One of my striking impressions of Vietnam is how colorful everything is. This is no coincidence, nor is it just a fact about tropical nature. It extends to human artifacts of all kinds. This seems to reflect a deep national and cultural attraction to beauty.

There are many other counties where this is far less true. Places where, despite sometimes stunning natural beauty, people seem otherwise content with relatively bland surroundings. Having visited and lived in some of those places, I never understood why. Perhaps that’s why I’m feeling so at home here.

The photos below are mostly from a drive through Hanoi on Day Three — our destination being Zabine’s workshop on meaningful conversation. Although Hanoi’s streets almost always bustle with traffic, I’ve deliberately edited out most of the traffic to showcase the color and artistry of Vietnamese architecture.

Not everything in these photos is typical. The murals along highway walls, for example, are found primarily in and around the governmental sector. But the same principle holds in inner-city business districts, outlying villages, and everything in between: The Vietnamese people love color. You see it in their clothing, decorations, signs, architecture, cuisine, everywhere.

Please note in particular the last photo, which is not colorful but is important nonetheless. It’s the famous Ho Chi Minh Memorial, one of the most important must-see sights when visiting Vietnam.