Vietnam: The Dragon Smiles - The Wise World Traveler: Becoming a Part of All that You Meet - page 274

Figure 18.4. Hanoi
The symbolic center of the city is the vast, grey stone mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh on
Ba Dinh Square. The mausoleum is the proud, imposing commemoration of the victori-
ous war for independence, even though it defies Ho's wish to be cremated. Nearby is Ho's
simple cottage and work room; many would say a truer expression of his life and work—“I
am of no importance; independence is all important.” Around the corner from the cottage is
a 900-year-old pagoda, which many would also say better reflects the spirit of Ho. The One
Pillar Pagoda rises from a single stone pillar to “float” over a Buddhist pond. The pond's
lotus flower memorializes the Buddha's search for noble truths.
Buddhism is the religious foundation of Vietnam. Its source is India. The mausoleum
symbolizes the modern, secular foundation of Vietnam, a secular foundation that accords
with the teachings of Confucius: honor your ancestors. And within walking distance of the
mausoleum is the Temple of Literature, representing another Chinese pillar of Vietnam so-
ciety. In the temple are sanctuaries that celebrate the life and spirit of Confucius with his
moral code based on jen , right-heartedness (Do not do to others what you would not have
them do to you. Give proper respect to ancestors, to ruler, to father, to mother, to siblings, to
friends). Until the European intrusions, the rulers of Vietnam ruled through mandarins, of-