Museums and Memories in Hanoi

I could have visited Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) instead, but all my pre-travel research warned against that for the first trip to Vietnam. I was told that the north is colder, quieter, more conservative than the south, but that's where you'll find "real" Vietnamese culture. At first I was wary at first to go solo into the capital city of a country that has such a difficult past with my own. I saw online that people had written about experiencing some anti-American sentiment, and I was a bit concerned. Despite all this, I chose Hanoi. It was the right decision. I found the Vietnamese people in Hanoi, especially the young people, to be warm and incredibly friendly. University students would often approach me as I sat on a bench at Hoam Kiem Lake just wanting to chat and practice their English. I even made some really good friends- Ngoc, Nhung, and Thuy, who hung out with me during my trip to Hanoi and still keep in touch with me. Nobody mentioned the war, and it seemed to be so distant in their memory that they really didn't seem to have any preconceptions about me as an American. My own preconceptions and worries were quickly put to rest.

That being said, although the Vietnamese people have for the most part forgiven and moved on, it's impossible to escape reminders of the war.

I didn't think that I could have allowed myself to visit Hanoi and not spend some time at the War Museum. On a cold, rainy morning, I did just that. I had been hesitant to write this post because I try to avoid politics when I write. That's why I haven't written much about the ongoing Bangkok political situation. I'll try to keep this as neutral in tone as possible.

The War Museum is built next to an old Vietnamese imperial watchtower that proudly flies the red and yellow national flag. It was another cold morning, threatening rain, and I wandered along the rows of old aircraft, mostly downed American fighter jets, but some Soviet and Vietnamese as well. The aircraft seemed to be in decent condition, but I got the feeling that they were mostly just for show as there was very little information displayed about them.

a war monument made from wreckage outside of the museum

It was a weekday, and there weren't many people there. I was very obviously the only American, and nearly alone except for a busload of Chinese tourists. I was a little concerned that it would be awkward, and parts of it were, although nobody seemed to give me much of a second glance.

a tank with North Vietnamese and Viet Cong flags

The inside of the museum was interesting and equally showy. Old tanks and vehicles, weapons, homemade traps, and recreations of the Viet Cong trenches were set up alongside exhibits explaining the history of the war. While part of the museum focused on the French War (The First Indochina War), the majority of the museum was obviously dedicated on the American War (The Second Indochina War, known in the U.S. as the Vietnam War).

To me, the most interesting exhibit by far was a small room displaying homemade weapons and traps constructed by the Communist Viet Cong resistance fighters. I can't even describe them, but there was lots of barbed wire and lots of sharp spikes... some of them were pretty horrifying.

I want to remain neutral and unbiased, but I'm not going to gloss over the amount of anti-American propaganda that was blatantly on display. I expected this, and I even understand it, especially after my visit to the Hanoi Hilton a few days previous. I want to stress however that I felt more welcome in Vietnam that I have in a number of other places I've been to. The people in Hanoi were some of the friendliest and kindest people I've ever met. Hanoi was the first place I've ever traveled to solo, and I returned from my trip with some good new friends. I would definitely like to return to Hanoi soon, something that I'm afraid I can't say about Cambodia. Vietnam has for the most part moved on, and put the past where it belongs- in the past.