Vietnam Heritage - June - July 2018

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5:3 JUNE 2013

4:3 MA MAY AY 2013 2

CULTURAL CUL LTTURAL HERITAGE HERITTA AGE ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION OF VIETNAM

ISSN 1859-4123

ISSN 1859-4123

CULTURAL CUL LTTURAL HERITAGE HERITTA AGE ASSOCIA ASSOCIATION TION OF VIETNAM

When making love love w was as exalted exalted p.8

Muddy tradition

wrestles its way back to Van Village

VIETNAM HERITAGE MAGAZINE 4th Floor, 1/1 Hoang Viet Street, Ward 4, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam Tel: (84-28) 38118846 ; Fax: (84-28) 38118775 Email: vnheritagemagazine@gmail.com www.vietnamheritage.com.vn Vietnam Heritage

Vietnam Heritage

CONTENT No 3, VOL.8, JUNE-JULY 2018

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RITUAL Paying the dead RITUAL Deity of Wave PHOTOGRAPHY / BOOKS Halls of worship: A photo-album by which to appreciate them SOCIETY Peddling the petals MUSEUM Exhibition ‘Literature and art in the war of resistance (1945-1954)’ at the National Museum of History FOOD The sweet science A pleasant idleness ARCHITECTURE Temple of the dragons CLOTHING The threads of identity APPAREL The village of hats CRAFTS Dedicated to the wood The tao of pottery Silent flowers The sweet trade of Quang Ngai EVENTS WHAT THE PAPER SAY DIRECTIONS

Cover photograph: The song ‘Call to Youth’, music by Luu Huu Phuoc, lyrics by Huynh Van Tieng and Le Khac Thieu.

Photo provided by the National Museum of History.

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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, Le Hoai Nam ; 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; 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.

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Vietnam Heritage

Vietnam Heritage

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A Bahnar woman K’Bang District, Gia Lai Province, August, 2016 Photo: Nguyen Vu Hau

RITUAL

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PAYING THE DEAD The elaborate enrichment ceremony of the Nung

BY VAN CHI

he Nung people, one of the ethnic minorities in Hoang Su Phi District of Ha Giang Province, have a very unique dry soul consecration ceremony that reflects the deep emotional attachment and love they dedicate to their

deceased.

The dry soul consecration ceremony is intended to see the soul of the deceased off to the land of ancestors. Sometimes after the funeral, after the dead body is already buried, the family chooses a good day to conduct the ceremony.

The dry soul consecration ceremony usually takes place at year’s end when the amount of field work is reduced.

The ceremony has many rituals. First, the family conducts the soul calling ritual for the deceased. Clan members, villagers and friends from other places come to attend this ritual.

Nung people believe that after death the deceased souls are all taken by the two brothers, kings of heaven, to be their slaves. To call a soul, they make a flag that bears the picture of a person and some animals and hang it high so that the soul can see from far away to recognize the way home.

Descendants and family members of the deceased make offerings to the two kings of heaven. The offerings are arranged in a two-storey teepee, the upper tray for the elder brother and the lower tray for the younger one. Both the trays contain meat, wine and other offerings.

A long white roll of cloth is spread on the stair steps of the teepee and along the path to a little hut with a gate to receive the deceased soul.

Then a shaman calls the deceased’s name, holding a bell and a

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sword to scare away evil spirits and to lead a procession of mourning relatives and friends who come to receive the soul of the deceased.

Each person holds in hand a piece of votive paper and a rice ear, which serve the purpose of showing the dead soul the way home.

After the ritual, the shaman checks two chicken leg bones. If there are four round holes of equal size, the soul is already home. If not, he repeats the ritual again together with the mourning family.

RITUAL The soul of the deceased will then be carried by the family on a small bamboo palanquin. The white band the family members wind on their head signifies a connected bridge that brings the dead home.

A band of drums and gongs closes the end of the procession, playing to chase away lost souls to make way for the deceased’s soul to come home. At home, the shaman conducts a ritual to pray for the deceased soul to be in peace with the ancestors and for the family to live on in love and prosperity.

Now that the soul is home, in the early morning the family has a ritual to hand over some assets to the deceased. Nung people believe that after being released by the heaven kings, the soul is free but has no house and no property to begin a new life. The situation is very difficult. So the family and relatives give some domestic animals to the deceased to begin a new life. First of all, they give a cow buffalo, the most important asset of a farmer. On behalf of the family, the shaman tells the deceased the identifying features of the buffalo by which to recognize and find it if it goes astray in the future. The shaman also encourages the deceased to work diligently to have a prosperous life.

As the shaman conducts this ritual, the family continues mourning. By giving an initial asset to the deceased, they are fulfilling the duties of the living.

After the ritual, the buffalo is slaughtered to treat the attending clan, friends and villagers. But during all the three days of the ceremony, the descendants of the deceased must maintain a pure vegetarian diet. As the sun rises, the relatives and friends bring votive money, pigs and chickens to offer to the deceased. Rolls of colorful and shining votive money represent the money of the other world.

Offerings such as pigs, chickens, rice and wine are brought inside to be offered to the dead soul. The rolls of votive money are hung outside. Hung neatly, these can be seen from far away, and one can guess the age of the deceased. The amount of votive money offered is usually proportionate to the age and number of descendants of the deceased.

Inside, the shaman continues handing over the assets to the deceased. He announces clearly the visitor’s name and the amount of pigs and chickens this person offers. Each one gives a little and all accumulates into a significant amount of wealth. People believe that the deceased would be happy in the other world having enough to build a new good life.

The dry soul consecration ceremony can’t be complete without the horse dance to see the dead soul off to the other world. This dance is performed by two men and includes many acts. First, the men kowtow toward four directions of the universe and towards the pole that held the deceased’s buffalo. Then they show two horses racing.

The dance is not only eye-catching and vigorous. It also shows many notions related to agricultural beliefs. Death is considered only the end of one’s existence in this world, and it is also the beginning of another existence in another world, as happy and prosperous as in this world. And so, in that world, the deceased also needs a horse to travel.

In the final ritual of the dry soul consecration ceremony, the little hut and all votive paper items are brought to the grave and burnt.

When everything becomes ashes in the flame, everybody’s heart is at peace, believing the deceased is already in possession of all things needed for a new life.n

Opposite: A dry soul consecration ceremony of the Nung people, Hoang Su Phi District, Ha Giang Province, 2015.

The white band winding on the family members’ heads signifies a connecting bridge that brings the dead home.

Bottom right: Rolls of votive money hanging outside and villagers attending at a dry soul consecration ceremony.

Bottom left: Offering to the dead.

Photos: Chu Viet Bac Hanoi

Ha Giang

HCM City

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RITUAL

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Deity of Wave

BY INRASARA

very year after the Rija Nugar celebration at Cham New Year’s (April in the solar calendar), Cham people in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces conduct Po Riyak (Deity of Wave) consecration. This is a typical feature of ocean-fishing culture of Cham people in the region, similar to the Viet people’s customs of consecration to the Fish Lord or to the God of Southern Seas.

Legends have it that bright and handsome Po Riyak was born in the Cham village of Binh Thuan during the reign of King Po Rome (1627-1651). He went to Mecca to learn magic, intending to help the country and the people. In Mecca, he confided to his teacher his aspirations, and the teacher appreciated it and taught him all the magic he needed. After that, although his

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teacher insisted that he stay, he sneaked on a boat and sailed home.

As he neared the native shores, the sea got rough and his boat capsized. Sea eagles swooped down and tore his body into halves.

One half was tossed by the waves to Phan Ri shores, and the other to the Son Hai area of Ninh Thuan.

In the dunes of Phan Ri, Tuy Phong District of Binh Thuan Province, both Cham and Viet people worship Po Riyak. But for 20 years, the Cham people have abandoned the customs and only Viet people go on worshipping him.

In Ninh Thuan Province, every Cham New Year, Cham people gather at the Po Riyak temple in Vinh Tuong Village to worship him.

It’s been passed down that on an inspection tour, King Gia Long of

RITUAL

Left: Worshipping Po Riyak on a beach, Ninh Thuan Province Right: Worshipping Po Riyak at the Chakleng Village, Ninh Thuan Province Photos: Kieu Maily

the Nguyen Dynasty saw crowds gathering to worship in the dunes, and the King had a temple built for them.

