One Column Temple, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Ho Chi Minh Museum, the Museum of History, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Temple of Literature, the Hoan Kiem Lake, the old city’s quarters, etc. We also visit the recent archaeological site in the heart of the capital city. The 2004 excavation site is one of the most important archeological discoveries in the recent history of Vietnam. (I arranged an archeologist from the Institute of Archaeology to tour us there. I hope she can make it) We take a one day trip to hike on the sacred Perfumed Mountain, and two-day trip to Ha Long Bay. On the way back to Hanoi, we may visit Dinh Bang, the famous community hall, the best know wooden architecture of dated to the seventeenth century.
Depending on the performance date, the class will attend a water puppet show in Hanoi. This is a very unique performance and showcases the art of the Vietnamese culture.
