Warning: This post may be disturbing to some. The first half is fine, I’ll clue you in when to stop reading if you are kind-hearted, love animals, have a weak stomach, or simply a decent human being…
April 2 ~ (part 1) Thay Pagoda, Dao Thuc (Near Hanoi, Vietnam)
Sitting in the doorway at the temple in Dao Thuc making a woven basket
Our trip with Gate 1 was down to the last day. Some of our group opted to spend their free time doing some last-minute shopping in the Old Town portion of Hanoi. Tim and I joined a few diehard travelers for an optional excursion to see Thay Pagoda and visit So Village to meet the Black Teeth Women.
As we climbed off the bus for our short walk into Dao Thuc Village and the pagoda, I was struck by the variety of motorized vehicles and equipment. One could not help but do a mental comparison to our versions back home.
The main street welcomed us with festive overhead lanterns and lighting in the shape that has become synonymous with Vietnamese field workers.
Definitely festive Asian decorations here. Very pretty and welcoming.
As interested as we were to observe the local sites and people and learn about their way of life, they too were curious about us. Our travel companion, Cory, especially got a lot of attention and stares. They were fascinated with her long braided hair. A few even got brave enough to come forward to touch it and Cory graciously encouraged the interaction. Priceless moment!
Group of local ladies wanting to examine Cory’s beautiful hair braids
We were here to visit both a temple and a pagoda. Understandably confusing to new-comers, but there is a difference.
A “temple” is customarily thought of as a place of worship, but since Buddha was not considered a “God”, it is most often considered a place for meditation and contemplation.
A “pagoda”is a shrine to a deceased, usually containing bones or relics from that person.
After saying that, most people use the two terms interchangeably.
Thay Pagoda or Chua Thay, “The Master’s Pagoda” is a one of the oldest Buddhist pagodas in Vietnam, dating back to the 11th century. Also known as Thien Phuc Tu which means “Pagoda of the Heavenly Blessing”, it is dedicated to the Vietnamese Thien master, Tur Dao Hanh and maintained by the local monks. Thought of by many as the birthplace of Buddhism, it is a center of pilgrimage during Tet (Vietnamese New Year).
Sitting on the shores of Long Tri (Dragon Lake), which is really little more than a pond, is the older part of the pagoda that sports interesting detail, even if not over the top architecturally.
From here, with a little imagination, one can envision an entire dragon encircling the village that includes the surrounding hillside.
Ca Pagoda?
On the side of the old pagoda
In the middle of the small lake, Thuy Dinh Stage mysteriously floats where the ancient ritual of water puppet shows are still performed on holidays and special occasions.
Thuy Dinh Stage – One of the oldest water puppet theaters in Vietnam
There are also two old stone bridges that connect the island on each side with impressive names of Nhat Tien and Nguyet Tien, but I have no idea which was which.
Nhat Tien or Nguyet Tien Bridge built in 1602
Thay Pagoda itself consisted of several different buildings. This site is especially meaningful for the Buddhists of Vietnam and many of the faithful would equate a journey here to the Muslim desire to visit Mecca.
The main temple building is dedicated to a monk named Tu Dao Hanh who lived in the 12th century. He was the chief monk at the temple, an inventor, medical man, mystic and surprisingly a choreographer of traditional water puppetry, which would help explain the water puppet stage in the center of the lake. Inside, three statues represent the monk in different forms.
“According to the local belief he had incarnated thrice, once as Buddha in the form of Sakhyamuni, then as the son of King Lý Nhân Tông who later became the King Lý Thần Tông and then as a monk who saved the King Thần Tông.
At the entrance to the shrine there are two large clay mixed papier-mâché images of the 7th century, each weighing about a ton; these are considered the largest such images in Vietnam.” ~ Wikipedia
The room with the numerous statues of Buddha surrounding the ancient monk, was my favorite.
Many Buddhas surround one monk, Tu Dao Hanh
OK this is my warning point. You may want to stop reading now if you fall into any of the categories mentioned above. There is nothing profane, just not for the very sensitive or anyone who does not want to look at one of the tougher customs to swallow here in Vietnam.
Along our walk back to the bus, we passed by a yard where chickens were being raised. I was heartbroken to see two young dogs locked up in a small cage.
Chickens roam freely while dogs are caged
It got worse, MUCH worse.
Sadly it is still common for dog to be eaten in Northern Vietnam. I am so thankful that my dear hubby warned me not to look as we passed by several shops where dogs were being butchered.
After loading on the bus, we continued our drive toward So Village passing by another loooooong meat market beside the road. This time our guide also warned us of dogs being slaughtered, and I chose to divert my eyes in the other direction.
I can not even comment on how difficult it was to know this custom still exists here. I will try to stay off of my pulpit, but the entire debate is so confusing. I question how one minute we Americans are comfortable eating pork, beef, or chicken, yet sickened by eating dog meat. I know that there is an element taken from our collective experiences of raising dogs and cats as household pets, but it was hard to see and is even harder to understand.
The flip side of that argument might be put up by those who would otherwise starve to death if they did not utilize every possible form of nourishment available to them. I don’t know that I have any rebuttal to that argument.
The over abundance of food here in our country, readily available for most citizens, is not the reality for many living in third world countries.
Please note, I mean no disrespect for anyone who is struggling to make ends meet for their families. I realize this is over simplification to an extreme.
