The day began with a lecture of Buddhism and a trip to a pagoda. The lecture had us learn about the intricacies of Buddhism and how it began, along with what it was. I myself don’t know a lot about it, so I was interested in learning more. It was then that we split off into two groups, arguing if Buddhism should be considered a philosophy or a religion. My group ended up on the philosophy side, and we argued that since Buddhism doesn’t follow an exact text or deity, it more closely aligns with a philosophy. Tuan, our lecturer, continued that it was more close to a religion than a philosophy, but I still find myself somewhere in the middle. I feel like it can somewhat be both, as it depends on each person that decides to follow it. Some may align better with it being just a way of thinking, while others may feel more comfortable with it being their way of life and religion. We then headed out to visit a pagoda, which is a religious temple. The architecture was beautiful, and there were many people praying throughout the area. It intrigued me that we had to take off our shoes before entering the temple itself, because I have never personally seen that before.
We then headed out to a quick lunch before heading to the reunification palace. The palace was humongous, and we were shown various different rooms, such as offices, conference rooms, etc. They showed an international meeting room versus a domestic meeting room, and the differences were stark. The international meeting room was much more formal, with a large table separating the seats and more distant, along with more western style seating. The domestic room on the other hand, had lower to the ground chairs which were closer together, with only small tables separating them every once in a while. We also got to see the bunker, which seemed as if it went on for miles and miles.
Lastly, we headed over to the War Remnants Museum. There are not any words I can use to describe how it makes you feel without witnessing yourself. I have never felt such powerful emotions from somewhere in my life. From the moment you step in and begin looking around, you feel a deep sorrow for all of those who suffered during and after the war. The war crimes and agent orange section stood out to me the most, and I couldn’t help but almost start crying while looking around. It is so different from hearing about Agent Orange in our American classrooms, where it is unfortunately downplayed, to seeing its effects in action in raw and graphic photographs. The amount of hurt I saw that continued over decades, not only to Vietnamese people but also Americans and Koreans and more. There were lines and lines of pictures of Vietnamese children, all born with life altering defects, some of whom passed away almost immediately from them. There was a little American girl, born in Philadelphia, my hometown, who had a birth defect because her father fought in the Vietnam War. That photo stuck with me as there was one right next to it, of the girl and her father at an older age, explaining how the father shot himself due to PTSD from his time in Vietnam. The overwhelming emotions I felt during this entire visit are difficult to explain. War helps no one, this visit only let me see that even more. But there was one takeaway from all of it, resilience. Among the photos of those affected by agent orange, there was resilience. A child who was able to write and journal with only his feet, another who could play the clarinet despite disabilities, and a thriving artist who detailed what it was like growing up with such disabilities. Among the sorrow, there was also so much strength within those who survived.
If you ever come to Vietnam, the War Remnants Museum is a must visit. It is difficult, and you will most likely feel stronger emotions than you ever had, but it is so necessary to witness yourself.