During the resistance war, Viet Minh used the temple hidden behind sand dunes and bushes as a hiding place. The French demolished the temple, leaving only the base, but Cham people continued coming to the sacred spot to conduct their rituals.

Po Riyak celebration is always preceded by Rija Nugar everywhere, except for My Nghiep Village in Ninh Phuoc District. In the early 50s, the villagers invited and received Po Riyak home to My Nghiep to worship as their God of Wisdom and stopped coming to the old worship place.

The area where the Po Riyak stood, which used to be an acre wide, has now been invaded by locals for shrimp farming and only a few laterite blocks remain here and there to show the old location. Because of the insecurity of the war, Po Riyak was divided in two: Po Ong, which remains on the old grounds, and Po Muk (aka Po Ba) which was moved 3km to the north of Po Ong. Therefore, besides the rituals conducted by the

clerics at Po Ong, in 2017, the pilgrims also proceeded to Po Muk to worship. The whole Po Riyak celebration lasts one day. The Cham cleric ranks include Acar, Mudwon, Kadhar and Pajuw. The tray of offerings contains chicken, glutinous rice, wines, eggs, coconuts, many kinds of fruits and flowers, and a compulsory red sugar cane which signifies an oar.

The customs of worshipping the God of Southern Sea exists only in the Middle and a part of Southern Vietnam. Experts think this custom took origin from the Po Riyak customs of the Cham. Fish Lord Reception, Pray for Fish and Lord of Southern Sea festivals are a part of life and culture along these shores.

A boat launching ritual is also a must for each boat, and it is believed that the ritual would be much more effective if conducted by a Cham shaman. In Ninh Thuan there are still many Cham shamans that practice this custom.

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PHOTOGRAPHY/BOOKS

Halls of worship: A photo-album by which to appreciate them

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TEXT BY RITCH PICKENS; PHOTOS BY M.NICOLAS CORNET

ietnam, thy name is diversity. Geography and history have conspired to weave a rich tapestry in thee. This wealth flourishes in many areas, from its cuisine of myriad dishes, to its ethnic diversity of fifty-four groups of people to her arts and architectural styles. Religion is certainly no exception. Adherents of all the major world religions are to be found here and additionally, some home-grown ones down in the Mekong Delta. I was happy to note the recent

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publication of a photo album of a key aspect of Vietnamese heritage; namely its pagodas. Here, too, there is rich variation in architectural styles, artistic embellishments and the daily life of monks and worshipers. This is all beautifully depicted in M. Nicolas Cornet's book entitled simply, ‘Vietnam Pagodas’.

I was lucky enough to attend a presentation on the book given by the author himself so this review is based not only on my impressions but also on his intentions. For example, Nicolas

PHOTOGRAPHY/BOOKS

Dau Pagoda, Hanoi

stated his motivation for producing his tome came from his going to visit the ancient temple of Phat Thich, only to find they had knocked it down and were rebuilding it from scratch. Thankfully since then, policy has changed and now renovation actually means renovation, not demolition. From this shock, Nicolas decided that there was a need to provide a photographic record of the country’s pagoda heritage for future generations.

Firstly, the book is a journey from the North to the South of the country. The first two chapters are on pagodas in the north, where Vietnam began and where Buddhism first took root in the country. The first chapter is on the very oldest of the pagodas. The second chapter moves on to other important pagodas representative of the Northern style. Chapter three is devoted to what many people would consider the capital of Vietnamese Buddhism – Ancient Hue. The fourth chapter follows the Southern style and in particular the pagodas of the Saigon. It includes not only Buddhist pagodas, but temples devoted to Chinese deities. For the final chapter, we reach the last region to come part of Vietnam – the Mekong Delta. As such, it is mainly concerned with the Khmer style.

In terms of architecture, every pagoda in Vietnam has its own beauty. They all embrace Mother Nature, either in their settings or their gardens. The Perfume Pagoda in the North, for example,

is located in a huge cavern in a mountain and the Ba Den pagoda of Tay Ninh in the South half way up a jungle clad mountain.

Nature, Heritage and Religion in Vietnam form a mighty trinity.

However, most would agree that it is the Khmer pagodas with their gold leaf roofs, long tapering snake head ends and colourful tiles of intricate design that take first prize for pulchritude.

I agree with Nicolas regarding the ‘interior design’. It is much finer to view art in situ, in the pagodas themselves, rather than as pieces in a museum. Hopefully, conservation efforts will keep them in their rightful places. The art is all around. A lot of places have very detailed wooden carvings on doors and columns and beams and roof interiors. Rarer are carvings in stone. Engraved ceramic tiles is another medium celebrated by Nicholas. There are bronze Buddhas, one of which is modeled on a very Vietnamese-looking face and is used as the cover page. Lastly, Chinese calligraphy, texts and religious quotations have not escaped the photographer’s eye.

Finally, Nicolas’ photographic eye focuses delightfully on the human aspect of the daily life of these pagodas. The monks are pictured on duty and at prayer with their brightly-coloured flowing robes, standing enigmatically at doorways, at study on doors and even young novices out in the courtyard playing soccer.

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PHOTOGRAPHY/BOOKS

Pho Minh Pagoda, Nam Dinh Province

At a festival at Ang Pagoda, Tra Vinh Province

sixty years of being a monk with his colleagues showering petals all over him. We are shown that there is never a dull moment in these places. Women are bringing trays of food for the monks.

The crowds are out on festive days and the special days of the lunar month. People even sleep in the pagodas. And even the deceased are here – at least that is to say their photographs are.

One thing that pleases Nicholas is that he was able to raise his sponsorship money from Vietnamese companies both large and small rather than use public funds. Of course, they get the benefits

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of publicity and public goodwill, but it is good to see the Vietnamese themselves willing to pay money to back up their heritage.

At the end of the book, there is a useful list of the names and addresses of the thirty-one pagodas and temples showcased as well as a list of the sources used and quoted. The current edition is with text in English and French. By the end of the year, it is planned to have another available in English and Vietnamese.

An exhibition was held over ten days in early June of forty nine prints from the book at the Saigon Fine Arts Museum. If you are

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Prayer at Dau Pagoda, Hanoi

Musician and monk walking around the Ang Pagoda in a festival, Tra Vinh Pagoda

Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue

lucky enough to be in Hanoi in November, this will take place there also.

I hope you get the chance to appreciate this wonderful, colourful book. If you have not already done so I hope it will inspire you to visit the actual pagodas. Furthermore, I hope your children and children's children and your children's children's children will get the same opportunity. It was with this in mind, I know, that M.Cornet put so much time and effort into producing his work of 250 pages. n

‘Vietnam Pagodas’ by Nicolas Cornet is published in hardback by Vietnam News Agency Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City. It is available for purchase at Nam Phong Bookshop 88 Truong Dinh St, District 1, HCMC. It will also be in selected shops in Hanoi from late June. The price is VND950,000.

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SOCIETY

Peddling the petals

BY HA THANH - NGUYEN TRAN DUC ANH

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ust ask anybody what the most unique and typical features of Hanoi are, and they invariably talk not about grand, splendid things, but about the old, mundane things as natural as the breaths of life.

Ask what the most impressive features of Hanoi are, and they may opine about many different things but all will mention the flower peddlers on bicycles.

For a long time now, these bicycles loaded with flowers have become a sight one expects at every street corner. They move around from big boulevards to small alleys, no matter if it’s raining or shining, hot or cold. The lovely forms in bright colors glide along and make the streets so alive. Hanoi has always been the land of flowers and flower lovers.

I still remember as a kid, my mom used to buy flowers from peddlers to arrange on the altar. A little pack wrapped in a lotus leaf contained many kinds of flowers: peonies, magnolia, tuberoses, Chinese violets,

Photo: Lai Dien Dam

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Photo: Pham Ba Thinh

Ylang-ylang and cockscombs. She would buy a few other flowers separately, usually some roses or daisies to put in a vase. Now, a few decades later, almost nobody puts wrapped flowers on an altar anymore, and nobody sells them either. The peddlers today carry their two baskets of flowers not on yokes, but on a bicycle. It’s a smooth and seamless continuation that preserves well the spirit of the practice.

