Asian is Beautiful: A 5 Day Cultural Indulgence over Vietnam

I arrived in Hanoi in the wee hours of the morning. We were a group of 17 people taking our master's and doctoral degree for community development. It was a study tour with a mission to expose ourselves to the government structure and poverty reduction paradigm of Vietnam. We were going to explore three cities for this objective – Hanoi, Vie Tri and Ha Long.

Our first destination was Vie Tri City. As we were traversing the road for a 50 minute trip from the capital to the province, I curiously peeped at the window to see what Vietnam is.

The first thing that came into my mind was, “It feels like I’m just in the Philippines” The roads particularly reminded me of Visayas Avenue, NLEX and Bulacan, except for some French-inspired establishments. The signage were all written in the local language, but to me, they seemed to have simply resembled the signage of commercial complex or local stores existing in just about every corner of the Philippine’s thoroughfares.

We finally reached Vie Tri City at around four o’clock in the morning. As I stepped down from the coaster we were riding, my first impression for the first 50 minutes I spent with the country suddenly changed. 

Vietnam’s first shout out was its food. Nam, our local host, gave us a loaf filled with basil and ham and some herbs. It was minty and herby, and was very far from our sweet pandesal. The loaf tasted strange…but I thought it was good. Local biscuits, local orange fruit, local beverages and the local beer were also offered to us as our welcome food.

After several hours of sleep, the sun rose and the little village we were staying at took its full beam after our eyes. And Vietnam started to unfold itself unto me….

It was very, very, interesting. It felt very local. Every artefact, every concept, every item, every person, and just about everything shouts a proud, cherished, deeply held and well preserved culture - a culture that is very much Asian but is unique only to Vietnam. It was similar yet distinctive. It was familiar yet exclusive. It was related but inimitable. 

A morning at the laid back village of Vie Tri City

almost all house doors look alike

The modernization of Vietnam is unable to obscure its heritage and tradition. Almost everyone was still wearing their traditional hat and was riding traditional mode of transportation - a bicycle or motorcycle. In the workplaces such as the farms and factories, most localities are still wearing the Vietnamese traditional attire. 

Locals on their way to the Five Temples

The design of the houses was a blend of Buddhist and French traditions. And I found it so remarkable because it was the most glaring manifestation of how a present-day socialist regime works – they all look practically the same - even the inside! And yes, even hotels in Ha Long are designed just like houses…only it has more floors.

Ha Long Bay, which for me resembled our very own Roxas Boulevard, was impressive. It depicted a very progressive city but was still very laid back.  There were also no skyscrapers that gave me a relaxed feeling. Commercial establishments abound but they all looked the same. Except for some very few buildings, nothing has seemed to deviate from the Buddhist-French architecture.

 

Vietnam houses under construction. Should not be not more than 70sqm otherwise you pay the taxes. Even the inside look the same. The works of a modern-day socialist regime :)

Establishments in Hanoi City.

Hotels in Ha Long City. This is the backpackers' area

Ha Long Bay

Hanoi City though was quite the opposite of our Ha Long and Viet Tri City experience. It was busy and noisy and was filled with tall buildings. For me, it was basically like Manila. But just like Ha Long and Vie Tri, the obvious progress, seen in infrastructure and a very busy local economy, is unable to erase or outshine  the vibrant heritage and culture of Vietnam.

Motorcycles scattered all over Hanoi

Tourists in Hanoi. Still courtesy of Naty :)

Hanoi City. Still courtesy of Naty

For one, the famous tourist spots in Hanoi showcase Ho Chi Minh, who is Vietnam’s cultural icon. In the museum where the wax image of Ho Chi Minh lies, solemnity was imposed on the tourists. No one was allowed to take pictures and silence was strictly observed.

Uncle Ho's House

The Buddhist tradition, even in the city, remained to be unwavering and continually celebrated. This can be seen in various temples in the city. One tourist spot is the Temple of Literature. Luckily, our visit to the temple coincided with the graduation of Vietnamese students. We found out then that the temple symbolizes education, and with that, the students traditionally go there during their graduation day. The graduates take pictorials inside the temple (just like pre-nup pictorials as wedding tradition in the Philippines) while they wear traditional attire. I find it amazing that the youth wear traditional clothing in a milestone of their life. It gave me the impression that nationalism is instilled in and are practiced by the younger generation – something that is unfamiliar to the Philippines.

Temple of Literature

Traditional Vietnamese attire worn by graduates

Photo Ops of Graduates :)

Buddhist charms sold inside the Temple of Literature

Even the food in Vietnam is able to remain authentic amidst this generation of fast food. It remained true to the genuine Vietnam taste – minty, herby, spicy, less sugar, less salt, less meat. Now that it has preserved it’s true authenticity, even the way it is eaten is also traditional – it is a ritual, a process, a celebration. For me, the local food is a true Vietnamese brand and has sustained its tradition because the locals themselves fully patronize it.

