Vietnam Travel Blog

I usually think about how people draft their trips and vacations. Things like choosing a destination, selecting airlines and planning entertaining activities. Most times, I am kind of a random traveler. Living in Taiwan for such a long time, my travel pattern is that if the airfare looks right and the place sounds fun, I wouldn’t mind pay it a visit. Reading about Vietnam, I would choose Vietnam as a destination because it means a mysterious cultural discovery.

Although Vietnam is a quite well known country because of its media coverage in films, news and television programs, Vietnam did not open its gate to the rest of the world until the end of the Vietnam War. The media exposure did not ensure an accurate report of Vietnam, and not many travelers’ found the way to share their indescribable experiences.

For a long time, Vietnam was occupied by various countries: Chinese Empire, France and Japan. During the Cold War, the North was controlled by China, and the South was supported by United States. Since the Vietnam War ended in 1975, Vietnam has been shaping its new identity. Under the influences of many other cultures, Vietnam blended them into their ancient traditions and made their own personality. Today Vietnam is welcoming visitors to show off its unique traits and share its national treasures.

National parks in Vietnam are one of the country’s most valuable resources. From north to south, there are 87 national parks scattering around. They are nature reserves, historical sites and natural areas. The common issues among the national parks are the illegal hunters and traders. They endanger the nature cycles of Vietnam. The Vietnamese government and international organizations are doing the best they can to stop these harmful actions and to educate the public the importance of preserving the lands.

Cat Ba National Park
Cat Ba Island is the largest island in the Cat Ba Archipelago in Ha Long Bay. About 16 kilometers away from Cat Ba Town, there is the Cat Ba National Park. The park’s headquarter is located in Trung Trang. One-third of the park is the marine zone, and the rest is the forest. Although there are many wild animals such as wild boars, macaques, deer, white-headed langurs, bird species and reptile species and over 600 plants in the park, they are not well protected. Some local people hunt them or make traps to capture them for their high prices in the market.

Cat Bat is a great place for hiking and outdoor activities. However, if you are not an experienced hiker, trails at Cat Ba might be quite a challenge for you. In this situation, a sophisticated tour guide is highly recommended for the purpose of safety. Exploring Cat Ba, you will see one of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam and the copious ecosystem. Oriental pied hornbill, a very rare species in Northern Vietnam, can be seen in the park. Other attractions include limestone formations, numerous waterfalls, caves and grottoes. Human history dates 6,000 to 7,000 years back, and the entire Ha Long Bay region was listed as the World Heritage Site by United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its biological significance.

Cuc Phuong National Park
Cuc Phuong National Park was founded in 1962 in Hanoi. It is the first national park of Vietnam. The park is about 100 kilometers southwest of the capital. 90 percent of the park is covered by forests, and about 2,000 plant species grow in the park. More than 60 mammal species are in the park and the special residents inc the park are the Red-Bellied Squirrels. The highest mountain is 648 meters above the sea level.

Cuc Phuong is where the Endangered Primates Rescue Centre is located; the Center rescues the animals from illegal trading. Cuc Phuong National Park is also a main attraction for botanists. Researched done by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Flora and Fauna International (FFI) distinguished the complexity of the tropical forest and the monsoon influence on Southeast Asia in Cuc Phuong National Park.

At the park’s surroundings you will see limestone cliffs, plenty of plants and mammals. The summit May Bac (silver cloud) is 656 meters in elevation. The limestone caves in the park are eminent attractions and include Thang Khuyet Cave, Con Moong Cave, Pho Ma Cave, and Nguoi Xua Cave. Quen Voi Cave presents diverse aspects of the limestone after its long-term weathering process. The best time to visit the park is during the dry season from April to November.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park situated at the north of Truong Son range in Quang Binh, is one of the world’s two largest limestone regions. It is called “the paradise of researchers and explorers of grottoes and caves.” Over 95 percent of the park is limestone formations, grottoes and caves and forest. Vietnamese and British scientists have surveyed the 20 limestone formations in the park.

The karst formation of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has evolved since 400 million years ago, and it is also the oldest major karst area in Asia. The formations of underground rivers and caves also extend to the border of Laos. The rock formations, underground rivers, large caves, passageways and sand bank all possess world-class beauty. The many marvelous rocks in the park own charismatic names such as Lion, Fairy Caves and Royal Court. Phong Nha-Ke Bang is also an archeological and historical location. The government officials recognize its value and plan to make it a major tourist destination of the nation in the near future.

