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CONTENT No 5, VOL.7, OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2017
HISTORY
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The art of wood carving, red lacquer
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“Without the community sense, villages will break...”
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PEOPLE
Nguyen Su - former Party Chief of Hoi An City
Krajan Plin - From a chosen son of the forest to a
modern daytribe elder
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RIVER
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A river created by the God of thunder
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The light inside the mountain
Wonderful wetlands
26
Bau Truc pottery’s peculiarities
28 30
House of worship, house of love
The one and only hundred pillar house
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Begging mother nature’s forgiveness
34
A simply delicious book: Modern and traditional
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10
NATURE CRAFTS
ARCHITECTURE CULTURE
COOKING
cuisine
EVENTS
DIRECTIONS
Cover photograph:
Sapa church in mist. Photo by Vu Dung
Published by the Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam
Publication licence No: 1648/GP-BTTTT from the Ministry of Information and Communications of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for the English-language edition of The Gioi Di San (The World of Heritage) magazine Editor-in-Chief: Le Thanh Hai; Public Relations Director: Bui Thi Hang Managing Editor: Kha Tu Anh; Sub-editing: Erik Johnson; Assistant: Van Thanh Nga, Nguyen Dang Khoa; Designer: Thanh Mai; Contributing Photographers: Nguyen Ba Han, Hoang Quoc Tuan, Hoang The Nhiem, Huynh Van Nam, Le Hoai Phuong, Nguyen Anh Tuan; Ngo Nguyen Huynh Trung Tin; Nguyen Ba Ngoc Correspondent: Pip de Rouvray; Advertising and Circulation: Green Viet Advertising JSC Email: tapchidisanvietnam@gmail.com & vnheritagemagazine@gmail.com; Thuy Phuong 0969 47 3579 Hanoi Advertising and Subscription: The He Moi MHN Viet Nam Co.Ltd, Mr Song Hao: 0903 476 999 Nha Trang Advertising and Subscription: Bach Cat Co. Ltd,; 22/6A Bach Dang Str. Nha Trang City Tel: (58) 360 7070 Fax (58) 387 0099, Email: bachcatprco.ltd@gmail.com Contact in the US for subscription and advertising: 2628 Sturla dr. San Jose, CA 95148
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Vietnam Heritage is published monthly, produced in Vietnam and printed at Army Printing House No 2. © All rights reserved.
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2017 I
Vietnam Heritage
Vietnam Heritage
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A lake in Lao Cai Province, 2015 Photo: Nguyen Manh Cuong
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TRIỂN LÃM 100 TÁC PHẨM XUẤT SẮC NHẤT CUỘC THI ẢNH DI SẢN VIỆT NAM 2017 PHOTO EXHIBITIONS tHÀnH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ minH sân Vận Động Hoa lư Hoa Lu Stadium (26/10/2017 - 29/10/2017) Số 2 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Quận 1 nhà Văn Hóa thanh niên The Youth Cultural House (18/11/2017 đến 23/11/2017) Số 4 Phạm Ngọc Thạch, Quận 3
ĐÀ nẴng Bảo tàng Điêu Khắc Chăm Museum of Cham Sculpture (22/11/2017 đến 30/3/2018) Số 2 đường 2/9, Bình Hiên, Hải Châu
HÀ nỘi trung tâm thông tin văn hóa Hồ gươm Ho Guom Information and Culture Center (10/11/2017 đến 13/11/2017) 2 Lê Thái Tổ, Q. Hoàn Kiếm
Đại Học Quốc gia tP. HCm National University HCMC (22/12/2017 đến 30/12/2017) Khu Phố 06, Phường Linh Trung, Q.Thủ Đức
HƯng YÊn Khu đô thị ecopark - Ecopark (18/2/2018 -2/3/2018) Xã Xuân Quan, Huyện Văn Giang
lỄ trao giẢi tHƯỞng Vietnam Heritage PHoto awards 2017 PRIZE ANNOUNCEMENT
22/11/2017 Bảo tàng Điêu Khắc Chăm - thành phố Đà nẵng Museum of Cham Sculpture - Danang City
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Sakyamuni Buddha
THE ART OF WOOD CARVING, RED LACQUER AND GOLD GILDING BY LE THI TUYET
Vietnam National Museum of History 1 Trang Tien St, Hanoi. Tel: (024) 3824-1384. Open 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., closed every first Monday
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iving in the rain forests of Southeast Asia, Vietnamese are well-connected to the botanical world. Evolving out of the Stone Age, perhaps to the ancient Viet people, wood was the next natural and suitable choice of material to use for various purposes. Through generations, wood became one of the most popular materials for making items that serve everyday life and spiritual needs of humans. Our ancestors’ skillful hands and refined sense of beauty have created a vast amount of wooden works that are still being used in households, venerated worship places, or in solemn former royal palaces all over the country. The Vietnam National Museum of History currently holds a large and diverse collection of lacquered wood works which cover the whole span of the history of the founding and development of the country. These invaluable relics are proof of Vietnam’s age-old tradition of wood carving, lacquering and gilding crafts. Archeologists have found countless lacquered wood works, unmistakably locally made, in ancient graves in Viet Khe (Hai Phong Province), Chau Can (Hanoi), Duong Du, Xuan La, Minh Duc, Chau Son, and many other places. Many boat-shaped coffins, ironwood pillars, metal tools and weapons have also been found in Dong Son vestige sites. That means wood has been used by Vietnamese in matters of peace and war, life and death, work and worship since very early ages. Along with ruling dynasties and spiritual life, wood carving, lacquering and gilding crafts have been increasingly prospering in our country. Historical records show that majestic palaces were all lacquered and gilded under the Dinh and Early Le Dynasties. Under the Ly Dynasty, temples and palaces were also decorated with glorious lacquered and gilded woodwork. The crafts most flourished under the Le and Nguyen Dynasties (17th to early 20th Centuries.) This cultural heritage is being respected and honored in the permanent exhibition entitled ‘Red and gold – A collection of lacquered and gilded woodwork’, which showcases a select part of the vast amount of woodwork collected, studied and maintained by the Vietnam National Museum of History in decades. Honoring these relics, we show our admiration for ancient masters who spared no time and hardship to create invaluable works of art and transfuse their soul into wood, lacquer and gold, in order to engrave their heartfelt message for future generations about the traditions of nurturing love and gratitude to the country, to its builders and defenders and to the ancestors, and about the perpetual aspiration for a long and happy life for everyone. Our forefathers’ life philosophy, aesthetical mind and dexterity helped express historical and cultural values, customs and religious beliefs of the Viet people. Among the artifacts preserved, the category of worshiped statues and altar utensils is the most numerous. The statues include those of Three Era Buddhas, Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, Newborn Shakyamuni, Bodhidharma, and The
HISTORY Sacred Mother. The altar utensils created highly sophisticated pieces of include incense tables, altars, worship art work. With regard toKieu Ky chamber, worship beds, tablets, village, the skill of its masters and boxes of conferment letter, jars, strictly observed a 40-stage vases, weapon racks, parallel procedure of gold and silver sentence and motto boards, processing make wooden statues, intricately decorated with parallel sentences and horizontal classical themes of supernatural motto boards, shine splendidly. four, precious four, flowers, These two trade villages used to be birds, and calligraphic designs. very prosperous. Having gone These concrete, real items through ups and downs of history helped the museum staff to in recent years due to the resurgence recreate lively scenes of spiritual of religious activities, the villages are activities. Here is a village pagoda having their Renaissance. Coming to with an altar of Three Era Buddhas, Son Dong and Kieu Ky today, we can there is a temple or shrine with tablets of Mõ, a wooden bell usually seen in witness firsthand the procedures of wood the tutelary god or an ancestral altar. A a pagoda for praying carving, lacquering and gilding conducted under religious procession with eight-pole palanquin or the merry symphony of saws, hammers and chisels a village festive day in an idyllic country side; everything resounding all around. can be reenacted within the National Museum of History. In Vietnam, wood processing in general and carving, lacquering Additionally, the topical exhibition also reserves a small space to and gilding in particular are a cherished cultural heritage that has introduce the wood sculpture carving trade village Son Dong and the been passed down through generations and has left for us an lacquering, gold and silver laminating and gilding trade village Kieu enormous amount of inheritance. This time around, our exhibition Ky. will not only pay tribute to traditional handicrafts as part of the Son Dong (Hoai Duc – Hanoi) is a thousand-year old trade village nation’s cultural cream, but also help the public to better understand specializing in carving wooden statues and worship utensils. Son artifact collection, and as a result, to raise awareness about Dong is most famous in imitating antiques to serve refurbishing preservation, upholding and further enriching the values of national temples, pagodas, shrines, historical and cultural vestige sites all over history, culture and arts. the country. The golden hands of talented Son Dong artisans have Nghê, a creature with a lion-like head, a long tail and a dog-like body
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Poitrait by Do Hoang Tuong
" Without the community sense, villages will break..."
Nguyen Su - former Party Chief of Hoi An City
TEXT BY KIM YEN TRANSLATION BY LE HOAI NAM
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lobal integration is happening hourly, daily throughout history in old villages, connecting and binding countryside and cities in blood and flesh. That’s what made Hoi An one of the nine most romantic towns in the world, according to India Times. The man who embodies the spirit of the village, the one who for decades has been helping it withstand the shattering waves of modernization which threaten to devastate the social fabric and ecosystems, is none other than the town’s Party Chief Nguyen Su. 12 •
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The whirlpool of unrestrained urbanization has eroded villages all over the country. How did those in Hoi An manage to survive in harmony with city lifestyle through a century of French rule, 30 years of brutal wars and 40 years of building. while continuing to be a melting pot of many different cultures? How does Hoi An, an open port with an open economy since the 11th century, where city lifestyle and international trade began so early, manage to preserve its villages? From its early days when the mainstream
PEOPLE
A boat races on Hoai river at Hoi An ancient town is organized annually in August as part a Vietnam-Japan cultural exchange program. Photo: Thai Quan Chung. 2012
ideology valued agriculture and despised trade, Hoi An already had a much more advanced economical model, with robust domestic and international trade. For centuries, Hoi An developed in this direction. In the process of vibrant trading, cultural exchange and integration, not only did the village features not diminish but even thrived. Those are the features of traditions and the sense of village community, fresh and mature, flourishing in urban settings. There are many peculiar aspects to it, but perhaps the most important factor is that Hoi An makes no distance between townspeople and country folks. Townspeople are at home in the countryside, and country folks are confident and well-connected in the streets. The sense of community is very strong and widespread. News quickly spreads far and wide. When a person dies in the evening, the next morning, people come from the whole area to the family to burn incense and pay respect. It’s the community sense that sustains the village culture. What’s the difference in village features of Hoi An and those elsewhere? What’s the effect of time on the village culture’s evolution? Urban culture here simply means streamlining village lifestyle, encasing it in street structure, and the village engraves its features on the streets. That’s why Hoi An is so open to the outside world and so easily remains itself. Development is not destructive, and conservation doesn’t deter evolution. This helps communities to be
balanced, moving forward without blurring or distorting their sense of self. History does not repeat itself, but its lessons help new cultural elements coming from outside simmer gently and subsequently diversify and contribute to the cultural landscape of Hoi An. There is no assimilation. The same village culture at Hoi An only peacefully expands, enriching itself, growing beyond itself while remaining easily recognizable. Being a village is no reason for being left behind. Why, while villages in other regions suffer cultural shocks and social disintegration, Hoi An remains cool and calm in modernization? Formulized culture is dead culture. Culture is a living organism with past, present and future without interruption. The past enables cultures to distill themselves. Being in lasting peace with the past helps us live with the present, and smoothly move into the future. This natural process, unstrained, shouldn’t be beyond anyone’s utmost efforts. To retain villagers and village culture for Tra Que, Kim Bong and Thanh Ha what policies did Hoi An issue? Were they challenged by the reality of naked lust for material gain and money fever? All Hoi An villages have their own trade, their own community center and tutelary god. People connect their lives, understand each others’ and build their community, all through the profession they share. To preserve Tra Que, Kim Bong and Thanh Ha, their trade must be promoted
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not for show, but to support real life of real people. We are overly fed up with fake trade villages where the trade is only performed for tourist entertainment. Most importantly, villagers must be proud of their ancestral trade, able to connect their present with the past, and able to earn a living by professing their trade at home. Each villager, literate or not, has put into their products the culture and essence of the land and the people here, adding to the unique trademark only Hoi An has. To retain villagers means to protect their interests. It’s not possible to force them to preserve their trade if it doesn’t earn them money. Tra Que can survive not by selling vegetables to Tra Que villagers, but by promoting its trademark and tourist services related to the vegetable trade. They must develop their services, engage tourists in growing vegetables, and make them cultural ambassadors who will promote Tra Que. On the government’s side, to prevent farmers from using plantation land for housing needs, I took the initiative of granting each household 200m2 of land on the village’s outskirts for housing while keeping their gardens, and a certain amount of money for construction. The government also contacts tour organizers to extend the duration of Hoi An tours.Today, Tra Que is a favorite of
