Ha Long Week aims at European market

 

 

The Ha Long Week 2012 will take place in the northern province of Quang Ninh from November 27-30, with a focus on European market. 

Co-organised by the provincial People’s Committee and the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, the event expects to attract the participation of 140 international representatives from leading tourism companies and travel agencies from France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and the United Kingdom. 

During the week, a wide range of activities will be available for participants, including Ha Long Bay tours, Gala dinner, business meetings, a seminar on promoting potential of Ha Long tourism and cultural programmes.

Source: VNA

 

It’s tough to leave misty Sapa

For over a century people from all over the world have experienced the magnificent and misty mountains, splendid rice terraced fields, endless flower hills, vaporous layers of clouds and snow which makes Sapa the landscape of dreams.

A splendid view of Sapa - Photos: TL

And also in fell in love with the land and have been so sad to leave the picture-book area.

From its early days, the valley which is famous for having four seasons in one day, has become home to Ta Van plum and Sa Pa peach, specialties in Sapa.

In spring, Sapa wins peoples’ hearts with its thousands of pink peach blossoms overwhelming mountains, hills and valleys as well as the road to Fan Xi Pang peak and through Hoang Lien Son Range.

From Ham Rong Mountain peak, we can see the town colored like a giant pink carpet. Moreover, it looks more interesting dotted with the multicolored Mong girls’ dresses. In spring nights, they listen to flute sounds of village boys and follow the melodies to find their lovers.

In spring, time is counted by market times with traditional festivities, twitter of birds, laughter of kids and the echo of horses running wild.

In a silent way, Sapa sends the love of nature into each traveler’s heart. And of course, they themselves cannot deny the beauty of what they are witnessing with rivers, silver waterfalls, paddy fields, sunset over the town and Muong Hoa Valley.

That attractive scenery seduces them to explore daily life of ethnic people, old stilt houses, wild flowers, and wine drinking nights under a flickering camp-fire.

Images of ladies in weaving rooms are also an unforgettable sight in Sapa.

Hanoi girls enjoy the romance of yellow flowers

As winter is approaching, yellow flowers are in full bloom on the outskirts of Hanoi. 

Young people often gather on weekends at Thanh Tri bridge pier, Phu Dong-Gia Lam dyke, in Yen Vien fields, or along the embankment of the Duong River to pose for beautiful photographs that make use of the romantic atmosphere.

The yellow flowers reach full bloom in March and November.

Following are several photos snapped by reporters:

Vietnamese landscapes as water-colours

Some beautiful images of Vietnam and its people have been taken by Chinese photographer Don Hong-Oai.

Don Hong-Oai, born in 1929 in Guangdong Province, moved to Vietnam when he was seven years old.

When he was young, he lived in former Saigon and worked at a photography studio. He used to travel across Vietnam taking photos. He experienced the wars against the French and US and moved to California in the US in 1979. Don has returned to China and Vietnam to take new photographs.

Don used a very special technique that appears to combine Western photography and Oriental water-colour painting art in his photos. His photos are black and white and include Chinese painting details such as birds, boats and mountains.

Don Hong-Oai had won many photographic competitions in Asia, including those held by Kodak and Nikon. He is considered among some of the most famous artists in this special photography genre.

His works have been displayed in several countries. Don passed away in June 2004.

Water-colour originated from China, and involved Chinese ink used for drawing on paper or silk. This art developed along with Chinese calligraphy. The major topics of the paintings are trees, flowers and people.

Some of his photos about Vietnam:

A small boat

 

On the river

 

On the way to the market

 

 
A fisherman and his net

 Sand and wind

 

Upstream

 

After praying

 

Fields

 

Birds

 

Herdsmen

 

Grazing buffalo

 

A little ferry boat

 

Storks

RoK to invest US$4 billion in Phong Nha-Ke Bang

 

The People’s Committee of Quang Binh Province has just signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ZETA Group Holding, a real estate investment organization from the Republic of Korea, to build an international leisure center at the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. 

Accordingly, the project, worth US$4 billion, will include a casino area, hotels and urban facilities on the mountains, providing outdoor entertainment activities and cave exploring tours in Phong Nha-Ke Bang. 

The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2003, thanks to its system of 300 caves and grottos with a total length of 126 km discovered up to April 2009.

Before the discovery of the Son Doong, recognized as the world's largest cave, Phong Nha held several world cave records, as it has the longest underground river, as well as the largest caverns and passageways.

