Hà nội

Mục lục 1 Thông dụng

Thông dụng

=====%%Hà N?i is the capital of Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Hà N?i lies in Red River Delta and is situated in a tropical area having a strong monsoon influence. The name of Hà N?i (Interior side of a river) has been derived from an ancient language which is literally known as a land area located in the inner side of Red River. It does not mean that the city is inside the river, but it is embraced by about 100 km of the Red River dykes. Hà N?i has four inner precincts (Hoàn Ki?m, Ba Ðình, Hai Bà Trung, Ð?ng Ða) and five suburban districts (T? Liêm, Thanh Trì, Gia Lâm, Ðông Anh and Sóc Son). From the time when the first State of ancient Vietnam was established , Hà N?i (formerly Thang Long) has been considered a sacred and typical part of Vietnam. It was in the autumn of 1010 that Lý Công žân (also known as Lý Thái T?) - the founder of Nhà H?u Lý (Post-Ly Dynasty) - removed the court from Hoa Lu (present-day Ninh Bình province) to Ð?i La Citadel which was later renamed as Thang Long . As soon as the royal fleet with King Lý Thái T? aboard cast anchors at the landing wharf in the Nh? River (present-day Red River) , there ascended a golden dragon. Thinking that it was a good omen for his trip, King Lý Thái T? had Ð?i La Citadel renamed Thang Long (Ascending Dragon) . He also had Hoa Lu - his former capital - renamed Tru?ng Yên. 1397 was the year marking an end to the decline of Nhà H?u Lê (Post-Le Dynasty). It was the time when the king indulged himself in entertainments. H? Quý Ly, a high-ranking court official, overthrew the king and proclaimed himself the king of a new dynasty - H? Dynasty. This dynasty removed the court to Tây Ðô (Western Capital) in Thanh Hoá province. Thang Long was then renamed Ðông Ðô (Eastern Capital). In 1407, the Ming aggressors defeated the army of H? Dynasty. They rushed to Ðông Ðô Citadel and renamed it Ðông Quan Citadel. In 1418, a farmer whose name was Lê L?i (future Lê Thái T?) grouped an insurrection army in Lam Son district in Thanh Hoá province. He proclaimed himself as Bình Ð?nh Vuong (King of Pacification) and led the resistance against the aggressors for 10 years and regained national independence. He entered the then Ðông Quan Citadel and the next year, he renamed the citadel as Ðông Kinh (Eastern Imperial City). In 1527, when a new dynasty - Nhà M?c (Mac Dynasty) - was in the control of the country, the citadel resumed its former name (Thang Long). In 1802, King Gia Long established the first court of Nhà Nguy?n (Nguy?n Dynasty) in Phú Xuân in the central coastal city of Hu?. Thang Long was then used as the regional capital exercising influence on 11 northern citadels. But the word LONG which literally meant RÛNG (Dragon) was changed to LONG which was understood as TH‘NH (Prosperity). In 1831, King Minh M?ng established the province of Hà N?i which includes the ancient Thang Long Citadel and the districts of T? Liêm, ?ng Hoà, Thu?ng Tín and Lý Nhân. In 1888, after the tragic defeat of Nhà Nguy?n (Nguy?n Dynasty), Hà N?i became a colonial city until 1954. On September 2, 1954, President H? Chí Minh read the Declaration of Independence and formally established the first government of the young republic - Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Hà N?i was then formally declared the capital of Vietnam. Hà N?i capital was liberated from French colonialists on October 10, 1954. After the complete victory on April 30, 1975 and the reunification of the country the next year, Hà N?i was officially recognized as the capital of Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In the