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What if you woke up to this every day?
Visiting a friend in the Lower Town of Brussels, I was amazed when I looked out of her window and saw that this was her every-day view…the Gothic St. Catherine’s church!
This beautiful church (also known as the Eglise Sainte-Catherine and Sint-Katelijnekerk) is located about a ten minute walk from the Grand Place. It was built on the site of the former fish market and today faces the site of a regular market where you can find typical Belgian products such as seafood, cheese and local vegetables.
St. Catherine’s was originally built in the 15th century but completely redesigned between 1854 and 1859 by the famous artist Joseph Poelaert who was inspired by the Église St Eustache in Paris. The only part left of the 15th century church is the Baroque tower which was added in 1629 and is located aside the church.
The interior of the church contains many baroque artworks, including a small statue of the Black Madonna, dating back to the 14th century, at the left side of the altar. Other notable items are a Flemish pulpit and two beautiful tombs carved by Gilles-Lambert Godecharle and a portrait of Saint Catherine.
After your visit to St. Catherine’s church is complete make sure to check out the Tour Noire (Black Tower) located on the side of the NH Hotel and diagonal from St. Catherine’s. This 12th century tower, still stands strong and is the lone surviving part of the ancient stone city walls.
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St. Catherine’s Church
- http://eglisesaintecatherine.be/
- Address: Pl. Sainte-Catherine, 1000 Brussels
- Hours: Monday thru Saturday, 0900-2000, Sunday, 0930-1900
- Admission: free
- Getting There: Located about 10 minutes from the Grand Place, it is a nice walk but can also be reached by metro, Ste-Catherine stop.
The Carillon tower is all that remains of a late gothic church and is the oldest clockwork in the Netherlands, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. The belltower for the Church of Our Dear Lady still stands despite the demolition of the church in 1882. The tower, threatening to fall, in 1972, was shored up with steel girder sand restored. The tower was not open for inspection, but we learned that it houses the Association for the Conservation of the IJsselmeer. The bells, made by Pieter van den Ghein, ring a short melody every fifteen minutes and we were serenaded as we made our way into the center of town.
Deciding to skip the Edam museum, a crooked building near the Damplein, we headed toward the Grote Kerk. Arriving at the 15th century Sint Nicholaaskerk (St. Nicholas Church), we discovered that it would not open until after one o’clock. Walking around the cemetery at the rear of the building we inspected the many unique gravestones and statues.
Passing the 18th century baroque-style Town Hall, we headed down the main street towards Fort Edam. After a 20 minute walk, we soon found ourselves at the gates of Fort Edam. Theme of the day in Edam? Closed. Peering in, we eyed the aged structure that was once the line of defense from attacks from the north. Not able to enter, we turned around and made our way back from which we came, aiming to catch the next bus and a busier city.
The Dutch town of Volendam, located on the Markermeer Lake is known for its colorful wooden houses, red roofs and old fishing boats that rest in its harbor. There are many seafood vendors lining the harbor and two fascinating museums, the Volendam Museum, featuring paintings, sculptures, pottery, traditional costumes and art from 19th century artists who visited the area and the Palingsound Museum, which chronicles the local music scene.
The Mariamman Hindu Temple was only a couple of blocks away and was my first destination. A very colorful and interesting place, filled with vibrant deity sculptures, it serves the small community of Chinese and Vietnamese Tamil Hindus living in the city. This temple is rumored to have miraculous powers giving luck and wealth to those who worship within its walls and was filled with the devout as I walked through its doors.
Built at the end of the 19th century, the building features a royal tower at the entrance which stands twelve meters high. To the left of the entrance sits the Gods and Goddesses, Shiva, Kali, Brahma and Vishnu and at an altar in the center of the temple is a statue of the Goddess Mariamman.
Leaving the Hindu temple, I noticed a pagoda on my map a few blocks away. The Xá Lợi Pagoda, the largest pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, was built in 1956 and was the headquarters of Buddhism in South Vietnam. Best known for being raided and vandalized by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces in 1963, it did not appear to be open and was not as lavish and ornate as some of the others I had seen on my journey, although it is known to have the highest bell tower in Vietnam. The grounds on which it sat left a lot to be desired, leaving me a bit disappointed that I had walked out of my way, unnecessarily, to visit. Snapping a few pictures, I then decided to make the long walk to the Jade Emperor Pagoda.
One of the five most important shrines in Ho Chi Minh City, Jade Emperor Pagoda, also known as the Tortoise Pagoda, was built in 1909 in honor of the supreme Taoist god, the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang.