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Hoi An, 2014. Photo: Le Trong Khang
tourists; villagers are attached to their homes, and nobody uses farmland for housing anymore... Is granting land to over 2000 households a sacrifice of the State? A wrong land policy is the worst thing that can happen to a village. It’s the biggest problem of Hoi An. I only cared about the long-term welfare of the village, not the 200m2 of land. It’s all about people’s lives, their village and their culture. This is not too big of an investment. No vegetables, no Tra Que. Tra Que vegetables are a trademark of Hoi An. When the government behaves decently towards the people, they will have a decent life. Today, Tra Que vegetables have attracted attention from all five continents. The villagers are even proposing to develop on Tra Que Lagoon. This vibrancy can be boosted not by imposing sheer voluntarism and fake trading, but by caring about the people’s welfare. Regarding street protection, you had to face a lot of cursing and swearing by the folks, didn’t you? When starting to restore urban order, by our lack of management experience we failed to adequately inform and convince the people, to establish fairness and to fight the ‘no one mourns the common father’ psychology. But what we did was for common good, and so although it took
PEOPLE some time for the people to realize it, we eventually got their complete support. Just a matter of who can peddle on the sidewalks and who cannot, was already a big issue. At first, our decision to let poor folks who live deep in tiny alleys to peddle snacks on the sidewalks made those whose shop opens to the street furious. But gradually, mutual sympathy began to build up between them. Bigger traders started to share space with smaller, less privileged ones. Street peddlers learned to follow rules, not to inconvenience the shops’ business. Little by little they became one community. My idea of lining the sidewalk to make space for bike parking also caused heated disputes. Good habits don’t come easily. They are made by rules. Good rules will become traditions, and violations will be condemned by the community. In the years 1995 and 1996, I was young and was considered for many of my actions a ‘young goat itched in the horn’, and my wife was even pin-pricked by unknown folks. It was a hustle as I moved street vendors into the market, because everybody demanded a place on the main aisle. I fixed the rent prices, but waived the fee for elderly people because they are the soul of the market. Some of them are just trying to earn a modest living so that they don’t have to ask their descendants for money. Rules must be strict and tolerant at the same time. That’s the principle I always keep in mind. Do you worry about the waves of investors that change ownership of the front houses and push the real Hoi An people into the back alleys? Does this affect the authenticity of Hoi An? Some big families have to sell their house to divide the inheritance among their many children. That’s a normal thing to do. There are many kinds of buyers. They may buy a house for the love of Hoi An, or as an antique collector, or as a real estate investor, or to open a shop. There is a SwedishVietnamese couple living behind my house. They came here, bought a house, had kids and became Hoi An residents. They go to pagodas, drink rice wine, celebrate Lunar New Year and call me their neighbour. New people diversify Hoi An. In the past they may have come as a whole village, with all the relationships intact. I don’t think newcomers will change Hoi An’s blood. Nobody is assimilated here, people simply come to join the community and make it richer. I only have a little reservation about those who rent a house to open a shop for a few years. They only look for short term gain and usually care little about the house they rent and the spirit of Hoi An. What are your most vivid memories about your home, your village? I was born in Cam Thanh, a special village which was an island separated from others. Before bridges were built, people came and went by boat. All kids knew how to swim. My village’s temple was very beautiful. Every spring and
autumn celebration, the whole village gathered together. Each person found something to do, and the happiness was shared so warmly. I most remember the times I followed my mom wading in low water season to catch juvenile carp. In good times and bad, I always held tight in the village, never left. There are so many cherished mementos with the bamboo hedges, the river, about sling shooting poon seeds, and falling asleep in the breeze brought from the river by the bamboo. I remember everyone’s face, every household’s situation. Those emotions nurtured my person, and I believe in the spirit of every Vietnamese, that whoever has ever lived in a village, then wherever they may go later, those memories, merry or sad, will keep them awake and never confused. What qualities do you think a mayor should have? To me it’s simple. Nothing is given for free in life, so do the best you can and live with self esteem, and that’s good enough. If you can’t help people, at least don’t harm anyone. Nobody is born readily a chairman or a party chief, but that’s how an ordinary person should live, or shame will gnaw one’s life. The leader is very important for the future of a city. He must have a lot of knowledge and a clear vision that connects the past and the future. My tenure was only a bridge, so to speak. In today’s context, urbanization is a matter of course, undeterrable. But the way this process goes in our country, giving birth without pregnancy, urbanizing with no plan, just by displacing people and violating tutelary gods, within 10 years the whole social ecosystem, which is built on the village structure, will be destroyed. More than anyone else, the mayor must see the strength of the village. Without the community sense, villages will break, the country will be in turmoil, and the nation demoralized. Do you worry that, as you no longer lead the city, ancient villages won’t be able to withstand the teeth and claws of savage greed? No, I don’t. I absolutely trust the generations after me. They are well educated, well trained, and strongly attached to Hoi An. They will do better and have bolder ideas than I did. Real life experience will guide them to the best route. It’s crucial to have courage to face oneself, to do the right thing without hesitation and to overcome oneself when wrong. The leader must have the courage not to give up, because that will result in grave consequences, not only for himself but also for great many others. n This article was printed in Vietnamese on The Gioi Tiep Thi Weekly in 2014. (In June 2015, Mr Nguyen Su resigned from the position of Party Chief of Hoi An City. He said: " If I remain in the position of Party Chief like an old tree, my shade would be too big, taking away light and view from any talented successors. When people hesitate to bring up new things, the chances for brave new ideas for Hoi An's development also diminish" - Ed) OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2017
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KRAJAN PLIN
A portrait of Krajan Plin
FROM A CHOSEN SON OF THE FOREST TO A MODERN DAYTRIBE ELDER TEXT BY HONG THUY TIEN; PHOTOS BY MPK
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he circumstances of one K’ho boy’s birth were very unusual. In 1961, he gave out his first cry deep in the forest. One-year old, that sacred son of the forest once again was bathed in unique customs. He was seated on a gong for a consecration. Conducting the ritual was his grandfather – elder Krajan Tot, also named ‘Dam Dang’, the third-generation elder of the K’ho Lach tribe that settled at the foot of the majestic Langbiang Mountain. That boy was Krajan Plin. In the first ritual of his life, surrounded by offerings such as grilled chickens, rice, eggs and bananas, the tribe elder read incantations to open his ears to transfer language, culture, music, customs and sagas into Krajan Plin. Perhaps with this sacred ritual intended for this K’ho boy alone, Krajan Plin was supernaturally chosen to be the spiritual bridge that brings the blood and salt of K’ho culture, which had been neglected and overridden in the cruel rush of modern rythyms to future K’ho Lach generations so that in 2000, Krajan Plin became the youngest, most respected elder of Tay Nguyen highlands, and the person who studied, collected, preserved and promoted K’ho customs in the truest and most lively fashion. Krajan Plin relates he loved his people’s culture ever since he was ten. He followed the adults to learn to play gongs and other instruments. Folk music soaked his childhood, and later followed him to SouthEast Asia and Europe as he was invited to perform. Dang Ya Village of Lat Commune (currently Lac Duong township of Lac Duong District, Lam Dong Province), the habitat of K’ho Lach people has undergone substantial changes in material and spiritual life. Introduced quite early to Western civilization by the French, and later mixed with the Viet culture, K’ho people gradually lost grip of their own customs. Krajan Plin was born at the time when the village was moved from the old place inside Dan Kia Lake (today’s Xuan Huong Lake), which was their paddy field. Since then K’ho
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Books written by Krajan Plin
people’s life was once again upgraded. Bigger, taller wooden stilted houses replaced small ones made of bamboo. Witnessing the head-spinning pace of historical events that changed the face and the feel of weddings, consecration and sacrificial rituals and other celebrations, Krajan Plin couldn’t help feeling lost. Perhaps today people know Krajan Plin more as a talented artist than as a tribal elder. With a strong warm voice and masterly hands versed with many instruments, he is a composer, a musician and a singer. He also writes poems, researches books on K’ho Lach customs, K’ho music and folklore. He has even written many historical sagas. He seems to be the expression of everything that is uniquely K’ho. He knows languages of many ethnicities that live around the Lam Dong region such as Nong, Ma, K’ho, Sre, Chinh and is especially versed in Banah. He also knows English and French well. Asked if he learned all the languages by himself, he said, that it was heaven’s gift. The gods and ancestors confided it all in him, as if he was the last one of the tribe. He is well received everywhere, which is also something mysterious. Most people think he must have been trained and taught in an art school. But actually, he studied at Dalat Intermediate School of Medicine. Due to 10 years working in medical field in Dam Rong, Krajan Plin had a chance to study his people’s culture. Asked how he came up
with the desire for digging deep into it, Krajan Plin shared an interesting story. ‘The first impression, the first striking thing for me was that the stilted houses were unlatched, and open, but I couldn’t enter. I asked myself, how can it be so? And I felt as if I had wandered into a different world (because my village was influenced by French culture) which I couldn’t understand. It opened for me new cultural dimensions and made me rethink about my ethnicity.’ Since then, whenever told about saga tellers that he didn’t know yet about, he went looking for them. He wanted to find sources and compare them to remove discrepancies. He can listen to a story he loves time and time again. Krajan Plin currently has over a hundred tapes in which he recorded sagas told by elders. And they, were very generous, as if they saw in him the heir of the cultural resources that could be passed down in oral form. That made him even more eager to collect, study, process, translate and analyse as much as possible. There was a time when Krajan Plin intended to resettle to the US. But the love of the culture of his ancestors took him back home to continue the mission of restoring and enriching his people’s identity. Nowadays, elder Krajan Plin introduces what has been restored of K’ho traditional dresses and music to tourists as part of their entertainment programs. He sees tourism as a way to accomplish his mission, despite some
people and authorities questioning him about copyright. Their lack of understanding and their one-sided, short-sighted attitude nevertheless saddened him somewhat. Intrepid, Krajan Plin pioneers to combine tourism and restoration of ethnic identity. ‘That’s the liveliest way of preservation. Tourism can be used to nurture and promote culture!’ He sincerely stated. With energy, love and passion, Krajan Plin has unearthed and blown life into K’ho culture. To him, the mission of going back to one’s roots is impossible without love. And little by little his work has been given more and more credit. Depending on seasons, age and cultural background of tourists, modern day village elder Krajan Plin keeps on taking them to tour the forests. It’s a way to explore and to come back to one’s own nature. Krajan Plin, born the sacred son of the forest half a century ago, his K’ho soul intact, still disappears into the forest every year. Coming back to the old forests means letting the soul come home to its origins. There, all his worries, fears and concerns about cultural issues, old customs and historical sagas turn into energy, love, joy of life and motivation to work and contribute. Thanks to him, K’ho culture is no longer timid, hiding in a village corner. Through his efforts it will shine bright and glow in the people’s heart, igniting curiosity and desire to explore the realm of mythical old ages. n
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RIVER
A RIVER CREATED BY THE GOD OF THUNDER
Nho Que winding around mountains
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TEXT BY LE KHANH HOA; PHOTOS BY TRAN BINH AN
nce upon a time, a huge torrent of water suddenly rushed into the valleys of Ha Giang Mountains. Here the violent flow was blocked by a colossal rock. The River God asked the Mountain God to move aside for the water to bring life to the barren land on the other side. The Mountain God pretended to be deaf and stayed put. Seeing what was going on, the King of Heaven ordered the Thunder God to settle the matter. At night, the Thunder God raised his sword, and the sky brightened in an eye blinding lightening. He swung down the sword, and the earth trembled under a deafening thunderbolt. The rock was split into two, and the blocked body of water rolled through. Vegetation grew lush green along the flow. That’s how legends go about Nho Que River in Ha Giang Province. The 192km long river takes its waters from China, passes the border at Lung Cu, goes through Dong Van and the famously dangerous Tu San Gorge, then goes along Ma Pi Leng Pass to MeoVac to finally turn southeasterly into Cao Bang territory and pours into Gam River. This 50km long section provides water for a 6,000km2 basin.
