The Lotus, the “Flower of the Dawn”, the blossoms of which adorn the lakes and ponds of Vietnam in elegant profusion, represents purity, commitment and optimism, the beauty and essence of the land and its people.

In the halls of the Hanoi History Museum, among artifacts of Vietnam’s prehistory and dynastic past, remnants of the Champa Kingdom and testaments to the Vietnamese people’s heroic thousand-year struggle for nationhood, witness the Lotus bloom before your very eyes.

The Hanoi History Museum preserves various items, the treasures and ephemera of Vietnam’s long existence, and organizes them into a comprehensive chronicle of the country’s history from as far back as 500,000 B.C.

The Museum building itself is a treasure, an example of Indochina Architecture, a syncretism of Eastern and Western traditions. The masterpiece of one Ernest Hebrard, it melds a sense of magnificence with clear pragmatism, a structure completely adapted to the tropical environment of Vietnam without sacrificing aesthetics.

The Museum stands as an excellent metaphor for the people of Vietnam: strong, resilient, but not without a delicate sense for nature and beauty.

The art of Vietnam demonstrates this intrinsic relationship between the people and their land. In the brilliant costumes and graceful gestures of the Lotus Dance, the people of Vietnam have learned to recreate the intricate blossoming of the country’s national flower.

The Dance encapsulates the life of the Lotus, symbol of Vietnam, accompanied by beautiful renditions of traditional Vietnamese music.

At the APACRS 2007 Congress Social Night, to be held in the halls of the Hanoi History Museum, immerse yourself in the culture and tradition, the intricate weave of nature, human history and art, the charm and the essence of Vietnam.