HOI AN ON BIKE

Once known as Faifo, Hoi An was one of the orient's major trading ports in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Hoi An City Tours

Take a step back in time on a walking city tour of Hoi An -a well-known ancient town in Vietnam and a UNESCO World heritage site. A private guide leads you through the well-kept historic district of this once-prosperous seaport city.

Nha Trang Boat trip

Overview Transferring to Da Chong Whalf, about 18 km away from the city center for embarking on boat, cruising on Nha Phu bay.

Ha Long bay

Recognized by Unesco as a World Heritage Site since 1994 for it thousands of natural islands, Ha Long Bay is a legendary world, and one of the most magnificent scenic spots in Vietnam as well.

Discover Stunning Terraced fields in Northwest Vietnam

The terraced fields in the mountain district of Mu Cang Chai in Yen Bai, Vietnam are associated with the developmental history of the Mong ethnic minority group.

A sweet little mystery in the highlands

If you set off from Hanoi in the early morning, you can be in another world by the afternoon – Dong Van town sits over 1,000 metres above sea level in a green valley surrounded by rocky mountain ranges in the awe-inspiring province of Ha Giang, one of the most spectacular rural destinations in all of Southeast Asia – truly, a far cry from the bewildering heat and hectic streets of Hanoi at the height of summer.

The town is the capital of Dong Van district, one of four districts surrounding the Dong Van Geopark, a karst plateau featuring large tracts of limestone with many fossils of creatures that walked the earth 400 to 600 million years ago.

The plateau’s average elevation is 1,400-1,600m above sea level. The route up the mountains to the town is precipitous and slow-going, but the views of the imposing rocky mountain ranges make the trip a constant pleasure.

Near Dong Van town we came across a group of H’Mong people preparing for a local music contest that was to be held in the morning. Some of them were playing a khen (pan-pipe) and a ken la (leaf-horn) while others were harmonizing their sweet voices.

The town’s old quarter was lit up with red lanterns hanging from the window ledges of houses along every street and all around the market. As night fell, the town took on a wonderfully fanciful light in the midst of the mysterious rocky highland.

The locals always celebrate the full moon nights on the 14th, 15th and 16th of the lunar calendar to preserve and promote the town’s cultural heritage and customs. During these festivals, cultural and artistic activities take place in the old market. Visitors can taste the local cuisine, watch musical performances, or check out some of the traditional handicrafts, and much more.

In the evening, an ebullient crowd of H’Mong begins to gather. Soon there are more than 300 artisans and artists from all corners of Ha Giang province ready to perform. A small stage has been set up for the occasion and there is music and dancing; everyone is happy to be part of the show. We listen to the melodies as well as the sounds of the valleys, forests and mountains, and everyone smiles.

There are 40 houses in the centre of Dong Van’s old quarter, which are most beautiful at sunrise or sunset when the dark grey houses are suddenly brightened by golden sunlight.

The town was built in the early 20th century and, in the beginning, mainly Tay and Hoa people lived here. During the 1940s and 1950s, the Kinh, Dzao and Nung tribes also settled in the area. The two-storey houses are a combination of architectural styles and  there is influence from the Zhongnan region of China. The houses are built with tick earthen walls, dark brown wooden frames and stairs and dark grey Chinese yin and yang tile roofs. Each house has a yard and three-step staircase made from bluish limestone pillars. The houses are designed according to the principles of feng shui, balancing the natural and structural energy that courses through the environment.

By nine in the evening, the old quarter is empty and quiet. The ceremony is over; the winners have been awarded their prizes and almost everyone has wandered off home. I stroll over to the old market which was built in 1920 as a central trading place for local tribes to exchange clothes and tools. At night, the market is closed for business, but open for romance. Some of the young women are beautifully dressed and the young men do their best to woo the ladies by playing their khen or ken la. Leaving the young ones, I step into Pho Co Café, which is located in one of the oldest houses in town; the owners claim it was built in 1890. By a flickering oil lamp I sit sipping my hot tea and gazing out at the street through the faded wooden window bars. I can hear the sound of a khen and a ken la playing in response.

