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)

Tet holiday in Vietnam

Tết Nguyên Đán, more commonly known by its shortened name Tết or "Vietnamese Lunar New Year", is the most important and popular holiday and festival in Vietnam. It is the Vietnamese New Year marking the arrival of spring based on the Lunar calendar, a lunisolar calendar. The name Tết Nguyên Đán is Sino-Vietnamese for Feast of the First Morning, derived from the Hán nôm characters 節元旦.

Tết is celebrated on the same day as Chinese New Year, though exceptions arise due to the one-hour time difference between Hanoi and Beijing resulting in the alternate calculation of the new moon. It takes place from the first day of the first month of the Lunar calendar (around late January or early February) until at least the third day. Many Vietnamese prepare for Tết by cooking special holiday foods and cleaning the house. There are a lot of customs practiced during Tết, such as visiting a person's house on the first day of the new year (xông nhà), ancestral worshiping, wishing New Year's greetings, giving lucky money to children and elderly people, and opening a shop.

Tết is also an occasion for pilgrims and family reunions. During Tết, Vietnamese visit their relatives and temples, forgetting about the troubles of the past year and hoping for a better upcoming year. They consider Tết to be the first day of spring and the festival is often called Hội xuân (spring festival).
Tet - Lunar New Year in Viet Nam - is the most important festival tradition, observed by all Vietnamese, even those abroad. Every family in Viet Nam, whether they have money or not still tries to buy traditional goods such as flowers, sweets and square rice cakes for this special occasion.

A few bloggers around the country are posting their perceptions on the lead up to the Year of the Dog. Royby, a blogger from Ho Chi Minh city mentions that Tet should bring good luck and prosperity for the following year if…your house is overflowing with food, drink

In my blog, I write that the western New Year festival is not the most important for the Vietnamese; the lunar New Year is the one that every Vietnamese celebrates. The preparation for Tet is chaotic, with shopping being the number one priority. Some Hanoians travel as far as Lang Son, on the Vietnam-China border for supplies where goods are dirt cheap and , of course, made in China. Virtual-Doug, an American blogger currently living in Hue, watches as walls are painted and houses are cleaned in preparation for Tet. There is always a race on for builders to finish all construction work before the end of the year to ensure good luck for the occupants.

For a Vietnamese like me, currently living away from home, seeing everyone preparing their houses, shopping for their children and themselves makes me happy with anticipation. The Vietnamese government has banned the use of fire crackers, which is sensible as the injury and death associated with them no longer occurs. However, the local authorities in the big cities do organize official fireworks displays which are attended by thousands of families who want to see in the New Year with a bang!

Motorcycle travel in Vietnam

A motorcycle represents freedom: the freedom of the open road, the freedom of speed, the freedom to go. Bikers are cowboys reinvented. They aren't content to go the way of the package tourist. They see things for themselves and they form their own judgments. It's an attitude as much as a mode of travel.
Few people stop to consider the advantages of motorcycle travel in foreign countries. In most places you can rent a scooter without a motorcycle license. They're easy to operate, fast and efficient, and more than enough for the roads you'll find. In Vietnam you can also rent a Russian Minsk, the 125cc workhorse of the former Communist world. It's a noisy, gas-guzzling beast of a machine that farts clouds of blue oil smoke thick enough to befuddle any pursuer: something to keep in mind if you tend to hang out in a lot of military dictatorships. In a land of scooters, it's also generally the biggest bike on the road.

Midsummer Hanoi smothers beneath a throbbing heat haze. Beads of moisture condense and trickle down a glass of syrupy iced coffee just as the sweat rolls down your back. The narrow streets of the old town are choked with scooters and bikes, and baggy-trousered old ladies in conical hats balancing a pole dangling two pots over a shoulder. The noise - shouts and honks and roaring exhaust - creates an aural blanket that hems you in like the heat. It's oppressive. It's stifling. And it made me long for wide open spaces.