old days, each of 36 guild streets in Hà N?i had its name closely associated with the trade and occupation of the inhabitants. Now, Hà N?i has 381 streets representing a tenfold increase as compared with the ancient Hà N?i with 36 guild streets only. These are some tourist attractions of Hà N?i :%%* Chùa m?t c?t (One-pillar Pagoda) : Its original name was Diên H?u (long-lasting happiness and good luck). Legend has it that King Lý Thái Tôn was very old and had no son of his own. Therefore, he often went to pagodas to pray for Buddha's blessing so that he might have a son. One night, he had a dream that he was granted a private audience with Buddha with a male baby in his hands. Buddha, sitting on a lotus flower in a square-shaped lotus pond in the western side of Thang Long Citadel, gave the king the baby. Months later, the queen got pregnant and gave birth to a male child. To repay gift from Buddha, the king ordered the construction of a pagoda which was supported by only one pillar resembling a lotus seat on which Buddha had been seated. The pagoda was dedicated to Buddha.%%* Qu?c T? Giám (Temple of Literature) was built in 1070 as a dedication to the founder of Confucianism. Six years later, Qu?c T? Giám - the first university of Vietnam - was built in the premises of Van Mi?u. Qu?c T? Giám was the first school for princes and children of royal family members. In 1482, King Lê Thánh Tôn ordered the erection of steles with inscription of all the names, birth dates and birth places of doctors and other excellent graduates who took part in examinations since 1442. Each stela is placed on the back of a turtle representing the nation's longevity. During Nhà Nguy?n (Nguy?n Dynasty), Temple of Literature was moved to Phú Xuân (Hu? Royal City). %%* Chùa Kim Liên (Kim Lien Pagoda) : Legend has it that in the 12th century, Princess Tu Hoa, daughter of King Lý Th?n Tôn, led her ladies-in-waiting to this area. They cultivated mulberry and silkworms to make silk. Later, a pagoda was built right on the site and by 1771, it was named Kim Liên (Golden Lotus).%%*Chùa Quán S? (Quan Su Pagoda) was built in the 17th century. It is located in the street of the same name. Since 1958, Vietnam Buddhism Association has used this pagoda as its head office.

• Ð?n Quan Thánh (Quan Thanh Temple) : The three ancient Chinese characters which are still seen today on the top of the entrance to the temple mean Tran Vu Quan. Literally, the temple is dedicated to Saint Tran Vu. Temples are places for worshipping saints while pagodas are dedicated to Buddha and faithful disciplines. Saint Tran Vu was a legendary figure which was a combination between a legendary character in Vietnam's legend and a mystic character derived from China's legend. In Vietnam's legend, he was a saint who had earned the merits of assisting Th?c Phán (future King An Duong Vuong) in getting rid of ghost spirit during the construction of C? Loa Citadel. An Duong Vuong Temple in C? Loa Citadel (Ðông Anh district) is also named Thuong Temple. Inside it, there are An Duong Vuong's bronze statue (cast in 1897) and a big arbalest symbolizing the magic arbalest in the old days. In China's legend, Saint Tran Vu was a saint who had made many contributions in safeguarding the northern border. Quan Thánh Temple was built during the reign of King Lý Thái T? (1010-1028). Special attention should be paid to the black bronze statue of Saint Tran Vu. Another object of no less significance is a smaller black bronze statue of Old Trong, a chief artisan of the bronze casting team who had made the giant statue of Saint Tran Vu and the great bell on top of the entrance.

