Nara and Hanoi: 1,000 in the making

Myriad milestones have already marked this year. South Africa hosted its first-ever World Cup in the continent and Shanghai is heaving with visitors to its World Expo.

Apart from these high-profile events, there are two lesser-known milestones that offer more than just history in the making but a history lesson in itself.

Make your way to Nara and Hanoi—two ancient capitals celebrating 1,300 and 1,000 years of existence respectively. While there are no games or grand ceremonies planned, there’s a lot worth seeing in these testimonials to human ingenuity.

Nara, Japan

Often overshadowed by nearby Kyoto, Nara offers an unadulterated peek into Japan’s roots as a nation. If you want to get a taste of ancient Japan, stop by this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Nara was Japan’s first international capital — a place where the Silk Road trade flourished and Buddhist influence is very evident.

The city is peppered with many temples, all integrated into its lush, natural landscape. This immediately calls for an agenda of temple hopping, a leisurely picnic and, of course, the feeding of Nara deer.

Buddhist influence is most visible in the Todaiji Temple’s Daibutsu-den. Built in 752, its imposing wooden gates are still the largest wooden structure in the world. This is home to a bronze Buddha statue called the Rushana Butsu or the Cosmic Buddha. The scale and intricacy of the wooden structure and the Buddha it protects makes Todaiji the most important stop in one’s Nara itinerary.

Another worthy spot is the Kasuga Taisha — the Fujiwara family shrine known as one of the historic monuments ancient Nara. This Shinto shrine boasts of a multitude of stone and bronze lanterns that photograph perfectly at any angle. 

Granted, there are “must-visits” in Nara such as Seven Great Temples, key to their 1,300th celebration is the revitalization of the Heijo Palace site, which opened last April.

It has been transformed into an exciting area where one can get a comprehensive look at the history of the Nara Period and a venue for special events and exhibitions. If you’re keen on catching this, make sure you book your ticket to Japan by Nov. 7.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Always a prominent city in the history of Vietnam, Hanoi served as the main political center until 1802 and was also the capital of French Indochina.

One can definitely feel the history and culture pulsating through Hanoi.

Find this especially at the Old Quarter, which retains the architecture, streets and shops of old Hanoi. Discover art galleries, restaurants, as well as great shopping.

Complement this with a trip to the Temple of Literature and the One Pillar pagoda to get a deeper view of the city’s colorful past. Take a breather at the Hoan Kiem Lake, a place where one can meditate as well as get a great view of the Hanoi Post Office.

Of course, one must also pay homage at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum — one of the grandest memorials to a statesman as well as to a country’s independence.

Hanoi’s millennium anniversary is a big deal that is expressed in various ways. While the weeklong Buddhist celebration has just finished, the International Circus Festival is just starting. Come October, there will be a Tourism Festival and a big parade scheduled on the 10th with over 12,000 participants.

We all know Hanoi’s food and art are already a draw but these additional festivities will certainly make this year a great time to visit or revisit the city.

Try to catch the countdown to 1,000 by dropping by before Oct. 10, 2010.