Accommodations can be arranged at the parks, please contact the tourist center to obtain more information. Read more about the national parks in Vietnam; go to the official Web site: Vietnam Tourism.

(Source: BootsnAll)

A CNNGo editor gets intentionally lost with his camera walking in the Old Quarter of Vietnam’s Hanoi.

Vietnam. Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Hectic, noisy, chaotic, adjective, adjective. Describing Hanoi’s oldest district is somewhat of a waste of breath. No need to ramble on about where exactly to go in the Old Quarter either, as the weaving and winding streets are best explored by aimless wandering. No destination. No pre-planned route. Just left, right, or straight ahead.

There is no road “less travelled” in this part of town. They’re all loaded with scooters, cars, bikes and people so the main bit of advice we’d give is to watch your step but be assertive when crossing the road. Don’t second guess your moves, look both ways, and enjoy the fact that yes, you are standing in the middle of the road with dozens of scooters whizzing by on both sides.

Hanoi is hot in the summer time. We’re talking 30 to 35 degrees Celsius at a very, very high humidity, so for a walking tour take lots of water and expect to sweat. The sweating is worth it, as the view of street life you get by covering the district on foot is fantastic. The neighborhood has over 1,000 years of history coursing through its meandering street veins, pumping with life representing both the past and present.

For those able to stand the heat, one full day exploring should do it. For those with less heat tolerance, taking two days at around four hours each day is recommended. Or simply visit during the cooler Fall or Spring months.

Electrical wires string along many streets in hap-hazard fashion. Much of the infrastructure looks like it is being held together by duct tape.

Old buildings line Hang Dao road, just north of Hoan Kiem Lake.

Rush hour in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is an experience. You must be on your toes at all times as the streets fill with scooters, bikes, cars, and people. The rules of the road are “pay attention and whoever flinches first loses the right of way.”

The sidewalks can be just as chaotic as the middle of the street. Locals stake out their spots with small plastic stools and the wares of whatever trade they’re plying. The ever-present scooters are parked at all angles. Small dogs skitter about. People bargain and negotiate for goods and food, and fans sprout from everywhere.

A family sits and chats in the hot Hanoi summer heat in front of their tombstone business.

The Hoan Kiem lake park is a green, shady spot locals like to use to escape Hanoi’s seemingly ever-present frenetic energy. The northern tip of the small lake borders the Old Quarter on Dinh Tien Hoang road.

One of the Old Quarter’s street markets.

A woman relaxes in the market. Expending as little energy as possible is a common strategy for fighting the heat.

Vendors in the market are mainly women.

A woman barbecues on the sidewalk in 32 degree Celsius heat. Hanoi has a rich street food culture, worthy of a book let alone another article.

Crabs and sea snails ready to be bought.

Locals eating a quick noodle meal.

Various animals roam freely in some parts of the Old Quarter. This scrawny little chicken looked too sad for even a bowl of soup.

An old stuffed deer sneering in a rictus death grimace from a shop window. A sight only seen by walking the streets for hours. Similar random sightings can be expected when least expected.

The Old Quarter has many streets dedicated to specific trades. This was the toy street. Others to be found included streets dedicated to shoes, clothing, tombstones, antiques, and scooter repairs.

These tourists opted for a more comfortable whirl around the Old Quarter. Though it is good to be wary as these rides are often overpriced.

(Source: Dtinews)

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee on August 1 agreed to recognize Vietnam’s Royal Citadel as a World Heritage.

The Citadel in Hanoi was recognised because of its three outstanding characteristics: the length of its cultural history, the continuity of the citadel as a power centre, and the variety of relics it contains.

Relics found in the centre of the citadel show that it was influenced by many different cultures, theories, and systems of thought.

The centre of the citadel embodies the enduring cultural tradition of the people of Vietnam’s Red River Delta, a tradition which has existed for 13 centuries

Restoration of the Royal Citadel began in 2006 when it was officially recognized as a special national relic.

UNESCO’s recognition of the heritage is very significant for Vietnam, which is currently making grand preparations for its capital’s millennial anniversary.

(Source: VOV)

The dossier for Hat Xoan Phu Tho has been submitted to UNESCO for recognition as an intangible World Cultural Heritage in need of urgent protection as scheduled.

Associate Prof. Le Van Toan, Director of Vietnam National Music Academy told Hanoi Moi Newspaper on April 2 that after more than six months of building, the compilation group has been able to send in the dossier ahead of the deadline on March 31.

As planned, the UNESCO Secretariat will review the dossier, and UNESCO will conduct verifications in October.