Typical Vietnamese breakfast

Authentic coffee. Very strong. :)

Staple drink. It's refilled once the glass is empty. And the teas are bitter too.

We were almost always on hot pot.

Eating hot pots is a ritual. There is a proper way of putting the ingredients.

 Vietnamese delicacies

The Vietnamese brand holds true as well in the vast farm fields I have seen on our way to Ha Long City. Even the farm highlighted Vietnam’s strong Buddhist culture as the graves of their loved ones are planted in the middle of the rice fields. Their loved ones serve as guidance and bring economic prosperity to them. The farm fields were very striking too with their lush green color and the practice of integrated farming. I have not seen something like it in the Philippines. The farm fields were filled with various commodities such as rice, vegetables, high-value crops, and even duck and fish ponds.

I wonder if Vietnam implements best practices in integrated organic farming

Graveyards in the middle of farm field

Back in the city, there were very few establishments that are of foreign origin. But generally, everything sold or eaten is locally made. It was said that the government’s thrust towards economic development is fully supporting products made by Vietnamese. No wonder they are reaping the benefits now – a burgeoning infrastructure, a large workforce and reduction in poverty. There are also no homeless, no slums and no street children.  

A PERSONAL REFLECTION....

 

All these things I witnessed in Vietnam say one simple thing. Vietnam supports its own; Vietnam patronizes its own; Vietnam loves its own. The nationalism and patriotism among the citizenry are burning. They take pride in who they are, and what their heritage is. 

And perhaps, I believe, that this is one of the top reasons why Vietnam has overtaken Philippines in terms of development – socially, economically, environmentally. I never realized how westernized the Philippines is until I visited Vietnam. Both the Philippines and Vietnam were colonized for hundreds of decades, but I am amazed how Vietnam has kept its heritage while the Philippines has well-preserved our colonizers’ influence rather than our own.

I am not saying that being westernized is negative. What I am trying to point out is that we are so patronizing of foreigners that we have forgotten to sustain our own oriental heritage and appreciate our indigenous roots. 

The everyday Filipino/Filipina life is bombarded with foreign influence – from the food we eat, the language we speak, the shows and movies we watch, the music we listen to, the commercial establishments we see, the products we consume, the holidays we celebrate, the religion we subscribe to, the clothes we wear.

It is very common as well that we Filipinos/Filipinas prefer foreign over our own. Like in how we view products, we tend to have the mentality that “Lokal ito kaya mabilis masira,” or “Mas maganda yun kasi imported.” We are inclined to give high regard to products made by foreigners as compared to ours. 

This is also true on how we perceive our country. It is a common regular experience that almost all of us aspire to work or migrate abroad. Although the reasons may be very valid, there is one glaring fact that surfaces. We see a better life or opportunity in a foreign land, not in ours. 

Unlike the Vietnamese who are still in their truest organic form, the identity we Filipinos have is always a blend of various cultures. Our indigenous peoples in the mountains, the true origin of our Filipino race, are regarded as uncivilized, and are most often marginalized instead of being acclaimed or credited as they remained untouched by foreign colonizers. Right now, the standard of being a mainstream citizen of the Philippines is to be modern and western, or otherwise be tagged as “probinsyano”, “jologs”, “lahing katutubo” or simply uncool.

A five day stay in Vietnam is not enough to truly understand the factors of its progress, but my stand is that - if we Filipinos and Filipinas will only believe in our own, then we will rise to development just like the Vietnamese. Having a carefully crafted strategy in leading a country is one thing, but what is essential is the participation of the citizenry to make the vision of development a possibility. I believe that this participation will emulate from nationalism and patriotism, just like the Vietnamese.

Maybe we can blame the corruption in the government for the hopelessness of this country. But maybe even how corrupt the government is, it would paint a different picture if all the skilled workers are serving our motherland rather than other countries; if we support our local products instead of patronizing foreign ones; if we try to recognize our organic potentials than looking elsewhere; if we Filipinos will try to build on and maximize what is endemic instead of imitating our foreign counterparts. I firmly believe that what makes Vietnam now is its deeply rooted patriotism. I hope we too, someday, will be able to internalize our true love for our motherland...and this can make anything happen.

This experience in Vietnam gave me a lot of realization, but regardless if these realizations are good or not, one thing is for sure...I get to appreciate and love our country more.  This trip triggered as well my interest in oriental culture.

Asian is beautiful. Vietnam is beautiful. The Philippines is beautiful. 

More pics at:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151592804123708.1073741825.558118707&type=3 

 https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151594026673708.1073741826.558118707&type=1