Impressions of Vietnam: An Overview

Major stops during our travels are highlighted in red on map.

The old Saigon Post Office was my first sketch subject on arriving in Vietnam.  It was also a great source of collectible stamps, currency notes and other memorabilia which I incorporated into the sketchbook pages.  While in Saigon I met and sketched with Chien Bau, a talented architect and the founder of Urban Sketchers Vietnam, as well as other local sketchers.

The local markets, this one in the heart of Saigon, provided endless opportunities to capture a sense of the culture.

The historic temple complex of My Son, near Hanoi, predates the Angkor temples by 800 years.  Almost 75% of the ancient site was lost to bombing during what Vietnamese call “The American War.”  Bomb craters overgrown with tropical vegetation are one of the overriding impressions of the site.

Six AM provided the richest experience of the local market in Hoi An, allowing me to watch the street edges fill with fresh fish, live chickens, and a dizzying variety of local produce prior to the arrival of customers and tourists.  Sketching and photography had to be done at a respectable distance so as not to interfere with getting the market areas ready for the day’s commerce.

Our road trip from Hoi An to Hue allowed us to see the stunning coastline views of  Hai Van Pass, which National Geographic lists as “One of the 50 Places to See in a Lifetime.”

A glimpse of a long procession of Buddhist monks, chanting at the Thien Mu Pagoda atop one of the Marble Mountains near Da Nang.

The Old Quarter of Hanoi offered block after block of authentic street markets, offering everything from silk and jewelry to live crabs and locally grown fruits and vegetables.