Today was a day full of reflection, as we were able to visit a Buddhist temple, as well as better understand the depths of the tragedies of the Vietnam War. To begin on a more optimistic note, the Buddhist Temple (Pagoda) that we visited was an interesting site to compare with past religious sites I have viewed. The Pagoda included carved art, plenty of greenery, and statues of Buddha. In contrast to a typical European church, the Pagoda seemed to place more emphasis on a connection to nature and facilitated more individual worship, rather than worship in a large group. Watching people enter the Pagoda from all over the city reminded me that all cultures strive for the same peace and tranquility, just in different ways and through different religions.

                Moving onto the sadder part of the evening, we were able to visit the War Remnants Museum, a collection of exhibits that shined a light on the tragedies of war. For starters, we viewed and read about multiple massacres of Vietnamese men, women, and children, which were described in a detail that would be hard to find in an American history class. We also saw plenty of pictures of the effects of Agent Orange, the chemical concoction used to defoliate the greenery of Vietnam. Finally, we saw prison conditions and torture methods used against Vietnamese during the war. Obviously, as a museum in Vietnam, the exhibits showcased the brutality of only one side. When learning about the war previously, there were definitely gruesome acts on both sides that have been condemned to this day. However, it is difficult to find strong examples of American acts of brutality in an American classroom, which made the exhibits shock that much harder. As I have felt after visiting massacre sites and World War 2 memorials in Europe, this museum was another reminder that nobody wins in war.