Northern village preserves rich architectural heritage

Located by the Nhue River, 15km west of Hanoi, the ancient village of Cu Da is famous for its soya sauce and glass noodles. The suburban village has been attracting an increasing number of tourists in recent years, not only for its local specialities, but its traditional houses which reflect both the architectural and cultural values of the northern rural region.

Home to more than 100 wooden houses, the village is a popular tourist attraction for people in search of a glimpse of the past. Most of the tiled houses, which are hundreds of years old, were built from go xoan (bead tree or Chinaberry tree). The houses form a complex in the typical traditional architectural style of the Hong (Red) River Delta region.

A main house includes an ancestral altar, a set of wooden couches and a tea table. In the wings of the house are bedrooms for the owner and his eldest son. The other space is used for the women's living quarters.

The outbuildings are smaller than the main house and used as kitchens and dining rooms, and for storage. The traditional house of Trinh The Sung in Dong Nhan Cat Hamlet is considered the most beautiful and untouched of its kind. Built in 1864, the house consists of 35 wooden pillars, decorated in intricate carvings. With a similar architectural style, the 360m² house of Dinh Van Du in the same hamlet welcomes many visitors. According to the owner, six generations of his family have lived in the 200-year-old house.

The typical architecture of the northern rural area can also be found in the archways leading into the village's 12 hamlets.

The simple beauty of Cu Da together with its traditional houses have been used as the setting for a number of Vietnamese movies and TV series, including the famous Bao Gio Cho Den Thang Muoi (When the Tenth Month Comes), and the recent Leu Chong (Going to Royal Exam).

The village is not only home to traditional houses, but also modern colonial French villas, more than 20 of which can be found across the village.

Among the French villas, the estate of Trinh Thi Hong in Ba Gang Hamlet is considered the most beautiful. The two-storey house still retains almost all of its original features, including flowery motifs, a wrought iron balcony, tiled floors and a wooden staircase that combine to make an intriguing mix of French and Vietnamese styles.

(Source: VNS)

Giong Festival at Phu Dong Temple

The Giong Festival of Phu Dong and Soc temples which has officially been recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the UNESCO since November 2010, is held annually from the seventh to the ninth days of the fourth lunar month in order to commemorate the mythical hero Saint Giong at Phu Dong temple in Gia Lam District (his birth place) and from the sixth to the eighth days of the first lunar month at Soc Temple in Soc Son District (his ascending place to heaven).

This year, the Giong Festival at Phu Dong Temple was held solemnly with a large-scale from 9 to 11 May 2011 in Phu Dong Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi with many traditional rituals and special symbolic performances. Besides the water procession and the ritual dedicated to the Saint at the temple, the flag processions and re-enactments of the Saint’s feats against foreign invaders were the highlight of the festival.

The focal and the most exciting time of the Giong Festival that many people expected was the battle re-enactment taking place at 12.30p.m on 11 May 2011 with the participation of more than 1300 people. The battle was elaborately arranged with the roles of Masters (Ong Hieu) such as the Flag Master, the Drum Master, the Gong Master, the Army Master, and the Children Master – the generals of Saint Giong being played by young men and 28 girls played the enemy generals.

During the festival, there are other traditional games such as Chinese chess, human chess, cock fighting... and art performances of villagers as traditional opera (cheo), love duet (quan ho).

The Giong Festival with special national cultural characteristics and high community features is attracting a large number of domestic and international visitors come to visit and study. 
(source: vietnamtourism.com)

Fireworks approved for opening National Tourism Year 2011

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has agreed to allow the People’s Committee of Phu Yen Province to organize a fireworks display during the celebration of the 400th founding anniversary of Phu Yen and the opening ceremony of National Tourism Year 2011 in the evening of April 1.

According to the organizing board, an art program to welcome the two events will have the participation of more than 400 artists, including more than 100 professional ones. The stage for the opening ceremony will have capacity of more than 7,000 seats, located at the square of Tuy Hoa City.

As expected, more than 40 ambassadors will attend the opening ceremony of National Tourism year 2011.

(Source: CPV)

Queen Mary brings tourists to Nha Trang

The world’s largest cruise liner, Queen Mary 2, with over 2,430 tourists aboard, visited Nha Trang Bay in the central province of Khanh Hoa on March 21.

The tourists, mostly from the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Canada, visited scenic and relic sites as well as enjoying special dishes and shopping in the locality.

On the afternoon of the same day, the cruise liner left Nha Trang Bay and sailed to Thailand.

Statistics from Khanh Hoa tourism sector show that in the first three months of this year, Nha Trang Bay welcomed 13,000 arrivals on 12 international cruise liners.

(Source: VNA)

Soc Trang's Clay Pagoda recognised as a cultural relic

A pagoda known for its clay Buddha statues has been recognized as a historical and cultural relic of the Mekong Delta Province of Soc Trang.

The pagoda's original name was Buu Son Tu, but pilgrims usually call it Chua Dat Set (Clay Pagoda). Built by the Ngo family more than 200 years ago, the pagoda is now run by members of the family's fourth generation.