The flowers too remain the same; simple and unpolished, maybe even stained with garden mud and wet in the morning mist. The buyer feels as if they have harvested them with their own hands in a famous Hanoi flower garden of Ngoc Ha, Tu Lien, Thanh Tri, or Dien.

Peddled flowers are bought only for home consumption and enjoyment, not for gift or for use in official rituals.

Unlike the shop flowers, peddled flowers are absolutely natural, untrimmed, unpolished and without beautiful packaging. Instead they are just wrapped in a newspaper and tied with a thin bamboo splint. But these are the flowers that go around the city looking for some people, some house to share their colors and fragrance. I have been in many other cities, but I am sure Hanoi has more flowerpeddling bicycles than most. The tiny wandering flower shops make Hanoi streets so scenic and poetic in such a nostalgic way, a feeling that no other city can offer.n

Photo: Lai Dien Dam

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EXHIBITION ‘LITERATURE AND ART IN THE WAR OF RESISTANCE (1945-1954)’ AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY

BY THUY LAM – HOANG YEN

n February 1943 at the Meeting of the standing committee of the Indochinese Communist Party’s Central Committee, ‘Draft of the foundations of Vietnam’s culture’ the party’s first political guidelines on culture written by the General Secretary Truong Chinh was debated and passed. This is a historical document that shows principles and directions for building a new culture – the revolutionary culture.

The draft highlights the Party’s standpoint and basic philosophy as related to culture and arts. It puts forward three principles to build the new culture: nationalist, popular and scientific. Culture is one of the three main frontiers; the economy and politics being the other two.

In parallel with political revolution, cultural revolution must be conducted. Only being in control of the cultural movements can the Party control the public opinion and will the Party’s propaganda be effective.

The Draft’s ideological content has correctly and timely reflected the demands for building a revolutionary culture, and is the important guideline for giving birth to new culture and arts of Vietnam.

While the August Revolution was being celebrated, while a myriad of complex things are to be built, while the new Republic immediately faces new perils in the face of internal and foreign enemies, the Party and Uncle Ho went on establishing a new government, which means not only

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developing the economy, building democratic institutions, but also strengthening the foundations of new culture based on traditional values of the people, in order to defend the independence and affirm the power and the master status of the people.

At the first National Cultural Congress that took place in Hanoi capital on Nov 24, 1946, Chairman Ho Chi Minh said, ‘Culture lights up our nation’s way’. That shows that the Party and Uncle Ho highly appreciated the guiding role of culture in the nation’s development and the revolution movement.

Exhibition ‘Literature and art in the war of resistance (1945-1954)’ has highlighted the Party’s and Chairman Ho Chi Minh’s policies and ideology on cultural revolution.

Almost 200 images, documents and artifacts from the collections of the National Museum of History and Vietnam Literary Museum at the topical exhibition ‘Literature and Arts in the war of resistance (1945-1954)’ are showcased in 2 parts: Part 1, The Draft of foundations of Vietnam’s culture and the Party’s policies regarding culture ‘Draft of foundations of Vietnam’s culture’ appeared at the time the Vietnamese people endured the exploitation of both the French colonialists and the Japanese fascists. They not only

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exploited us economically, but also poisoned us culturally by deception, demagogy and fake democracy. In such circumstances, Nguyen Ai Quoc came back to the country and decided to establish Viet Minh Front. He wrote letters to the fellow countrymen and women and published ‘Independent Vietnam’ newspaper to spread ideas, to lay bare the enemies’ conspiracies and crimes, and to call the people to be united in Viet Minh to fight away the French and the Japanese.

In 1943, the Viet Minh movement grew quite strong in the countryside but remained not so visible in the cities because it had not mobilized and recruited the intellectuals, especially the writers and artists to the unified national patriotic front. To fix that situation, the General Secretary Truong Chinh had written the Draft of foundations of Vietnam’s culture and at Vong La Commune, Dong Anh, Hanọi, the Meeting of the standing committee of the Party’s Central Committee that took place on Feb 25-28, 1943 passed it.

The ‘Draft of foundations of Vietnam’s culture’ printed in no. 1 of The Avangard Journal, the New Culture propaganda organ of the Vietnam association of patriotic culture experts, is currently kept at the National Museum of History.

As a coincidence, while the ‘Draft of foundations of Vietnam’s culture’ was being passed in 1943, Uncle Ho, who was in China,

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“Get ready to fight against the AutumWinter French attack” poster produced

by Tuyen Quang Department of Information. Poster printed on “Giang” paper, using stone prepress technique.

No. 1 of ‘The Avantguard’ Journal, the new culture propoaganda organ of the Vietnam association of patriotic culture experts, published on 10 November, 1945.

being kept a prisoner by Chiang Kai-shek, took time to think about building a new national culture for the future. The two events, though happening in different places and circumstances, took place at the same time and serve the same purpose and idea.

Immediately after the publication of the ‘Draft of foundations of Vietnam’s culture,’ patriotic intellectuals started actively supporting, participating, and initiating new culture – a revolutionary culturebuilding movement.

Recognizing the utmost importance of Culture, just one day after the country regained independence, on September 3, 1945 in the first meeting of the cabinet, Chairman Ho Chi Minh highlighted the six most urgent tasks of the Government, two of which were related to culture. First, illiteracy must be eliminated together with famine. Two, the people’s moral must be reeducated.

The Party’s important standpoints on culture, expressed in the ‘Draft of foundations of Vietnam’s culture’ have been complemented and completed by the demands in subsequent stages of

The song ‘Call to Youth’, music by Luu Huu Phuoc, lyrics by Huynh Van Tieng and Le Khac Thieu

revolution. And on each such stage, our Party further improved its policies on culture and arts. The VIII National Congress of the Party in 1996 has stressed: ‘All activities related to culture and arts must serve the purpose of building and developing an advanced culture, rich in national features, and creating a Vietnamese personality in the aspects of ideology, moral, spirit, emotions, lifestyle and establishing a healthy cultural environment for the development of the society.’

At the 5th meeting of the Central Committee (VIII term) in 2014, this policy was one step further improved to assert that ‘Culture is the foundation of the society, at the same time the motif that accelerates socio-economic development.’

These reliefs were made by artist and stage and film director Phan Tai. In his lifetime, he made hundreds of statues and reliefs that recorded the faces of the top people in the literary and artistic world of Vietnam.

The exhibition also quotes remarks and assessments of scholars, culture experts, writers and artists on the ‘Draft of

foundations of Vietnam’s culture’ that have been published in books, journals and some of the Party’s documents related to culture, literature and arts.

Part 2, Literature and arts in the war of resistance (1945-1954) The ‘Draft of foundations of Vietnam’s culture’ that was passed in 1943 has widened the creative wingspan of writers and artists.

Their profuse and intelligent production always firmly anchored in their mission within the revolutionary movement, reflects fully and truthfully the reality of the people’s life and struggle, and encourage the people in a timely and effective fashion as well as supporting the armed forces in fighting the war and building a new life.

In the letter to artists and painters on the occasion of the exhibition of their works in December 1951, Chairman Ho Chi Minh stressed: ‘Culture and Arts is also a front.

You are the soldiers on that front.’

This letter of His was later published in no. 1986, Jan 5, 1952 of ‘Nation’s salvation’ newspaper, as the nation entered the allout stage of resistance war against the French colonialists.

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A portrait of Uncle Ho with three kids representing the North, Middle and South of Vietnam. Blood painting on silk

by Diep Minh Chau, 1947.

No.1 of ‘Independent Vietnam’ Newspaper, Viet Minh propaganda machine in Cao Bang Province, established

by Nguyen Ai Quoc, published on 1 August, 1941

The Uncle’s teaching had greatly encouraged the writers and artists, stimulating them to work diligently for our cause. The years 1945- 1954 had given birth to a countless number of works of literature and art that served the war so well.

Among the works of this period there is a blood painting ‘Chairman Ho Chi Minh and children from all over the country’ by artist Diep Minh Chau. On Sept 2, 1947 as the country celebrated 2nd anniversary of the country, the artist attended a fair organized at Dong Thap Base listened again

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Uncle Ho’s Portrait, by sculptor Nguyen Thi Kim

The Prison Diary of Ho Chi Minh. National treasure

to Uncle Ho reading the Declaration of Independence on the radio and a group of children singing the song ‘Praising Chairman Ho’ by Luu Huu Phuoc. A powerful surge inside overwhelmed him.