The café stays open till midnight and I am perfectly consent to sit there, soaking up the sense of mystery exuded by Dong Van town. As I walk home through the shadows in the still night, I am already looking forward to the first rays of golden sunlight that will herald the dawning of the day.

More similar posts at Pham An Khanh's Blog

Tourism connected communities around the world

World Tourism Day (WTD) 2011 under the theme "Tourism - Links cultures" will be held in Aswan (Egypt) on 27 September.


In his broadcast message, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: "Tourism has made great contributions to the global solidarity, as an instrument of peace, connecting communities around the world. This is also the industry to create more job opportunities, help shorten the gap in wealth, contributing to the economic growth of nations, cultural links and understanding people. "

On this occasion, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is organizing a photo contest on the social networking site Twitter, which focuses on themes that link the culture of tourism. The prize is a trip around Egypt, was awarded the WTD 2011 in Egypt.

Fifth Ha Giang Sports and Cultural Festival opens

The fifth sports and cultural festival for ethnic minority groups opened in the northernmost mountainous province of Ha Giang on August 17.

The fifth sports and cultural festival for ethnic minority groups opened in the northernmost mountainous province of Ha Giang on August 17.

11 local sports teams and art troupes have registered to take part in different programmes, including shows of traditional costumes of ethnic groups, folk songs, and games.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Sen Chin Ly, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, who is also head of the organizing board said that the fifth Ha Giang sports and cultural festival is a major event aimed at highlighting the cultural traditions and ethnic solidarity movements in the province.

The event also provides an opportunity for them to enhance the spirit of mutual understanding and assistance.

The festival will close on August 20.

(Source: VOV)

Travelers flock to beaches to avoid summer heat

After a quiet June, the number of domestic travelers keeps increasing in July. Islands, tourism sites and beautiful beaches these days receive more travelers who want to relax on brine.

Choosing nearby beaches

In Long Bien district in Hanoi, many 30-40 seat coaches are present early in the morning of Saturdays and Sundays, which come to pick up travelers to beaches. Two weeks ago, local residents were eager to register trips to Cua Lo, Tuan Chau, Halong Bay and Sam Son beaches. A group of coevals left for Cua Lo last week. Meanwhile, NA, a company located in the district, organized a tour for its staff to Van Don-Quan Lan.

According to Nguyen Cong Hoan, Deputy Director of Hanoi Redtours, the number of travelers witnesses a boom in July. The number of registered tours to the central region and the south has increased by 50 percent. Especially, people now favor the tours to Nha Trang and Da Nang, thanks to many choices with airlines and high quality of services. Meanwhile, those travelers, who choose to travel to the north, regularly register the tours to Quang Binh, Hue and Lang Co.

Tran The Dung, Deputy Director of HCM City-based The He Tre travel firm, said that not many people traveled in June, because their children had to take high school final exams and prepare for the university entrance exams. Therefore, the trips have been delayed until July.

Dung has reported a 20 percent increase in the number of travelers in July in comparison with the same period of the last year. Meanwhile, Vietravel hopes that it will serve 125,000 travelers in 2011’s summer, an increase of 25 percent over the same period of the last year.

The tours to beaches remain the most favorite tours for travelers. However, they tend to go to nearby beaches this summer instead of going farer in order to save money. Travelers in HCM City take short distance tours to Vung Tau, Phan Thiet or Ninh Chu.

The national flag air carrier Vietnam Airlines has reported that the domestic aviation market in the first six months of the year, witnessed a 20 percent growth rate in comparison with the same period of the last year. Airlines have all provided more flights to serve the increasing number of tourists. The flights to Da Lat, Phu Quoc, Hai Phong and Hue City have seen the number of passengers up by 30-40 percent.

Con Dao, Phu Quoc islands attract northern travelers

Con Dao and Phu Quoc are now not the choice of southern travelers any more, because of the high tour fees (the lowest rate is 4.5 million dong per traveler for 3-day-and-2-night tour). Meanwhile, the two localities have become the choice of more and more northern travelers, especially when direct flights from Hanoi to Phu Quoc have been launched. Besides, there are also the flights from Can Tho to the island.

