A Vietnamese Village: Mapping Den Hai Ba Trung’s Community Scape in Hanoi

We got of the 33 bus and walked a short distance down a peaceful road circling a small lake—or a large pond. Trees surrounded the entire lake leaving a cool shade for an easy stroll or some chess on the stone benches. We began our tour of the area at the pagoda, where we saw 65 year olds playing badminton next to children peddling their tricycles. Men sat in cliques against plastered brick walls, waiting for their pho, and women sat outside their vending stands, gossiping and peeling fruit. None of the buildings in Hai Ba Trung are over two stories, which gave a chance for the sky to shed a nice diffuse light over the narrow streets and alleys. People were friendly and calm in the area, and there was a cheery feeling of general health in the daily life of the village district. Having no reason to leave a 4 block radius, the inhabitants seemed like a close-nit community, content and self-reliant with only the occasional need for outside help. I would be wonderful to grow up in this community, along with café and a wifi connection to say hi to the outside world once in a while.