Liberal Arts Blog — Sapa and the Tonkinese Alps, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An

John Muresianu
5 min readSep 25, 2022

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Liberal Arts Blog — Sunday is the Joy of Humor, Food, Travel, Practical Life Tips, and Miscellaneous Day

Today’s Topic: Vietnam: Sapa and the Tonkinese Alps, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An

Have you ever been to Vietnam? During the war? After? Were you ever struck by the beauty of any natural landscape? Any architecture or cityscape? Today, a few brief notes on three highlights from this morning’s virtual tour. Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.

SAPA AND THE TONKINESE ALPS — terraced rice fields

1. “Hidden in the clouds among the soaring Tonkinese Alps, the small French hill station of Sapa offers a gateway to one of the most exquisite regions in southeast Asia.”

2. “As you break through the misty fog, you’ll discover the rolling green Hoàng Liên Son Mountains plunging into the Muong Hoa Valley, covered in a patchwork of glistening emerald rice terraces.”

3. Nearby is the highest mountain peak of Indochina — Fansipan, the southernmost peak of the Himalayas.

HA LONG BAY — a Vietnamese Karst landscape reminiscent of China’s Guilin

1. Ha Long means “descending dragon.” Legend has it that the gods sent down a family of dragons to save Vietnam from invading hordes. The dragons spewed out jewels and jade which morphed into islands which blocked the path of the invaders.

2. “The bay consists of a dense cluster of some 1,600 limestone monolithic islands each topped with thick jungle vegetation, rising spectacularly from the ocean. Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. Hang Dau Go (Wooden Stakes cave) is the largest grotto in the Hạ Long area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. Its three large chambers contain large numerous stalactites and stalagmites (as well s 19th century French graffiti).”

3. “A community of around 1,600 people live on Hạ Long Bay in four fishing villages: Cua Van, Ba Hang, Cong Tau and Vong Vieng in Hung Thang ward, Hạ Long city. They live on floating houses and are sustained through fishing and marine aquaculture (cultivating marine biota), plying the shallow waters for 200 species of fish and 450 different kinds of mollusks.”

NB: “Many of the islands have acquired their names as a result of interpretation of their unusual shapes. Such names include Voi Islet (elephant), Ga Choi Islet (fighting cock), Khi Islet (monkey, and Mai Nha Islet (roof). 989 of the islands have been given names.” Some of the islands have enclosed lakes.

HOI AN — A COLONIAL TRADING POST — A SINGAPORE OF THE 15TH TO 19TH CENTURIES

1. “Hội An is a city on Vietnam’s central coast known for its well-preserved Ancient Town, cut through with canals. The former port city’s melting-pot history is reflected in its architecture, a mix of eras and styles from wooden Chinese shophouses and temples to colorful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda.”

2. “Hội An was a divided town with the Japanese settlement across the “Japanese Bridge” (16th-17th century). The bridge (Chùa cầu) is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese merchants, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist temple attached to one side. In the 18th century, Hội An was considered by Chinese and Japanese merchants to be the best destination for trading in all of Southeast Asia, even Asia.”

3. The silting up of its river mouth led to a decline in Hoi An’s importance from the late 18th century onward.

NB: “The Hoi An Lantern Festival is a monthly event that celebrates the full moon. The full moon is one of the most sacred times in the Buddhist calendar. It is said that Buddha was not only born on a full moon but attained enlightenment on a full moon. And so for centuries Buddhists have viewed the full moon as an auspicious time of transformation.”

“As the name suggests, the biggest feature of this festival is the lanterns. Cute, multi-colored lanterns are lit with candles and placed on the Thu Bon river with a wish for happiness, luck and love. At 8pm all fluorescent lights are turned off so that the floating lanterns are all that illuminate Hoi An, creating a magical glow. The ban on vehicles and bicycles in Hoi An’s old quarter means you can wander around and soak up the atmosphere without fear of walking into the path of a motorist.” Has anyone experienced this? (see last link below)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa_Pa

Hạ Long Bay — Wikipedia

15 Most Beautiful Places To Visit in Vietnam | Wayfairer Travel

Hội An — Wikipedia

Chua Cau Temple Bridge — Wikipedia

Guide to the Hoi An Lantern Festival | On The Go Tours

Quote of the Month:

“The single biggest challenge in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” (William H. Whyte, author of The Organization Man” (1956)

LAST FOUR YEARS OF POSTS ORGANIZED THEMATICALLY:

PDF with headlines — Google Drive

ATTACHMENTS BELOW:

#1 A graphic guide to justice (9 metaphors on one page).

#2 “39 Songs, Prayers, and Poems: the Keys to the Hearts of Seven Billion People” — Adams House Senior Common Room Presentation, 11/17/20

YOUR TURN

Anything miscellaneous to share? Best trip you ever took in your life? Practical life tips? Random facts? Jokes? Or, what is the best cartoon you have seen lately? or in the last 10 years? or the last 50? Or what is your favorite holiday food? Main course? Dessert? Fondest food memories? Favorite foods to eat or prepare?

This is your chance to make someone else’s day. Or to cement in your mind a memory that might otherwise disappear. Or to think more deeply about something dear to your heart. Continuity is key to depth of thought.

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John Muresianu
John Muresianu

Written by John Muresianu

Passionate about education, thinking citizenship, art, and passing bits on of wisdom of a long lifetime.

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