CULTURE CAPSULE: Day 1 Highlights in #Vietnam

Words cannot express the captivating beauty and the hospitable people I encountered in the Southern region of Vietnam. Eerily similar, words cannot express what America—my nation—committed against the beauty of this country and the Vietnamese people encountered in Vietnam during the Vietnam/American War. Although the Vietnam War accounted for the deaths of 3 million Vietnamese and the injuries of 2 million Vietnamese, this country stands on the beauty of allowing time to give you the strength to forgive and courage to remember the past to assess how far you’ve come.

Amazingly, it’s humbling to see how far I’ve come—traveling the world to seek its beauty, in all its glory. On the first day in Vietnam, I explored various landmark gems in Saigon:

1. Hotel De Ville, Opera House, Norte Dame Cathedral, & Saigon Post Office: What are you doing with your influence?

To commence my travels of Saigon, I traveled several landmarks in Saigon’s District 1—a metropolitan district of sorts. In the area, I explored the exterior of Hotel De Ville (An official Vietnamese government building with French Colonial architecture, pictured above), the Saigon Opera House (a theatre built after European arts were permeated Vietnam in 1863 by French colonists), Norte Dame Cathedral (established by French colonists between 1863 and 1880, pictured below), and the Saigon Central Post Office (an operating post office built as a part of the French Indochina in early 20th century).

Traveling throughout this district, the architecture and the surroundings attested to the power influence. Influence—a powerful phenomenon—can transform the culture it embeds itself into, at times usurping the influence of a local infrastructure. Albeit beautiful and awe-inspiring to see European influences on the Vietnamese architecture, it was an integral moment to note the value influence—are we improving a culture or approving our own culture when we practice influence? What are you doing with your influence?

2. Reunification Palace: Equip your life for the responsibilities you may embrace, adopt, or inherit.

Equally known as the Independence Palace, the Reunification Palace is built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, the former “home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Additionally, the Reunification Palace was, “the site of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its gates.”

Palatial indeed, this iconic Saigon landmark integrates you into the environment of intense decision making during one of the most intensive times in Vietnamese and American history. The meeting rooms, the conference rooms, the bedrooms, kitchens, escape routes, leisure rooms and more further personalized the intensity of the Vietnam War for Vietnamese leadership as I explored room by room, floor by floor.

Lessons from this encounter formulated into a lesson on the value of equipping your life for the responsibilities you embrace, adopt, or inherit. Millions of lives depended on the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. As a leader it is important to equip yourself with the necessary support system to nurture and nourish your physical, mental, and social health—the livelihood of your followers depends on you.

3. War Remnants Museum: Look at where you’re going and look at how fast you’re going.

Neither glamorized nor demonized in American upbringing, the Vietnam War is often “just” another war in process of learning about warfare in American History. Nevertheless, exploring the War Remnants Museum emphasized America’s appalling involvement in Vietnam and our years destroying Vietnam—in efforts of destroying Communist advancements. The museum—located on the premises of the former United States Information Agency building—highlights the impact of war crimes on Vietnam and a global response to such impact.

Prior to traveling to Vietnam, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s sermon addressing and contextualizing the Vietnam War moved me. Dr. King’s address on racial relations within the United States, in regards to a passive approach to integration in the States mirrored against that of forced integration in Vietnam on the battlefront, moved me. Interestingly, the Vietnam/American War initiative represented the infiltration of Black soldiers to fight on the behalf of a country who didn’t even fight for them, nor their equal rights vigorously.

Thus, going into this museum, I anticipated visual truths that I may have neglected in learning about the Vietnam War or visual truths never introduced to me in learning about the Vietnam War. Pacing through this museum, the visuals and facts guiding the viewer throughout the exhibitions challenged the pride one may have in America. Over 3 million Vietnamese were killed (2 million were civilians), 2 million were injured, and 300,000 missed—a tragedy committed primarily on the hands of the United States. Furthermore, this tragedy compelled me to always be cognizant of where I’m going and how fast I’m going—sometimes we may be driving ourselves down a path too fast toward a goal unaware of who we may be hurting.

4. Vietnam Fine Arts Museum: Make yesterday’s splinter, today’s splendor.

More than anything, the arts are an embodiment of the emotions of a people. As the former mansion of the wealthiest man of Saigon during the colonial era, “Mr. Hoa,” this museum focuses on, “collecting, keeping, preserving, and displaying fine artworks typical of Vietnamese people.” Corridors with large windows to facilitate natural breezes, marble floors, and spacious rooms converge to provide a home for these works of a resilient people.

Resilience characterizes the Vietnamese and the works housed in this museum. Many of the works embody an element of awareness of what has happened, yet an awareness of current splendor and confidence.

5. Vietnamese Cooking Class

Some say, “food is the way to a man’s heart”—an applicable adage to my relationship with food. Nevertheless, cooking food can be the way to a man’s nerves—well not to every man, but definitely an applicable adage to my relationship with food. Although I don’t have a high temperament for cooking, I do enjoy trying new things and trying new foods; what better way to try Vietnamese food than cooking it yourself? Right? Regardless of where your agreement may settle, I enjoyed the first half of cooking the Vietnamese food (during the second half, I realized the cooking process is not my calling) —diving into a culture “hands-on” is integral in embracing and understanding a particular culture

Albeit difficult and frightening, making yesterday’s splinter today’s splendor allows your pain to be more than pain, it allows your pain to be a testimony. A testament the Vietnamese proved to be true in Saigon as I explored the city for the first time.

Culture Capsules are an opportunity to share and reflect on my top moments culturally from a selected city, country, or continent each week–curating a glimpse into the culture, the people, the places, and the wisdom.