The tours to Phu Quoc island (travelers can take directly flights with Air Mekong), including the ones provided by Vietravel (9.8 million dong per traveler for 4-day-and-3-night tour, 4-star resort), by Hanoi Redtours (7.9-8.5 million dong for 4-day-and-3-night tour, 3-star resort) have been selling very well.

With direct flights, travelers, instead of transiting in HCM City and wasting three hours at the HCM City airport, can go directly to Phu Quoc, where they have lunches and walk on Sao beach with white sand and blue sea water.

Nguyen Duy Quang, a business officer of Air Mekong has revealed that the direct flights from Hanoi to Phu Quoc always have the occupied seat percentage at 90-95 percent. In the three months of 2010’s summer, the airline only served 100 passengers who flew from Hanoi to Phu Quoc, while the number of passengers is expected to reach 400 in June-August of 2011.

Meanwhile, Dung from The He Tre said the number of southern travelers to the islands has decreased. In previous years, the firm served 600-700 travelers, while the number is thought to drop to 300-400.

(source: vietnamnet.vn)

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)

Italian architects help preserve Hanoi’s old quarter

The Italian embassy in Vietnam and the Genoa Architects Association held a conference in Hanoi on June 3 to introduce Genoa’s experience in preserving its old city after it was recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage site.

The event, one of the activities to mark Italy Independence Day (June 2), said the Italian ambassador, Lorenzo Angeloni.

Architecture is one of the major issues of concern for the Italian embassy in Vietnam. The Genoa Architects Association and the Hanoi Architects Association have signed a cooperation agreement in the field.

Mirco Grassi, Head of the Genoa City Design Office said that Genoa has a population of 600,000 people living in an area of 30km2. The old city covering 3km2 was built in the 11th century with different lines of walls, narrow streets and some habours on the sea.

In the 13-14th centuries, the city was expanded to meet the demand for developing these habours.

Around 200 tall buildings were constructed in Genoa in 1900 to receive important guests to the city.

Today, 80 have been were selected for restoration and preservation and have also been recognised by UNESCO.

After restoration, some of the buildings will be inhabited and others have become cultural exhibition centres which attract a large number of tourists.

Giuliano Peirano, a representative from the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, said that Italian architects are always ready to help Hanoi preserve its old quarter.

He proposed that the Vietnamese capital should decide which constructions in the old quarter need to be preserved. Hanoi should also focus on new technologies and solutions for preservation. The preservation work should be implemented gradually so it will not interfere with the lives of the people living there.

"Slow" photography depicting the depth of life

Leica Vietnam Club this week opened an exhibition with the theme of “Sống” (To Live) in Hanoi, which featured photos depicting very real life.

Members of Leica photographer club prefer slower, quieter way of working.

Most members had been established professionals before they moved over to Leica. The main challenge for many of them in doing so was to change from the fast-paced methods of modern digital cameras, taking large numbers of pictures. The group's method is much slower and more selective, not focusing on quantity, but paying great attention to aesthetics and choice.

Some photos of the exhibition:

Boy with photo frame by Nguyen Viet Thanh

Huong River in March 1996 by Duong Minh Long

Mong boy on Ma Pi Peng Mountain by Hoai Linh

Portrait of aesthetics professor Duong Viet A by Hoang Anh Tuan - Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism

“Khu-Lai nhu thi”, known as understanding both the past and the future, by Venerable Thich Minh Hien

Sunset of West Lake by Phan Huu Lap

K Hospital by Tran Viet Dung

Street circus in Hamburg by Nguyen Chi Trung

Billiard by Nguyen Minh Tri

Pump tobacco or thuoc lao by Do Anh Tuan

Musician Trinh Cong Son shared the light with counterpart Van Cao by Duong Minh Long

Should Hanoi ban cyclos?

The Hanoi traffic police’s suggestion to ban cycle rickshaws, or cyclos, from traveling on local streets has created a strong opposition among the capital’s travel firms.

Vietnam's cyclo is on show at a tourism fair in France

Speaking at a recent meeting, Hanoi police voiced their concerns about cyclos, saying they appear to be chaotic in the streets and hold up traffic.