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Starting at the height of 1,200m above sea level, the river section in Vietnam goes through a spectacular landscape, rushing down steep slopes, 18,7 per cent at times, passing deep gorges between cloud covered mountains, rumbling down high falls, and winding tortuously in lush valleys between terraced paddies. Wild, majestic and picturesque, Nho Que is the most talked about name among famous places of Ha Giang – one of the most visited provinces of the northern highlands. The Tu San Gorge section of Nho Que River is considered the most spectacular and monumental. According to the website of Dong Van Tourist Information Centre, 700-800m deep, 1.7km long Tu San Gorge is the deepest gorge of Vietnam and probably of Southeast Asia, located within the most impressive area of the Dong Van Rocky Plateau, one of the World’s Geological Parks. The most famous place along Nho Que River is Ma Pi Leng Pass, considered one of the most perilous of the Northwest highlands. Under a 1,800m high above sea level peak, which is always hidden in clouds, the 20km long pass is dubbed the heart of Dong Van
RIVER
Nho Que river beneath the mist
Rocky Plateau. Ma Pi Leng Pass is a section of the Road of Happiness which connect Ha Giang City, Dong Van and Meo Vac township. Ma Pi Leng top is considered one of Vietnam’s most beautiful vantage points for landscape viewing. Many tourists couldn’t help exclaiming that they were mesmerized by the view of range after range of mountains, with a tiny silk band of Nho Que bending sinuously deep down below, seen from Ma Pi Leng top. Tu San Gorge and Ma Pi Leng Pass belong to the Complex of Ma Pi Leng Regional Geological Heritage. Scientists say that the Ma Pi Leng Geological Region combines tectonic, geomorphologic, stratapaleontological types of heritage. The Ma Pi Leng area covers 3 communes, Pai Lung, Pa Vi and Xin Cai, all belonging to Meo Vac District of Ha Giang Province. It has been named a national scenic site since 2009 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It is home to a number of Ha Giang Hanoi ethnic minorities such as Hmong, Dao and Tay. Each group has its own, unique culture. They live in remote solitary villages built on hill HCM City slopes that look really desolate.n
Nho Que River in afternoon sun
To get more impressions, it’s best to start exploring Nho Que from Lung Cu where the river enters Vietnam. There is a 15km long trail from Lung Cu to Tu San Gorge and Ma Pi Leng that runs alongside Nho Que River. Cleared by the locals, the rugged, narrow and deserted path hangs between sheer rock face and abyss with many steep slopes and abrupt turns... as if designed for strong limbs and hearts. Lung Cu Commune of Dong Van District is about 160km from Ha Giang City, up the national highway 4C. Everyday there are many buses that go from Ha Giang City to Lung Cu. One can also hire a motorbike in Ha Giang City to ride there.
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The light inside the mountain
NATURE
A
BY HOA DANG
From Rach Gia City of Kien Hanoi Giang Province one can ride a motorbike for about 80km on National Highway 80 to Ba Hon fork. Turn left and follow the asphalt road for about HCM City 7km to reach Holcim cement Kien Giang factory. Go about 5km further on a small asphalt road to come to Son Tra. One can also take a bus from Rach Gia city to Ba Hon fork, and then take a taxi or motorbike taxi to get to Son Tra. Every day at the Western Region Bus Station in Ho Chi City, there are many buses that go to Rach Gia City, 280km away from Ho Chi Minh city.
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Inside Son Tra Cave. Photos: Nguyen Dinh Ri
lthough it occupies only a 2,000m2 area, in recent years Son Tra has attracted a lot of tourists and photographers. This small rocky hill has at its foot the poor village Ba Nui of Binh An Commune, Kien Luong District, KienGiang Province. Natural scenery loving eyes are lured to this barren hill by the maze of caves inside it, with walls covered by impressive stone scales, stalactites and stalagmites that tickle the imagination. A large part of the caves’ floor is under 0.7m of chilling water in which a number of fish species thrive. For some time each day, sun rays peer through the Son Tra Cave entrances on the water surface, and the reflected light dances gracefully on the walls and ceiling. The scene changes as the sun glides on the sky, and the show of light gets even livelier. This is the main factor that draws photographers to this remote place.
NATURE
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Fishing on Son Tra Cave. Photo: Huynh Lanh
Inside Son Tra Cave. Photos: Nguyen Dinh Ri
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Visitors can combine exploring Son Tra caves and the nearby Mo So Mountain in a single trip. Mo So is a crater-like mountain with a flat bottom of about 1,000m2 in the middle. Seen from above. it looks like a gigantic ring. The mountain has a complicated system of caves inside. Geologists say that these caves were formed millions of years ago as sea water eroded the lime stone core of the mountain. There is one more hill called May near Son Tra and Mo So. This triplet belongs to the lime stone hill system Kien Luong – Ha Tien. About 5-7km away from this triplet there is famous Ba Lua archipelago, also belonging to Kien Luong District, with about 40 islands in an area of about 70km2. Clearly visible from the shore, the archipelago is dubbed ‘The little Halong of the South.’n
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NATURE
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Wonderful wetlands TEXT BY VO MANH HAO; PHOTOS BY NGUYEN LINH
ang Sen Wetland Reserve, Tan Hung District, Long An Province, a western neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City, was named the world’s 2,227th and Vietnam’s 7th Ramsar forest in 2015. Since then, this area that used to be dubbed a ‘Minimized Dong Thap Muoi wetland in Mekong Delta’ is getting more and more attention from the research community. About 90 km from Tan An of Long An Province, the 5,000km2 Lang Sen conservation zone is representative of the marshy land around Mekong estuaries. I had a very exciting exploration trip to this special place. From Tan An, I followed National Highway 62, then turned to Road 79 which led through a paradise of lush green honey-myrtle forests, rice paddies and lotus bogs. After about 35km, I reached Lang Sen. Coming out to meet me was Mr Ut, who had worked over 8 years in the conservation zone. He said, ‘There are new walking paths in the zone, but by using a boat you can experience its peculiarities better.’ I stepped onto the boat and the fun began. The canal led to the center of the conservation zone, a sea of lotuses swaying in the
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breeze. Suddenly a thick flock of birds soared up from a patch of lotuses, startling me, Mr Ut shouted, ‘The grey-headed purple swamphen!’ From that moment on, flocks of hoopoes and weavers began to fuss around and above us. His hands on the steering shaft, Mr Ut told us that Lang Sen Wetland Reserve has 86 fish species and 142 bird species, including rare ones such as sarus cranes, glossy ibises, giant barbs and giant catfish. The rich flora here is also very diverse, including 156 species, mostly the typical ones of Dong Thap Muoi such as honey-myrtle, madder, Vietnamese olive (trám xanh), duck-feet (Lasia spinosa Thwaites). ‘Lang Sen combines four ecosystems: swampy system, honeymyrtle forest system, seasonal flooded grassland system and forest-lined river system. It has four of the most prominent colonies of wild rice, spike rush, water lily and honey myrtle,’ Mr Ut shared. He showed me the colonies one by one, all very wild and untouched. The wild rice intrigued me the most. Mr Ut said, the wild rice colony occupied about 40ha. Scientifically named oryza
rufipogon, it is a wild species, which thrives during the big water season. During the flooding season each stem can grow up to 15cm a day to stay on top of the rising water, faster and stronger than even grass. The most amazing thing about this species is that unlike any other kind of rice, the grains ripen individually, not the whole ear at the same time, and the ripened grains fall into the water before dawn. So, to harvest wild rice, one has to come here before sunrise on a very light boat, equipped with only a bamboo lattice and two bamboo poles. At dusk we came to the birds’ night refuge area. From faraway I could hear the deafening noise of thousands of birds calling each other to bed. n Hanoi
HCM City
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In September, 2016 Tran Thai Company started the Lang Sen Tourism project which includes eco-tourism convalescence, and nature resource exploration services plus access to traditional culture and lifestyle of local people. “We plan to begin officially receiving tourists and guests in 2018” the representative of Lang Sen Wetland Reserve management said. Calling to Lang Sen Wetland Reserve management at 0902943594 for more information.
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CRAFTS
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BAU TRUC POTTERY’S PECULIARITIES BY HOA KHANH
au Truc Pottery Village, in Phuoc Dan Township, Ninh Phuoc District, NinhThuan Province, is considered one of Southeast Asia’s oldest pottery villages, famous for its distinct pottery kneading and baking techniques. In June 2017, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism named Bau Truc a National Intangible Cultural Heritage and is filing documents about Bau Truc to submit to UNESCO for recognition as a World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. Bau Truc has about 450 households, mostly Cham, and 85 per cent of them are currently engaged in pottery business. Most houses in the village are at the same time a pottery workshop, and are always open for tourists and visitors.
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At the village centre, there is a Pottery Exhibition Hall for visitors to see and buy its products as gifts and souvenirs. The diverse showcased items include vases, jars, pots, teapots, statues of deities, and miniatures of Cham temples. In the exhibition hall, there are also some artisans who demonstrate the making of Bau Truc pottery with masterly hands. Visitors can follow their lead to learn first-hand how to make and decorate simple items. Cham traditional pottery craft at Bau Truc is very peculiar. They don’t put clay on a spinning table, but only use their skillful hands and lissome body movements to create forms. Without any mould or pattern, the craftsmen’s imagination is free and their creativity unleashed. The quality and beauty of the products depends solely on their skills, talent and artistry.
To Bau Truc villagers, the soil Hanoi around the village is a treasure because it contains a special, extremely pliant kind of clay, much Ninh more so than anywhere else. Thuan Adding to that, the sand in Quao HCM City River nearby is very fine. This clay and sand are the main materials for Bau Truc pottery. After mixing the clay and sand thoroughly, a craftsman would begin using the mixture to form a product. To make a round item, he would knead the clay with his hands while walking around it, which is a very eye-catching scene. Satisfied with the form, the artisan uses special techniques to smooth its surface before using sticks, combs, wild fruits and shells to create patterns on it. These ornamental patterns usually reflect spiritual and routine aspects of the Cham people’s life. Having been sundried thoroughly, the ‘raw’ products are put in a heap of thatch and firewood at a clearing and a fire is lit. The pile burns at 500 - 6000C for six hours. The burnt items are taken out and sprayed with a special paint extracted from wild fruits, and then burnt again for another two hours and the process is completed. This open-air baking technique used at Bau Truc is unlike any other pottery village of Vietnam. They all use kilns. Baked this way, each finished product has many different colours: yellow- reddish, red-pinkish, blackgrayish and brown. In short, each item is a one-of-a-kind work of art. n Baking pottery at a Cham Village, Ninh Thuan Province. Photo: Pham Duc Minh
Shaping pottery by hand; Pottery products; Photos taken by Lam Chieu at Bau Truc Pottery Village, Ninh Thuan Province, 2012
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ARCHITECTURE
HOUSE OF WORSHIP HOUSE OF LOVE BY LE KHANHHOA
S
apa stone church, built in the early 20th Century, is considered one of the bestpreserved French architectural ‘footprints’ left in the vast northern highland region. Every weekend, people of ethnic minorities in their garish garments come here to pray, sing, dance and play their traditional musical instruments. The Website of the People’s Committee of Sapa District says, ‘In 1918, the French constructed the first villas in Sapa, giving birth to a resort town to serve the governing body in Hanoi. During the 1924-1940 period, they built a church and about 100 villas in the town, 1,500m above sea level. During that same period, they constructed water and electricity hook-ups, street lighting and drainage systems and a post office. In the late 1930s, during summers, Sapa received thousands of Europeans who came to Vietnam to live and work.’ As an important part of any French town, the church was built at Sapa’s very center, on a level clearing. It can be seen from any point in the town. After its completion, the church had the shape of a cross and was named Church of Virgin Mary of Man Coi.