Visitors to the Clay Pagoda can see 1,800 small and large Buddha statues and a great number of prayer objects made of clay. The pagoda is also well-known for having four pairs of giant candles that weigh 200kg each. They are 2.6m high, with a diameter of one meter.

The candles were made in 1940. Two of the candles have burned continuously since the death of head priest of the pagoda, Ngo Kim Tong, in 1970, and have burned off only half the wax.

(source: VNS)

Vietnam tourism promoted in Dubai

A conference to promote Vietnamese tourism was jointly held by the Vietnamese Embassy in UAE, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the Vietnam Airlines and the Sharaf Travel in Dubai on February 23.

Speaking at the conference, the Vietnamese Ambassador, Nguyen Quang Khai, reviewed the industry’s achievements over the past years.

Despite the global financial crisis, the number of tourists coming to Vietnam reached 5.1 million in 2010, an increase of 20% over 2009, bringing US$ 4.5 billion of revenue to the country.

The ambassador encouraged UAE travel agencies to operate tours in Vietnam and pledged that the embassy will cooperate with Vietnamese travel companies to offer preferential conditions for UAE tourists.

Participants at the conference praised the country’s fast development in the industry and expressed their wishes to strengthen their cooperation with Vietnam.

(Source: VOV)

Hanoi discovery

Each foreign tourist arrives in Hanoi and when they return to their home, they all have an individual impression. Hanoi is ancient and peaceful; Hanoi bustles and is full of vitality; Hanoi has precise and unique gastronomy; Hanoi is brilliant with colors; and Hanoi is passionate and charming.

Common impressions for tourist to easily recognize are the friendly, enthusiastic and hospitable people of Hanoi. Living in California, US, Dr Gish chooses Hanoi capital as the tourism destination for his family. He said that his family had visited many famous landscapes, enjoyed traditional delicious dishes in Hanoi and contacted many people. However, the most memorable impression for his family was the vibrant vitality of Hanoi’s traditional culture.

“Hanoi leaves good impressions for me because the city has preserved its cultural heritages, for example, Tortoise Tower in Sword Lake, daily life and business activities of inhabitants in the Old Quarter. I think that Hanoi is trying to preserve its essential cultural values of previous years and be determined to develop a modern city at the same time,” Dr Gish said.

Sharing these thoughts with Dr Gish, Mr. George Saxton also loves to visit historical sites in Hanoi. For him, these are memorable places during his visit. “I’m sure to remember Sword Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, the Temple of Literature, the house on stilts where Uncle Ho lived and the whole area. I like the way the house on stilts is preserved, that is what I remember about Hanoi.”

For Ms Marcia of Maryland, US, dishes like pho (noodle soup), cha ca (fried fish), rice vermicelli and meat rolls or coffee in Hanoi are all wonderful but her most memorable impression about Hanoi is completely different. It is the people and cultural character of Hanoi. Hanoi’s culture is charming and plentiful. One of the most beautiful images among Asian countries she has ever seen is the image of Vietnamese women in long-dresses and “any time I close my eyes I see that image”. “I also like the image of farmers growing rice in the fields,” she happily said. That is what she remembers about Hanoi.

That is also the comments of Ms Johnson from Idaho, US. She said that it is hard to use any word to fully describe the people in Hanoi. Therefore, she has to come back Hanoi many times. “Hanoi people are very wonderful and enthusiastic and eager to help strangers. The first time we came to Hanoi was in 1995 we were a little worried of not being welcomed, but unexpectedly every one treated us very kindly. We were helped any time we needed assistance. We had close friends and they treated us very well when we were there. We can not talk all about the wonderful people in Vietnam,” Ms Johnson said.

Living in Hanoi for many years, James Rhodes and his wife from Alabama, US, were eager to return Hanoi in the autumn to welcome the capital’s 1,000th birthday. Hanoi attracts him and his wife with special things.

“The thing we like most in Hanoi is the Viet Nam National Symphony Orchestra. This is a wonderful orchestra. I must say that we have listened to symphonies all over the world but the Viet Nam National Symphony Orchestra is excellent. Additionally, in Hanoi, the folk music is also good. This year, we come back to celebrate the 1,000 years of Thang Long – Hanoi and we don’t intend to leave this city. We choose to live in Hanoi because this is a cheap city and people there are friendly. My wife and I decided to choose Hanoi as our home.

Mr. Steve Ball living in Maine, US said that for him, Hanoi is an ancient city. Hanoi truthfully reflects the culture of Viet Nam, this is a beautiful city for tourists to visit, go for a walk and are welcomed. Mr. Steve always encourages his friends to come to Hanoi.

“I want to send sincere congratulations to all people of Hanoi capital on the occasion of the Hanoi’s 1,000th birthday. I desire that Hanoi continues to develop prosperously. I myself also expect to arrive in Hanoi to share this happiness with the people in the capital about this event. I wish the best things for Hanoi people. Good bye and see you in Vietnam,” he said on the occasion of Hanoi’s 1,000th birthday.

Hanoi Travel Guide
(source: vietnamtourism.com)