Buzz
After years of neglect, the Mirror House in Thống Nhất Park has undergone a stunning transformation, ready to welcome a new generation of visitors.
Thống Nhất Park's Mirror House - A Nostalgic Playground for Hanoi's 70s and 80s Kids Gets a Fresh Look
The childhood of many 70s and 80s kids didn't have as many places to play as today. Back then, the fanciest playground in the capital was Lê Nin Park (now Thống Nhất Park). It was like a fairy tale world with all sorts of attractions: swings, slides, seesaws, electric trains, and most notably, the Mirror House.
The Mirror House was like a wonderland for any little girl or boy. Entering it felt like a reward because of its strangeness. Stepping inside, there was a mix of excitement and fear as everywhere you looked, you saw yourself. Not to mention the room filled with oddly shaped mirrors, each one offering a different surprise: some stretched tall, others squished short, some plump.
Yet over time, with new playgrounds emerging, the once legendary Mirror House became less of a dream destination and fell into disrepair with mossy walls and foggy mirrors. But thankfully, recently, under the permission of Hanoi City, three artists - Nguyễn Thu Thủy, Nguyễn Hoàng Tùng, and Bùi Viết Đoàn - along with Tân Hà Nội Art Company have transformed the idea of renovating the Mirror House into an artistic ceramic installation.
And thanks to that, the old moldy Mirror House has been revitalized with an ocean-themed makeover. The building has a perimeter of 60m, an average height of 6m, with the highest point at 7.2m and the lowest at 4.8m. Surrounding the Mirror House are artworks made from hundreds of thousands of ceramic pieces, depicting the 'breath' of the sea. Here, you'll encounter everything from waves of the Spratly Islands to marine creatures like shrimp, fish, jellyfish, sea cucumbers, coral, clams, oysters, starfish... all beautifully and vividly decorated from the exterior walls to the floor and interior.
Inside the mirrored maze, even the 8 uniquely shaped mirrors, originally a specialty of the old Mirror House, have been replaced, promising a new, fascinating, and exotic play space. Currently, according to the park guards, there's no specific reopening schedule for the Mirror House. Nevertheless, its uniqueness and vibrant colors have already attracted many young people for photo shoots and OOTD captures. It's certain that when it officially reopens, the Mirror House will once again become a favorite playground for many.
As reported by Afamily
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Reference: Travel guide by Mytour
MytourDecember 13, 2017