Source: chinhphu.vn

 

Buffalo fighting festival attracts over 30,000 visitors

The 2012 Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival, often took place in Do Son district of the northern port city of Hai Phong, has attracted over 30,000 local people and tourists.

Buffalo fighting festival in Do Son

This year’s festival saw competitions among 16 buffaloes selected from qualifying rounds at ward and district levels.

After 15 matches with impressive performances, buffalo No. 25 from Van Son ward became the champion. Buffalo No. 01 from Minh Duc ward came in second and buffalo No. 11 from Van Huong ward, third.

Both the winners and losers are then killed to worship the God and their meat is equally divided to everybody.

The traditional festival, which is held annually on the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, demonstrates the martial spirit of people. It helps promote the locality’s images and tourism potential.

Legends say that a long time ago, there was a severe drought. All creatures looked toward the sea, praying for the Creator’s favour. In the most miserable moment, suddenly, they saw two buffalos fighting fiercely on the wave crests and the rains started to pour down, reviving all creatures. People, therefore, organise the fighting performance annually to show their great gratitude to the Buffalo.

Nha Dai of E De ethnic people

Located in Buon Me Thuot City, Dak Lak province, the E De people in Ako Dhong Hamlet are considered a model community of ethnic people in the Central Highlands.

Built in the unique architectural style of the E De people into basalt red soil, the charming Nha Dai (long houses), will put visitors to the sunny plateau immediately at peace.

There are about 300 E De people living in 30 long houses in Ako Dhong Hamlet. The long houses are about 15-100m long, largely dependant on the number of family members.

Many generations of a family live together in each long house, typically in the matriarchal structure common to the E De people.

The long houses are made from natural materials such as bamboo and wood, with the roof covered by reeds. Walls and floors are then grafted by Nua (Neohouzeaua) that is cut in half and crushed.

Built upon stilts for the practical purpose of protecting dwellers from floods and dangerous wild animals, the length of the long house is measured by the number of collar beams.

Traditionally the house is lengthened with a compartment every time a girl living in the house gets married, following E De matriarchal society where men typically live in their wife’s house. E Pap, an elder who has lived in Ako Dhong for over 40 years, said that in front of the door there is a large yard, also called a guest yard. People walk through the yard before entering the house.

The more prosperous the family is, the larger and more beautiful the yard is. Each house has two doors and two staircases at either end with one staircase for residents and the other for guests.

The staircases have an odd number of steps, which is considered lucky in E De culture and is always the pride of the family.

It is made by hand and decorated with breast-motifs at the top, the symbol of matriarchal vitality and power.

In Ako Dhong, visitors not only enjoy the charm of the special long houses, but can also discover the typical lifestyles of the E De ethnic people in the Central Highlands.

A Nha Dai in Ako Dhong Hamlet in the early morning

Foreign tourists visit a Nha Dai of the E De ethnic people in Ako Dhong Hamlet

The inside space of the house is large and full of sunlight

Climbing up the staircase of a Nha Dai

A Nha Dai yard

A Nha Dai staircase

The main door of a Nha Dai

The 9 Best Things To Do In Vietnam

Vietnam is one of my favorite places in Asia . So much history, so much natural beauty, and the Vietnamese people themselves are renowned for their graciousness and good cheer. They harbor no resentment toward Americans despite a decade of bombings during the war. In fact they hold us in the highest favor - increasingly consuming our globalized bounty of pop culture - and welcome Americans with open arms.

#10 -- A hopeful current is buzzing throughout much of the country, and it's a thrill to watch the chaos and order play out their yin and yang amidst honking horns, noodle stands, crumbling colonial remnants and high-rises. Here is my list of the nine best things to do in Vietnam .

#9 -- Access ethic tribal minorities at villages nestled in the lush hills near Sapa, and share a cup of tea with locals in their rustic mountain homes.

#8 -- Dine at the epicenter of culture at an exclusive dinner at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi .

#7 -- Enjoy a private reception at a first-rate art gallery in Hanoi . The curator is our longtime friend, and the crème of Hanoi 's artists are in attendance.

#6 -- Take a private cooking class with a gourmet chef, our friend of two decades who is frequently featured on Vietnamese cooking shows.

#5 -- Visit the collection of antiques and photographs of the "American War" by our friend Cuong, who photographed the fall of Saigon and was later sent to a Marxist re-education camp. His life story has been the subject of a PBS documentary.

#4 -- Enter a state of blissful oblivion at the breathtaking Six Senses Con Dao beach resort, located on a white sand beach of stunning natural beauty.