Motorbiking in Hanoi isn't for the faint of heart. The streets are a solid mass of humanity whose movements are seemingly linked like those of a school of fish. It's a chaos of moving metal with no apparent rules, save for some bizarre form of telepathy. I learned how to navigate it the first time I tried to cross the road. I waited timidly for nearly ten minutes, hoping for a break in the flow, until I finally ran out of patience and just stepped out into it and began to walk. The trick is to stare straight ahead and keep a steady pace. The traffic will flow around you like a stream around a rock. If you slow down, however, or try to dodge it in a panic, they'll get confused - and you'll get flattened.

The same thing happens when you decide to hop on your own heap of mechanized mayhem and join that flow. I'd only ever driven a motorbike a handful of times, and of course I didn't have a license for one. But hey, how hard could it be? I found a reputable bike shop, slipped the proprietor some cash, and I was off with a roar and no questions asked.

I have to admit it was a little unnerving at first. Every time I stopped at an intersection, I was handlebar-to-handlebar with someone else, totally surrounded on all sides by revving engines two inches away. To even shift in my seat meant brushing up against someone. And then the light would change, and we'd be racing like mad in one vast polluting pack.

Navigation brought its own unique set of challenges. A left turn down a side street meant gradually edging head-on into the onrushing stream. Unbelievably, the traffic always parted Red Sea-magically and made way before me. Within half an hour I was racing through the city streets like Luke Skywalker on an Imperial Speeder Bike.

It takes a while to get beyond the urban sprawl, but once out of the city you can open the throttle and feel the breeze in your helmet-less hair. This rural Vietnam is a world away from the scams of Hanoi capital. Pale green rice paddies wilt limp in the heat, backed by steaming jungle hills and jagged karst. You have no place to go, no agenda, and nothing but time. The people you'll meet on route are just as un-rushed. A roadside group of uniformed schoolchildren stop to point at you, jaws agape. When you pause at a roadside stall for "pho" (rice noodle soup) or iced coffee, you'll be greeted by shy surprise, followed by curiosity and giggles. You'll even be waved off with a laugh and a joke when your friend tries to photograph a military helicopter base. That would never happen in the city!

Minsk - an old Russian motorbike. It really does set you free. You can daytrip lightly and reach untouched places just outside even the largest "tourist" destination, or you can strap on the saddlebags and wander the map wherever the Road Gods take you.

Do not miss your chance to see real Vietnam on motorbike!

Discovering Vietnam by train

Vietnam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia. It offers so much to do in so little time. Besides being steeped in rich history and culture, Vietnam is also beautiful and relaxing all over the country. Of course, there is a decision to be made about how to get from land to land in this gorgeous area. The best suggestion would be to travel Vietnam by train. There is no other way to see so much and relax in amazing comfort at the same time.
To travel in Vietnam by train you will need to obtain train tickets for each route. This is a bit difficult in the least and is far more cost effective than air travel. The best way to get train tickets is to go through a travel agent or book tickets online at www.vietnamrailways.net. You will need to find out how many destinations that you intend to visit while you travel in Vietnam. The travel agent will be able to work out a great package deal for you that will get all you want to see into the amount of days that you have available. There are also several preset travel Vietnam by train deals that give you only the best of what the land has to offer. Check with your travel agent to determine what the best package is for you and the pricing that is available.
When you travel up and down the country, there are many destinations that you will surely want to visit to make the vacation unforgettable to say the least. Sapa is one such destination. To travel Vietnam by train and not stop in Sapa is a big mistake. Besides being one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in Vietnam, it has a rich nightlife and pictures for everyone. Stop in for some of the best cuisine that the reagion has to offer.
Hue is another must see destination when you travel in Vietnam by train. Hue is well-known for its charming and peaceful city in the central of Vietnam. This is no surprise considering the overall appeal of the city and its historical richness. Be sure to visit one of the wonderful cafés that line most of the central streets.
Finally you will want to stop in at Saigon - the largest city in Vietnam. Saigon provides something for everyone. The night is always alive in Saigon with nightclubs and jazz centers as well as great theater and film houses. Do not leave until you have visited some of the fine restaurants in the area as well. You will not regret it for sure.
Next time you take a vacation be sure to check into a package that will allow you to travel Vietnam by train. Not only will you travel to some of the finest locations across the continent, you will do so in high style and comfort, not having to worry about long lines to get through an airport terminal.
Happy Travels!