Though having never met the Uncle, but led by emotion, he cut his arm to get blood to paint a portrait of the Uncle with three kids representing the North, Middle and South of Vietnam. The blood painting was later sent to the Viet Bac base to be presented to Uncle Ho with a letter ‘To the nation’s Father Ho Chi Minh’ from the young author.

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Regarding the blood painting of artist Diep Minh Chau, many have had a chance to see it, but mostly in the printed form. Today, the painting is kept at the National Museum of History. This is a silk painting, and painted with blood, so as time has passed, it has been discolored. But it is a proof of the love of the Vietnamese people toward Uncle Ho and their unshakable faith in his cause.

The statue ‘Uncle Ho’s Portrait’ was made by artist Nguyen Thi Kim,

HISTORY

The song ‘Marching on Hanoi’ by Van Cao

Vietnam’s first artist sculptor. She had the honor to directly sculpt His statue.

Every time we mention the name of composer Luu Huu Phuoc, many pieces of music immediately come to our mind, such as Hit the road, Call to youth, Uncle’s love shines over our lives, At 20 years, Out to the streets, Liberating the South, Praising the liberation army, Liberation march, Marching to Saigon...

He was one of the first Vietnamese composers to use the marching rhythms to awaken and appeal to young generations to join the nation’s liberation cause. Besides composing, he was also a political and social activist, and devout music educator for the youth. For his great contributions in the history of revolutionary music the Government had conferred upon him many medals and decorations of the highest order, such as First rank Independence Medal and the Ho Chi Minh Prize in Literature and Arts of first batch in 1996.

Among the many songs written about Hanoi, The song ‘Marching on Hanoi’ by composer Van Cao may be the most miraculous. It’s a miracle because it was written five years before the day our army marched to free Hanoi. In October, 1954 Hanoi opened all its gates to received troops from Viet Bac Base, who marched like sea waves that entered the city through all of its gates, exactly the way it was described so

Faces of the top people in the literary and artistic world of Vietnam by Phan Tai

beautifully by Van Cao in the song. From the day it was written, the song, beloved by all, has become the triumphal song of the coming home sons of Hanoi yesterday, today, and ever after.

In the war of resistance against the French, propaganda paintings were sharp weapons to educate, prepare, motivate and stimulate the masses. They also helped convey the tasks to be done to serve the revolution, and lifted the masses’ spirits so they would accomplish those tasks. The content of those tasks has helped the genre of propaganda painting make big strides to perfection.

For the great contributions of writers and artists to the cause of revolution and in rebuilding and developing the country, since 1996 the Government has conferred Ho Chi Minh Prize – the highest prize for the authors of the best works of literature and arts. This prize is considered the highest honor a cultural worker can achieve.

The Ho Chi Minh Prize is announced every five years on Independence Day (September 2).

Government literary and artistic prizes are handed to authors in the fields of music, literature, fine art, photo art, dance, cinematography, folk art and architecture.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism establishes and chairs a Prize Committee to counsel the Prime Minister

on the list of those to be submitted to the President to consider. So far the decisions to confer Government literary and artistic prizes were signed in 2001, 2007 and 2012.

Since the time the ‘Draft of foundations of Vietnam’s culture’ came to life, especially during the 1945-1954, activities of the party’s cultural organizations and creative work of journalists, writers, artists has diversified greatly. They have truly become the avant-guard troops on the ideological and cultural front, contributing their due to the success of the war of resistance against the French.

Today, with correct and creative policies, our Party, Government and people are building an advance culture, rich of national traditional features. In the past, as at the present, culture is always a front, and writers and artists are soldiers on that front.

The revitalization of national culture in the framework of renovation, constructing and defending the Socialist Fatherland of Vietnam is proof of vibrant viability of the policies on culture and arts put forward by our Party in the ‘Draft of foundations of Vietnam’s culture’.n Vietnam National Museum of History 1 Trang Tien St, Hanoi 216 Tran Quang Khai St, Hanoi Tel: (04) 3824-1384 www.baotanglichsu.vn

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FOOD

The palmyra has long been a source of sugar for the Khmer people

Hanoi

HCM City

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Climbing to collect palmyra juice, An Giang Province.

Photo: Tran Viet Dung

An Giang

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FOOD

The sweet science

Cooking palmyra juice, An Giang Province. Photo: To Hoang Vu

A field of palmyra trees at dawn, An Giang Province. Photo: Nguyen Huu Danh

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BY THANH HUYEN

o others, palmyra sugar is the specialty of this area, but to the Khmer people it is a gift from heaven and earth. Many families here have been making it for generations.

The history of sugar making has turned into a legend that Khmer people have passed down through generations. It says that once upon a time, a peasant took a nap at noon under a palmyra tree. Suddenly, he woke up as a drop of a heavenly sweet liquid fell into his mouth. He sat up, looked around and couldn’t figure out what happened. Curious, he climbed the tree and finally found that the sweet drop fell from a broken bud at the top of the tree. He fervently poured the liquid into the bamboo section that he used to store drinking water and brought home to show to his wife and children as a godsend.

Palmyra juice can’t be kept for long because it quickly ferments. So the Khmer people came up with the idea of brewing wine and condensing the juice to make sugar.

Palmyra juice can be harvested and processed six months in a year. The duration of the period depends on the length of the sunny dry and hot season. The longer and the more scorching the hot season is, the more sugar it yields.Palmyra juice is extracted from cuts on a bud at its top, not from the fruits. However, each tree has only two to three buds that give good juice. The rest are

left to produce fruits which are also suitable for consumption.

Palmyra juice collection is a tough job that requires stamina and skills, a job for young strong men. They use a tall bamboo trunk with many branches cut short as a ladder to climb up to the top, where they make cuts on a bud for the juice to ooze out. In the past, they used to use bamboo sections to collect the juice, but now the bamboo has been replaced by plastic containers that are much easier to handle.

There is only a short period of time in a day when the juice quality is the sweetest and is ready to be collected. After it is taken, the top slice of the bud is cut away and a new cut is made for the new juice to continue to accumulate.

The juice has to be cooked within 24 hours after the collection or it may easily become sour. It is boiled in a big pot on an earthen oven. The sweet liquid thickens, acquires a light fresh yellow color and usually gets cooked after four hours. With experience, one can estimate the sugar content of the juice, and the amount of lime to be added in order to neutralize the sourness in the sugar.

The pot of cooked sugar, thick but still liquid, is taken down and continues being stirred until the sugar curdles. n *The article in Vietnamese was printed on The Gioi Di San J U N E - J U LY 2 0 1 8

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FOOD

A pleasant idleness

Lotus-scented tea takes away all worries and cares

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TEXT AND PHOTOS BY LE BICH

ne can come to photograph, to hire a boat and enjoy the lotuses, have a cup of lotus scented tea or simply enjoy the aroma of lotus being spread around by the generous breezes of West Lake Early in the summer, lotus ponds around West Lake near the Water Park are the destination of many Hanoians. These are some real ‘oases’ for people to relax and fan away the heat. With only road seperating them from the lake, the ponds lie in a group and are leased to some families to develop. Late in the afternoons, when the sun rays get soft and

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colorful, and on weekend mornings before the sun is high this place is always full of people.

One can come to take a photo of oneself among the lotuses.

Around the ponds, there are tea shops where tea is scented within the lotus taken from the pond and served on the spot. Good tea and sweet water scented with lotus, sipped with good old country sweets such as peanut or sesame candies. It doesn’t get any better than that. A pot of tea costs 30-50 thousand dongs, depending on the tea and the pond owner. For a group of friends 3-5, after walking around the ponds, taking photos and having all sorts of

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Expelling the evil spirit

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fun, having tea lets it all melt inside you. While sipping tea one can also watch how the tea is scented in the old way.

Mr Tuan from Hang Muoi Sstreet in of Hanoi, who once also involved in the lotus pond business has a special way to scent tea. He collects lotus stamen, fry dries it and then uses it to scent tea by putting alternate layers of tea and lotus stamen together and steep keep for a few days. Each batch of tea is scented that way six or seven 6-7 times so the lotus scent is imbibed deeply into the tea. This tea is sure to impress everyone. The price is also impressive, sometimes up to a few million VND, but it is in high demand nevertheless.