Hat Xoan, a kind of folk song of northern Phu Tho Province, is believed to have been created more than 500 years ago. It is not only popular in 18 communes long the Lo River in Phu Tho Province, but it is also sung in midland and northern regions.

Hat Xoan has some similarities with the lullaby. Like Quan Ho, many of the songs are about love, but it is also a kind of folk music that praises a village genie.

There are many forms of Hat Xoan: duet, group singing accompanied by several kinds of dances.

Xoan Festivals are often held in spring in village temples. On the fifth day of the first lunar month, the artists often sing it at the Hung Temple Festival.

Source: VNA

The 2.018 meter-long project with total squares of 6.500m² is an art construction playing a great meaning to welcome 1000^th anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi and honor art heritages to patterns of history from the periods of Dong Son to dynasties of Ly, Tran, Le, Nguyen. The 2.018 meter-long project with total squares of 6.500m² is an art construction playing a great meaning to welcome 1000^th anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi and honor art heritages to patterns of history from the periods of Dong Son to dynasties of Ly, Tran, Le, Nguyen.
The road runs from Au Co Avenue through Nghi Tam, Yen Phu, Tran Nhat Duat, Tran Quang Khai and Tran Khanh Du roads. As planned, it comprises 21 sections of ceramic pictures with verities of interesting and colourful objects.
Taking part in this project, not only Vietnamese artists, Ceramic Road receives a very enthusiastic response of international artists. All with wishes to contribute a meaningful gift to bring beauty to the community as well to welcome 1000 year-old Hanoi Capital. Apart from the assistance of Michael Geertsen, a Denmark artist, and Dominique de Miscault from France, many other artists from many countries all over the world as UK, United State, Netherlands, Italia, Spain and Finland have registered to join. Ceramic Road is striving to set Guiness Record and become the longest Ceramic Picture in the world.

www.vietnam-visa.com

Sa Huynh is an area dotted with quaint fishing villages and sandy beaches in the central region’s Quang Ngai Province.Located off National Highway 1A, along milestones 983-987 on the coast of Duc Pho District and parallel to the national railway line, Sa Huynh abounds with golden sand.

The color of the sand changes during the day from an earthy brown early in the morning, to a shimmering gold around noon, followed by a pale blue hue on moonlit nights.

Sa Huynh is rich in local seafood and there are several restaurants offering up fresh meals from the sea.

The area is also steeped in ancient culture dating back to 1,000 BC. The Sa Huynh people are thought to be predecessors of the Cham, the founders of the Champa Kingdom.

Along with the Dong Son Culture in the north and the Oc Eo Culture in the Mekong Delta, Sa Huynh is considered one of the most famous ancient Vietnamese cultures of the Iron Age era.

Along the beach, stretching around 6km, and near the Sa Huynh Tourist Resort is an abundance of scenic highlights.

Visitors can rent motorbikes and travel around Ma Vuong Mound to see historic archeological sites.

In the culture of the ancient Sa Huynh people, the dead were cremated and buried in jars. In the early 20th century, French archeologists excavated these ‘tomb jars’ and found many were also buried with stone adornments and tools.

At Sa Huynh Hotel, about one kilometer south of the Sa Huynh Railway Station, visitors can enjoy the view of the vast blue sea, rest in the shade of green casuarinas, feel the cool breeze on their skin, swim in the sea by a sloping beach, and enjoy food specialties such as boiled crabs with salt and chili, rice porridge with sea urchins, and sour soup with groupers.

When visiting Sa Huynh, be sure to purchase a few kilos of nep ngu (a type of glutinous rice once offered to kings) and fermented urchin paste, which is only available in the summer.

The ancient village of Phuoc Tich in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has been recognised as a national cultural heritage by the Government.

Phuoc Tich, located 40km to the north of Hue, has 117 old houses, including 27 in traditional style that are of invaluable architectural and cultural value.

Importantly, it has clung to its traditional pottery craft through the centuries.

The first villages sprung up in central Viet Nam centuries ago. During the Le dynasty in the late 15th century, especially during the reign of King Le Thanh Tong, great southward migrations were organised to extend the nation’s territory southward in the face of Chinese aggression in the north.

Later, in the mid-16th century, the Nguyen Lords, seeking to build a new royal capital in the south, set off a further migration that saw more villages mushroom in the central region.

Most of the migrants were farmers, and their foremost interest upon arrival at a new place was growing crops.

But some villages chose handicrafts and other vocations to make a living. Phuoc Tich was one such.

The founders decided to build the village in Con Duong, a sanctuary for local Cham villagers who were also the owners of the land.

