Once known as Faifo, Hoi An was one of the orient's major trading ports in the 16th and 17th centuries.
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.
Overview Transferring to Da Chong Whalf, about 18 km away from the city center for embarking on boat, cruising on Nha Phu 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.
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.
This is Qatar Airways’s second route from Doha to Vietnam. The first route to Ho Chi Minh City was launched in 2007.
With Hanoi, Qatar Airways has increased its destinations in the Asia-Pacific region to 18. At present, Qatar Airways has a fleet of 90 planes flying to 94 destinations worldwide. It plans to increase its fleet to 120 aircrafts and destinations to 120 by 2013.
VietNamNet/VOV
October 31, 2010
By Judy McEuen
Travel Writer - Troy Media
It is easy to feel overwhelmed and lost amidst the Hanoi’s bustling streets and the countless mopeds and bicycles moving around.
But don’t get discouraged, even if you want to immediately hop on the nearest van and set off to the more tranquil and eerily beautiful Halong Bay. While not at first glance obvious, Hanoi has several attractions that are worth seeing and its charm will grow on you if you give it a chance. So, rather than escape the hubbub straight away, don’t be afraid to get lost in the city for a while: I guarantee you will enjoy what it has to offer.
Rich cultural heritage
Its modern developments may be completely devoid of beauty and allure but the charm of Hanoi’s rich cultural and historical heritage more than make up for it.
Check out the city’s Old Quarter and experience what it was like to live in the 13th century in this part of the world. Its narrow and winding roads were not simply ordinary thoroughfares; they are also representative of the social status of its residents. Merchants were grouped with merchants, carpenters with their fellow carpenters and sculptors with the other sculptors. Check out the street names and you will have a pretty good idea of the guild it was specially designated for.
Walk around the compact area and you will discover wonderful enclosed markets and ancient structures which now house charming cafes, boutiques and shops. Take a moment to notice how the shops are very narrow at the entrance but seem to go on and on in length. That is how merchants tried to escape taxes. But these shops are not just for show now: there is actually plenty of interesting and lovely merchandise for sale, from intricately designed jewellery to exquisite silk textiles to superb handicrafts among others.
Visit Ho Chi Minh
Walking south from the Old Quarter you will soon discover the laid-back calm of Hoan Kiem Lake which is right at the nucleus of the city centre. This is a perfect place to get your bearing while you enjoy the picturesque view of the placid waters and lakeside atmosphere.
For a bit of history, visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. His remains are encased in glass and are open to the public. Note that he is an esteemed and beloved hero so expect rigid security measures and a non-negotiable dress code. If you don’t care for mausoleums, you can just visit the nearby Ho Chi Min Museum.
Another popular attraction in Hanoi is the One Pillar Pagoda in the Ba Dinh District. It was built in honour of Emperor Ly Thai Tong. The pagoda is artistically built to resemble the shape of a lotus flower. Also a major historical and religious landmark in the city is the Temple of Literature. It has served disciples of Confucius for centuries and still continues to be a major pilgrimage site for believers. It dates back to the 11th century but it has retained its grandeur and splendour to this day.
by Cong Thanh
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| Peaceful: Hoan Kiem (Returned Sword) Lake is the most visited destination in Ha Noi. — VNA/VNS Photo Trong Dat |
Sai Gon Tourist Company is offering typical tours to favourite destinations in the north including the Ha Noi-Autumn season, Ancient citadels of Viet Nam, Sa Pa and Ha Long in Autumn.
Annually, the HCM City-based travel agency organises seasonal tours – Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter – to tourism sites throughout the northern provinces.
But this year, the Ha Noi-Autumn season is seen as the most attractive programme as it coincides with the city's millennium celebrations.
"We hope tourists will have more chances to witness numerous cultural festivities in Ha Noi during autumn. It's a special time," said a marketing staff of the company, Hoang Thuy Linh.
"The Ha Noi-Autumn programme has hosted around 12,000 tourists since early this year and hundreds of foreigners have flocked to the city this season," Linh added.
She also said the capital had lured tourists with the season of fruits, com (young sticky rice) flake and cool weather.