In researching this article I know I was shocked to learn how many countries where it is still common practice to eat dogs. In case you are not already too grossed out and are curious to learn more, you can click here to find out where dog meat is still on the menu, what breeds are raised for their meat, and where this cuisine is outlawed.
It sure did help reinforce my growing desire to simply eat vegetarian.
Climbing off my soap box now…
But once again this post is getting far too wordy and I can only keep you shackled to your seat for so long 🙂
Tomorrow I will complete this post (part 2) where I will tell you about our visit with the woman with black teeth, how she made me laugh out loud, and what her most prized possession is that she keeps right next to her bed…
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful for the fact that eating our pets is NOT tolerated here in the USA. (Sorry, climbed back up on that soap box for just a moment.)
A Note From Abroad 
I do understand your feelings about what we eat and I myself was born in Spain where rabbit is a natural source of meat and I was shocked when I came to live in America (1956) to find that normally rabbits are used only as pets and my own brother in law vomited when he learned that the meat in the rice he had just finished eating and having declared how delicious it was, turned out to be rabbit which my mother had cooked. My father was a Veterinarian and I love dogs and really all animals but I have no aversion on what different cultures eat except perhaps cannibals, but even them I understand. I am a traveler but unfortunately do not have the means to do it properly as you do so I follow your posts and enjoy the fantastic pictures and you commentary very much. I will end by saying I do envy you, but in a good way. Thanks a million
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Hi Antonio,
Thank you so much for your comment and sharing your views on local eating cultures. I too have eaten rabbit and honestly did not think anything about it at the time. It is pretty eye opening when we think about our own eating habits and how our experiences are based on what is the “norm” for our particular society. So glad you are enjoying traveling along with us. We appreciate the company!
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You are very welcome. Glad to hear you have eaten rabbit and did not think adversely about it. In Spain, “arroz con conejo” rice with rabbit, is a true delicacy, in many ways, better than “arroz con pollo” rice with chicken. I wish with all of my heart that only eating were influenced by cultural differences. But horribly and very unfortunately the likes and dislikes going all the way from love to hatred are very much dominated by our cultural imperatives, our prejudices are almost completely dominated by which culture we are nurtured in
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And our eating habits are just ONE of the many things that our upbringing, culture, family, country, and life experiences will influence. I feel so fortunate that we have this opportunity to see, explore and experience life outside of our “normal” box. Granted, it is often through rose colored glasses, yet still we learn and grow by each new thing we encounter.
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Because you are really looking, your glasses are not quite rose and more just transparent. I am very fortunate to have found you guys
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Hi Tim and Joanne! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I went to Vietnam once and I saw the same scenes as well. 😦 I even saw dogs without heads on the side of the road when I was travelling in a tour bus, it was quite traumatizing. 😦
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I am thankful that I was spared seeing the worst of these scenes through the ever vigilant efforts of my husband who managed to give me warning in advance. Some things are impossible to “unsee”. I hope that otherwise your time in Vietnam was memorable in a good way.
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Yup! Other than those parts, the rest of Vietnam was really very pretty and the food was good as well 🙂
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My students in Liberia, where dogs are still eaten, would tease me by coming by my house and pinching my cat and saying, “Fine meat, Mr. Mekemson.” –Curt
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I’m all for learning about cultural norms and embracing as much as I can, but eating dogs fell outside my widely expanding comfort zone. But I bet your students had great fun teasing you.
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That they did… 🙂
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Wonderful photos. I certainly wouldn’t want to eat dog but it’s no different from how Hindus feel when many of us eat beef.
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That is a good analogy, and thank, glad you like our photos.
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Hi, we did that same tour this past January. Thankfully, it was drizzling and no one was out. So, i didn’t see any dog meat for sale. However, I thought I saw something from the bus as we were driving along the way back to Hanoi. When I got home, I checked to see if people still eat dogs in Vietnam and they do. What I was also shocked to learn is that it is not illegal in all 50 states in our country to eat dogs or cats. I think I saw that it is still legal in 44 states. Legal! I think rules vary about hunting and animal cruelty, but it was still shocking to me. I don’t know if it happens anywhere in our country, but thankfully where I live, it is one of the states that made it illegal. Thanks for sharing your experiences and helping me learn a little more about what I saw at the Thay Pagoda and So Village during my Gate 1 trip.
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Michael, I’m so glad you were spared seeing the dogs. That is shocking to think that it is legal in some states here in the USA. I’ll have to look up to see where California sits on this.
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children from recent generations in the west had goats or chickens as pets and had to ultimately see them on the dinner table. knowing any animal, of any size, no matter how briefly, is the most compelling reason there could be to welcome corn flakes falling directly from the sky.
(or maybe Vector falling from the sky) :p
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I loved reading your version of the tour! I went on a similiar one of the same area but we didn’t pass the butcher shop (you know which one I mean). We did stop at a souvenir shop that had dogs in cages, and they were not pets or guard dogs (again, you know what I mean).
Thank you for being so detailed. I made a scrap book and used your writing as reference to label my photos. Where is your next adventure?
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Thank you Laura. Yes, I do know what you are referring to. Glad our post helped you with your scrap book. 😃 This year we will not be traveling as much, but will do some more exploring the National Parks in the USA in our RV.
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