Sapa Church in mist. Photo: Vu Dung
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ARCHITECTURE
Outside and inside the church. Photos: Nguyen Thien Hung
Built on an area of 500m2 in Roman Gothic style, the Church of Virgin Mary of Man Coi, with its roofs, steeple and cupola all having a sharp top, looks light and elegant. The 20m high steeple houses a 500kg bell, cast in 1932. Inside the church, the most noteworthy interior element is the dozen glass window panels along its side walls with colorful scenes of Jesus Christ’s life painted on them. Beside the main structure, the 6,000m2 premises also has a living quarter, a house to raise domestic animals, an Angels’ House, a front court, a Saints’ garden and fences all built from chiseled stones. So, the Church of Virgin Mary of Man Coi is also referred to as the stone church. According to the Website of Sapa parish, from the time it was first opened, the church always had a French pastor. Since 1948, after
father Ydiart Alhor Jean was killed, the church was abandoned because of war. In March of 1952, French airplanes bombed and leveled Sapa almost completely. But for some mysterious reason, the stone church remained intact. Being without attendance and care for decades, Sapa stone church has suffered a lot of damage. In 1995, the church was substantially renovated but the original architecture was kept intact. Since then, more and more local ethnic parishioners attend the functions. The preaching, however, is conducted by nonlocal pastors. According to the Website of Sapa parish, ‘Since May 2006, Sapa stone church officially began to again have a permanent parish pastor after almost 60 years.’ At present, ethnic minority people from surrounding areas dress up every day and come to the church court to trade their
goods. Weekends, Lao Cai Hanoi especially Saturday evenings, are also the time minority artists gather here to stir up the fun mood HCM City by showing their songs and dances, playing flutes, pipes, and leaf and lip music. Tourists lovingly call these activities ‘love kermis’. Perhaps they do feel that cultures are melting, mixing, and connecting locals and visitors. Remarkably, on Christmas Eve night, the colors and good mood at Sapa stone church multiply. Ethnic people from faraway places pour in to attend the major function, and at the same time to enjoy the vibrant show of oneness and togetherness. n
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ARCHITECTURE
Inside the house
THE ONE AND ONLY HUNDRED PILLAR HOUSE TEXT BY LE DUC NGUYEN HUU THANH
PHOTOS BY
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he Hundred Pillar House, Cau Ngang Village, Long Huu Dong Commune, Can Duoc District, Long An Province, with its Hue-style architecture and elaborate wood carvings was named a national historical and cultural relic in 1997 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Called Hundred Pillar House, it actually has as many as 120 pillars. Built in a 4,886m2 garden, the one-storey, 822m2 house has 3 main compartments and two double lean-tos. The house frame and all the furniture inside were made from precious timbers such as rose-wood, ebony wood, and red wood. The roofs are covered with flip-flop tiles and the floor with hexagonal bricks. The house’s first owner was councilor Tran Van Hoa. He invited 15 masters from Hue to build it from 1898 to 1903. The construction took 2 years and wood carving work 3 years. Experts say that the Hundred Pillar House is heavily influenced by the Hue architectural style. But as it was made on order from a southerner in French colonial times, many
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ARCHITECTURE
Hanoi
HCM City
Long An
local and contemporary elements were introduced in the decorative themes, making it different and unique, reflecting the evolution of Southern culture in late 19th and early 20th Century. Current owner and inhabitant of the house, Ms Tran Thi Ngo, daughter-in-law of councilor Tran Van Hoa said, ‘Hue palace and residential architecture is shown clearly in the decorative carvings on the beam ends, pillar tops and railings under the four sacred motif of dragon, kylin, tortoise and phoenix.’ Ms Ngo added, ‘With love to the Southern land, the A set of wooden plates
owner had the carvers add local fruits such as mangosteen, custard-apples, bullock’s heart to the wooden reliefs. The classical motifs were combined with plenty of Southern elements together with Western themes. Regarding carving techniques, the Hundred Pillar House combines many of them such as relieving, and sculpting with a very high level of sophistication. In recent years, Ms Ngo and her children have received a lot of tourists and visitors who came to contemplate the house. Many film crews also came to take scenes for historical movies. n
An old-style lantern
An ancient bed as old as the house
The facade of the Hundred Pillar House OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2017
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CULTURE
Praying to the gods for a good crop, a ritual in the Loi Protip Festival
Making decoration for the Loi Protip Festival
BEGGING MOTHER NATURE’S FORGIVENESS
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TEXT BY LE KHANH; PHOTOS BY DINH CONG TAM
t’s an ancient custom that on the full moon of the 9th lunar month (this year falls on 3 November), Khmer people conduct their Loi Protip celebration. This is a very special occasion, because it is both a Buddhist and traditional Khmer celebration in the Mekong River Delta region. Among 13 provinces of the Mekong River Delta,
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Tra Vinh and Soc Trang Provinces have the highest concentration of Khmer population. Coming to Soc Trang and Tra Vinh on this day, visitors will have a chance to enjoy the bright colours of the floating lantern festival in Khmer villages. During Loi Protip, people float lanterns as an offering to a tooth of Shakyamuni Buddha that the snake deity Nagar keeps in the Underwater Palace.
CULTURE
A procession on the water before releasing the Loi Protip
Loi Protip is also an occasion for people to show gratitude to the God of the Earth (PreaThorani) and God of Water (Preah Kungkea) for granting Khmer people health and good fortune. At the same time, people perform penitence for breaking ground, planting crops and fishing, which contaminate nature. Besides being a spiritual celebration, Loi Protip also educates people to live in harmony with, be grateful to, protect and preserve nature. A few days before the celebration, villagers gather to make big lanterns that are modeled after towers, temples and the snake deity Nagar. While the adults are busy making and adorning their big, impressive lantern, kids are also taking time to make
lovely little lanterns to have their share of the full moon night fun. After being completed, the lanterns are loaded with rice, salt and fruits as offerings made to the God of the Earth and God of Water. On the evening of the full moon, the Protip (lanterns) are paraded around the village, accompanied by drums and traditional music, followed by villagers. As it moves, the train prays and blesses every house. At the end of the procession, the lanterns put on a banana raft and together with multitudes of small lanterns, are floated in a river or canal, lighting it up, filling the air with a deep feeling of quiet happiness. n
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Soc Trang
The most attended locations that conduct Loi Protip celebration in Soc Trang Province are Lich Hoi Thuong Commune, Tran De District and Thanh Phu Commune, My Xuyen District. Tra Vinh Province has My Hoa Commune, Cau Ngang District; and Tap Son and Kim Son Communes, Tra Cu District.
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COOKING
A SIMPLY DELICIOUS BOOK:
MODERN AND TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE CUISINE
D
BY PIP DE ROUVRAY
o you eat to live or do you live to eat? If your answer is the latter, you will enjoy this brief overview of the vast subject that is Vietnamese cuisine and enable yourself to prepare and enjoy a few sample dishes in the comfort of your own home. Originally intended as an introduction to the food of Vietnam, this book was published and disseminated throughout the English-speaking world by the British publisher New Holland. In recent months, the Asia Book Company, under its brand Artbook, has made it available for those already in the country. It is not a coffee table book with the aim of stirring up conversation, but instead, a compact, practical guide and recipe book. Having said that, the photography is superb and will have you salivating for the dishes. There are also fine pictures of various aspects of Vietnamese culture. Having lived in Vietnam for over twenty years, I know how seemingly infinite the food here is. I am still discovering new dishes and cooking tips. How do you cover this topic in just 184 pages? The introductory essay explains this by detailing the foreign influences gained through Vietnam's rich history-in particular the French and the Chinese-and that of geography as the country has an enormous diversity of climatic zones and ecosystems. Thai and Cambodian influences are also given a mention. The differences between Northern and Southern cooking are explained and further adding to the diversity are the stories of the cuisine of Imperial Hue and the historical and international port of Hoi An, through which many now commonplace ingredients were introduced by such intrepid folk as the Portuguese. The introduction also includes information on what the typical Vietnamese would eat during the day, a description of a Vietnamese kitchen and its cooking utensils and also the colourful contribution food plays in the street life of the country with its numerous food stalls and ‘com binh dan’ those ubiquitous rice shops/eateries. The rest of the tome is arranged by category of food. Many
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of the more exotic tropical ingredients are omitted in the recipes, as these would not be available in the average English supermarket. Also, given the English suspicions of the health dangers of monosodium glutatmate, this flavouring has been dropped. At the head of each section, there is a brief page of text to discuss the role of each food kind in Vietnamese life; otherwise it is just photographs and text until the end of the book. Here is a brief run down:
Appetisers and snacks
This section details with how to wrap and roll egg and spring rolls, make the local pancakes, seafood cane skewers, prawns in caramel and more. There is also a recipe for one of the many dipping sauces, many of which are specific to one particular dish (nuoc cham).
Soups
This introduces the Westerner imbued with the idea that a soup is simply an appetiser to the Vietnamese concept of an entire meal in itself in a bowl of steaming herbal liquid. Inevitably there is pho, but also hot and sour fish, cabbage, vermicelli chicken and duck and nut soups.
Meat
Whilst stating in the foreword that the Vietnamese get their protein from a vaster array of animals than most Westerners do-horse, goat, frog, buffalo, rabbit and deer-pork and beef recipes only are given. Impress your guests with a coconut pork stew or learn how to treat yourself to a breakfast of noodle pancakes with garlic beef!
Seafood
Ah what a wonderful country for this! This part teaches you examples of what wonderful things the Vietnamese do to enhance the bounty of Neptune-crab, squid, prawn, eel and that dish that really packs in the flavour clay pot fish.
COOKING
Chicken and poultry
What with lemongrass chicken, turkey with mushrooms and chicken egg cakes, the Vietnamese certainly know how to treat a good bird! Then there is that side line product of the rice paddiesduck. Here it is given a new twist with French influence - the spicy duck a l'orange and honey roasted duck got me drooling!
Vegetables
The trend particularly among the western youth to vegetarianism is easy to in Vietnam. Apart from bean sprouts, Emily Nguyen sticks only to vegetables familiar to the English with such recipes as stuffed tomatoes, spinach with peanut sauce and herb rice noodles with asparagus and peanuts.
Salads
Mentioning that in Vietnam, salads often come with minced meat, Emily keeps her salads vegetarian. Three sample salads with their dressing are given here; namely Saigon salad which is made from button mushrooms, potatoes, and artichoke hearts. The other two recipes are for green papaya salad and a chicken salad.
Desserts
Those of us in-country know that dessert in Vietnam means fresh fruit and what an enormous variety of that there is! In a
country as hot as this one, fruit is the healthiest way to get your sugars. However, this book was first published in a cold country where the sweet course can often be half the meal. The French creme caramel is given a Vietnamese twist and there are ginger biscuits imported from Scotland. So a cook book that was originally intended for perhaps the upper middle class English hostess to impress dinner party guests with instant Vietnam recipes has now come home firmly to roost. No matter how short their time in Vietnam, people can not have failed to have realised how vast the subject of food is in this oriental land. This book serves to whet the appetite of all for more culinary adventures in Vietnam!
‘Vietnamese. Modern and Traditional Vietnamese Cuisine’ by Emily Nguyen is published in Vietnam by Asia Book Company Limited. 46 Le Loi Street, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: 84-028-39105618. Email: info@artbookcom.vn www.artbook.com.vn Price: VND290,000
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OPINION
It’s time for women to dance
W
BY HOA HA
here is the largest untapped potential for economic growth? In women. Yes, it is right at a time when women, especially those who live in the Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam, are free from domestic burdens and may get a chance start their own business. That, together with other initiatives to activate the participation of women in economic growth, was discussed among delegates of member economies in the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)’s forums on Women and the Economy held in Hue in late September. Since the first day Vietnam opened its economy for the participation of private sector, not many women have joined and opened their own enterprises. A report by Dr. Michael DiGregorio, country representative of The Asia Foundation in Vietnam, said the country has only 31 per cent of registered businesses owned by women. A majority are small-scale. Percentages showed in a report delivered by World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) was much lower than DiGregorio’s, which said Vietnam has 95,906 enterprises or 21 per cent of the total businesses registered around the country. According to IFC criteria, the majority of women-owned enterprises are micro-enterprises, accounting for 57 per cent or 55,049 enterprises. Other 45 per cent or 44,003 enterprises are sorted in the list of small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) while only one per cent or 854 enterprises reach the level of large enterprises. The IFC criteria said micro-enterprises are those having revenues of less than $100,000 per annum. SMEs have annual revenues between $100,000 and $15 million and large enterprises have annual revenues over $15 million. DiGregorio said there are a number of barriers preventing women from starting a business. ‘Vietnamese women customarily bear a dual burden of childcare and domestic work that limits their business opportunities,’ he said, adding that some took part in family-run businesses in the role of finance manager. Other barriers prevent women from starting a business were listed at the forum, including lack of experience and financial insecurity. Some others lack confidence and do not
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feel quite ready to open their own business, as women have been hampered by housework from learning to use internet technology. Vietnamese ladies are being encouraged to get more involved in cyber activities to develop digital businesses, which are growing fast around the world. A report said there are 65 million small-and medium-sized enterprises on Facebook alone. Facebook is among the free and most convenient digital platforms whereby women can create their own community to share experience and get support from each other. Those regional communities are expected to help their members gain broader knowledge in each business sector from exchanging with others in different countries. Louise Williams from US-APEC Technical Assistance to Advance Regional Integration said women should rely on three types of resources: a business network, private sector initiatives and government services. Experts at the forums also encouraged women to make use of support and advice from experienced entrepreneurs when they start a business. Regional senior director of Southeast Asia Walmart Global Sourcing, Jocelyn Tran, an experienced businesswoman, was nominated as an activator that helps involve more women in the region in business. She said at her first arrival in a country, she would seek women-owned businesses for her supply chain right after she set up a network with agencies. ‘I targeted female products for women customers’, she said, adding that Walmart is an international market of 260 million customers. Tran prioritised working with women-owned businesses and she learned to understand cultural, social and legal challenges for women in running the businesses involved in her supply chain. She also spent time with each women-owned business to build relationships and make commitments. According to Williams from US-APEC, five priority areas on which women should focus are capital and assets, access to markets, capacity and skills, leadership and agency, innovation and technology. Experts have encouraged economic sectors, especially banking, to target women’s untapped potential. WEConnect International’s COO Gretta Schettler said women-owned enterprises have untapped
OPINION potential for the banking sector and the sector should work actively to help women grow their own businesses. According to Joana Romero, a SME and Gender Finance Specialist of IFC, banks across the world are focusing more on women. Women borrowed capital primarily for investment, purchase and accessing new markets, she said. Obviously, banks could have more women using credit cards or accessing loans to set up businesses. DiGregorio of The Asia Foundation said banks should enable women to make cashless bank-bank transfers as well as to develop a simple, easy to use mobile banking platform. Other experts encouraged banks to invest in training staff on the gender dimension of banking. At the same time, the banking sector should recognize women-owned businesses as a strategic segment and raise awareness of banks of the opportunities from women SMEs. At the leadership level, Vietnamese Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh hailed the Asian-Pacific economies’ attempt to dismantle barriers preventing women entrepreneurs from owning businesses for the target of women owning half of the regional enterprises by 2030. ‘Each economy should build up institutions and laws on gender equality to promote women’s empowerment. Enterprises should also map out strategy and policies on how to encourage the involvement of women in finance, economy and society,’ she said. Both men and women working in public and private sectors should understand the capability and power of businesswomen, and do more to help them contribute to the national economy and society. APEC has about 600 million women in its labour force. Over 60 per cent of them work in the formal sector and another 40 per cent in the informal sector. They contribute up to $89 billion to APEC every year. According to Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Hong Lan, the full potential of women in APEC has yet to be tapped. ‘Bright prospects for the global economic growth and the booming information technology revolution will bring more chances and favourable conditions for the female workforce and women-owned businesses in APEC.’ Experts at the forum agreed that women’s empowerment must be a highlight in activities among APEC member economies. Empowering women means enabling them to work equally in all sectors and at the local, national, regional and global level. The recommendations adopted at the APEC forums in Hue would be submitted to APEC leaders at the APEC Summit that will be held in Danang in November this year. This means that the economic ballroom prepared for APEC women is ready for them to dance, making their potential a practical impetus for economic growth among APEC economies in the next decades. n
Mdm. Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, Vice President of Socialist Republic of Vietnam at the Ao dai Exhibition at Hue Museum of Culture
APEC delegates amused by Hue offer ‘Culture could be the base for economic growth, especially in tourism and entertainment. Culture and economy have a bond and women play a key role in preserving cultural values and developing the economy,’ Said Mdm. Ton Nu Thi Ninh, an experienced former diplomat of Vietnam and a Hue native who hosted the cultural night to refresh the APEC participant guests on September 27 at the Hue Museum of Culture. The night showcased the quintessence of Vietnamese music, clothing and food.