According to Greek mythology, the lotus plant caused those who partook of it to enjoy a pleasant drowsiness.

Those who consumed it would forget their friends, their homes and their cares and live a life of idleness. Lotusscented tea certainly relaxes, but it only seems to bring friends closer and fill one with nostalgia.n

The tomb that became a monument

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Harboring good sentiments

VIETNAM HERITAGE MAGAZINE 4th Floor, 1/1 Hoang Viet Street, Ward 4, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam Tel: (84-28) 38118846 ; Fax: (84-28) 38118775 Email: vnheritagemagazine@gmail.com www.vietnamheritage.com.vn Vietnam Heritage

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ARCHITECTURE

Temple of the dragons TEXT BY T.A ; PHOTOS BY PHAM VU DUNG

Teaching calligraphy at Hang Kenh Temple

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A wooden temple is the host to hundreds of dragon carvings

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ocated 2km to the east of the center of Hai Phong City, Hang Kenh village temple is considered an architectural structure that bears all the traits and styles of a Vietnamese ancient temple.

Built around the 17-18th centuries, Hang Kenh village temple was expanded in 1905 to its present stature. It hosts many valuable relics; most notably a stele that lists the names the most academically successful villagers between 1460 and 1693.

The main building material of Hang Kenh temple is iron wood. The premises are laid out in the shape of the Chinese character ‘工 ’, with a doubled grand edifice at the front and a rear edifice both connected by roofed corridors. The temple roofs are tiled with mussel tiles with two dragons kowtowing to the moon motif on the top. The two ends of the rooftop are uniquely designed as two dragons making a half-coil, their mouths holding a roof edge. The four roof corners ridges are four crocodiles and the two dragons twine together as if intending to lift the whole temple to soar.

The grand edifice is the most important part in the whole complex. It is 32m long and 13.2m wide, with seven beams and 32 pillars that divide it into five compartments. The pillars are 2m in diameter and 5m tall, each standing on blue lime rocks carved in the form of a blossoming lotus.

Dragons on the gate, roof, column.

Besides achieving architectural perfection, Hang Kenh temple is also a masterpiece of carved art.

Stylized dragons, clouds and flowers carved on boards and gratings look no less than heavenly. The middle chamber’s lacquered and gold plated curved door, carved through from both faces, is actually a composition of connected statues of two dragons kowtowing to the moon, a pair of phoenixes spreading their wings, some horses crossing a river, and a turtle walking on a lotus pond. In over 100 such carvings and reliefs of the temple dragon, one of the four sacred animals of the Vietnamese, is the main motif.

Remarkably, all 308 dragons in the temple are in different positions, and all appear in a group, such as a mother and her cubs twining together among plants and flowers.

Over three centuries have passed, and the ancient forms remain intact under traces of time on the curved roof ridges and on the age old banyan tree reflected in the water of the crescent pond. Most notably, a festival to commemorate the national hero Ngo Quyen and his victory at Bach Dang in 938 AD has been regularly conducted at this temple since the 17th century.n J U N E - J U LY 2 0 1 8

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CLOTHING

The threads of identity

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BY DINH TANG

ccording to research documents and from what I witnessed in the highland district of A Luoi, Thua Thien Province, the zeng weaving trade of the A Luoi people in general and the Ta Oi ethnicity in particular is an ancient one that has been passed down through generations.

According to outstanding artisan Ho Thi Tu, deputy chief of Dept of Culture of A Luoi District, a girl coming of age has to have some zeng ready to bring to her prospective husband’s house as a dowry on her wedding day. The amount depends on the family’s wealth: a poor family may give 30-40 pieces of zeng, while a rich one may

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give 90-100 pieces. The bride’s family brings the zeng to the groom’s on the wedding day. In return, the groom’s family brings buffalos and oxen to the bride’s house. Again the number of animals depends on the family’s wealth.

She added ‘A girl from a too-poor family on the wedding day may bring to her husband’s house just one piece of zeng without being disregarded. She can go on weaving beautiful pieces of zeng for other members of her husband’s family. It’s a way a woman’s personal quality is measured. So zeng weaving is a must for women and a traditional cultural feature of the life of Ta Oi people here.’

Outstanding artisan Ho Thi Tu told

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me, things made of zeng used to play an important role in everyday life and were highly valued by the people. Therefore most of those things made of zeng belonging to a person that passed away were buried with their owner. Only a very few things, usually a belt or a shirt, are kept by the relatives as mementos of the deceased. These endeared mementos are usually kept beneath the altar or together with the family’s precious objects, and only taken out in the occasion of spiritual celebrations.

Because of that immediacy, the decoration patterns on zeng of the ethnicities in A Luoi rarely touch sacred or spiritual topics. They reflect mostly

CLOTHING

From dowry gift to ethnic badge, the zeng weaves the fabric of the highlands

Left and top: Colorful threads dyed from leaves, barks and roots from the forest.

Below: A Ta Oi woman working on a zèng, A Luoi Dist., Thua Thien Hue Province, 2015.

Photos: Truong Minh Hieu

human life activities amidst the nature, and the vast majority are animal and plant patterns.

Outstanding artisan Quynh Hoang said that among the traditional professions and skills of the minorities in A Luoi, Ta Oi people’s zeng weaving is the most advanced. Beside the language, lifestyle and customs, in A Luoi outfits and dresses are also some of the most significant criteria to differentiate between ethnicities.

Artisan Quynh Hoang remembers the recent time when Ta Oi people still preserved almost intact the traditional tools and techniques of zeng making. In the peculiar notion of the ethnicities of A

Luoi, the wealth of a person is measured by the number of expensive outfits that person possesses.

‘People around here used to plant cotton in the fields in the highlands. They harvest it and process through many steps using the sun, water, fire and some mechanical devices to finally get threads.

They collect leaves, barks, and roots from the forest to extract colors, which they use to dye the white cotton thread. Dyed and sundried threads are coiled into balls,’ artisan Quynh Hoang recalled.

According to outstanding artisan Ho Thi Tu, the loom used by the A Luoi minorities, especially the Ta Oi, may be the oldest in the Southeast Asian region. The

looms have many Hanoi components that Thua Thien are all made of Hue small bamboo or wooden chunks, but are very simple, HCM City light and easily operated. While weaving, the woman can at will insert a bead or a wild fruit on the fabric to make it look even more beautiful and lively. These impromptu improvisations make the zeng so much more meaningful and significant. They help tell one woman from the others, and one ethnicity from the others.n

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APPAREL

The village of hats

An ancient trade of head coverings is still practiced today

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At Chuong Village, Thanh Oai District, Hanoi, 2003-2012. Photos: Lai Dien Dam

n the deep past, Chuong village used to produce many kinds of hats, such as tassel strap flat hats for young women, conical hats for women and many kinds of narrow hats for men of different ages and social statuses. But since 1940, Chuong villagers make hats of only one kind.

None of the Chuong villagers knows who was the ancestor of their trade. But it is well known, far and wide, that the hat is a part of their culture, maybe even one of the most glorious parts. In the time of Kings, hats made in Chuong were worn by Queens and princesses. For centuries the palm leaf hats have been an inseparable accessory of the elegant and graceful Vietnamese women.

Chuong hat kermis gathers in the village itself, a small village by the Day River, about 30km from downtown Hanoi, Phuong Trung Commune, Thanh Oai District, Hanoi.

Though not as hectic as in other trade villages, the atmosphere in Chuong is nonetheless easily recognizable as that of a trade village, as the courtyards are all white under hats and hat making materials put out to dry in the

APPAREL Ha Noi

HCM City

The palm leaf hats of Chuong Village have been mentioned in their folklore for ages because the trade is already over 300 years old. sun. Chuong kermis gathers on the 4th, 10th, 14th, 20th, 24th and 30th of every lunar month. The only merchandise, the hats in long shining white rows of stacks, quickly changes hands.

As simple as they look, it takes surprisingly long, tedious hours of strenuous work to make one such hat. First, the choice leaves must be crumpled up in the sand and sun dried until their color changes to shiny white. After that, spread under a layer of rags, each leaf is carefully ironed with a ploughshare to be smooth as silk.