When entering the temple, the first thing you notice is how dimly lit and smoky the atmosphere is as a great amount of incense is being burned to honor the gods. That being said, the main hall is very intriguing showcasing surrealistic divinities. Filled with exquisite woodcarvings, the main sanctuary features the Emperor Jade Chua Hoang (the God of the Heavens) flanked by his guardians, the Four Big Diamonds (aptly named because they are said to be as hard as diamonds) and menacing Taoist figures made of reinforced paper mache.
Many locals visit the shrine, making offerings of flowers, lighting candles and joss sticks and the limited space in the temple can feel a little cramped. When departing the temple, stop by the small pond filled with turtles and check out the shells that have been inscribed with auspicious inscriptions.
Constructed between 1886 and 1891, the colonial ochre-colored facade is enhanced by arched windows, green wooden shutters and a beautiful clock which still works to this day. Inscribed on the facade are the names and faces of those responsible for the timepiece invention, including President of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, Italian inventor Alessandro Volta, British physicist Michael Faraday, French mathematician Andre-Marie Ampere and many others. There are also inscriptions dedicated to those responsible for discoveries and advances in the field of electricity.
The gasp-worthy interior will, at first, remind you of a train station, which was indeed, Eiffel’s inspiration. Glancing upward, you will notice the high, looping arches and the spectacular dome of gilded capitals resting on green metal pillars. The intricately designed marble floors are representative of antique maps and the dark wood telephone booths that line the front of the building on each side, are reminders of the role the post office played before email and mobile phones were commonplace. Two maps of the region, which show telegraph lines that crisscross Vietnam and Cambodia and the Saigon region in 1992 are painted on the walls overhead. So beautiful and so French inspired, it is easy to forget where you really are. Don’t worry, the large portrait of Ho Chi Minh hangs high above everything at the far end of the building, reminding you that you are still in Vietnam.
My next stop was not far…just across the street. The Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica was a place that I very much wanted to visit. As I was leaving the Post Office and glancing at the clock, however, I noticed that it was half past noon. Verifying the opening time at Notre Dame’s entrance, I realized that I had just missed the morning hours and it would be two and a half more until it reopened. If I were to come back, I would have to be here exactly for the reopening. It would be tight. Just in case that I did not make it, I decided to take some pictures of the exterior and move on a few blocks to the Reunification Palace.
The building has an open, modern feel and its functional rooms remind one of the many meetings and conferences that took place here. On the premises, however, you can view the F5E fighter plane which bombed the palace on April 8, 1975 and the tank which destroyed the palace gate.
After entering the premises and walking down the pathway lined with apricot trees, we encountered a wall. It was interesting to note that this wall was placed here to keep evil spirits away as they can only travel in straight lines. If, by some chance, the spirit was able to navigate around the wall, they would encounter the reflecting pond directly in front of the house. Since spirits do not have a reflection, this was the second line of defense for the house.
The garden house, was designed in the traditional Vietnamese style, in an almost total square with an area of about 135 meters. We were able to take a seat, have tea and enjoy the beautiful woodwork and the family altar which is its centerpiece. There are also many precious relics of the Nguyen dynasty, including four horizontal lacquered boards with the words, “Van Vo Trung Hieu” (literature, military, loyal and pious), gifted by King Bao Dai in 1937, hanging in the middle room. Looking out of the open doors that line the front of the house onto the reflecting pond and the multitude of colorful, fragrant flowers, your feeling is one of peace.
Our next stop, after re-boarding our dragon boat, was one that I was familiar with, Thien Mu Pagoda. One thing different from the day before, however, was that our guide gave us much information on the history of the pagoda and pointed out many items of interest, including the pavilion to the right of the tower which contains a stele (1715) set on the back of a massive marble turtle and the precious antiques in the main hall…bronze gong (cast in 1677) and wooden gilded boards with Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu’s inscriptions (1714). Another unusual item is an Austin car in which, monk Thich Quang Duc was driven to his death in Saigon in 1963.
After our guide’s speech was complete, I decided that I would walk around the property and rephotograph everything since the day was much brighter than the previous one. After revisiting the main hall, I walked around the back of the structure and much to my surprise, realized that there was so much more to see. With the rainfall the day before and my haste to meet my driver in time, I must have not realized that the grounds extended far beyond. So…maybe coming back on the tour was not such a bad thing!
We boarded the boat again and were served a nice lunch while continuing our cruise. Our next destination was a small, old pagoda, although I never caught the name. A rather quaint place, built onto the steep rocky banks of the Perfume, it was an interesting stop and had some very old relics inside of the temple.
The first tomb on our tour was Minh Mang, about 12 kilometers from Hue. Construction on the tomb began in September 1840, however, only four months into the project, Minh Mang became sick and passed away. His successor to the throne, Emperor Thieu Tri, continued construction and Minh Mang’s corpse was buried in Buu Thanh in August of 1841. The tomb was completed in 1843.
