Hanoi's poetic soul soothes the soul

Mossy street corners

During his lifetime, the late musician Trinh Cong Son composed the song “Autumn in Hanoi” after visiting the capital and watching birds flying at West Lake at sunset: “Hanoi in autumn, walking among people/My heart silently asks, who am I missing/There will be a day when the autumn sky of Hanoi will answer me/There will be a day when each small street will answer me”.

Nowadays, when talking about healing, people often think of deserted places, close to forests, rivers, and mountains. However, in reality, sometimes, just walking around Hanoi is enough to “patch” a soul that is overwhelmed by life’s worries.

Tran Thuy Linh (26 years old, living in Hanoi) said that Hanoi to her has a poetic beauty, but is filled with sadness, like a person who has experienced many ups and downs in life. Therefore, whenever she wants to slow down, she will slowly walk around the tree-filled streets, quietly passing by the relics in Hanoi. Linh confided: "Hanoi cannot be rushed, because if you are in a hurry, how can you see the beauty of this ancient land?"

Dr. Mark A. Slabaugh, MD, a sports medicine orthopedic surgeon at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland (USA), once said that walking outdoors and immersing yourself in nature allows you to relieve stress, understand what is going on and increase your ability to concentrate.

According to a study by neurobiologist Professor Zemir Zeki of the University of London, looking at a work of art has a psychological effect similar to experiencing the excitement of romantic love. When we immerse ourselves in Monet's Water Lilies or get lost in Salvador Dali's dreamlike landscape, our minds seem to dance freely in the air, sometimes with joy, sometimes with excitement, sometimes with harmony, reverberating in our chest with a feeling of peace and comfort.

It can be said that Hanoi has many elements to heal people. First, there are many beautiful roads, suitable for walking alone, contemplating the past. Second, Hanoi has an ancient, quiet beauty suitable for slowing down. Finally, Hanoi's architecture is a blend of Asian and European beauty, temples, combined with elegant French villas, like a work of art, the more you look at it, the more you love it.

One characteristic of Hanoi that is different from other young and vibrant cities like Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City is the ancient atmosphere, a moment that helps people calm down in the hustle and bustle of life.

It can be said that Hanoi converges many factors to heal people.

Currently, the capital Hanoi has many extremely rich and diverse sediments, with about 6,000 historical and cultural relics; 21 special national relics and relic clusters. Each relic not only has historical and cultural value but is also a timeless work of art.

Although the years have passed, Hanoi still retains its quiet and profound beauty as a witness to many historical ups and downs. From moss-covered ancient streets to modern skyscrapers, Hanoi is a colorful picture of the past and present intertwined.

Coming to Hanoi, people will wake up early in the morning to breathe in the cool air of the North, watching the world change from night to the golden sunshine. At around four or five in the morning, it is not difficult to see people leisurely exercising in the morning around the park, along the dreamy streets.

When the morning mist gradually clears on the streets of Hanoi, people can slowly cycle on Phan Dinh Phung Street, feeling like they are lost in a fairy tale world with rows of cajuput trees shedding their yellow leaves. The yellow leaves fall, spreading a golden carpet on the road, rustling under the feet of pedestrians. Wait until the sun is high, stroll along the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, feel the quintessence of a thousand years of learning, still standing proudly in the heart of the city as a testament to the nation's respect for knowledge.

Or in the late afternoon, take a leisurely stroll around West Lake, watching the lake's rippling waves surrounding the thousand-year-old cultural relics. While walking, we can immerse ourselves in the breath of the land of Trang An with its many historical ups and downs.

That is why, at the World Travel Awards 2024, Hanoi has won three prestigious awards: "Asia's Leading City Destination", "Asia's Leading Short-Breakfast City Destination" and "Vietnam's Leading Cultural Destination".

Many exciting cultural and historical events

Besides its ancient and quiet beauty, Hanoi is also keeping pace with socio-economic development. Coming to Hanoi, besides the moments of contemplation and tranquility, people immerse themselves in the space with many attractive cultural and historical events. For example, night walks in Hanoi. People can easily smile, forget all their worries and join in the music and singing on Trang Tien walking street (Hoan Kiem). Here, every weekend evening, there are a series of interesting entertainment activities from painting, skateboarding, music performances, rope jumping competitions, skateboarding,...

A National Institute for Play in California, USA, was founded by psychiatrist Stuart Brown. The psychiatrist shared with The Washington Post about the importance of play for adults: “Play is a basic human need and is also necessary for us to get a good night’s sleep. So when we play less, our minds and bodies suffer. Over time, less play can manifest itself in our personalities: we can become cranky, inflexible, feel stuck or hurt in life.”

Nguyen Phuong Hien (30 years old, living in Hanoi) shared that whenever she feels pressured by life, she often goes to walking streets and fairs in Hanoi. Here, she enjoys live music, light and sound programs, temporarily forgetting the fatigue of the day. She said: "After participating in activities, singing and dancing with everyone, I feel full of life."

The ancient, mossy beauty of Hanoi brings a sense of peace to everyone.

In fact, nowadays, in Hanoi, people's spiritual life is being focused on. A series of interesting cultural and artistic programs using lighting technology and attractive music are being organized.

The art performance program “Quintessence of the North” is taking place every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at Tuan Chau Eco-tourism Area, Da Phuc Village, Sai Son Commune, Quoc Oai District. This is the first live stage program in Vietnam. The show has realistically and vividly recreated the cultural values ​​of the ancient North. Visitors can find here ancient stories about the country, customs, habits, and traditional folk elements performed in a modern and creative way.

Or another program that opens from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the tourism product "The Essence of Dao Hoc" opens a night space that is both strange and familiar to the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam (Dong Da district, Hanoi). With diverse activities and experiences such as: studying with teachers, folk games, stone steles telling stories... visitors will better understand the journey of learning to become a person, learning to become talented of Confucian scholars in ancient times. Visitors will also experience the virtual reality system. There, each individual will create their own calligraphy work or freely improvise drawings and images on the sparkling starry sky.

Numerous scientific studies have shown that listening to music can have many mental health benefits, including increasing feelings of happiness. Listening to music stimulates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in regulating emotions, motivation, and reward. When you listen to music you love, your brain stimulates the release of dopamine, leading to feelings of joy, excitement, and happiness.

According to a study conducted by Valorie Salimpoor, a neuroscientist at McGill University in the US, who used PET scans to monitor brain activity while participants listened to music, the results showed that when listening to music they loved, brain regions related to feelings of happiness and reward, including the auditory cortex, prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, showed increased activity. At the same time, the amount of dopamine released in the brain also increased.

Anh Nhi

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/hon-tho-ha-noi-xoa-diu-tam-hon-post543811.html