Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Long Bien Festival 2009=Sept 30 thru Oct 15th

Monday, May 24, 2010

Long Bien Festival 2009=Sept 30 thru Oct 15th

ED NOTE: This sounds inviting, The festival will run from September 30 through October 15

Following the success of the first Long Bien Bridge Festival 2009, Nguyen Nga, a Vietnamese-French, is preparing for the second festival to mark Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary.

First festival to be held on Long Bien Bridge

Long Bien Bridge’s Memory festival cancelled

The festival will run from September 30 through October 15, entitled “Dragon Bridge tells of Thang Long’s 1,000 years”, on Long Bien bridge, including an exhibition of contemporary arts, performances of street art, concert, and a modern light show.

The bridge will be decorated with the flags of many countries. A ship will sail from the old capital of Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh province to Long Bien Bridge and Ha Long Bay. The ship will carry a 100 man band and popular overseas orchestra Urban Sax. The band will represent the 100 Vietnamese children in the Au Co-Lac Long Quan legend. The voyage is to re-enact the process of moving the country’s capital city from Hoa Lu to Dai La (Hanoi today) by King Ly Thai To.

A fleet of small boats taking the same route will carry monks, nuns and Buddhist followers who will pray for the country’s heroes and martyrs who scarified their lives for national independence and freedom.

Nguyen Nga, the owner of Maison des Arts (House of Arts) in Hanoi, said that a promotional campaign for the festival will be held in Paris and neighbouring regions in early September. The campaign will include performances of Vietnamese folk art and Urban Sax.

Long Bien Bridge is a historic cantilever bridge across the Red River that connects two parts of the city of Hanoi. It was built in 1903 by French architect Gustave Eiffel. Before 1954, it was called Doumer Bridge, named after Paul Doumer – The Governor-General of French Indochina and then French president. It was, at that time, one of the longest bridges in Asia with the length of 2,500m.

It was heavily bombed during the Vietnam War due to its critical position (the only bridge at that time across the Red River and connecting Hanoi to the main port Haiphong). Nowadays, only half of the bridge retains its original shape. A project with support and loans from the French government is currently in progress to return the bridge to its original state. Due to its age, traffic across the bridge is now limited to bicycles, motorbikes and trains only.

Long Bien Bridge is a symbol of the immortality of Hanoians and it is considered a bridge that connects the past and the present. The bridge is an historical witness that has seen the changes of Hanoi.

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.