The site was probably picked because it was ideal for the vocation the founders had chosen: pottery.

It was near a river, thus assuring a supply of vital water and enabling easy transport of raw materials and finished products.

Royal approval

Phuoc Tich was a famous pottery village in its heyday, supplying the entire central region. It achieved great honour when the Nguyen Court in Hue had the village produce “om ngu”, or clay pots for cooking in the Forbidden City.

Their success enabled Phuoc Tich residents to afford the renowned Hue-style traditional wooden houses that are now regarded as a cultural heritage of the village – 27 of them in an area of just 1.4sq.km, each nestling in a spacious garden.

Looking at these garden-houses now, visitors can easily picture in their mind’s eye the golden age of the village with its hustle and bustle, splendour, and prosperity.

Like in Hoi An, the village’s old structures have been preserved by a chance of history: Pottery-making gradually lost its charm and young people began to go to other places, leaving behind the old and very young, in search of jobs.

Those who stayed back had no reason to make changes to their homes, and a large number of them have survived intact.

These days the village is again receiving a lot of attention, this time from researchers in and outside the country. Its large assemblage of old traditional houses and vestiges of Cham culture convince them of its great cultural heritage.

The Government and foreign organisations are considering plans to revive the pottery art of Phuoc Tich and, to an extent, restore the vitality of this typical handicraft.

The most ambitious project is one envisaged by Belgium’s Wallonie Heritage Institute and the Viet Nam Institute of Culture and Arts to revive the village through a tourism-based project. It is expected to help research the cultural heritage of the village, preserve the old traditional houses, and revive the traditional handicraft by organising tours to the place based on pottery, holding a “Heritage Day” festival in the village, setting up a website for it, and exhibiting Phuoc Tich products in Belgium.

The project could benefit the village greatly but suffers from some drawbacks.

No paddy fields

Because of its traditional dependence on pottery, the village is one of those rare Vietnamese ones without rice paddies.

In the late 20th century, when plastic products appeared on the market, everyday pottery died out slowly.

Without rice fields to turn to unlike in most other villages, people, especially young ones, began to migrate to cities, leaving behind old people and children.

This is a reasonably common occurrence in Vietnamese villages but Phuoc Tich has taken it to an extreme: old people and children make up 80 per cent of its population.

The farm chores that give rise to the iconic images of rural Viet Nam and draw tourists are conspicuous by their absence here.

Last summer I visited Phuoc Tich with American woman Le Thi Ngoc Dieu, and her husband Daniel Mark, both university professors. We were disappointed despite being briefed about its present state.

The fields appeared withered and uncared for, the houses were deadly quiet with old people and children listlessly sitting on the doorstep, staring vacantly, and doing nothing.

We agreed that to make the village interesting for tourists, the first thing to do was to give it back its pastoral life.

Then, the planned revival of the pottery craft should be able to provide well-paid employment to persuade young people to return home.

Another issue is the value of the pottery they may produce. The craftspeople, no longer conversant with the demands of the market, should be thoroughly apprised on patterns and styles they should create.

Nguyen Huu Thong, president chairman of the Viet Nam Institute of Culture and Arts, said his agency plans to link up Phuoc Tich with two neighbouring villages – My Xuyen (famous for its carvings) and Phu Oc Dem (rush-weaving) – to make wooden statues with ceramic pedestals.

This is likely to add value to Phuoc Tich’s products and help bring young people from neighbouring villages before Phuoc Tich’s young return themselves.

It appears to be most viable project conceived yet to resuscitate the village.

Artist HA THI CAU

Professionalism

Xam is a genre of folk songs in northern Vietnam. Xam is also a word used to call blind people who sing xam songs to earn money so hat xam is considered a job.

Many equate xam with beggars but they are different. Xam don’t live on free food or money but they live on offerings from people. Before receiving tokens, they have to win people’s hearts with their voices and music.

In the first half of the 20th century, xam grouped up to travel everywhere. Each group was often led by a group leader, who was a blind man.

The word “professional” is needed to describe xam, who earn their living by singing. The professionalism of this job is also shown through the organisation of xam groups, which are linked with each other under the control of a leader.

Normally, each xam leader controls an area. If a xam group wants to sing in another area, it needs the agreement of the xam leader who controls that area.

It is also professional in the way xam choose sad or merry melodies to be appropriate to the circumstance and the attitude of listeners.

Hat xam’s founder is a prince?

Normally, only jobs related to production have founders, but hat xam also has a founder. And the founder of hat xam is a dignitary, Prince Tran Quoc Dinh.