#3 -- Navigate the alleyways of the ancient port town of Hoi An by bicycle, to explore the syncretic cultural influences of Southeast Asia 's most important port from the 17th through 19th centuries.

#2 -- Cruise the waterways of the Mekong Delta to glimpse the timeless rural scenes of farmers working the fertile land and fishermen with their nets. Stop in a home to see them making rice paper, one at a time, with a ladle and griddle.

#1 -- Take a private overnight cruise through Halong Bayon a restored junk, a traditional Chinese sailboat. This bay is on anyone's short list for the greatest natural scenery in Asia . From sea kayaking into caves to visiting locals in their fishing villages on tucked-away islands, Halong Bay is a must on any trip to Vietnam .

Hoi An launches car-free campaign

 The central city of Hoi An on Sept. 9 launched its first Car Free Day campaign, coinciding with its annual Nature Day in which over 5,000 people participated. 

The ancient city was the first city in Vietnam to host a Car Free Day in an effort to make the environment in the tourism hub cleaner. 

Participants rode on bicycles and pedicabs around the city's old quarter to raise awareness about environmental protection among local people and tourists. 

"The campaign shows how committed local people are to environmental protection. The city has successfully organised a pedestrian street in the old quarter since 2002 and hosted the Nature Day for the past three years," said Hoi An City's People's Committee Deputy Chairman Nguyen Van Dung. 

"We are honoured to be the first city in Viet Nam to join the Asian network of Car Free Day programmes. We also hope that the campaign will encourage people to use more environmentally friendly vehicles like bicycles and battery-powered bicycles and to walk more," Dung said. 

The Car Free Day, which was debuted in La Rosshelle in France in 1997, has attracted the participation of 2,268 cities in 40 countries. 

The city also set up 13 sites where people can change used nylon bags for new reusable bags in an action to say no to plastic bags. 

A painting contest for children was held at An Hoi bridge as part of the response to Car Free Day.

Source: VNA

 

Plough casting of the Mong ethnic people

For a long time, the Mong people in Dong Van Karst Plateau in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang have preserved a technique of casting a special kind of plough that is suitable for rocky soils. 

With its high geological value, the plateau was officially recognised as a Global Geo-Park by the UNESCO Global Geo-parks Network (GGN) in 2010. It is the first certificate ever issued in Vietnam and only the second in Southeast Asia. 

Over the years, the plateau has been home to several ethnic groups, but primarily the Mong people who survive by farming in rare plots scattered on rocky mountainsides.

The image of the plateau is one of an immense, rugged, rocky, mountain area with occasional strips of rocky earth dispersed between mountainous creeks and rivers. Predictably, it is no easy task for local people to farm here.

They cannot use the normal ploughs that are typically used in the plains because the ploughs simply break or are quickly damaged by rocks. 

Grinding clay to make the mould

Mixing the rock and oak charcoal flour to coat the casting mould

Making the mould smooth with a mixture of oak charcoal and rock flour

The mould consists of  two pieces made from clay, mixed with charcoal flour and rock flour and then placed on a wooden stand

Grafting two pieces of the casting mould using a layer of clay

To cast a plough, it requires about 7kg of pig iron

Pouring the melted pig-iron into the mould

After three minutes, the plough can be taken out of the mould

At the market, each plough is sold for VND350,000

To deal with this difficulty, the people in the plateau have built a special kind of plough that is suitable for the rocky soils.

In Sung La Hamlet in Sung La Commune, Dong Van District, the casting technique is now preserved by the Mua family.

The secret and experience in casting the firm and durable ploughs are handed down from generation to generation.

At first glance, the Mua’s casting technique appears to be nothing unusual, but in fact it consists of many interesting secrets.

For example, besides common pig-iron, they add other materials such as rock flour and charcoal from oak trees. Coal for firing the kiln is also from the oak tree.

After completion, the ploughs are kept in ash instead of water just like the traditional plough-casting method.

Thank to the special plough, Mong ethnic people can cultivate on the Dong Van Karst Plateau

Thanks to these techniques, the Mong ethnic people have created their own ploughs that help them till the earth on these rocky outcrops.

Despite harsh conditions, green corn and rice fields are seen on the plateau, promising to bring the local people in the border areas of the country a better life.

National Day celebrated at Moc Chau Plateau

People from the Thai, Dao, Tay and Kinh ethnic groups are gathering on the Moc Chau Plateau in the northern province of Son La to commemorate Vietnam’s National Day (Sept. 2). 

Various culture and sports activities are being held to celebrate the historical event and encourage people to join hands in poverty reduction and building new rural areas.

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