%%*Ð?n Hai Bà Trung (Hai Bà Trung Temple) is also called Ð?ng Nhân Temple, because it is located in Ð?ng Nhân village, Hai Bà Trung precinct. Built in 1142 under the reign of King Lý Anh Tôn, it is dedicated to the two Vietnamese heroines Trung Tr?c and Trung Nh?. On the 5th and 6th days of the lunar second month , there is a grand festival at this temple to commemorate the two national heroines.%%* H? Tây (West Lake) & Ðu?ng Thanh Niên (Youth Road) : Youth Road can be compared to a beautiful bridge spanning across the two large bodies of water - West Lake to the northwest and Trúc B?ch Lake to the southeast. Covering an area of nearly 500 hectares, H? Tây was also called Dam Dam (Misty Pond), Lang Bac (White Waves)....Oral tradition has it that H? Tây derived from a low-lying area upturned by a golden buffalo, so the stream derived from H? Tây was named Sông Kim Nguu (Golden Buffalo River). As for Trúc B?ch Lake, legend has it that in the old days, Trúc B?ch Lake was where lived the abandoned ladies-in-waiting who were forced to weave silk. Therefore, beautiful silk was called Trúc B?ch (Silk of the Trúc village). As the biggest lake in the city, H? Tây is surrounded by many areas reputed for their traditional occupations : Yên Ph? and Nghi Tàm (silkworm-breeding and silk-weaving villages in the past), Qu?ng Bá, Nh?t Tân (peach-growing village), Bu?i (paper-making village). In Tây Son times, Nguy?n Huy Lu?ng wrote T?ng Tây H? Phú (Eulogy for West Lake) so as to highlight the landscapes of the West Lake and Nguy?n Hu? (future Quang Trung)'s glorious merits. Now, H? Tây has been earmarked for the city's major tourism development center.%%* H? Hoàn Ki?m (Lake of Restored Sword) : The name of this lake is derived from a legend having it that a fisherman named Lê Thân caught a sword blade when drawing the fish-net. Thân decided to offer it to his commanding general Lê L?i (future Lê Thái T?). Afterwards, Lê L?i found a hilt fitting that blade very well. This sword had always been on his side during 10 years of resistance against Ming aggressors. After winning over the foreign aggression, King Lê Thái T? returned to Thang Long Citadel. One day, aboard a royal boat, he took a cruise in the L?c Th?y lake. Suddenly, a giant turtle emerged and came towards him. The king withdrew his sword, and pinpointed with the sword the direction of the coming turtle for his soldiers' attention. All of a sudden, the turtle caught the sword between its teeth from the king's hand and submerged. The king thought that during the resistance against Ming aggressors, the genius had offered him this sword to help him defeat the enemy. At that time, the peace was returning, and the genius appeared to take back the sword. Consequently, King Lê Thái T? decided to name the Luc Thuy lake H? Hoàn Ki?m (Lake of Restored Sword). In the middle of the lake is Tháp Rùa (Turtle Tower). The lake abounds in big turtles aged five or six hundred. When there are the changes in weather, they often emerge or expose themselves at the foot of the Turtle Temple.%%* Ð?n Ng?c Son (Ngoc Son Temple) : Initially, the temple was called Ng?c Son Pagoda. Later, it was renamed as Ng?c Son Temple, because it was dedicated to the saints. Saint Van Xuong was a person considered the brightest star in Vietnam's literature and intellectual circles. Tr?n Hung Ð?o was worshipped because he was the national hero who led the Vietnamese people to a resounding victory over the Mongol aggression. The temple as it is seen today was attributable to the restoration efforts of Nguy?n Van Siêu, a great Hanoian writer. He had a large pen-shaped tower (Tháp Bút) built at the entrance to the temple. On the upper section of Tháp Bút, there are three Chinese characters T? Thanh Thiên which mean literally that to write on the blue sky is to imply the height of a genuine and righteous person's determination and will. Behind Tháp Bút is Ðài Nghiên (Ink Stand). The Ink Stand is carved from stone resembling a peach, which is placed on the back of three frogs on top of the gate to the temple. Passing through Ðài Nghiên, visitors will tread on the wooden bridge called Thê Húc. Thê Húc is literally understood as the place where beams of morning sunshine are touching. Besides, Hà N?i has such attractions as H? Chí Minh's Mausoleum, H? Chí Minh Museum, History Museum, Revolution Museum, Army Museum, Fine Arts Museum, Palace of Friendship....