According to legend, in the Tran Dynasty, there were two princes, Tran Quoc Toan and Tran Quoc Dinh. As both sought the crown, a power struggle ensued. During an altercation, Tran Quoc Toan tore out Tran Quoc Dinh’s eyes and threw him into the forest.

Tran Quoc Dinh couldn’t do anything but cry. He fell asleep. In a dream, a Buddha appeared and gave him a musical instrument which was played with a bamboo rod. Upon awakening, he made the musical instrument based on his dream. It was odd that the instrument created sweet sounds. Hearing the sound, birds brought fruits to him. Some lumbermen heard the sound and took care of him.

Prince Tran Quoc Dinh taught poor and blind people how to play the instrument and sing as well. He became famous, even in the capital. He was invited to sing in the royal palace, where his father recognised his son. Even after returning to the palace, the prince continued to teach poor and blind people.

Hat xam was born then and Tran Quoc Dinh was honoured as the founder of hat xam. Xam consider the 22nd day of the second lunar month and the 22nd day of the eight lunar month as the prince’s death anniversary and the founding anniversary of hat xam.

The Vietnam Music Art Development Centre has an award in the name of Tran Quoc Dinh for artists, collectors, researchers and journalists who make great contributions to traditional music

Based on the characteristics of this job, the anniversary is often organised on wide plots of land, not in a temple or a fixed place.

Restoring hat xam anniversary

Hat xam and hat xam anniversary was popular in the 1950-1960 and it disappeared after that. In 2008, the Vietnam Music Art Development Centre resumed the anniversary for the first time at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature). This is part of a programme to restore hat xam art conducted since 2005.

Restoring the anniversary is also the aspiration of the living treasure of hat xam, artisan Ha Thi Cau.

This year, the second anniversary will be held at the communal house of Hao Nam village, on Vu Thanh street. According to musician Thao Giang, who initiated the resumption of this anniversary, as of 2009, this anniversary will be organised annually at this communal house.

It is pity that this year artisan Ha Thi Cau will not attend the anniversary because she is very weak now. After the anniversary, some xam singers will go to Ninh Binh province to visit the latest famous xam singer of the 20th century, Mrs. Ha Thi Cau.

Hue festival

Am Sac Viet (Vietnamese Timbre) – a program that brings three musical styles from the North, the Central and the South of Vietnam -  is attracting thousands of people in the Hue festival.

Am Sac Viet is a combination of ca tru (choral chamber music) from the north, ca Hue (Hue singing) and cai luong (renovated opera) from the south.

Three troupes, one from each region, got together for their first one-hour performance inside Dien Tho palace on Sunday night.

The four-member Thai Ha group from Ha Noi, Hue-based Phu Xuan with seven artists and two artists from Bach Tuyet and Thanh Hai from HCM City each performed a 20-minute item.

“I love the atmosphere of this music which feels like a trip back in history to the time of the mandarin or the court of the Vietnamese kings, when there was nothing electronic, only music, architecture and simple things,” French tourist Alain Thomas said. “It is extremely emotional music and has a very unique timbre.”

The audience was welcomed through the three entrances of the wooden palace by young women in ao dai (traditional long dress of Viet Nam) and were shown to their seats on embroidered pillows around a slightly raised stage.

In front of each pillow was a porcelain flowered tray on which sat a pottery tea set, a small pottery plate plus a white or pink lotus flower.

The show’s director said three sweet bean candies and three sugar-coated lotus seeds were laid out for audience members to allow the fine fragrance of the lotus flower to circulate during the performance.

“I have no idea about the programme but its name absorbed me,” said a Viet kieu (an overseas Vietnamese), home from the US for one month.

“As a Viet kieu living far from Viet Nam for such a long time, I am very interested in this music,” the middle-aged woman said. “I know it is something very original.”

Seventy-year-old Nguyen Van Mui, the leader of the Thai Ha troupe, said the combination in such solemn surroundings helps the audiences better understand the typical features of each style of music.

“I am happy to see not only middle-aged and old people, but also young people show respect for traditional music.”

Sitting silently from the beginning to the end of the show, 19-year-old Nguyen Le Minh, a student from the Hue, was one of the youngest members of the audience.

Minh had only come inside Dien Tho to shelter from the rain, but then decided to stay.

“But it is not easy to enjoy the three typical kinds of music at the same time and in a such a serious atmosphere.”

Am Sac Viet programme is performed every night at Dien Tho Palace throughout the Hue Festival.