Today, we began our day with the usual trip to UEF to learn more about Vietnamese culture and religion, focusing on traditional family values and the Buddhist religion. Afterwards, we visited the NgocHoang pagoda close to the university to observe the religion in real life. Upon entering the pagoda, I was surrounded by statues of buddha and incense stations for praying. As well, I could see many Chinese characters throughout the temple, including on statues and banners. This mix of the Chinese and Vietnamese language, as well as the elements of Buddhism and Taoism together, seems to represent the deep history Vietnam has with China and how China has left its imprints in the country.

After the pagoda visit, we went back to one of the previous restaurants for lunch. The restaurant specializes in serving traditional white rice, cooked in a clay pot to preserve its rich taste and aroma. The beef with peppers was also phenomenal and left me wanting for more.

In the afternoon, we first visited the Independence Palace that housed the president, his family, and staff. It was a grand mansion with majestic interiors that made me want to live there. We also got to explore the underground bunks for hiding and military planning. I had fun peering into each of the rooms and taking notes of the interior design to use for my future house.

We ended the afternoon on a quite heavy note at the War Remnants Museum. There, we witnessed the many atrocities that were committed on the Vietnamese during war: they were decapitated, burned, bombed, shot, and any other kind of torture you could think of. As well, pictures showed the effects of Agent Orange, the toxic chemicals that the US released in Vietnam, on the local citizens. Paralysis, deafness, blindness, body disfigurement, and death were all common consequences of dioxin. It was truly terrifying to see how many people, both in the US and Vietnam, were significantly impacted by this decision. Some of the pictures were so heartbreaking that I could not bare myself to take pictures. After touring the museum, I cannot believe that Vietnam does not hold a grudge against the US anymore; as someone from the US, I even hold strong resentment towards the actions of the US now. To me, it is truly incredible that Vietnam has bounced back from so many years of war to the successful development that it now has. It is also very kind of the country and its people to forgive the crimes that foreign countries and opposing sides have done to their ancestors. To be honest, if this happened to my home country and my ancestors, I would not forgive them so easily.

Connecting today’s museum tour with the Cu Chi tunnel visit, my biggest takeaway is recognizing the resilience and perseverance of the Vietnamese people. Having crawled in those tunnels myself, I cannot imagine how challenging and miserable living in those tunnels must have been. Along with the mass destruction weapons and chemicals and the massacre of innocent civilians, there is no doubt the Vietnamese lived in constant fear and difficulty during the war times. It is truly heartbreaking to see the innocent men, women, and babies killed for absolutely no defendable reason. The thing I will remember the most from this trip is how pointless and cruel war is in the grand view of things, and how important and hard peace was able to be achieved in our society today.