However, according to many local travel firms, almost all foreign tourists take cyclo sightseeing tours around Hanoi.

The tourist companies have proposed that local authorities manage cyclos more effectively or forbid the traditional vehicle from traveling during rush hours instead of issuing a prohibition.

Ung Trong Tu, the deputy president of Hanoi Travel Club, said the cyclo is a traditional cultural tourism product of Hanoi like the auto rickshaws, or tuk tuks, in Thailand and Cambodia although he admitted that some cyclo drivers deliberately drive slowly to avoid losing strength, which causes traffic jams.

Tu also suggested local authorities ask cyclo drivers to travel in accordance with a proposed speed and itinerary.

“Authorities have to impose heavy punishments to make cyclo drivers carry out their business in order,” he said.

Le Hong Thuong, deputy director of Vietsky Travel Company, said many foreign tourists really enjoy cyclos. The traditional vehicle is often listed in sightseeing tour to ancient houses or to watch water puppetry shows.

“There are not many tourist attractions in Hanoi. So, if we cut the cyclo programme in our tours, they wouldn’t be attractive to visitors,” he said.

Nguyen Thi Hien, deputy director of Vietran Tour, said many tourist parties have asked to include a cyclo tour in their itineraries so they can see and take pictures of Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

“If the government eliminates cyclos, it means we will lose a traditional cultural feature. And it would be very difficult to restore it,” Hien said.

However, Luu Duc Ke, director of Hanoi Tourist Company, said cyclos on the streets cause more chaos than ever. Tourists say they don’t feel safe or comfortable anymore when they sit on them in blocked streets.

“We had to cut cyclo tours in Hanoi after receiving many complaints from foreign tourists,” Ke said. “I think we could ban cyclos if the service doesn’t have a good quality or it’s difficult for local authorities to manage the three-wheeled vehicle.”

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)

Visitors enjoy ‘queen of beaches' plus island and battle site tours

Located in the coastal district of Vinh Linh in the central province of Quang Tri , Cua Tung Beach is the nation's "Queen of Beaches", awaking the curiosity of many visitors to come and experience its beauty.

Cua Tung Beach

The kilometre-long beach is neither long nor wide, but the water is gentle and clear. Two underground rock formation, Mui Si and Mui Lai, encroach on the sea, creating a small bay sheltering the beach from stronger waves and tides.

The beach is surrounded by a belt of basalt and stone mountains that look like a huge comb passing through the hair of the waves. On the hill, orchards of jackfruit, pineapple, banana and custard-apple grow green.

While the central region is known for its harsh weather, with dry winds from the southwest and major storms from the sea, Cua Tung Beach is protected by Mother Nature, out of wind on most days, with the bay offering safe harbour for fishing boats.

Since the time of French colonialism, the very first French to set foot here saw the land's potential for developing resorts. At that time, Vietnam was divided into three regions, with the central region known as Annam. The governor of Annam from 1891-97, Ernest Albert Briere was one of those who fell in love with the place, and he built a palace here in 1896 to spend his holidays on the beautiful beach.

The palace was transferred to King Duy Tan (1900-45), the 11th king of the Nguyen Dynasty, who ascended the throne at age 7 and bridled at living in confinement in palaces under the control of the French. He travelled extensively around the country, with Cua Tung one of his stops.

King Bao Dai (1913-97), the 13th and final king of Vietnamese feudalism, often went from his capital in Hue to Cua Tung to enjoy the amazing beach.

The Frenchman Andre de Laborde, who had a deep understanding about this land, described Cua Tung as a gentle sloping beach which is part of a green highland 20m above sea level. From the slope, people can see the changes in the colour of sea and sky. Shades of blue change hourly under the sunshine, surprising anyone who has chance to witness it.

The sea here is so shallow, that people can run about half-a-kilometre from the shore, and the water level only reaches their chest.

Nearby Cat Son village is a short stroll away along the beach. The village has been famous for hundreds of years for its traditional work of fishing, drum-making, carpentry and mother-of-pearl inlay. There, you can dine of cuttlefish, prawns, lobster, butterfish, mackerel, Chinese herring, and other kinds of seafood, cooked in the local manner.