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HISTORY
PATH TO A SACRED ISLAND
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TEXT BY NGOC CANH; PHOTO BY TRAN THI MINH HA
hat 5,000m2 islet, named Hon Ba, is part of the Rear Bay of Vung Tau City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province. The city is about 120km to the east of Ho Chi Minh City. Hon Ba Shrine is much revered by the people who live here and in adjacent provinces. They believe the host deity of Hon Ba Shrine is powerful and merciful. That’s why incense never buns out inside the shrine. Most of the people who come here are fishermen. They come to beg for favorable weather and big catches in seafaring trips. It has been passed down that the shrine is dedicated to the Lady Dragon of the Sea, the Guardian goddess of fishermen. An old story is still being passed around, that in 1939, a French officer named Archinard fired his gun at Hon Ba. He fired many shots, but only one hit the shrine’s outer corner. Later, the officer died by recklessly shooting his gun. After that, the French named the island Archinard, but Vung Tau people kept on using the name Hon Ba.
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Among the many that have come to Vung Tau, few know that at low tide, a path emerges from under the water and connects the shore with a small islet, famous with the much-revered Hon Ba Shrine. Hanoi
HCM City
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2017
Vung Tau
The shrine was built in 1881 and renovated in 1971. Currently it is 4m high, with an altar for offerings, and has a 6m long, 3m wide basement, which used to be a secret meeting place of resistance fighters during the liberation wars. Every year people conduct consecration rituals here 4 times in the 1st, 4th,7th and 10th lunar months. Pilgrims and tourists can walk to Hon Ba at the time low tide. The water is the lowest at Hon Ba on the 14th and 15th days of lunar months. The path leading to Hon Ba is very rocky, rugged and full of razor-sharp shells. So those who want to walk to the shrine should wear sturdy shoes and keep in mind that the path is available only for a few hours before the sea rises again. Visitor can also reach Hon Ba by boat when the path submerges under a meter or so of sea water. Standing on Hon Ba, separated from the mundane everyday life, visitors can wholeheartedly enjoy the grandeur of the blue sky, blue sea, the murmur of water and bird chirping on age-old trees around the shrine. n
ADVERTORIAL
NUTRITIONAL VALUES OF NATURAL OFFSHORE SWALLOW NESTS
F
DR. TRUONG TAN MINH AND VET DR. NGUYEN ANH VU
or ages, swallow nests have been known for top nutritional values and ranked among the 8 most fabulous dishes. As they were rare and very hard to get, in the past only royal families had the privilege to enjoy them. A nest is formed as follows: Birds of the aerodramus fuciphagus germani group stretch their glue-like saliva into threads and attach them to a rock wall of a cave to start making the base. More and more such threads are added, or woven to form a nest. In Vietnam, these birds live mostly on islands, especially the ones off the coast of Khanh Hoa Province. They are actually granite rocks jutting out from the water, featuring sheer cliffs and precarious caves. Due to rich special mineral content inside and around the islands, our swallow nests have a distinct flavor and are superior in nutritional content as compared to swallow nests elsewhere. The special mineral content, rich in iron, of the environment surrounding a few specific islands of the Khanh Hoa Sea help produce the most precious of all swallow nests: the red nests. Modern scientific analyses show that swallow nests have glycoprotein structure, are high in energy, and very easily digestible. They contain a large number of high content amino acids, many of which cannot be produced by human body. They also contain chemicals that aid in quick recovery from injuries; stimulate red blood cell production, stabilize nerve and brain cells’ functions, stimulate intestine functions, fight aging and harmful radiation, strengthen muscle tissues, support cell reproduction, improve the immune system, improve liver functions, help the body absorb substances that prevent oxidization, wrinkles, pimples, freckles, and balance protein intake for those who are on a diet or play sports. In January 2016 researchers from top Chinese universities have published in Drug Design, Development and Therapy their findings about the effects of swallow nests from Khanh Hoa Salanganes Nest
Co. Ltd, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. They have established that these nests boost the amount of B-cells which produce antibodies that fight harmful agents from the environment and cancer cells. They concluded that Khanh Hoa swallow nests can at least slow down the development of cancer cells and improve the results of chemotherapy for cancer patients. In fact, Khanh Hoa swallow nests were named ‘Delicacy for Kings’ not by the Vietnamese themselves but by food experts and lovers all over the world. So, Khanh Hoa natural island swallow nests are truly superior in taste, flavor and health improvement qualities. To better serve the need of health improvement of our consumers and the demands of general market with high quality swallow nests harvested from the nature, Khanh Hoa Salangane Nest Co. Ltd constantly conducts scientific research toward sustainable development. According to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora’s executive body, Khanh Hoa Salangane Nest Co. Ltd is South-East Asia’s best company in swallow nest resource management and sustainable development. As of 2015, Khanh Hoa Salangane Nest Co. Ltd holds Asia’s records in number of offshore swallow nest caves and in swallow nest yield. Khanh Hoa Salangane Nest Co. Ltd for health and welfare of consumers and communities! n OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2017
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WHAT THE PAPER SAY
Railway sector to install cameras Viet Nam News, 15 September
The Vietnam Railway is planning to run a pilot programme, installing cameras at roadrailway crossings to catch violations and reduce number of accidents when trains pass. Several accidents have occurred at road-railway crossings recently due to careless automobile drivers with poor observation skills. With this in mind, the railway decided that installing cameras was a necessary precaution. When monitoring the cameras, if the railway managers notice a problem, they can assign workers to visit the scene and quickly resolve the situation.
Treating dioxin-contaminated soil begins Viet Nam News, 18 September
The Ministry of Defence on Saturday started the construction of infrastructure to address dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Airport. The project has total investment of VND270 billion ($11.8 million) from the State budget. Key facilities include disarming wartime mines and bombs, building roads, zoning off dioxin contaminated areas and removing organisations and military works from the newly detected squalid regions. The Bien Hoa Airport used to be the main army base of the US military during the war. Between December 1969 and March 1970, at least four AO spills occurred at the airport, posing the greatest risk of dioxin exposure.
Experts discuss ways to halt erosion Viet Nam News, 19 September
The worsening erosion at Hoi An City’s Cua Dai Beach took central stage at the 5th Vietnam-Japan workshop on estuaries, coasts and rivers held on Monday and Tuesday in the
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historic town. In recent years, many kilometres of Cua Dai Beach have suffered from severe erosion due to rising sea levels and a shortage of muddy sand flowing from the upstream Thu Bon River, affecting the livelihood of local residents as well other socio-economic activities in the area. The event focused on solutions, ideas and experiences in applying science and technology in water works related to estuaries, coasts and rivers, especially as climate change is exerting serious impacts on many localities across Viet Nam. In the short-term, the provincial People’s Committee agreed with the proposed scheme of artificial beach nourishment to save the beach from erosion provided that future projects ensure sustainability, and closely follow set planning.
Air pollution shortens Vietnamese life expectancy English VNExpress, 21 September
A new study has found that if the air was less polluted in Vietnam, its citizens would live on average 1.16 years longer. The study, conducted by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, is the first to concentrate on tracking people’s lifetime exposure to air pollution. Scientist identified that air pollution can cut a Vietnamese person’s lifespan by 1.16 years on average. The air quality in northern and central Vietnam is much worse than in the south, they added. The annual mean PM2.5 levels observed in Vietnam stood at 20.9 micrograms per cubic meter, double the WHO’s guidelines. However, air quality in Vietnam is slightly better than in regional peers Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.
Mekong Delta may be wiped out in 100 years English VNExpress, 26 September
Vietnam’s Mekong Delta could be wiped off the face of the planet over the next century if drastic measures are not taken. The delta, home to around 20 million people and responsible for half of Vietnam’s rice output, is losing ground to erosion along its 800-kilometer (497-mile) coastline almost every day, mostly along the Tien and Hau rivers that spill into the giant Mekong River. Figures from the environment ministry showed that the delta has been
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2017
losing around 300 hectares (741 acres) of land to erosion every year since 2005, while most of it sank by between five and 10 centimeters from 2010 to 2015. The issue is even more severe in coastal areas. The delta is at risk from a number of factors. There are 144 hydropower dams planned for the Mekong that would cause significant changes to the water levels and reduce the amount of mud and sand flowing downstream.
Hanoi to generate electricity from its biggest landfill Tuoi Tre News, 13 September
Two Vietnamese firms and their South Korean partners have closed a deal on a project that will generate electricity from the largest landfill in Hanoi. The landfill gas utilization plant will be developed at the Nam Son landfill in Soc Son District, outside Hanoi. The waste treatment complex at Nam Son landfill is the largest of its kind in Hanoi, treating some 4,000 metric tons of garbage per day. The landfill, spanning 83.5 hectares over three communes in Nam Son District, dedicates 53.49 hectares for waste burial. Construction of the plant is expected to take 15 months at a cost of $13.14 million. The plant will be in operation for 15 years with a total capacity of 5MW.
‘111’ to be national hotline for child protection Tuoi Tre News, 27 September
Vietnam’s Department of Child Care and Protection is making final preparations for the upcoming launch of a national child protection hotline - 111. The department said ‘111’ would be launched in October, replacing the current eight-digit number of 18001567. The new number is easier to memorize especially for children, and will ensure the hotline is known to as many people as possible. The old number has been in use since 2004, offering aroundthe-clock telephone support to underage victims of abuse, exploitation and trafficking, as well as receiving reports of such crimes. With the launch of the new number, the department will also be opening two new call centers headquartered in central Danang City and southern An Giang Province, in addition to its existing center in Hanoi.
iCCARE
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CCARE is the first chiropractic clinic in Hanoi, specializing in the treatment of neurological diseases, spinal problems, muscles and joints. Chiropractic care is an American treatment of the nerves, spine, bones, and joints, one that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and nervous systems, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic services are used most often to address complaints, including, but not limited to back, neck and joint pain and headaches. Doctors of Chiropracty (DCs) – often referred to as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians – practice a hands-on, drug-free approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling. Understanding that the body has an innate ability to heal itself is the key; the system that controls all of the healing in the body is the nervous system, and when the structure of the spine is healthy, a person’s nervous system is healthy. Based on that, we use chiropracty in order to manage all the pains in the most natural way as well as
to improve general health. With foreign chiropractic doctors, experienced technicians and advanced physiotherapy equipment, we have contributed to successful treatment of herniated discs, osteoarthritis, spinal degeneration, cervical degeneration, neck/shoulder pain, headache and migraine, elbow pain, wrist pain, scoliosis, back pain, sciatica, knee arthritis and knee pain, strain and sprain, foot pain, ankle pain, sports injuries, pregnant women and postpartum and restrictions on movement for thousands of patients with acute or chronic pain. iCCARE, uses the latest technology in order to help patients get the best care possible. The clinic has a muscle stimulation machine, vibra cussor, intellect neo, decompression/traction table, DOC, laser and shockwave, and these offer patients a precise way to see why they are suffering from back pains, neck pains or joint misalignments. Our chiropractic team consists of Japanese, Western and Vietnamese doctors, degreed chiropracty physiotherapists, and other health care professionals with many years of clinical experience, taking care well of a variety of patients and people such as office workers, elderly people, kids and athletes. n
Yamamura, one of thousands of patients at iCCARE clinic shares about her recovery after taking chiropractic treatment with Dr. Ban: ‘I get low back pain right after carrying heavy things. One day, I asked a friend and she told me about her pain and treatment. She also used to get pain in her lower back from falling down from the stairs once. She remembered a Japanese magazine that mentioned a chiropractic clinic with a Japanese chiropractor in Hanoi. She came to see Dr. Ban and followed his treatment plan strictly. The treatment lessened her pain and she totally recovered. She advised me to see Dr. Ban. After just four visits to Dr.Ban, my pain has gone. I am so thankful to Dr.Ban and my friend who introduced me.’ Tokiko Yamamura. iCCARE No 5 Hang Chuoi St, Pham Dinh Ho Ward, Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi Winter: 8 a.m. – 6.30 p.p. Summer: 7.30 a.m – 7 p.m. Hotline: 0963-931999 / 0123-793-1999 www.iccare.com.vn https://www.facebook.com/ phongkhamxuongkhopcotsongiccare
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EVENT
EXHIBITIONS ‘West Lake’ Till 30 October
HANOI
back to their innocent, yet mischievous childhood and closer to the world of children. V-Artroom, 3rd Floor, IPH Indochina Plaza Hanoi. Free entry.
