I woke up without an alarm at 5:45am and was out on the streets by 6. Hanoi is a different kind of busy early in the morning; there are markets that only exist that time of day, business men and women sitting on tiny chairs eating cháo, but easily the most entertaining spectacle are the morning exercises. In doing just one loop around Hồ Hoàn Kiếm, or Lake of the Returned Sword, I saw such a variety of stretches and workouts that I never could have imagined. There were little old ladies sitting and chatting together while doing the occasional stretch or arm slap, young and old men jogging laps around the lake, and many people doing bizarre solo workouts.
(Map of Hồ Hoàn Kiếm in Hanoi Below)
Chart 1 : Group Exercises
Name : Description |
Male/Female |
# of Participants |
Tai Chi : Slow dramatic music, moving and turning together, the leader wasn’t easily distinguishable. |
Women, middle age |
1 dozen |
Exercise Machines: small section by the water comprised of exercise machines that are brought each morning by the participants. |
Men, middle age |
6-8 men |
Light Cardio : Exercise to get blood flowing, someone is counting off for the rest to follow (“mot, hai, ba, mot, hai, ba…) |
Mostly women; one man participating, but he was facing the other direction thus removing himself from the group |
Around 1 dozen |
Tai Chi : listening to traditional music, all following a distinct leader |
Mostly women, middle age, about six were Western. Again, one man facing the other way. |
15 |
Gossip Corner: a takeover of a cluster of benches by the water of sitting, chatting, and some collective stretches/massaging. |
Women and men, but gender separated (two different clusters), elderly. |
10 |
Fan Dancing: A tai chi like dance with red fans. |
Women (but I have seen this with men in Saigon) |
10 |
Tai Chi: Another with traditional music, but this one incorporating distinct writs twists and frequent belly rubs. |
Women, middle age |
8 |
The Jolly Stretchers: stretch-dancing to poppy music. Most are not in exercise clothes, but all are smiling. |
Women, 20’s to middle age |
7 |
Serious Shoulder Stretch: Intense arm circles and round about stretching. The men and one woman do it faster. |
Women and Men 20’s-30’s |
5 |
The Mother-load: Across the street from the lake is a large cement plaza with three large work-out groups and one ballroom dancing group. All with different music. |
Women and Men of all ages. The leader of an exercise group comprised mainly of women was one enthusiastic university-aged man. |
100-150 total |
Ballroom Dancing: One (smaller) group with music and one larger group with Salsa tunes. Some have dance shoes. Some dance alone. |
Men and Women, middle age to elderly |
30 |
Badminton: Several different groups playing both on and off courts. |
Men and Women |
Around a dozen |
Stretching with Props!: Stretching done with a thick elastic band with a rubber ball attached to one end and a handle on the other. |
Women, 30’s. |
8-10 |
Chart 2 : Solo Exercises
Name : Description |
Male/Female |
# of Sightings |
The Greet the day, lift a leg: Arms spread wide, chest out, then arms brought forward together as the knee is raised. |
Male |
1 |
The Arm fling I’m prepared to fight: In athletic stance, elbows bent into chest, then one arm shoots out and then quickly back into chest. |
Male |
1 |
The Hip and Knee Circular Shake: knees slightly bent, palms on knees or hips and mild to intense circular motions. |
Male and Female |
6 |
The Arms back, forward, kick, back, forward, kick: Self explanatory. |
Male |
1 |
The Back and Forth: Arms outstretched forward and then swung to the back. |
Male and Female |
5 |
The Hold one nostril closed, breath through the other one, and rock. : Is this even an exercise? |
Male |
1 |
The Grandma Shuffle: not jogging, not walking, but an obvious effort to rotate the hips and the shoulders as much as possible. |
Female |
2 |
The Butterfly Hand Flicker: Arms up and outstretched while the hands flutter up and down. |
Man |
1 |
The Belly Rub N Slap: Usually done sitting on a bench |
Male and Female |
3 |
Sit-Ups: But done on a bench with additional loud exhales. |
Male |
2 |
Fist-Hits: Sitting up on a bench and gently punching one’s thighs |
Female |
3 |
The Arm out Wrist Twirl: Similar to the Butterfly Hand Flicker, but the wrist are less flicky. |
Female |
1 |
Rigid Meditation: Perched cross-legged on a low wall, back strait, hands in lap forming the correct Buddhist meditation posture. |
Male, mid 20’s. |
1 |
The Leg out Ankle Flick: Done while sitting on a bench. |
Male |
1 |
The I didn’t know they had Hula-hoops in Vietnam |
Female |
1 |
The Flow: Constant stream of people moving counter-clockwise at different paces (walking, jogging). |
Male, Female, all ages, all types of clothing |
Infinite? |
What struck me as the most impressive was the freedom people had to do whatever kind of morning exercise they wanted. I had the impression that if I tried to do the Butterfly-hand-flicker in a public park in Portland, I would either be admired as “being a truly independent spirit” or someone who has lost a few marbles, and most likely the latter. I found myself smiling that in this country where social opinion and judgment are some of the main drives for any individual’s actions that no one was embarrassed to express themselves during this morning ritual. In Drummond’s article “Street Scenes”, she discusses how public spaces are meant for an orderly form of social interaction and integration which over the years has turned into harder to control areas of “personal expression”. Thus the morning exercises. In my opinion, this routine is a healthy addition to the everyday flow of society; it provides an opportunity for people to connect with others as well as with themselves. To enter the zoo in Ho Chi Minh City during the day, one must pay a small entrance fee. But before 7am, zoo property is fair game to all of the public to exercise, see the animals, play badminton with friends at no charge. Before 7am, the zoo is a free space. In another article by Drummond about teen youth need and uses for public spaces in Hanoi, she expresses the concern that public space for teenagers to go out with friends has been rapidly decreasing which is especially devastating since young adults usually live with their families in a space that can be quite small. To have a public space for these teenagers to escape to would help improve relationships with family and help them become more independent as they become adults. Public space is a symbol of democracy and one of the keys to a healthy society.