To the south of the beach is the estuary of Ben Hai River. Hien Luong Brigde crosses the river just 10 kimometres from Cua Tung Beach. The bridge on the 17th parallel formed the border between North and South Vietnam between 1954 and 1975.

The symbol of separation and loss in wartime is now one of the connection between the two districts of Vinh Linh and Vinh Gio in the province. Boarding a boat at the base of the bridge, travellers can see prosperous rice paddy and bamboo and casuarinas trees along the river banks. The slow rhythm of life, the whisper of wind and rippling water, all bring a feeling of peace.

About 30 kilometres offshore from the beach is Con Co Island. The 4-square-metre island, with a coastline of about 8-kilometres, averages an elevation of 5-30 metres above sea level. At the centre of the island is a 63-metres high mountain. The island held a strategic position during the time of the country's division. The island was isolated from the mainland by heavy winds, but soldiers challenged strong waves and enemy attacks to carry food and weapon to the island.

Lush forests and fruits trees cover the island. The trees on Con Co Island include hardwoods with resin as red as blood. In autumn, the bang (Malabar almond) trees also turn red, making the island even more picturesque.

Since 1989, 4,000 coconut trees, symbolising the 4,000-year history of Vietnam , have been cultivated on the island. It is also the home of a small rattlesnake that is soaked in rice wine to make a medicine for treating backache and other ailments. Black and white sea cucumbers as big as a toe are also found in the surrounding waters and make a good dish that also has medicinal properties.

Tours commemorating the battlefields of the province and the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) lets visitors experience Vinh Moc Tunnel – a 2-kilometres network of tunnels up to 23m underground used to shelter residents during wartime – as well as the Old Citadel of Quang Tri, the Ta Con airstrip, the Khe Sanh – Road 9 Battlefield, and the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Shopping for love in Vietnam's mountains

Once a year, with his wife's blessing, Lau Minh Pao gets to have a guilt-free tryst with his ex.

Ethnic San Chi girls giggle while attending the "love market" in Khau Vai village in Vietnam's northern Ha Giang province, 500 km (310 miles) north of Hanoi May 9, 2010.
Credit: REUTERS/Kham
The love market village of Khau Vai is seen from the top of a mountain in Vietnam's northern Ha Giang province.
Credit: REUTERS/Kham

Their rendezvous' have played out more like strolls down memory lane than salacious flings, but they are part of a treasured tradition in this mountainous corner of northern Vietnam that may challenge some more linear concepts of love.

"In the past, we were lovers, but we couldn't get married because we were far apart," Pao said simply as he waited for his date on a dark night in the village of Khau Vai in Ha Giang province.

Now when they meet, he said, "we pour our hearts out about the time when we were in love."

They are not alone.

For two days each year, on the 26th and 27th of the third month of the lunar calendar, the tiny village of Khau Vai, strung along a saddle in the lush hills near China, is transformed into a "love market."

Hundreds of members of Giay, Nung, Tay, Dzao, San Chi, Lo Lo and Hmong hill tribes, among others, trek in from across the mountainous districts nearby to attend.

Pao's wife was there, too, meeting her old flame.

Some travel for days, even from neighboring provinces.

This year, local artists in colorful clothing performed the local myth telling the story of the origin of the Khau Vai love market.

Legend has it an ethnic Giay girl from Ha Giang province fell in love with an ethnic Nung boy from the neighboring province of Cao Bang.

The girl was so beautiful that her tribe did not want to let her marry a man from another tribe and a bloody conflict ensued between the two tribes.

Watching tragedy unfold before them, the two lovers sorrowfully decided to part ways to avoid further bloodshed and to restore peace.

But to keep their love alive they made a secret pact to meet once a year on the 27th day of the third lunar month in Khau Vai. Thereafter, the hill village became known as a meeting place for all of those in love.

These days, the tradition is carried on, albeit with a modern edge.

Giggling girls in native headdresses make dates by text message on their cell phones, and hold them up to snap digital photos of performances.

New roads have made the village that lies some 500 km (310 miles) north of Hanoi more accessible. In the Nung language, Khau Vai means 'clouds among the mountains'.