Then a worker whittles very thin cylindrical splints from the outer layer of a kind of thin, long-section bamboo. The splints are bent to make a circle, the two ends tied together so skillfully that the connection isn’t felt. Each hat requires 16 such circles of different diameters to make a frame. The dense but thin frame makes the hat strong but elastic. Then the leaves are stitched to the frame. This is done with great care because the leaves are very thin and easy to tear. As the stitching finishes, the worker smokes the hat with matchsticks to make it brightly white and resistant to mould.

Colorful patterns can be sewn on the inside of the hat for further decoration.

Color threads are woven around the frame circles on two opposite sides to create straps for a thong made of a strip of silk. The conical white hat strapped by a colored silk thong has been accentuating femininity of young women for centuries without fail. n J U N E - J U LY 2 0 1 8

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CRAFTS

Dedicated to the wood

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BY THANH HA

Carvers carry on their forefathers’ trade

he fine handicraft art trade village Son Dong, Hoai Duc District, Hanoi, is well known far beyond the Red River delta region.

This over-a-millennium-old traditional trade village specializes in making wooden statues and sacred objects.

According to the village elders, the name Son Dong may be as old as its wood carving trade. None of the villagers knows how long the trade has existed.

The Sacred Records kept in the Upper Shrine of the Ancestor of the trade at Son Dong commune, written

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in 976 BC during the Early Le Dynasty say the shrine is where the Divine Dao Truc is worshipped. He was the one who restored the trade and taught the people.

When he died, the King ordered the Son Dong Village to build the shrine to worship him as the Ancestor of the trade that restored the glory of Son Dong Village.

The sounds of chisels can be heard far beyond the village boundaries. Some elders recalled that during the war, like any other trades elsewhere in the North, the carving trade declined significantly. But strangely, the ‘golden hands’ have never been lost along the way.

CRAFTS

Photos: At a workshop in the handicraft art trade village Son Dong, Hoai Duc District, Hanoi, 2015 Photos: Truong Anh Duc

Maybe the trade was silently passed down in the families. After peace was restored, the eldest villagers opened mass training sessions for the youth and so the wood carving trade of Son Dong has been restored and flourishes again.

Son Dong carving specializes in lacquered, gold and silver plated statues and sacred items to serve the people’s needs in spiritual activities. Son Dong statues follow strict rules of proportion that make them very life-like and special. Son Dong artisans can make any statue to order without being given a ready-made design.

Process wise, beside the common general procedure, each artisan of Son Dong has their own methods which may be quite distinct. The common material is jackfruit wood because it is soft, fine in fiber, not prone to crack, easy to whittle and highly durable. The wood is bought from the provinces of Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An. The outer, softer layers of the logs are cut away, and only

the core is left for carving. The carver uses a string to measure the volume and begins to cut a sketch from the top to the bottom, from the hat, head, face, down to the legs, block by block. After that comes the most important phase, in which the artisan carves the details in all parts of the statue.

Next the almost finished figure is whittled with a flat, thin chisel to make the fine details look clean and clear. Some scraping will make it even cleaner, especially in crevices and holes. Polishing with sandpaper finishes the form. Now comes the painting part, which is as sophisticated as in making lacquered paintings. Layers of different paints are applied on the statue in a specific sequence. As each layer is applied, the statue is whet with a whetstone and water. The whole process of paint application and whetting is repeated until the whole statue surface looks polished and sappy. A layer of gluing paint is applied. When it is almost dry, the artisan glues thin sheets of silver or gold as ordered.n J U N E - J U LY 2 0 1 8

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CRAFTS

Clay vessels bear all five elements

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THE TAO OF

CRAFTS

POTTERY

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TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MANH HA

ne afternoon wandering and asking around in Gia Thuy Ccmmune, Nho Quan District, of Ninh Binh Province, I learned quite a few things about the ageold local pottery trade. They say that in 1959, some pottery workers moved here from Thanh Hoa and opened kilns to make simple things such as pots, jars and , cauldrons.... Thus, the pottery trade was born in Gia Thuy and remains there till today.

In the 5,000m2 premises of the Gia Thuy pottery cooperative, groups of workers are busy with their assigned tasks at their workstations. At the entrance, someone is breaking dry clay to soak and sieve for fine clay. At the turning tables, other workers create initial forms of jars, pots and other utensils. In another corner, some women assemble parts into recognizable products and put them out to dry before painting, drying again and baking.

Gia Thuy pottery products seem as rudimentary as the earth itself at the first glance, but are quite sophisticated in details. To make a 100-200 litter jar, a worker has to complete many different steps from forming different parts of it, assemble them, press and plaster to make it tight and smooth, paint and decorate, and finally bake it. Every step requires diligence, skills, meticulously, and artistic instinct. Gia Thuy pottery is baked continuously for 2.5 days on a wood fire to become brown-gray and as hard as glazed terracotta. At a glance, it’s clear that Gia Thuy pottery products carry all the five basic elements: Wood that burns, Fire that bakes, Water that makes the clay soft, Earth that bears the clay, and the Metal feel on the surface.The elders at the kilns say that the products they make do sell, but much less than before because of the competition of plastic products and cheap Chinese pottery.

Hanoi Ninh Binh However in an effort to keep the kilns burning, Gia Thuy pottery cooperative is looking for new directions of future development such as releasing into the market eye- catching, fashionable HCM City decorative items.n At a ceramic workshop, Gia Thuy Commune, Nho Quan District, Ninh Binh Province J U N E - J U LY 2 0 1 8

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Silent flowers

CRAFTS

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY HOA HA

A renown paper artist has helped the disabled find new life

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native Hue girl who is famous for her paper flowermaking skill opened a facility earlier this June for the purpose of interesting other disadvantaged girls around her in the craft.

Le Thi Thanh Nhan is a self-trained paper flower artisan.

Nhan loves flowers and she often feels sad at the withering of flora. ‘Flowers are always beautiful, every kind, and I desire that the beauty would last a long time. But natural law doesn’t allow it and I am sad at the withering,’ said Nhan.

That drove the 25-year-old girl to learn paper flower-making techniques some three years ago. ‘Of course it could never be forever, but paper flowers will last longer than those grown in nature,’ she said. During her study at Hue University of Foreign Languages, Nhan worked part time at a restaurant owned by her cousin in the city to practice her English and at the same time acquired flower-making technique from YouTube.

‘Fortunately, I learned the techniques quite fast thanks to a childhood habit of studying petals of different flower types,’ she said.

Nhan started with making the saffron crocus, which she found easy to work on. She gained early success, as friends and acquaintances appreciated her paper flowers, encouraging the young girl to go further in the craft.

She was successful in making of more popular types of flowers, including roses, Texas bluebells, sunflowers, peonies, carnations, Scorpion grass, and lotus flowers. Nhan became famous across the city for her paper flowers. Young girls are the top customer for her handmade product, as they want their home decorated with the colourful paper flowers that look absolutely like the real ones.

Nhan’s flowers also see strong needs from coffee shops and restaurants in Hue and localities around the country. Many

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Ms Nhan at the newly-opened facility

customers trade with Nhan for the larger size of the paper flowers for backdrop decoration.

Stronger market demand produced more inspiration for Nhan.

She formed a club, based at her family’s tiny home, and named it LAVIN. With LAVIN, Nhan involved people in love with paper flower making in creating more flowers and new types of flowers.

Most of the club members were not familiar with the techniques, so Nhan taught them for the first time, those including foreigners who get a chance to stay long in Hue. Nhan’s flowers are sold abroad as well, thanks to her postings on social networks of Facebook and Instagram. Despite of the increasing demand, Nhan continued working on the craft as a part-time job.

During the week days, she worked at a public company that provides craft- experiencing spaces for foreign visitors to the city. She made flowers in her free time and had her club meetings during weekends.

Nhan retained her full time job for a reason.

‘I nurtured the idea of building a facility for the disabled and teaching them the craft in the first days of my craft success,’ she said.

The salary helped her save up for the opening of the facility.

Two and a half years ago, Nhan connected with a girl who was born with ‘diamond bone’ syndrome and is confined to bed for the rest of her life. Nhan trained the girl to be the first disabled artisan in her craft club.