Dong Phong Art Gallery is running a painting exhibition ‘West Lake’ of artist Anna-Maria Ory till 30 October. The exhibition includes several oil and pastel paintings were painted at the west coast of the lake in Hanoi, 2017, mixing the elements of both Eastern and Western traditions. Dong Phong Art Gallery, 3 Ly Dao Thanh St, Hanoi. Open every day from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free entry. Musicians’ portraits Till 31 October
Savage is displaying photo portraits of musicians at Ostgut Booking – an artist residence for DJs in Berlin – taken by photographer Sven Marquardt from 2007 to 2017. Sven Marquardt’s photos combine formal severity and clear imagery with bleak impermanence. His photos impress viewers through interaction of ease, severity and the dramatic art of monochrome contrasting. The exhibition is on till 31 October at Savage, 112 Xuan Dieu St, Hanoi. Free entry.
Undone art Till 31 October ‘…Undone…’, a solo exhibition by artist Nguyen Tran Nam, is on till 31 October at Manzi Art Space. Dark and heavy, the series’ brutal beauty reveals the artist’s concern with both the dead and the living and portrays his obsession with the ruins of landscapes and life. Forming an imaginary realm unbound by truth, time or place, these are images of chases, riots, crushed faces prostrate on the streets, someone’s shadow just gliding through the darkness on the other side of a door. The depictions seem to pass by without reason, no beginning or ending, no explanation. And viewers are left to doubtfully wonder about moments of insecurity in the past, and realise that they are not individual points in time but a permanent presence, that we have been and will always be stuck in. Manzi Art Space, 14 Phan Huy Ich St, Hanoi. Free entry. Round sound 13 October to 3 November The Goethe Institut Hanoi will present premiere two sound installations by the German artist and composer Tim Otto Roth from 13 October to 3 November. Both installations, hanging from the ceiling above the visitor, describe a circular motion but in different ways. Goethe Institut Hanoi, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc St, Hanoi. Open: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free entry. Mutated art Till 4 November
Return to innocence Till 31 October ‘Fly in the Skies’ is a painting exhibition of artist Mai Dai Luu at the V-Artroom till 31 October. The exhibition brings audiences
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L’Espace is running an art exhibition ‘La sourire de la mutation’ by three artists from France, Belgium and Vietnam. The exhibition explores the theme of the changes in urban space through different perspectives including visual, dance and installation art. The exhibition is on at L’Espace till 4 November, 24 Trang Tien St, Hanoi. Free entry. The gilded age Till 30 November Vietnam National Museum of History is displaying nearly 100 documents and lacquered and glided wood objects dating from the Le and Nguyen dynasties (from 17th to the early of 20th century). The objects are quite rich and varied in designs with unique decorative patterns. The exhibition runs till 30 November at Vietnam National Museum of History, 1 Trang Tien St, Hanoi. Open: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., 1.30 p.m. – 5 p.m. (closed on every first Monday of the month).
MUSIC Jazz in the jungle 15 October Artist Stanford Reid from Brooklyn, New York, America, will perform at Heritage Space at 8 p.m. 15 October. This time, he will not only bring to you his smooth Jazz but also familiar melodies which he has experienced during his stay in Vietnam. Heritage Space, 1st Floor, Dolphin Plaza, 6 Nguyen Hoang St, My Dinh 2 Ward, Hanoi. Ticket: VND100,000 to VND150,000. Tel: (024) 6254-3319. Classical romance 18 and 19 October A concert with conductor Nguyen Khac Thanh and the artists from Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, will be performed at 8 p.m. 18 and 19 October at L’Espace. The concert features the works of Franz Schubert. L’Espace, 24 Trang Tien St, HoanKiem Dist., Hanoi. Ticket: VND120,000 to VND190,000. Tel: (024) 3936-2164
EVENT ‘Figaro’, others 28 October
Conductor Gudni Emilsson, violinist Trong Binh and artists from the Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra will perform at 8 p.m. 28 October at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. The programme includes the overture ‘Marriage of Figaro’ and violin concerto N.5 in A major, KV.219 ‘Turkish’ by W. Mozart, and symphony N.1 in C major, Op.21 by Beethoven. Vietnam National Academy of Music, 77 Hao Nam St, Dong Da Dist., Hanoi. Ticket: VND200,000 to VND500,000. Can book online ticket via ticketvn.com.
OTHERS Festival of lights Till 30 November Gamuda Lantern Festival is on till 30 November at Yen So Park, Hoang Mai Dist., Hanoi from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. The event includes a light party with thousands of illuminating lanterns, street arts, food stalls and folk games. Free entry HO CHI MINH CITY
EXHIBITIONS Loss of heritage Till 3 November The oil and Dong Ho folk painting exhibition ‘Abandoned by Heaven’ by artist Bui Thanh Tam will be on at Craig Thomas Gallery till 3 November. The artist gives a question in his latest series: where is Vietnamese society is heading if it fails to cultivate and nurture its centuries’ old traditional folk arts and cultural practices? Dong Ho folk painting is a symbolic of traditional Vietnamese culture. It has long been used in Vietnam by craftspeople to
express their concerns about social, political and cultural issues. As a metaphor for cultural loss, Mr Tam chooses Dong Ho painting on most of his artworks. Once produced by hundreds of craftspeople in a number of villages of Northern Vietnam, the practice has all but died out. Once a proud piece of Vietnam’s cultural heritage, Dong Ho painting is now likely to be produced on printing presses and sold as kitsch to foreign visitors to the country. Craig Thomas Gallery, 27i Tran NhatDuat St, Tan Dinh Ward, Dist. 1, Ho Chi Minh City. ‘Better to reign in hell…’ Till 26 November
‘Paradise Lost’ by artist Hoang Thanh Vinh Phong will be displayed at the Factory Contemporary Arts Centre till 26 November. The exhibition brings viewers to a world where the familiar is made strange, the mundane mythologised and the symbolic rearranged. Through the shifting of shape and twisting of material, images and objects from the everyday are taken out of context, heightened with a sense of ambiguity, asking us to look beyond what our first glance has to offer. Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, 15 Nguyen U Di St, Thao Dien Ward, Dist.2, Ho Chi Minh City. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ticket: VND35,000. Post-war art Till 26 November ‘Spirit of Friendship’ is on at the Factory Contemporary Arts Centre till 26 November. The exhibition highlights the role and contribution of artistic friendships in the development of experimental art practice in Vietnam since 1975. It includes a time line mapping the establishment of relevant artist groups since 1975, where evidence – such as
quoted testimonial and documentary photographs – will reveal the rise of experimental artistic activity across the country. Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, 15 Nguyen U Di St, Thao Dien Ward, Dist.2, Ho Chi Minh City. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ticket: VND35,000.
MUSIC The cruel queen 20 and 21 October The opera ‘Fredegonde’ will be on at 8 p.m. on 20 and 21 October at the Opera House. It is directed by Caroline Blanpied, conducted by Patrick Souillot and has participation by the artists from Korean Children Choir of HCMC and HBSO Opera, Ballet & Symphony Orchestra. Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 6270-4450. Ticket: VND200,000 to VND800,000. A hodgepodge of music 29 October
A music night with conductor Hector Guzman, violinist Vu Viet Chuong and artists from HBSO Opera, Ballet and Symphony Orchestra, will be on at 8 p.m. 29 October at the Opera House. The performance includes Sergei Rachmaninov’s symphony No.2; the works from the opera ‘Candide’ by Leonard Bernstein; and melody of songs from the movies such as ‘Ladies in Lavender’ by Nigel Hess, ‘Schindler’s List’ by John Williams, and ‘Scent of a Woman’ by Carlos Gardel. Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 62704450. Ticket: VND200,000 to VND800,000.
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DIRECTIONS
HALONG
(TELEPHONE CODE: 033)
Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence in September 1945, is a complex of historic sites.
Syrena Cruises
Hung Thang new urban area, Bai Chay, Halong. Tel: (033) 3847-043 Hanoi Sales Office: Syrena Tower, 3th Floor, 51 Xuan Dieu St, Hanoi Tel: (04) 3719-7214 Email: se@syrenacruises.com www.syrenacruises.com
Lapaz Hotel & Resort
Tuan Chau Island, Halong Tel: (033) 3842-999 www.holidayvillahalongbay.com
Vinpearl Halong
Cot Co Tower
28 Dien Bien Phu St, Ba Dinh Dist, Hanoi Cot Co Tower, the so-called Flag Tower, is now part of the Vietnam Military History Museum complex. The Tower was built in 1950, under the Nguyen Dynasty, with the help of French engineers. The tower has 36 flower-shaped windows. At the top of the tower flies the flag of Vietnam.
66 Nguyen Thai Hoc St, Ba Dinh Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 3733-2131 www.vnfineartsmuseum.org.vn Open 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry fee VND20,000 ($0.95)
Hanoi Opera House
Vietnam Military History
1 Trang Tien St, Hoan Kiem Dist, Hanoi Designed by a French architect along the lines of the Paris Opera House, it is embellished with wonderful Gothic statuary. For many decades, Hanoi Opera House has been a centre for theatre, traditional music and dance, symphonies, traditional and classical music. This, the largest theatre in Vietnam, was completed in 1911.
Hoa Lo Prison
‘La Maison Centrale’, the prison on Hoa Lo Street in Hanoi, was built by the French in 1896 and became the place where generations of Vietnamese freedom fighters were held.
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St Joseph’s Cathedral
Reu Island, Bai Chay, Ha Long, Viet Nam. Tel: (033) 3556-868 www.vinpearl.com
HAI PHONG CITY Avani Hai Phong Harbour View 12 Tran Phu St, Ngo Quyen Dist., Hai Phong. Tel: (031) 3827-827 www.avanihotels.com
Hanoi Museum
2 Pham Hung (next to Vietnam National Convention Centre), Me Tri Commune, Tu Liem Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 6287-06 04 Opening hour: 8 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Free entrance
TRAVEL
Emeraude Classic Cruises
46 Le Thai To St, Hanoi Tel: (024) 3935-1888 www.emeraude-cruises.com
19 Ngoc Ha St, Ba Dinh Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 3846-3752 www.baotanghochiminh.vn Open: 8 a.m. to noon (Monday and Friday), 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (other days) Entry fee: VND25,000
3rd Floor, 66A Tran Hung Dao St, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 3828-2150 www.exotissimo.com
Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
Topas Travel
12 Nguyen Tri Phuong St/ 9 Hoang Dieu St, Ba Dinh Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 37345427 www.hoangthanhthanhlong.vn Open: 8.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed on Mondays) Entry fee: VND30,000
52 To Ngoc Van St, Hanoi Tel: (024) 3715-1005 www.topastravel.vn SIGHTSEEINGS
Ba Dinh Square
36A Dien Bien Phu St, Ba Dinh Dist, Hanoi. Ba Dinh Square, where President Ho HERITAGE
Vietnam Fine Arts Museum
Museum 28A Dien Bien Phu St, Hanoi www.btlsqsvn.org.vn Open 8 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. Closed on Mondays Entry fee VND30,000 ($1.43)
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Nguyen Van Huyen St, Cau Giay Dist., Hanoi Tel: (024) 3756-2193, www.vme.org.vn Open 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Mondays Entry fee VND40,000 ($2)
Women’s Museum
36 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hanoi Tel: (024) 3825-9936 www.womenmuseum.org.vn Open 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Closed on Mondays Entry fee VND30,000 ($1.43) TRAVEL
Vietnam National Museum
of History 1 Trang Tien St, Hanoi. 25 Tong Dan St, Hanoi.
I OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2017
Hue Riverside Boutique
Resort & Spa 588 Bui Thi Xuan St, Thuy Bieu Dist., Hue. Tel: (0234) 3978-484 www.hueriversideresort.com
Imperial Hotel
8 Hung Vuong St, Hue Tel: (0234) 3882-222 www.imperial-hotel.com.vn
Indochine Palace Hotel
105A Hung Vuong St, Hue Tel: (0234) 3936-666 www.indochinepalace.com The hotel is surrounded by lush green gardens that make it an outstanding landmark in Hue and give the city the feel of a resort. This luxurious, international standard hotel is created to appeal to Vietnamese and international visitors to Hue.
La Residence Hotel & Spa
5 Le Loi St, Hue Tel: (0234) 3837-475 Email: resa@la-residence-hue.com www.la-residence-hue.com Step back in time to Art Deco's golden age with a stay at La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa, MGallery by Sofitel. Nestled along the fabled Perfume River overlooking the former Imperial Citadel, La Residence is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece with luxurious cultural and culinary experiences. This former governor's residence with 122 guestrooms and suites offers visitors a warm hospitality and a chance to relive the pleasures of a bygone era.
Lang Co Beach Resort
Oxalis Adventure Tours
Phong Nha Commune, Son Trach Village, Bo Trach Dist., Quang Binh Province. Tel: (0232)3677-678 www.oxalis.com.vn
HUE
(TELEPHONE CODE: 0234) HOTELS, RESORTS
Century Riverside Hotel Hue
Ho Chi Minh Museum
Exotissmo
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40 Nha Chung St, Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi Fresh missionaries built this cathedral in the late 19th century. The small but beautiful panes of stained glass were created in Paris in 1906. Also of note is the ornate altar, with its high gilded sidewalls. MUSEUMS
HANOI
Tel: (024) 3824-1384 www.baotanglichsu.vn Open 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Closed every first Monday of months. Entry fee VND40,000 ($1.82) for adults and VND10,000 ($0.48) for children
463 Lac Long Quan St., Lang Co Town, Phu Loc Dist, Thua Thien Hue Province Tel: (0234) 3873-555 www.langcobeachresort.com.vn
Hotel Saigon Morin
30 Le Loi St, Hue Tel: (0234)3823-526 www.morinhotel.com.vn
DANANG
(TELEPHONE CODE: 0236) 49 Le Loi St, Hue Tel: (0234) 3823-390 Email: res@centuryriversidehue.com www.centuryriversidehue.com Century Riverside Hotel Hue, with its 135 rooms, is located in a vast area of 20,000 square meters. It is surrounded by a garden full of fruit trees, various kinds of flowers and a green pasture. Hue Century Riverside Hotel lies by the side of Truong Tien Bridge and the bank of the romantic Huong River.
Vinpearl Luxury Danang Truong Sa St, Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son Dist., Danang. Tel: (0236) 3968-888 www.vinpearl.com
Danang Museum of Cham
Sculpture 2, 2 Thang 9 St, Danang Tel: (0236) 3572-935 www.chammuseum.danang.vn Open 7.15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry fee VND30,000 ($1.43)
HOI AN
(TELEPHONE CODE: 0235) HOTELS, RESORTS
Anantara Hoi An Resort
1 Pham Hong Thai St, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province. Tel: (0235) 3914-555 www.hoi-an.anantara.com
Aurora Riverside Hotel & Villas
NHA TRANG
(TELEPHONE CODE: 0258) HOTELS, RESORTS
Champa Island Nha Trang
Resort & Spa 304, 2/4 St, Vinh Phuoc, Nha Trang Tel: (0258) 3568-888 Email: sales@champaislandresort.vn www.champaisandresort.vn With architecture reflecting nearby Po Nagar temple, Champa Island Nha Trang offers exquisite cuisine and many entertainment services that promise a memorable stay in Nha Trang
Cam Ranh Riviera Beach Resort & Spa 242 Cua Dai St, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province. Tel: (0235) 3924-111 www.aurorahoian.com
Hotel Royal Hoi An, Mgallery Collection 39 Dao Duy Tu St, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province. Tel: (0235) 3950-777 www.mgallery.com Palm Garden Beach Resort and Spa
Hoi An Centre for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation 10B Tran Hung Dao St, Hoi An Tel: (0235) 3862-367 www.hoianheritage.net Open daily 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
QUY NHON
(TELEPHONE CODE: 0256) AVANI Quy Nhon Resort & Spa Ghenh Rang, Bai Dai Beach, Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh Province Tel: (0256) 3840-132 www.avanihotels.com/quynhon MUSEUM
Quang Trung Museum
Block 1, Phu Phong town, Tay Son Dist., Binh Dinh Province. Tel: (056) 3580-320 Open 7 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Entry fee VND10,500 ($0.50). Free for children under six
Bamboo Village Beach Resort & Spa
Seahorse Resort & Spa
Km 11 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province. Tel: (0252) 3847-507 reservation@seahorseresortvn.com www.seahorseresortvn.com
Sea Links City Resort & Golf
38 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province. Tel: (0252) 3847-007 www.bamboovillageresortvn.com
Km 9, Nguyen Thong St, Phu Hai Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province Tel: (0252) 2220-088 www.sealinksbeachhotel.com MUSEUM
Cham Culture Exhibition Centre
Song Mao intersection, Phan Hiep Commune, Bac Binh Dist., Binh Thuan Province; Tel: (0252) 3641-456. Open: 7.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Free entrance
Northern Peninsula Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa Province Tel: (0258) 3989-898 Email: info@rivieraresortspa.com www.rivieraresortspa.com 32-34 Tran Phu St, Nha Trang Tel: (0258) 3887-777 www.intercontinental.com
MUSEUM
Quater 5, Phu Hai Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province Tel: (0252) 3828-288 www.aromabeachresort.com With 52 authentic Vietnamese rooms and bungalows, the hotel offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the blue sea
Blue Bay Muine Resort & Spa
InterContinental Nha Trang Hotel
Lac Long Quan St, Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province Tel: (0235) 3927-927 Email: info@pgr.com.vn www.palmgardenresort.com.vn
DIRECTIONS
Mường Thanh Grand Nha Trang Hotel
6 Duong Hien Quyen St, Vinh Hoa Ward, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province Tel: (0258) 3552-468 www.nhatrang.muongthanh.vn
DALAT
Suoi Nuoc, Muine, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province Tel: (0252) 3836-888 Email: info@bluebaymuineresort.com www.bluebaymuineresort.com
Hoang Ngoc (Oriental Pearl) Beach Resort & Spa
(TELEPHONE CODE: 0263) HOTELS
Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa
Vinpearl Resort Nha Trang
Hon Tre Island, Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province Tel: (0258) 3598-188 Email: info@vinpearlresort-nhatrang.com www.vinpearl.com MUSEUM
Alexandre Yersin Museum
Pasteur Institute, 10 Tran Phu St, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province Tel: (0258) 3822-406
PHAN THIET
(TELEPHONE CODE: 0252) HOTELS, RESORTS
Aroma Beach Resort & Spa
152 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province. Tel: (0252) 3847-858 Email: info@hoangngoc-resort.com www.hoangngoc-resort.com
Muine Mud Bath & Spa
133A Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province. Tel: (0252) 3743-481 Email: sales1@bunkhoangmuine.com www.bunkhoangmuine.com
Le Lai St, Dalat, Lam Dong Province Tel: (0263) 3555-888 reservation-dalat@anamandara-resort.com www.anamandara-resort.com From VND3,150,000 ($150)
Monet Garden Villa
Muine Ocean Resort & Spa
10 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province Tel: (0252) 3741-616 www.muineoceanresort.com
Muine Bay Resort
Quarter 14, Mui Ne Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province Tel: (0252) 2220-222 Email: info@muinebayresort.com www.muinebayresort.com
3 Nguyen Du St., Dalat City, Lam Dong Province Tel: (0263) 3810-826 www.monetgarden.com.vn
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2017
I
VIETNAM HERITAGE
• 45
A 1. B aD inh S quare Ba Dinh Square
D1
rison 2. H oa L oP Hoa Lo Prison
E3
Stt Joseph Joseph’s Cathedral 3. S ’s C athedral
E2
ouse Opera House 4. Hanoi O pera H
F3
Cot Co Tower 5. C ot C oT ower
D2
Women’s 6. W omen’s Museum
E3
7. H oC hi M inh Museum Ho Chi Minh
D2
8. IImperial mperial C itadel of T Citadel Thang Long hang L ong
D1
CENTRE OF
B
C
1
9. V ietnam National National Museum of History Vietnam History F3 10. V ietnam M ilitary H istory Museum D2 Vietnam Military History illar 11. O ne P One Pillar
C2
ausoleum 12. H oC hi M inh M Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
D1
13. Ngo on T emple Ngocc S Son Temple
E2
14. Dong Da H ill Hill
C4
15. Dong X uan M arket Xuan Market
E1
2
3
An entry in the Directions section is either editorial or advertising To advertise, and be certain that your entry appears, please contact
14 1 4
4
Ms. Thuy Phuong Mobile: 0969 47 3579
STREET GUIDE
Ba Trieu...................E3, E4 Bac Son.........................D1 Bach Dang.....................F2 Bach Mai........................E4 Bat Dan..........................E2 Bich Cau........................C2 Buoi................................A1 Cat Linh..........................C2 Cha Ca....................E1, E2 Cua Bac.........................D1 Cua Dong.......................D2
Da Tuong.......................E3 Dang Tat.........................D1 Dao Duy Anh.................D4 Dao Duy Tu.............E1, E2 Dien Bien Phu................D2 Doc Ngu.........................A1 Doi Can.............A1, B2, C2 Duong Thanh.................E2 Gam Cau........................E1 Giai Phong.....................D4 Giang Vo.....A3 ,B3 ,B2,C2
Hai Ba Trung.....E2, E3, F3 Ham Long......................E3 Han Thuyen....................F3 Hang Bac.......................E2 Hang Bo.........................E2 Hang Bong.....................E2 Hang Buom....................E2 Hang Can.......................E2 Hang Chuoi....................F3 Hang Cot........................E1 Hang Da.........................E2 Hang Dao.......................E2
Hang Dau.......................E1 Hang Ga.........................E2 Hang Gai........................E2 Hang Khay.....................E2 Hang Khoai....................E1 Hang Ma.........................E1 Hang Quat......................E2 Hang Trong....................E2 Hang Chieu....................E1 Hang Luoc......................E1 Hao Nam........................C2 Hoa Ma...........................F3
Hoang Dieu.............D1, D2 Hoang Hoa Tham............... ....................A1, B1, C1, D1 Hoang Van Thu..............D1 Hoe Nhai........................E1 Hung Vuong............D1, D2 Huynh Thuc Khang........A3 Kham Thien.............C3, D3 Kim Ma..............A2, B2, C2 La Thanh.................B3, C3 Lang Ha..........................B3 Nguyen Chi Thanh.........A3
Le Dai Hanh...................E4 Le Duan............D2, D3, D4 Le Hong Phong.............D2 Le Lai..............................F2 Le Thai To.......................E2 Le Thanh Tong...............F3 Le Van Huu....................E3 Lieu Giai........................A2 Lo Duc......................F3, F4 Lo Su..............................F2 Luong Ngoc Quyen.......E2 Luong Van Can..............E2
L L L L M N N N N N N N
OF HA NOI
4 4 2 2 2 3 3 2 4 2 2 2
D
E
F
12 1 11
15 8
7 5 10 13 3
2
Ly Nam De..............E1, E2 Ly Quoc Su....................E2 Ly Thai To.......................F2 Ly Thuong Kiet........E3, F3 Mai Hac De..............E3, E4 Ngo Quyen.....................F3 Ngo Si Lien....................D2 Ngo Thi Nham................E3 Ngoc Ha.........................C1 Ngoc Khanh...................B2 Nguyen Canh Chan......D1 Nguyen Cong Hoa.........B2
Nguyen Dinh Chieu............ .................................E3, E4 Nguyen Du..............D3, E3 Nguyen Huu Huan........ F2 Nguyen Khuyen.............D2 Nguyen Luong Bang.....C3 Nguyen Thai Hoc....C2, D2 Nguyen Thuong Hien......... ........................................D3 Nguyen Van To..............E2 Nha Chung.....................E2 Nha Tho.........................E2
Nui Truc..........................B2 Pham Dinh Ho................F3 Pham Ngu Lao...............F3 Phan Boi Chau.......D2, D3 Phan Chu Trinh..............F3 Phan Dinh Phung..........D1 Phan Huy Chu................F3 Pho Duc Chinh...............F3 Pho Hue...................E3, E4 Phu Doan.......................E2 Phung Hung............E1, E2 Quan Su..................E2, E3
6
