HANOÏ 2020 : concours International/cạnh tranh quốc tế.

« HANOÏ IN MY HEART »

“I went to Hà Nội and a part of my heart stayed there”.

One day in the summer of 2001 in Paris, I met my destiny.

Walking along the Seine River, i stopped in front of the shop of a merchant of old papers and old postcards and my eyes were drawn to a postcard of children sitting on a buffalo.
I felt a feeling of freedom and a joy of living that touched my heart and i decided to go and discover this country, the year after.

The year 2002 witnessed the emotional shock of my meeting with Hà Nội. This city, which looks in some places, like a “Little Paris”, is full of old monuments, some of which were built by the French colonists and i am full of gratitude to the Vietnamese people for not having destroyed them.

Hà Nội is a champion city for the conservation of its architectural heritage. I can easily travel to the past when I am walking.

Its Opera, completed in 1910, was built on the model of the Garnier Opera in Paris and it’s very nice to see its current good condition.

The Long Biên Bridge (Cầu Long Biên) is one of the most famous monuments in the city.

Built in 1902 by French people, it is for me the symbol between the Past and the Present and the love link between Viêt Nam and France. I had the chance to walk on the bridge in 2010 for Thang Long- Hà Nội 1000 years birthday without the cars and motorcycles, it was a great experience.

The Temple de la Littérature (Văn Miếu-Quốc Tử Giám; hán tự) is for me the most important place of knowledge of the city. It has resisted over time and has been restored by French School of Extrême-Orient in 1920, 1947 and 1956. I can feel the vibrations and the presence of the sons of the nation (Quốc Tử Giám) who were studying between 1076 and 1915. I often think with emotion of the famous historian Nguyễn Vinh Phúc whom I called “Teacher”.

Với Nguyen Vinh Phuc tại Văn miếu_Le trao giải 2006

Imperial City of Thang Long was the political, cultural and economic center of the capital, from 1010 and became the Vietnamese People’s Army Headquarters between 1967 and 1975. It was conquered twice by the French on November 20, 1873 by Francis Garnier then in 1882 by Henri Riviere. Opened to the public in 2004 and inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list in 2010, it has become a national pride. Its visit offers you a real journey through time.

1400-1490 THANG LONG – Louis BEZACIER 1887 – Edouard PETIT

1905

1898

Hà Nội is a secret woman and you have to take time to discover and tame it:”Trăm điều nghe không bằng một điều thấy.” (One hundred things heard are not worth one thing seen).

You can easily get lost in the 36 streets and trades district but maybe you will never want to find the right way to come back. There are so many things to discover. Each street is an artery of the city: you breathe Vietnamese, you eat Vietnamese, you live Vietnamese.

If the old streets are arteries, Hoan Kiem lake (Hồ Hoàn Kiếm) is the heart of the city. Its beauty and serenity allow you to regain your strength before facing the traffic of the streets of Hà Nội : “Ta về ta tắm ao ta, dù trong dù đục ao nhà vẫn hơn “. The memory of Emperor Lê Lợi (Lê Thái Tổ) is forever burdened in my memory.

1901

“Muà Quat” với Daniel FRYDMAN, Hà Nội.

« Thap BaoAn Ho”, Hoan Kiem, 1884 – 1885, Docteur Charles-Edouard HOCQUARD

2009

Wishing to visit the “Village du Papier (Papermaking Village)” mentioned on the postcard I bought in Paris, I searched some information about this place. I discovered with surprise that this village was the favorite walk of the French people on Sunday since 1881: “ Le but de notre excursion était la visite d’une fabrique de papier, à peu de distance des bords du lac… “ (The purpose of our excursion was to visit a paper factory, a short distance from the shores of the lake…), 1881 – 1882 – Un touriste dans l’Extrême Orient – Edmond COTTEAU (grand voyageur).

Located north-west of Hà Nội, the Buoi (grapefruit) district is made up of the villages of Yen Thai, Ho Khau, Dong Xa and Nghia Do, commonly grouped under the name “Village du Papier” (sometimes also “Village des Pamplemousses”). Previously located in Hà Dông province, it is now part of Hà Nội. It owes its name to the manufacture of paper, an activity known since the 15th century.

This discovery changed my life and I decided to exchange information with Nguyen Vinh Phuc, in order to write an article or a book. We began to live a student-teacher relationship until his death in 2012. In memory of this great and sweet man I started to write a book about this village and I will try to finish this year.

Lăng Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh, inaugurated on August 29, 1975, is a place full of feelings. You can feel admiration mixed with some sadness in front of Nguyễn Sinh Cung’s body, better known as Hồ Chí Minh. He is the founder of the Democratic Republic of Viêt Nam. It is a very important part of the history of Viêt Nam which is before you. It reminds me the demonstrations in France and the United States against the war with Viêt Nam : “The price of a man drops when he no longer has the use of his freedom” (Hồ Chí Minh).

For the 130th anniversary of his birth this year and in memory of this great man who lived in France from 27 to 34 years old, I decided to offer the Vietnamese government original books in French about his life: “Nhập gia tùy tục Đáo giang tùy khúc” (When entering a family, we must adopt the customs and when sailing on a river, we must follow its meanders). I hope I will be able to do it this year if Coronavirus epidemic will stop.

To finish this contest, I will try to answer this difficult question: “Why do you like Hà Nội?”. The beauty of its landscapes, the emotions I felt in contact with its inhabitants and the warmth of those caring and attentive smiles when I seemed a little lost, made me more human and more attentive to others. I learned that helping others makes you richer (Làm phúc cũng như làm giàu). The meeting with a Vietnamese woman from Hà Nội, sharing my passion for history, pushed me to be more ambitious in my cultural projects: “Gratitude is the memory of the heart”.

I would like to give some advice to foreigners who will come to this beautiful city: “Don’t be like the 3 monkeys you see in souvenir stores, open your eyes, open your ears and go talk to people and you will discover a part of yourself that you will never forget; Hà Nội will be anchored in you forever.”

“Tôi Rât Yêu Hà Nội! “

2020/09/28

CHAPLAIN Philippe, 5 rue André Theuriet, 92340 BOURG LA REINE – FRANCE

Tél: +336 81 11 92 62

Email: chaplainph@wanadoo.fr.

Website : www.hanoilavie.com