After the beer cocktail, Dragon suggested museums. These are not always open now given the C-virus situation, so it was now or never.
Explaining Vietnam without reference to the war is a little like trying to explain Parliament without reference to kings and the Civil war. Most families here have been affected by the war, a lot of infrastructure is fairly recent and of course the political structure is a result of victory by the Northern Communists (now referred to as Socialists). And what better way to have learning and make good cultural benefit than the Army Museum.
Constant war for 1000 years between various tribal bigwigs +/- Chinese interference before the French (damned Empire building Colonialists – not like us at all…) moved in and created the conditions for rebellion. French driven out by Uncle Ho et al, who embarked on the fight to unify the country. South Vietnam not keen on this and put up a bit of a fight but with Communist China supplying the North with war materiel it was not fair.
A bigwig
Constant war
The USA of course abhorred the idea of a country finding its own misguided way towards Communism and decided to intervene, starting with covert “advisors”, and ending up with a full overt military presence.
Most of the Vietnamese exhibits are personified with the name of the soldier and what they did. For example, rifle used by Hero of the Revolution to annihilate 5 invaders”. “Handbag used by Mrs Dhung Fo Qnng (Most Glorious Mother of the Struggle) to supply Heroes with food”.
Iconic AK47 used by Socialist Hero etc,etc,etc…
Great delight is taken in showing off captured American planes together with wreckage of downed aircraft, which makes quite a spectacular sculpture.
B52 Engine
Tank N.o 843 that broke down the gates to Saigon Imperial Palace in April 1975. Or was it?
Some controversy as to wether it was Tank 843, or Tank 390 that burst through the gates. As with all “information sensitive” regimes, the tank in the picture gets the credit, even if a French photographer has an image with n.o 390 between the gates, with n.o 843 broken down behind it.
I have to say it was marvellous to visit a museum where the bad boys were not the Brits, but the French and the Yanks.
Back at the hotel by 4.30, snooze, shower dinner (chicken and noodle claypot for me, plant food for Mrs M). 10pm cocktails in the sky lounge rounded off an excellent introduction to this part of Vietnam.
We have a replacement boat cruise at Halong Bay for tomorrow. A slightly bigger ship, but all good to go. The older junk ships were proving hard to deep clean so have been prevented from sailing.
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