Quan Thanh...................D1 Quang Trung...........E2, E3 Quoc Tu Giam...............D2 Son Tay..........................C2 Thai Phien......................E4 Thanh Cong...................B3 Thanh Nien....................D1 Tho Nhuom.............E2, E3 Thuy Khue.......................... ....................A1, B1, C1, D1 To Hien Thanh...............E4 Tong Dan........................F2
4
Ton Duc Thang..............C3 Tran Hung Dao................... ...........................D3, E3, F3 Tran Huy Lieu................B2 Tran Khanh Du...............F3 Tran Khat Chan..............F4 Tran Nguyen Han..........F2 Tran Nhan Tong......D3, E3 Tran Nhat Duat..............E1 Tran Phu........................D2 Tran Quang Khai............F2 Tran Qui Cap.................D2
9
Tran Quoc Toan......D3, E3 Tran Thanh Tong............F3 Tran Xuan Soan................. .................................E3, E4 Trang Thi........................E2 Trang Tien................E2, F3 Trieu Viet Vuong......E3, E4 Trinh Hoai Duc...............C2 Tue Tinh.........................E3 Yen Phu..........................E1 Yersin..............................F4 Yet Kieu..........................D3
CENTRE OF HO C
Palace 1. IIndependence ndependence P alace
D3
Notre Cathedral 2. N otre Dame C athedral
E2
Vietnam History 3. V ietnam H istory Museum
F2
Fine Arts Museum 4. F ine A rts M useum of of Ho Ho Chi Chi Minh Minh City City E4 E4 Ho Chi Minh City 5. H oC hi M inh C ity Museum
E3
6. Southern Southern Women Women Museum
C1
7. War War Remnants Remnants Museum
D2
8. Ben Ben Thanh Thanh Market Market
E3
9. T Tao Park ao Dan P ark
D3
Post Office 10. P ost O ffice
E2
Zoo oo 11. Z
F2
12. Nha Nha Rong Wharf Wharf
F4
An entry in the Directions section is either editorial or advertising
A
B
C
1
6
2
3
To advertise, and be certain that your entry appears, please contact
Ms. Thuy Phuong
4
Mobile: 0969 47 3579
STREET GUIDE
3 Thang 2..........A2, A3, B2 Alexandre De Rhodes........ ........................................E2 An Duong Vuong....A4, B4 Ba Le Chan....................D1 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan...... ........................................C2 Ban Co...........................B3 Ben Chuong Duong........... .................................D4, E4 Ben Van Don...........D4, E4
Bui Thi Xuan..................C3 Bui Vien...................C4, D4 Cach Mang Thang Tam..... ......A1, B1, B2, C2, C3, D3 Calmette.........................E4 Cao Thang.....................B3 Chu Manh Trinh.............F2 Co Bac.....................C4, D4 Co Giang............. ...C4, D4 Cong Quynh............C3, C4 De Tham........................D4
Dien Bien Phu..................... A3, B2, C2, D1, D2, E1, F1 Dinh Tien Hoang............E1 Do Quang Dau...............C4 Do Thanh.......................B3 Doan Cong Buu.............C1 Doan Nhu Hai..........E4, F4 Dong Du.........................F3 Dong Khoi................E3, F3 Hai Ba Trung....................... ...........................D1, E2, F3 Hai Trieu.........................F4
Ham Nghi.................E4, F4 Han Thuyen....................E2 Ho Hao Hon...................C4 Ho Tung Mau...........E3, E4 Ho Xuan Huong.............C2 Hoa Hung.......................A2 Hung Vuong...................A4 Huyen Tran Cong Chua..... ........................................D3 Huynh Thuc Khang........E3 Huynh Tinh Cua.............D1 Ky Con.....................D4, E4
Ky Dong...................B2, C1 Le Duan...................E2, F2 Le Hong Phong.................. ...........................A2, A3, A4 Le Lai.......................C3, D3 Le Loi..............................E3 Le Quy Don....................D2 Le Thanh Ton...................... ...........................D3, E3, F2 Le Thi Hong Gam............... .................................D4, E4 Le Thi Rieng............C3, D3
Le Van Sy.......................B1 Luong Huu Khanh.........C3 Ly Chinh Thang.......C1, C2 Ly Thai To......................A3 Ly Tu Trong......................... ...........................D3, E3, F2 Ly Van Phuc...................E1 Mac Dinh Chi...........E1, E2 Mac Thi Buoi..................F3 Mai Thi Luu..............E1, F1 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia............ ...................C1, D1, D2, D3
N N N N .. N N .. N .. N N
1 3 2 3 .. 2 1 2 3 1 .. 3
CHI MINH CITY D
E
F
6 4 11 11
7 2
10 10
1
5
4
9 8
4
1 2 12
Ngo Duc Ke....................F3 Ngo Thoi Nhiem ....C2, D2 Ngo Van Nam.................F2 Nguyen Binh Khiem.............. .....................................F1, F2 Nguyen Cau...................D1 Nguyen Cong Tru............... .................................D4, E4 Nguyen Dinh Chieu............ ......B3, C2, C3, D2, E1, F1 Nguyen Du..............D3, E3 Nguyen Hue.............E3, F3
Nguyen Khac Nhu.............. .................................C4, D4 Nam Quoc Cang.....C3, C4 Nguyen Phi Khanh.........E1 Nguyen Sieu...................F3 Nguyen Son Tra................. .................................B3, C3 Nguyen Tat Thanh..........F4 Nguyen Thai Binh............... .................................D4, E4 Nguyen Thai Hoc....D3, D4 Nguyen Thanh Y............E1
Nguyen Thi Dieu............C2 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai........ .................................B3, C3 Nguyen Thien Thuat........... .................................A3, B3 Nguyen Thong........B2, C2 Nguyen Thuong Hien........ .................................B2, C3 Nguyen Trai.............B4, C4 Nguyen Trung Ngan......F2 Nguyen Trung Truc........E3 Nguyen Truong To.........E4
Nguyen Van Cu..............B4 Nguyen Van Thu......E1, F1 Pasteur................................ ...............D1, D2, E2, E3,E4 Pham Ngoc Thach.........D1 Pham Ngu Lao........C4, D4 Pham Viet Chanh...........B3 Phan Ke Binh..........E1, E2 Pho Duc Chinh...............E4 Phung Khac Khoan.......E2 Suong Nguyet Anh........C3 Thach Thi Thanh.....D1, E1
Thai Van Lung................F3 Thi Sach.........................F3 Thu Khoa Huan.......D3, E3 To Hien Thanh................A1 Ton That Dam..........E3, E4 Ton Duc Thang..............C3 Tran Binh Trong......A3, A4 Tran Cao Van.................E2 Tran Dinh Xu...........B4, C4 Tran Hung Dao.......C4, D4 Tran Minh Quyen...........A3 Tran Nhan Tong.......A3, A4
Tran Phu.........................A4 Tran Quang Dieu...........B1 Tran Quang Khai.....D1, E1 Tran Quoc Thao......C1, D2 Tran Quoc Toan......C1, D1 Truong Dinh............C1, C2 Tu Xuong.......................C2 Vinh Vien........................A3 Vo Thi Sau........C2, D1, E1 Vo Van Tan..............C3, B3 Vuon Chuoi..............B2, B3 Yersin..............................D4
DIRECTIONS
HO CHI MINH CITY (TELEPHONE CODE: 028) TRAVEL
Windsor Plaza Hotel
18 An Duong Vuong, Dist.5, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3833-6688 www.windsorplazahotel.com GALLERIES
Asiana Travel Mate
113C Bui Vien St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3838-6678 www.atravelmate.com
Buffalo Tours
81 Mac Thi Buoi, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3827-9168 Email: travelagency@buffalotours.com www.buffalotours.com.vn
Exotissimo
261/26 Phan Xich Long St, Phu Nhuan Dist., Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3995-9898 www.exotravel.com
Apricot Gallery
50 Mac Thi Buoi St, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3822-7962
Craig Thomas Gallery
27i Tran Nhat Duat St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Mobile: 0903 888 431 Email: cthomasgallery@gmail.com www.cthomasgallery.com Open: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Mondays and Sundays
Galerie Quynh
Saigon Tourist
45 Le Thanh Ton St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3827-9279 www.saigon-tourist.net
Level 2, 151/3 Dong Khoi St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3824-8284 www.galeriequynh.com Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sàn Art
Trails of Indochina
10/8 Phan Dinh Giot St, Tan Binh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City; Tel: (028) 3844-1005 Email: dosm@trailsofindochina.com www.trailsofindochina.com HOTELS
48/7 Me Linh St, Ward 19, Binh Thanh Dist., Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 6294-7059 www.san-art.org SIGHTSEEINGS
Notre Dame Cathedral
Eastin Grand Hotel Saigon
Cong Xa Paris Square, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Built in 1877, and the Cathedral opened to the public in 1880. The bricks used to build this marvellous structure were shipped from Marseilles.
Ben Thanh Market
253 Nguyen Van Troi St, Phu Nhuan Dist., Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3844-9222 Email: Info@eastingrandSaigon.com www.eastingrandsaigon.com
Park Hyatt Saigon
2 Lam Son Square, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3824-1234 www.saigon.park.hyatt.com
Rex Hotel
141 Nguyen Hue St, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3829-2185 www.rexhotelvietnm.com
Sofitel Saigon Plaza
Le Lai St, Ben Thanh Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Ben Thanh market is a trade centre and a favourite tourist destination, offering a wide range of Vietnamese handicraft, fresh fruits and local specialities.
Chinatown – Cho Lon
It was set up at the end of the 18th century when the Minh Dynasty in China was overthrown. Chinatown has many shops and private workshops. The most interesting places are Binh Tay market, Soai Kinh Lam fabric whole-sales market, the street of herbal medicine located on Hai Thuong Lan Ong and Thien Hau Temple on Nguyen Trai Street.
Ticket: VND50,000 The first museum of traditional Vietnamese medicine
The Coast Hotel
Ho Chi Minh City Museum
65 Ly Tu Trong St, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3829-9741 www.hcmc-museum.edu.vn Open daily 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Independence Palace
135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St, Ben Thanh Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3822-3652 www.dinhdoclap.gov.vn Open daily, 7.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Southern Women Museum
202 Vo Thi Sau St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3932-7130
The History Museum
2 Nguyen Binh Khiem St, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3829-8146 www.baotanglichsuvn.com 8 a.m. - 11.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. Closed on Monday
War Remnants Museum
28 Vo Van Tan St, Ward 6, Dist.3, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3930-5587 Email: warrmhcm@gmail.com Open daily 7.30 a.m. to midday and 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
VUNG TAU
(TELEPHONE CODE: 0254) HOTELS, RESORTS
Palace Hotel
1 Nguyen Trai St, Ward 1, Vung Tau Tel: (0254) 3856-411 www.palacehotel.com.vn
Petrosetco Hotel
12 Truong Cong Dinh St, Ward 2, Vung Tau. Tel: (0254) 3624-748 www.petrosetcohotel.vn
Petro House Hotel 63 Tran Hung Dao St, Ward 1, Vung Tau Tel : (0254) 3852-014 Hotline: 0961.085.869 Email: info@petrohousehotel.vn www.petrohousehotel.vn
300A Phan Chu Trinh St, Ward 2, Vung Tau City Tel: (0254) 3627-777 Email: info@thecoasthotelvungtau.com www.thecoasthotelvungtau.com MUSEUM
White Palace
6 Tran Phu St, Ward.1, Vung Tau City Tel: (0254) 3852-605 Open daily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CAN THO
(TELEPHONE CODE: 0710)
Can Tho Museum
1 Hoa Binh St, Tan An Ward, Can Tho Tel: (0710) 3820-955 Open: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.); Saturday and Sunday (8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Closed on Friday. Free admission
PHU QUOC
(TELEPHONE CODE: 077) Eden Resort Phu Quoc Cua Lap Hamlet, Duong To Ward, Phu Quoc District, Kien Giang Province Tel: (077) 3985-598 www.edenresort.com.vn MUSEUMS Coi Nguon Museum 149 Tran Hung Dao St, Duong dong Town, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang Province Tel: (077) 3980-206 www.coinguonphuquoc.com
MUSEUMS
Fine Arts Museum of
Ho Chi Minh City 97A Pho Duc Chinh St, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3829-4441 www.baotangmythuattphcm.com Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays
Fito Museum
17 Le Duan St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3824-1555 Email: h2077@sofitel.com www.sofitel.com
50 • V I E T N A M
HERITAGE
41 Hoang Du Khuong S, Ward 12, Dist. 10, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3864-2430 www.fitomuseum.com.vn Open daily from 8.30 a.m. till 5.30 p.m.
I OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2017
For Subscription
please call Phuong: 0969473579 or email: subs.vietnamheritage@gmail.com www.vietnamheritage.com.vn Six issues Vietnam: VND294,000. Asia & Europe: $42. America & Africa: $48 .