CATEGORIES

© Copyright 2004; Hanoitimes - Economic and Urban Newspaper;

The tribune of Hanoi People’s Committee

Publication Permit: 29/GP-CBC

Editor - in - Chief: Nguyen Thanh Loi

Managing Editor: Ta Thu Giang

Email : thugiang@hanoitimes.vn

Head Office: 21 Huynh Thuc Khang Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi

Branch Office: 221 Tran Phu Street, Ha Dong District, Hanoi

WORDS ON THE STREET 70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day Vietnam - Asia 2023 Smart City Summit Hanoi celebrates 15 years of administrative boundary adjustment 12th Vietnam-France decentrialized cooperation conference 31st Sea Games - Vietnam 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic
Home / Arts & Entertainment / Entertainment
Sound Walk tour enlivens Ha Noi streets
05:36, 2014/08/07
​Standing outside Saint Joseph`s Cathedral, we suddenly heard a bell ringing, followed by a song. The sound wasn`t coming from the church, but from our headphones.
We were on Sound Walk, a programme where participants walk around Ha Noi's Old Quarter using GPS-enabled smartphones to hear the historical sounds of each destination. Walkers go at their own pace, choosing where to linger and where to speed up.
 

"What you hear depends on your position," explained Joshua Kopecek, the British musician who initiated the project. "If you love the sound of a street, just keep standing on it or walk slowly. The sound will loop again and again until you move to another street."
In the space of an hour, we walked from the Cathedral to Dong Xuan Market, on the northern side of the Old Quarter. On the way, we enjoyed the sound of vendors' voices and tramcars as well as traditional music such as xam (blind buskers' music) and ca tru (ceremonial music).
The sounds illuminate the streets' original purposes, some of which are still accurate.
On Hang Vai, the street of pipe-makers, participant Le Hoa heard a smoker taking a deep puff and was unsure if the source was her headphones or the man smoking a bamboo pipe in front of her.
But when she took off her headphones outside a pagoda where the boisterous sound of musical instruments and singing filled the air, indicating that a hau dong (spiritual performance to serve the gods) was taking place, she heard only tranquil silence.
"Ha Noi's the most unique city in the field of sound," said Kopecek, who has lived in the city for several years. "There are so many sounds in the city: the voice of vendors crying, music performed on streets, and vehicle noises."
Dinh Le Van, an international project co-ordinator at Viet Nam National University, and computer science specialist Mathias Rossignol joined Kopecek in the project.
The artists used historical documents and interviews with senior Hanoians and historians Duong Trung Quoc and Le Van Lan to accurately recreate the sounds of the past.
Last year, the programme drew around 100 Vietnamese and foreign participants, including blind children from Nguyen Dinh Chieu School.
"It was so meaningful when we helped the blind students discover the city through street sounds," said Van. "They told me that although they couldn't see the city, they felt it with their hearts."
Duong Bui Khanh Linh, a visually impaired student, said, "I was so happy to hear the peaceful sounds of old Ha Noi through the trains passing, the sound of the monochord, the cries of children, the sounds of glasses clinking together. When I heard the electric tram, I imagined it, but I don't know if it looks the way I imagined it."
Kopecek said this year's event would feature contemporary music in addition to the sounds of Ha Noi's Old Quarter.
"This year we are launching the project in two cities at opposite ends of the world, Copenhagen and Ha Noi, and offering two sound artists from those cities - Vietnamese composer Luong Hue Trinh and Danish sound artist Hans Sydow - a unique opportunity to create a work of art for a new medium," he said. 
Comments
Other news
15:50, 2024/11/23
Bridging Italian and Vietnamese cultures at food festival
The Vietnam-Italy Gastronomy Festival "From Arancina to Bun Cha - A culinary journey between Italy and Vietnam" is a celebration of the rich cultural and culinary exchanges between the two countries.
17:23, 2024/11/20
Hang Ma Street gears up for festive season
Locals look forward to the holiday season, and Hanoi's Old Quarter is a hive of activity as Christmas preparations get underway.
14:00, 2024/11/19
Vietnam hosts International Piano Competition
The Vietnam International Piano Competition & Festival aims to become one of the most prestigious piano competitions and cultural events in the country.
19:02, 2024/11/18
Vietnamese national costumes are making a comeback
The "Bach Hoa Bo Hanh" or "Parade of Flowers" is a celebration of the Vietnamese national attire, showing young people's love and pride for the nation's cultural heritage.
22:11, 2024/11/12
7th Hanoi International Film Festival concludes with grand finale
The annual film event has once again cemented Vietnam's position as a destination for global cross-cultural interaction, demonstrating the power of film to transcend cultural boundaries.
10:51, 2024/11/12
Hanoi: A must-visit for solo travelers
Hanoi's vibrant energy and hustle and bustle of year-end festivals create a dynamic atmosphere that makes it an ideal destination for solo travellers, offering a sense of connection amidst the hectic pace of the city.