‘I’m always feeling a pity for the disabled. But I believe that the craft is suitable for them to earn a humble living and connect with life, thus I find them and teach them the craft.’

The time was ripe and Nhan decided to quit the full time job in May, turning her into the craft and the facility.

Fortunately, she met Matthew, an American who wanted to open a coffee shop in the city.

‘My idea of a facility for the disabled worked out easily thanks to the idea of Matthew. He will reserve space for my activities in the

coffee shop,’ said Nhan.

Finally, on 3 June, the craft facility-coffee shop opened thanks to efforts by Nhan, Matthew and some of her friends. At the facility, Nhan accommodates a group of hearing-impaired girls and teaches them the craft techniques. When the girls become familiar with the craft, they will demonstrate the techniques for customers as well as produce flowers for sale. To Nhan, the girls are not merely trainees or hired workers for the craft, but they are centre of the facility. ‘It is not merely finding the impaired girls, putting them here paying them for the paper flowers they have made. I have spent a lot effort to integrate them into society by learning their sign language,’ said Nhan.

In Vietnam, many disabled people are considered a burden, as they can’t join society due to their impairment. Some are set aside in their family and waste their skills.

Nhan is seeking for treatment that could help ease the pains from diamond bone symptom. She also planned a trip to HCM City for meeting with crocodile breeders, who succeeded in extracting diamond bone pain-fighting substances from crocodile bones.

Le Minh Chau, a volunteer at the facility, said she admires Nhan’s efforts to help the disable girls get a life. ‘I witnessed the change of the girls after they joined Nhan. Working with the flower craft made them lively and joyful,’ she said.

Chau, who is a second-year student at Hue College of Pedagogy, pledged joining hands with Nhan to make the girls skilled in the craft.

‘Seeing them happy means my happiness,’ she said, adding that she would try her best to assist Nhan in helping the girls. n

LAVIN Paper Flower, 87 Ong Ich Khiem St., Hue City.

Find the facility on the right front of the Citadel in Hue, 100m walk from the Citadel.

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CRAFTS

Making crystal sugar, Quang Ngai Province, 2013. Photo: Bach Ngoc Anh

The sweet trade of Quang Ngai

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BY KHANH HOA

rystal sugar is one of the most famous specialties of Quang Ngai, a province in the middle section of Vietnam. The people of Quang Ngai have a long history of using crystal sugar, for example, to make tonics that cure coughs and sore throats, or to make all kinds of cakes and sweets and beverages, or just as candy.

The crystal sugar trade appeared in Quang Ngai over 100 years ago.

Many times, it seemed unable to sustain itself, as workers couldn’t earn enough for a living. The main reason was because low quality but cheap Chinese crystal sugar was smuggled into Vietnam in great quantities.

Despite those enormous difficulties, Quang Ngai sugar makers have persevered maintaining their trade. Today, there are many villages in

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Making crystal sugar, Quang Ngai Province. Photo: Tran Dinh Thuong

Quang Ngai famous for crystal sugar. Quang Ngai City alone has three famous crystal sugar-making villages: Chanh Lo Village of Chanh Lo Ward, and Ba La and Van Tuong villages of Nghia Dong Ward.

The main materials to make crystal sugar are usual commercial sugar, sea shell lime (to accelerate sugar precipitation), and chicken eggs which make impurities sink or surface, and improve the sugar flavor at the same time.

Three parts of sugar are carefully mixed with two parts of water and a little lime and then cooked in a big pan on a fire. A worker add whipped eggs to it. This is a traditional ‘detergent’ that makes impurities either surface or sink. The worker scoops out and throws away all the lather.

Then the liquid is poured onto a piece of cloth stretched over another pot to filter out what ever sank to the bottom.

The purified sugar is cooked further. The

quality of the final product depends on this most important stage. The fashion the sugar is boiling is a good indicator of whether the batch is a success or not. An experienced worker remarked, ‘if it sounds like boiling water, then the sugar is good. If it sounds like a steam engine, that’s a bad sign.’

From time to time, the worker has to put some of the sugar into a bowl to test its density. When the density is right, the sugar is poured into a thick corrugated iron tank to crystallize. Inside the tank, threads are stretched to help the process.

About 7-9 days later, the tank is tilted to a side to let out the treacle at the top. Then the crystal sugar is taken out and broken into suitable-sized pieces. The blocks of sugar, shining like quartz, are sun-dried before getting packaged for sale.

Quang Ngai crystal sugar is currently sold in many provinces and cities in the country and exported to some Southeast Asian countries. n J U N E - J U LY 2 0 1 8

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EVENTS

HANOI

EXHIBITIONS Death, decay and spirit Till 23 June

Rustic imagination Till 30 June

The exhibition ‘Ephemera’, or ‘Phu Du’ in Vietnamese, by Marianne Smolska, is on till 23 June at Dong Phong Gallery, 3 Ly Dao Thanh St, Hanoi.

Her illustrations not only revive French and Dutch 17th Century art, allegorical works of art in the form of still life about death and the futility of human passions, but also elements of Vietnamese culture; the use of organic paper, celestial in her raw, nearly flayed embroideries, Marianne Smolska does not seek to conceal injury. She re-stitches it; she re-clothes the dead, decking them with back, blue and blood red flowers and embroideries and heals the wounds.

The solo exhibition by Nguyen Huy An ‘Calculus Exercise #6/5’, is on till 30 June at the Manzi Art Space, 14 Phan Huy Ich St, Hanoi.

In this exhibition, the artist shows small, simple, serene and poetic paintings on dó paper portraying iconic rural sceneries alongside a continuation of his intriguing experimentation with conceptual writings.

Keeping craft alive Till 30 June

A photo finish Till 6 July

Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Centre is showcasing crafted works from 20 young designers and entrepreneurs in a contest ‘Craft and Designs Challenge 2017’, till 30 June.

The exhibited works combine age-old knowledge with contemporary designs and span a wide range of disciplines and products. Together, they serve as suggestions towards innovative and sustainable ways of preserving and developing Vietnam’s craft sector.

Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Centre, 50 Dao Duy Tu St, Hoan Kiem Dist, Hanoi.

A World Press Photo Exhibition 2018 will be held at the Vietnam Fine Arts University from 16 June to 6 July.

The exhibition will showcase the stories and photography from the 61st annual World Press Photo contest. The winners were chosen from more than 73,000 photographs entered by 4,548 photographers from 125 countries.

Vietnam Fine Arts University, 42 Yet Kieu St, Hanoi.

Free entry.

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EVENTS Looking inward Till 15 July More than 34 artworks by 10 young artists are displayed till 15 July at the Vincom Centre for Contemporary Art, 72A Nguyen Trai St, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi. Free entry.

The exhibition presents a range of artworks of realism, expressionism and abstractism opening a door for innovative and diverse modes of expression: self-reflection, selfexamination.

Faces of the ancients Till 18 July An exhibition of Torres Strait masks will be showcased till 18 July at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Trong Dong Building, Nguyen Van Huyen St, Cau Giay Dist., Hanoi. Open hours: 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., closed on Mondays.

Torres Strait is a network of islands located between Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. The making and wearing of beautifully decorated masks is one of the region’s most distinctive traditions.

‘Summer’ all day Till 2 September ‘Summer’ with oil-on-canvas paintings of artist Bui Trong Du is on till 2 September at the Lotte Centre Hanoi, 54 Lieu Giai St, Hanoi. Free entry.

Multimedia trees Till 9 July ‘Tra Art’, a multi-sensory exhibition on Shan tea, wild tea trees of hundreds years old grown by ethnic minorities in Ha Giang Province, is on till 9 July at the L’Espace, 24 Trang Tien St, Hanoi. Free entry.

The exhibition includes five excellent artists from five different fields to collaborate and give the audience an unprecedented experience: Nguyen Quynh Phuong – animator, Marcus Bowler – 3D artist, the late Gérald Gorridge – painter, Tran Thu Hang – sculptor, Ngo Hong Quang – artist/musician.

Recycled flora Till 31 December

The exhibition ‘Rubbish of the Spring 2018’ is on till 31 December at the Vicas Art Studio, 32 Hao Nam St, Dong Da Dist., Hanoi. The artworks were created with peach blossom branches were thrown away after the Lunar New Year. They imply how people can have a more positive attitude towards their ecological and social environment.

