Christmas Days (2)

Yesterday was Boxing Day and Michael and I went to the city for a walk with the Friends of Vietnam Heritage organisation. They are a voluntary organisation a bit like our Civic Society. This walk was in the Truc Ba Lake area, which we have not explored before. We visited an important Taoist temple which was very busy with worshippers. The walk leader, Stella, then realised that it was the 15th day of the month in the lunar calendar and a very important day as it is the last month of the year. Both the temple and the pagoda we visited later were highly decorated and stacked with offerings of fruit, flower, food and money (a monk was walking around discreetly and picking this up!). We tried not to be too intrusive.

The temple had a huge bronze statue of a venerated man who helped the king when Hanoi became the capital.

Incense was burning everywhere 

We learned that Truc Ba Lake was once part West Lake but it is now separated by a road. In past times the two villages either side decided they wanted easier access and to be able to fish so they built a dyke which was later widened to allow carts. During the American War it was destroyed and after the war students and young people worked their one afternoon a week off to rebuild it.  The street is now named 'Youth Street' in recognition of the work

 

Apparently after the war Ho Chi Minh decreed that everyone should use this free time to help rebuild the city.

We saw more of usual sights too. These women are selling pineapples 

This area was known for silk weaving and bronze casting. The bronze works had to move closer to the river for safety reasons and apparently this industry is very busy again as many new temples are being built.

Our final stop was at a pagoda (Chua)and communal house. I learned that a pagoda is a Chua and is Buddhist. Once again this was highly decorated with lots of additional banners. The bronze Buddha was huge!

Note the huge ceramic vases, like the ones we saw in the workshops in Bat Trang last week

We got home just in time for the Boxing Day party, another family, the yoga teacher and her son and two young men who are Loose Scholars from the USA joined us. A very interesting mix of people and  a good time was had by all! The three young boys had a great time playing video games on their newly acquired consoles.

Michelle(who is a Kiwi) and I serving the puddings. 

Pavlova, chocolate log, mince tart, and Christmas cakes were on offer. The two Scholars were sent home with lots of leftovers from the first course and the puddings as we were travelling the next day.

We then had a mammoth clear up and packed!

I have been writing this on the flight to Ho Chi Minh City where we will transfer to another flight to Con Son an island in the Con Dao Archipelago. We will spend 4 nights there then return to HCMC/Saigon for three nights, two of which are at the Majestic Hotel, which is our Christmas gift from Andrew and Amanda! Almost there!.....