Art In Hanoi – Thanh Chuong Viet Palace, Viet Nam
“Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.” Thich Nhat Hahn
There is no right way to experience an art museum or gallery .
As a traveler who knows a little something about art, I always have a list of art work that I have to see in a country which I can check off in my brain.
But at the Thanh Chuong Viet Palace in Hanoi, I did not know the artist or his collection.
I did not know which was considered a masterpiece and which was not so I slowed down and looked at what I liked – what interested me and what touched me.
It is easier to make a connection with the art that way – when you don’t know what it is that you are “supposed to see.
It is a different experience when you choose what resonates with you instead of what is famous.
The palace houses Vietnamese artist Thanh Chuong’s vast collections of Vietnamese spiritual and folk art along with his modern paintings. (artist)
It is located forty kilometers from the center of Hanoi and covers over 10,000 square meters. There are thousands of cultural and historical artifacts from different Vietnamese dynasties which the artist spent his life collecting and storing.
It includes all kinds of architectural elements, different houses antique and replicated, furniture from all periods, statues, a theatre for water puppetry and a beautiful restaurant.
Thanh Chuong comes from a talented and literary family. There is an altar to his father the writer Kim Lan and a room displaying his work.
The palace is not without its critics. The “House of Auspicious Clouds’ has been called an artistic theme park, and “an ostentatious display of wealth and social status.
It attracts local and foreign visitors who are interested in understanding Vietnam’s artistic and spiritual culture.
I loved walking around in this beautiful and very feng shui environment and finding all the old and new pieces together.
The lotus ponds, bamboo beds, mud cottages made you think of Viet Nam’s history. I liked his modern paintings, sculptures and the creative way he juxtaposed the old and the new.
When you spend time looking at something, you actually begin to see it.
A very special thank you to my guide in Hanoi Mr. Do Sy Quy. He was my first guide on this trip and set the tone for an amazing experience. “Buffalo Joe” is kind, friendly, funny, intuitive and very knowledgeable about Hanoi and Viet Nam history. I connected with him immediately and feel like I have a friend in Hanoi.
Di du lịch một cách an toàn,
JAZ
Travel Well, Fly Safe 
Love your blog, Jayne! Both photos and your insights. Thanks!
thanks so much for reading and commenting. hope you are doing your interesting travels as well.
Absolutely agree with you that when you do not know the “price of a piece of art” it is easier to make a connection with the art that way…and you did a fine job from your photos. Looks like an incredible place.
Thanks to aperture and the good camera was still working then. Thanks for commenting. I appreciate it because you are so good at both writing and photography.
In any city new to me I always make a bee line for the art museums… you can learn so much about a culture through their art. This looks like a great place to do just that, Yes, slow down and really look, what could be better?
thanks for finding me and commenting. I do the same thing. The art tells me who they are. I was just looking at your blog. I live in Los Angeles and have never been to Yosemite and now I have to go.