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EVENTS

HO CHI MINH CITY EXHIBITIONS Symbols greater than nature Till 30 June

Dark wisdom Till 13 July

The exhibition, ‘Between Fragmentation and Wholeness’,

by Truong Cong Tung is on till 30 June at the Galerie Quynh, 118 Nguyen Van Thu St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays.

His installation will bring viewers to a multidimensional reality. The bodies of works appear in various mediums from collaged sculptures of natural and manmade objects to video installations and layered drawings in light boxes. All contribute to a powerful language of semiotics – of self-indicated signs – which moves beyond the mimesis of nature.

‘Oration For Ten Types of Sentient Beings’, a solo exhibition by artist Pham Tran Viet Nam is on till 13 July at the Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, 15 Nguyen U Di St, Dist.2, Ho Chi Minh City. Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Ticket: VND35,000.

The exhibition the artist’s frustration with an unjust world where humans are trapped in the cycle of life and death.

Demons and corpses pervade the series of large-scale paintings on the wall, drawn in 2011-2013. They resemble the artist’s scattered dreams and obsessions.

MUSIC

A night at the opera 19 June A night of Antonin Dvorak will be on at 8.p.m. 19 June at the Saigon Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City.

The show has performances of conductor Honna Tetsuji, cellist Ngo Hoang Quan and artists from HBSO Opera, Ballet & Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets range from VND650,000.

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Modern movement 29 and 30 June HBSO Opera, Ballet & Symphony Orchestra, in collaboration with the Netherlands dance company Gotra ,will debut a contemporary dance, ’Cafe Saigon’ at 8p.m. 29 and 30 June at the Saigon Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Tickets range from VND650,000.

WHAT THE PAPER SAY with capacity of 300,000cu.m is reserved for farming only and the worst possible droughts.

About 73 per cent of Ly Son islanders make their living from garlic and spring onion crops and fishing.

Three major airports need $5b for upgrades Viet Nam News, 23 May

HCMC to curb use of plastic bags Tuoi Tre News, 22 May

HCMC People’s Committee has recently tasked the Department of Education and Training, in coordination with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, with raising awareness of the harmful effects of plastic waste among students.

Meanwhile, the Department of Industry and Trade will be in charge of cooperating with the environmental department and district-level administrations to encourage local residents and businesses to reduce their use of plastic bags.

Markets and supermarkets across the southern metropolis will be asked to stop providing consumers with the type of bag, which takes a long time to decompose, and replace it with eco-friendly alternatives.

The municipal administration also requested local tax agencies to make sure that businesses pay their environmental taxes when using plastic bags, and to impose commensurate penalties upon violators.

Islanders face limited fresh water in early dry season Viet Nam News, 22May

Half of the farming area on Ly Son Island, 30km off the coast of Quang Ngai Province, has been salinised in the early dry season this year, reducing coverage of the key crop purple onion from 170ha to 50ha.

Local authorities said residents and tourists had to use salinised water, adding that they have called for saving daily fresh water among 22,000 residents and tourists, while dredging wells to seek deeper water.

They also said the island’s water reservoir

More than VND116 trillion $5 billion) is needed to build Long Thanh airport and upgrade Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports for the 2018-21 period. The number of passengers coming through 22 airports nationwide managed and operated by Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) is expected to grow 10 per cent each year between 2018 and 2021 and is estimated to reach about 137 million by 2021. Annual passenger growth rate between 2022 and 2025 is estimated to average 7 per cent, hitting 185 million by 2025.

Based on these numbers, ACV estimated investment on the three key airports.

The total estimated investment for the upgrade is nearly VNĐ11.2 trillion ($487 million).

Experts call for more iodised salt in Viet Nam Viet Nam News, 30 May

Experts have called on the Government of Viet Nam to make salt iodisation mandatory once again or at least promote the production and use of iodised salt in food processing and breeding. This is urgent as the country is one of just 19 iodine-deficient countries in the world, according to the Iodine Global Network, a nonprofit organisation for the sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency worldwide.

According to UNICEF, iodine deficiency will cause miscarriages, goitre and brain damage in the fetus during pregnancy. The recommended dietary allowance of iodine is 90-120mcg/day for children aged 1 to 11 years old and 150mcg/day for adults and adolescents.

Besides iodised salt, people can take iodine from sea fish, seaweed, amaranth, watercress or algal.

Domestic violence in Lao Cai reduces significantly Viet Nam News, 31 May

Domestic violence in the northern moun-

tainous Lao Cai Province was reduced by half in 2017 compared to the previous year, thanks to the initiative of domestic violence prevention clubs.

The entire province witnessed a reduction of domestic violence cases from 277 in 2009 to 77 in 2017, he said.

A total of 135 domestic violence prevention clubs were established with 854 members, who are equipped with essential skills to fight against, detect and prevent domestic violence in their neighbourhood.

In 2017, a new model of domestic violence prevention clubs was developed to uphold the values of gender equality among residents as well as providing legal and health services to victims of domestic violence.

From 2009 to date, 1,400 cases of domestic violence have been reported in Lao Cai Province.

Viet Nam records $3.39 billion trade surplus Viet Nam News, 2 June

Viet Nam had a trade surplus of US$3.39 billion in the first five months of 2018, reported the General Statistics Office.

The foreign direct investment sector, including fuel, took the lead with a surplus of $13.78 billion.

The country’s export turnover increased by 15.8 per cent year-on-year to $93.09 billion in the first five months, of which the domestic-invested sector reached $26.43 billion, up by 17 per cent, while the FDI sector (including fuel) earned $66.66 billion, rising by 15 per cent and occupying 71.6 per cent of the country’s total exports.

Major export products posting encouraging earnings included electronics and computers worth $10.9 billion, up by 14.2 per cent; mobile phones and components, which were valued at $19.5 billion, up by 19.8 per cent; and machinery, equipment and parts amounting to $6.4 billion, up by 29.7 per cent.

China remained the largest import market for Viet Nam, with a turnover of $24.2 billion, increasing by nine per cent year-on-year.

It was followed by the Republic of Korea with $18.7 billion (up by 1.1 per cent) and ASEAN with $12.5 billion (up by 11.1 per cent).

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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.

\

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.

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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

44 • V I E T N A M

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

Caty Resort

6 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St, Ham Tien Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province Tel: (0252) 2481-888 www.catymuineresort.com info@catymuineresort.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

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DIRECTIONS

HO CHI MINH CITY (TELEPHONE CODE: 028) TRAVEL

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

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

63 Nguyen Hue St, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (84) 28 3822 2999 www.saigonprincehotel.com Windsor Plaza Hotel

18 An Duong Vuong, Dist.5, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3833-6688 www.windsorplazahotel.com GALLERIES

Saigon Tourist

45 Le Thanh Ton St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tel: (028) 3827-9279 www.saigon-tourist.net

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

Eastin Grand Hotel Saigon

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Fito Museum

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.

Ticket: VND50,000 The first museum of traditional Vietnamese medicine

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.

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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

The Coast Hotel

300A Phan Chu Trinh St, Ward 2, Vung Tau City Tel: (0254) 3627-777 Email: info@thecoasthotelvungtau.com www.thecoasthotelvungtau.com MUSEUM

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.

White Palace

6 Tran Phu St, Ward.1, Vung Tau City Tel: (0254) 3852-605 Open daily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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

CORRECTION:

2:8 APR-MAY 2018

17 Le Duan St, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City Tel: (028) 3824-1555 Email: h2077@sofitel.com www.sofitel.com

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.

Petrosetco Hotel

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.

Ben Thanh Market

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.

HOTELS, RESORTS

Ho Chi Minh City Museum

The author of the cover photo of Vietnam Heritage Magazine No2, Vol.8 (April-May, 2018) is Mr. Le Bat Dat.

Chinatown – Cho Lon

HERITAGE

(TELEPHONE CODE: 0254)

Fine Arts Museum of

Asiana Travel Mate

46 • V I E T N A M

VUNG TAU

MUSEUMS

Saigon Prince Hotel

The photos of the church on pages 15 and 17, No2, Vol.8 (April-May, 2018) are taken by Mr. Vu Duc Loi.

A ‘Catholic Capital’ in a bog

Vietnam Heritage Magazine apologizes for the mistakes.