Literature Temple In Hanoi

The Temple of Literature is one of the most popular landmarks of Ha Noi (Pho Quốc Tử Giám, Tel 845 2917, admission 5000 Dong). The term “temple” may mislead a lot of people into believing the complex is a religious site.
Văn Miếu, in fact, is a Confucian memorial place dedicated to the centuries of education and literature in Vietnam. Founded in 1070 by King Ly Thánh Tông, the temple was built to pay tribute to the Chinese philosopher Khong Tu (Confucius), his scholars and people with high academic achievement. In 1076, the Quốc Tử Giám (or Imperial Academy) was founded. As Vietnam’s first university, it was initially opened to educate the aristocrats, nobles and royal family members. In the later years, the school was opened to talented commoners. In old Vietnam society, Si (literary bureaucrats and scholars) were given the highest regard. Below them in the social ranking are the Nong (farmers), Cong (craftsmen and workers) and Thuong (merchants). Functioned within 1076 to 1779, Văn Miếu was the only place where mandarin class was taught. Through its history, over two thousand doctors have graduated from the university. Known as "pagode des Corbeaux" during the French colonization, the whole of Văn Miếu encompasses a profound traditional meaning of both a Confucian temple and the first imperial university of Vietnam.

The long narrow complex consists of five courtyards lined out in order and divided by walls. The first area is the entrance where the main gate (Văn Miếu Môn) with two stone dragons stands. On it, the inscription “Ha Ma” reminds visitors of former times, regardless of their social ranking, to dismount their horses before entering Văn Miếu. As the entrance leads to three pathways running the length of the complex, the center path heads straight through another gate to the second courtyard indicated by two small gates on both sides. Here, its main course leads to Khuê Văn Các (Pavilion of Literature) and two other small gates on its side. These first two courtyards are basically quiet and serene exuding a peaceful haven with its well-trimmed lawns and grown trees providing suitable shade to the garden’s entirety.

The third courtyard separates the Khue Van area from the Gate of Great Synthesis (Đại Thành Môn). A square lake, the Well of Heaven’s Clarity (Thien Quang Tinh), sits at the center of the courtyard and is surrounded by walls. On both sides of the lake are pavilions with stelae, each sits upon stone tortoises and holding inscriptions of names, birth places and achievements of doctorate recipients from periods 1442 to 1780, where the Vietnam capital was moved to Hue. There are 82 stelae presently standing in Văn Miếu, where some 34 others are believed to have been lost over the years.

The entrance of the fourth courtyard from the latter directly faces a pavilion, named the Great House of Ceremonies, where a large red lacquered statue of Confucius stands. Bordered on either sides are two great pavilions which used to host alters of 72 of Confucius’ greatest students. Now, the buildings house several gift shops, souvenir item displays and a museum. In the fifth courtyard (Thai Hoc) stands the Quốc Tử Giám, Vietnam’s first university founded in 1076 King Ly Can Duc, but this was destroyed by French bombing in 1947.

Having gone through several destructions and restorations, the Temple of Literature still retains its original features. Signifying a hallmark of education in ancient Vietnam and its great value to the Vietnamese people, the longevity of the temple and its structure is astounding. A place worth-exploring, Văn Miếu is not just among the finest historical and cultural sites in Hanoi, but in the whole Vietnam as well.

(Source: vietnam.com)