Autumn tour
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| Old style: Touring Ha Noi's Old Quarter by xich lo (a peddle-powered vehicle) is a relaxing way to spend the day during the autumn, a time that many Hanoians say is the most beautiful season of the year. — VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuan |
The four days and three nights tour will depart from HCM City and wind through the Trang An tourism site in Ninh Binh Province, Ha Noi and Ha Long Bay.
It costs VND4.2 million (US$215) per person.
After arriving in the capital, tourists will visit the four historic temples of Bach Ma (White Horse); Linh Lang, or Voi Phuc (Crouching Elephant); Tran Vu and Kim Lien – the homes of the four gods of the former royal capital – before touring part of the Royal Thang Long Citadel and the Temple of Literature.
A pedestrian route from the Quan Chuong Gate and exploring the city's Old Quarter will close the first tour day.
"Tourists will go shopping at the biggest whole sale market of Dong Xuan in the middle of the Old Quarter, which is a symbol of the ancient capital," said head of the agency's Ha Noi office Nguyet Nga.
The centre of Ha Noi will be the main visit for the tour second day with a visit to sites around Hoan Kiem (Returned Sword) Lake such as Ngoc Son Temple and turtle tower.
"The lake is also the heart of Ha Noi and visitors can experience a quiet moment as they walk around the lake and see the trees in the autumn.
The most visited places during the day are buildings dating back to the French colonial times including 1902-built Long Bien Bridge; the Opera House built in 1911 and 1931-constructed Museum of Vietnamese history.
The existence of buildings provides real samples of the capital's varied history.
Travellers can ask tour guides to take them to the night market, which opens at 7pm and closes at midnight in Hang Ngang and Hang Dao streets, which were the former silk trading centre of ancient town.
The third day will start with a two-hour visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and One Pillar Pagoda before going to Ha Long Bay – the World Natural Heritage Site.
Ancient capitals
The seasonal programme also includes the vestiges of ancient imperial cities in a trip to the ancient capitals.
According Sai Gon Tourist's marketing section, Doan Thi Thanh Tra, the tour offers visits to the former capitals of Hue, Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh, Co Loa and the UNESCO recognised Thang Long Royal citadel in Ha Noi.
"We have intentionally arranged destinations in a combined tour, to help tourists gain a deeper understanding of Vietnamese history," Tra explained.
"The destinations are quite well-known to Vietnamese people, but we link a string of citadels that were built from the country's foundation to the current capital."
Arriving in Ha Noi on the morning flight, tourists will take a visit to Co Loa spiral Citadel, which was built in the third century BC.
From Thang Long Royal Citadel in Ha Noi, visitors will return to country's former capital of Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh Province – 100km south of Ha Noi – in 968-1010.
"Hoa Lu was a capital nearly half century before it was moved to Ha Noi by King Ly Thai To. The route will provide a real historical story of the former capital at Hoa Lu and Ha Noi today," Tra explained.
The former imperial capital of Hue will be the last place visited on the fourth day.
A night cruise on the Huong River with folk music will help people relax prior to their departure for peaceful mind for HCM City.
Visit www.saigontourist.net for more information. — VNS
– M’lieng village beside Lak Lake in Daklak Province is still the same as it was a hundred years. The old houses and paths make it one of the rare villages that preserves the highland’s tangible and intangible cultural values.
To get to the village from Buon Ma Thuot City travel to Lien Son Town and then head to Daklak’s famous Lak Lake. Tourists can hire a motorboat or a wooden boat to cross the lake to the village. The peaceful village is surrounded by hills, mountains and primeval forests.
The village children bathe in the stream.
The M’nong ethnic minority live in traditional long houses built of wood and thatch cut from the forest. Each house is 30 meters long and includes five areas according to the M’nong family matriarchal system. It takes several years to collect all the timber from the forest for one house, and they hold ceremonies when they chop down big trees.
Each family has rice fields, cornfields and vegetable farms with herds of cattle. Some rich families also have elephants to carry wood and goods for sale.
Many villagers still keep old jars and drums made of elephant or buffalo leather. The village has their own ethnic music and dance traditions that they perform at festivals.
Long houses in M’lieng Village in Daklak Province. (Photos: SGT)
Most of them do traditional craft - making brocade, gongs and jars and weaving bamboo products and fishing nets and traps.
Staying overnight by the flickering firelight while enjoying local dishes and listening to old men tell folk stories is an amazing experience.
VietNamNet/SGT