"The young generation now go out together, and find each other, and it is more modern, freer and clearer. Back in the old days, our grandparents had to pursue love in secret, not like today," 23-year-old Hua Thi Nghi an ethnic Giay.

Under the dark sky, as other couples cavorted nearby, Pao was looking forward to seeing his old girlfriend.

"We've arranged to meet and she'll be here a little bit, around 10 pm. We meet together to re-tell the tale of how it was when we were in love back then," he said.

The next day, however, he said their meeting had been cut short by a downpour.

But there's always next year.

Imposing beauty of Dray Nur waterfall

Sparkling Dray Nur waterfall in Dak Lak Province has a natural beauty that is shrouded in the mystique of legend.

The 30-metre falls, which are also known as Cai or Vo (wife), originate from the Krong Ana River.

The story is that, a long time ago, a man of Kuop Hamlet fell in love with a girl who lived on the other side of the Serepok River. Their love remained hidden from their parents until they were inseparable.

Unfortunately, they were in a sort of Romeo and Juliet situation, where the two families were old and bitter rivals. Naturally the parents did not approve, and all their efforts to stay together seemed destined to fail.

So one night, rather than being separated, the couple committed suicide in the Serepok River. Suddenly, there was a thunderstorm, water leaped up from the river and sounds came from the forest. The next morning, the people of the hamlet were surprised to see that the river had been separated in two, isolating the two families.

Ever since then the one river has been two: the Duc (husband) creates the Dray Sap Waterfall in Dak Nong Province, in the central highlands, while the Cai (wife) river feeds the Dray Nur waterfall in Dak Lak Province.

Water still flows down the falls in small streams, only to be united at the bottom. Many say that the sound it makes are echos of the delights and reproaches of that “star crossed love”.

A mystical beauty

Visitors enjoy the sight and sound

A quiet side of Hanoi

Hanoi is often seen by visitors as a bustling city but there is a more secluded and quiet side to it that not many people discover. Life is happening right here and right now in many dark small alleys in the Old Quarter, where serenity represents the quiet endurance of the local people living around the area.

This, in fact, has added a charm, one that is indispensable to make the 36 streets of Old Hanoi a beautiful and ancient place.

The narrow space and complicated daily-life routines found year round in lowly lit alleys are normal parts of the age-old and crowded city of Hanoi.

Time has turned street corners into a green mossy colour. It connects and bonds people together, but does not make the worries go away for the people who live in these alleys.

Below are a series of pictures that were captured from the many corners and alleys of Hanoi.

In the Old Quarter, alleys often become a playground for children.

Notice board used by the locals living in one alley.



Ten households are currently living in Alley No.47 on Hang Bac Street.



...living space is shared among different households.



...A recent fire has turned the residents lives upside down.



A rare corner where light is able to shine through is used to dry clothes.



A stylised entrance gate to one of the alleys.



Each alley has a communal area where daily living takes place.



Despite having to live with extremely narrow alleys, many people don't want to move as they have gotten used to it.



Every possible inch is used for something.



Natural lighting is hardly found in some alleys.



Some would like to settle somewhere else.

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)

Da Lat’s take on terraced fields

Visitors to Dalat City in southern Vietnam will find transfixing views of terraced fields which will bring to mind the mountainous Northwest.

Travelling around the outskirts of Da Lat, tourists can enjoy viewing terraced fields of vegetables and flowers, like the work of an artist.

In Da Lat, terraced fields surround small houses and winding roads curve around wooded hills, creating a romantic and peaceful space.

Many local vegetable and flower growers say Da Lat’s terraced fields have their own special beauty. They are most beautiful in the morning sunlight.

Some photos of Da Lat terraced fields:

Despite not being as famous as terraced fields in the Northwest, Da Lat fields have their own unique beauty

Vegetables are mostly grown in the fields, along with flowers

Terraced fields surround houses

You can see terraced fields from the surburban outskirts

Terraced fields besides pine tree-covered hills

Valley of terraced fields

Curving terraced fields look like artistic creations

An extremely peaceful and poetic space

 

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