Moving along into the temple area, we found the Salutation Court, however, rain decided to hamper our progress as the skies opened up. We ducked in to the Sung An Temple after passing through the Hien Duc Mon gate. This temple is where the Emperor and Queen Ta Thien Nhan are worshiped and is flanked by Ta, Huu Phoi Dien (Left, Right Temples) in the front and Ta, Huu Tung Phong (Left, Right Rooms) in the back.
One thing to notice when visiting Khải Định’s tomb is that it is much smaller than the tombs of his predecessors, however, undeniably more elaborate. The rectangular structure of the tomb leans against Chau Chu Mountain and is flanked by the largest sculptures of dragons in all of Vietnam. The tomb features an imperial audience court and twelve stone statues representing bodyguards. The interior boasts intricately designed glass and porcelain decorations on the walls and the ceiling is decorated with nine complex dragons. The rear room of the palace houses a temple containing the Emperor’s grave, an altar dedicated to him and a statue of his likeness, created in Marseilles.
Our next stop was a roadside village where locals make sandalwood and cinnamon incense and traditional Hue conical hats. Colorful stalks of incense are bunched together, hanging on the walls, displayed in bins and some pieces are lit leaving a pleasant aroma in the air. Local women demonstrate the process for making the incense which is used in temples throughout Vietnam.
After passing through the main gate, you notice to your right, the beautiful landscape and Luu Khiem lake. Located on the lake are Xung Khiem and Du Khiem Pavilions where the Emperor would frequent to admire flowers, compose poems and read books. We could hear music floating across the lake and noticed that a cultural performance was taking place. No time to stop, we continued on to the Hoa Khiem Palace (the Emperor’s working place) which is now the altar devoted to the Emperor and the Queen. Flanking both sides of the Palace are Phap Khiem House and Le Khiem House which were for the military and civil mandarins.
To the rear of Hoa Khiem Palace is Luong Khiem Palace (the Emperor’s resting place), which was later used to worship the Emperor’s mother. The the left of the Palace is the Minh Khiem theater and Chi Khiem, the altar to worship the Emperor’s wives and Tri Khiem and Y Khiem Palaces, which were the accommodations of the Emperor’s concubines.
Hue’s Orchid Hotel’s staff was extremely welcoming and within a few minutes, had me checked into my room and booked on a tour to the Royal Tombs for the next day. Delighted to find not only a beautiful basket of fruit in my room and a desktop computer for my use, I was ecstatic to find an actual window! Don’t laugh! Many hotels in Vietnam are built so close together, only the front and sometimes the back facing rooms boast windows, usually offered at a premium.
Walking along the main road, many xe oms (motorbike taxis) slowed to ask if I needed a ride to the Citadel. Politely declining all, I finally agreed to one who also offered to take me to the Thien Mu Pagoda, wait for me and then deposit me at the front gates of the Citadel. We set off and after a short ride were parking near the souvenir stands lining the road near the pagoda.
Thien Mu Pagoda, sits on Hà Khê hill, about two miles from the Citadel on the Perfume River. Construction began in 1601 and it was later expanded and refurbished. The historic tower facing the river, known as Phước Duyên tower, has seven stories, each dedicated to a different Buddha, is the tallest religious building in Vietnam and sometimes recognized as the unofficial symbol of the city.
A slight drizzle continued, but didn’t deter me from seeing the tower, the temple and gardens behind it and the large marble turtle, a symbol of longevity. Keeping a close eye on the clock, I walked throughout the premises, enjoying the pavilions with the large Buddhist guardians and the colossal bell, that locals claim can be heard from six miles away.
This sprawling complex in Hue was where the Emperors of old would have lived and conducted all their business. There was even a part of the citadel known as “The Forbidden Purple City,” which, much like China’s Forbidden City, was reserved for only the most important people in Vietnam.
Making my way to the Forbidden Purple City in the center of the Imperial Enclosure, I was saddened to see that almost nothing remained. Almost entirely destroyed by the war, a few walls and crumbled remains lay on the site. Once a glorious institution, Vietnam’s Forbidden Purple City rivaled and was designed to resemble China’s Forbidden City. This citadel-within-a-citadel-within-a-citadel was reserved for the personal use of the emperor and only his servants were allowed on the premises with the next outer section reserved for important ceremonies and the outermost for non-royal commoners.
Walking back toward the front of the premises, I soon found myself near the main gate. Deciding to walk to the west, along one of the inner walls, I was surprised to find a whole other part of the citadel. There were many different compounds, each within their own walls with small lanes between them. Once again, I made my way toward the rear of the property, through each of them, enjoying the different pavilions and temples within.
At the rear of the property, there was a lake and a bridge leading to another entrance gate (one of ten). Making my way along the lake I walked to the eastern part of the complex, again making my way forward.