%%*ARE HO€N KIÚM TORTOISES AN UNKNOWN SPECIES? The legendary tortoises in Hoàn Ki?m lake have turned out to be an unknown species, following recent research. The existence of tortoises in the lake was only known after the appearance of Kim Qui (the Golden Tortoise) God in the fifteenth century, when he took back the magical sword that brought victory to Emperor Lê Thái T?.Kim Qui has appeared twice throughout national history, according to legend. Before the appearance in Hoàn Ki?m lake, the first appearance was in the 3rd century BC when a golden tortoise helped King An Duong Vuong (Th?c Phán) to construct the spiral shaped defences of the ancient capital of C? Loa. But the actual place of the appearance is still unknown. When C? Loa was attacked by Tri?u Ðà, the king of a neighbouring country, Kim Qui gave An Duong Vuong his claw to make a magical cross-bow which created a rain of arrows upon the foreign invaders. The arrogance of victory eclipsed the King's mind, however, and he lost the next war, after losing the magical cross-bow. The remains of the city can be seen in Ðông Anh district, 25 kilometres from Hà N?i . It is believed that Kim Qui is one of the tortoises currently living in the lake. However, many different species of tortoise apart from the giant tortoise (Pelochelys bibroni) have been identified in a study of the lake's habitat in 1993.This was affirmed by Dr. Peter C.H. Pritchard, Director of the US Chelonian Institute during a visit early this year. "Hoàn Ki?m tortoises may be a division of Chinese soft-shell tortoises (Rafetus swinhoei) or an unknown species. It is perhaps an unknown species, and if so, may be named after the lake as Hoankiemensis or Hoguomensis. To prove this conclusion, a sample of skin or bone from the Hoàn Ki?m tortoises will be sent to foreign genetics laboratories for DNA analysis. (VNS)%%*NGHI T€M: A VILLAGE OF FLOWERS ? Once upon a time, the King of Nhà H?u Lý decided to build a palace for Princess T? Hoa in a village near Thang Long so that she could spend her time farming silk cocoons on the large mulberry fields. The village was Nghi Tàm, a name now famous throughout the country for the flowers grown here. Nghi Tàm flowers in fact add to the beauty of H? Tây or the West Lake area in present-day Hà N?i. It is said that Nhà H?u Lý in Vietnam was not only famous for its glorious victories in defence of the country against foreign invaders. It paid much attention to the development of agriculture and handicrafts. For long, the village of T?m (or the village of silk cocoons) had been known for its handlooms. The story of this village goes as follows : Initially, there were only three basic kinds of trees grown here, i.e. the peach, kumquat and chrysanthemum. Peach trees and their spring blossom have brought fame to this village. Originally, the cultivation of peach started in the village of T?m, then spread to Nh?t Tân. Young peach trees are carefully tended and allowed to blossom only on the Lunar New Year's Eve. Hanoians take the utmost care in the selection of their New Year branch of peach. From the size to the form of the branch and the design of the pot, every tiny detail must be in harmony with the sentiment or philosophy that one wishes to express, in addition to matching with the interior decoration of the house. Kumquat is another species that spread from T?m village to Tây H?. During t?t, most families in Hà N?i, and now throughout the country, have their kumquat trees inside the home. Kumquat is used by Vietnamese to symbolise "talents" and "wealth" for the family. White apricot blossoms called "B?ch mai" in Vietnamese are yet another scene-stealer in Nghi Tàm. The villagers of Nghi Tàm consider an apricot blossom as beautiful only when it has six white soft petals on a green calyx. They must resemble the swallow's wings in the spring days. There is also a kind of green apricot which is rare and valuable. Then there is "Song mai" or "Double apricot" since each flower gives two fruits. The apricot branch should be able to incorporate the spirit. After the flowering season, the branch starts to give fruit which are washed and put in a ceramic cask to prepare apricot wine for the following New Year's festival. Narcissus of various kinds are also cultivated in Nghi Tàm. The people here know the secret of making these flowers bloom at the required time as on New Year's Eve or on the wedding day etc. Each narcissus pot should have about 20-30 flowers blooming to the right degree to express the virginity of the bride. Along with these species of flowers, Nghi Tàm is also known for the chrysanthemum and camelia species it grows. But the concern now is that with the rapid urbanisation of the locality, will it continue to preserve this beautiful tradition? (VNS)=====