Valentine's Day Gift in Vietnam

It is said that Vietnamese men seek way to their sweethearts through stomach on this special day. The photo above depicts a bouquet-shaped cake. Under an unspoken law, days designed for women such as Valentine's Day, Women's Day, are an opportunity for men to express their love towards their loved ones by offering them delicacies like cakes or chocolates. In addition, it is a chance to show their humorous wisdom rather than solely love.

The photo above describes a heart-shaped fried sticky rice cake a young man cut a sticky rice cake into a shape of heart and cooked to for his girlfriend. This gift is not expensive but original to express his sense of humour. Another man pushed humour a bit further by making a combo of these fried cakes. 

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Duck Massage

A new type of massage business arises in Vietnam, particularly near Phong Nha Cave, Quang Ninh Province. A 20-year man imitates this kind of business that has attracted many international tourists in Thailand.

He raises around 120 ducks in a farm, named Duck Heaven, where tourists come to hold feeds to feed ducks, ducks eat on their hand, giving a feeling of touches of their pecks. That's very interesting and relaxed.

For newcomers, the owner gives the instruction to them how to feed ducks. A Polish tourist has fed ducks for the first-ever, saying that she couldn't image hundreds of ducks approach her to eat that gives her an amazing experience.

The photograph courtesy of VN Express Online

Da Lat City was overcrowded during Tet

Da Lat City is a popular tourist attraction during The Lunar New Year as is blessed with a year-round cool climate. Annually the exodus of thousands of visitors to this city made all the hotels fully booked. This year, the local administration banned any vehicle with 16 seats and above from entering the Prenn Pass that sits in the southern entrance of Dalat in a bid of avoiding overcrowding in the city and massive traffic congestion.

However, a lot of tourists came to Dalat by motorbikes or personal cars, leading to a traffic jam in many main streets in the city. Around 1400 hotels and hostels were run out of books that made many tourists set up tents near Xuan Huong lake despite the temperature of 15 degrees Celsius.

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

A Reverse Exodus After the Lunar New Year

Tet is one of the greatest traditional events in Vietnam. As usual, millions of city-dwellers left their city for their homeland before the Lunar New Year holiday that lasted more than one week. The photo depicts a huge reverse exodus from suburban to a city that created a massive traffic jam on the day before the one they will be back to work. Vehicle honks were produced loudly and repeatedly as buses, cars, container trucks stuck for hours so that many passengers were no longer patient and left their bus to walk rather than sitting in immobile buses.

The photograph courtesy of VN Express Online

Three tourist hotspots in Vietnam

The three cities, including Saigon, Hanoi and Ha Long, are respectively ranked 39th, 51st, and 53rd among the world's 100 travel destinations, says a Euromonitor International Report. This report predicts that Saigon is expected to host 5.8 million visitors this year, up to 5.9 per cent against a year earlier.

According to the Telegraph, Saigon has cracked various lists of top attractions for solo and retiree tourists due to cheap prices for backpackers. Following it, Hanoi will be anticipated to receive 4.6 million visitors this year. 

Flower Street

When another lunar new year is coming around the corner, Flower Street Nguyen Hue is established to celebrate a special traditional event that has attracted domestic and international visitors. The street is officially opened for the public on Feb 2, 2019. Thousands of people from every corner of the city poured in the street to admire characteristics of this year's flower display and to selfie to post their personal social media. The street named Ho Chi Minh is 720 metres long has a title "Stable steps to further advance".

Tet is an opportunity for the Vietnamese to gather such as a year-end party, new year party, and praying. Normally, those are a chance for people to drink. They encourage together to drink as much as possible, leading to traffic accidents due to getting drunk to drive.  In addition, the influence of drinking too much on these days may take the effect on their health later.

The photograph courtesy of VN Express Online

Ivy Tran

Ivy Tran, a Vietnamese American girl, has just come to Vietnam with her parents to celebrate the Lunar New Year of 2019. She appeared at the Ho Chi Minh City Cultural House in Vietnam's traditional dress. She said Tet wishes to all visitors so nicely that many people have been attracted by her cute appearance. Some of them uttered that she looked like an angel.

In the USA, she has learned Vietnamese tradition, custom, and language. It is a way to help her know her origin.

The photogragh courtesy of Thanh Nien Online

Bread Inspired Outfit

H'Hen Nie, Miss Vietnam of 2017, is a representative of Vietnam at Miss Universe 2018 and impresses the audience with a bread inspired outfit which is one of top four national costumes. This year, this contest takes place in Thailand that has attracted the participation of over 90 contestants from many countries and territories all over the world. H'Hen's outfit wins lots "likes" of Miss Universe page fans.

A collection of photographs that feature H'Hn to play a street vendor, carrying a tray of bread from her waist got many polarizing opinions. Some who praises these poses think it is out of a box, bringing a nice feeling to viewers, whereas, detractors fault-find that although the idea is daring but gives a sense of wrapping paper which looks cheap. 

The photograph courtesy of VN Express Online

O Long Tea Hill

Sapa is one of the tourist attractions in northern Vietnam due to its natural scenery, tea hills that produce well-known tea brand such as O Long Tea. Alternatively, it is an opportunity for local and international tourists to learn about the life of the ethnic minority tribes who live on farming and make crafty items to sell to tourists.

Tea is one of the most traditional drinks for the Vietnamese. From the 20th century, tea has been grown so popularly in northern Vietnam and the Middle of Vietnam that it becomes a daily talk in the life of Vietnamese people. Tea is very amiable to Sapa's soil and climate that is cool.

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Amy Fashion Show

Designer Hang Nguyen introduced a new collection of ao dai (Vietnamese traditional dress) at Da Lat City in the evening of 9 December 2018. It has attracted the media attention across the country. The 2nd edition of Amy Fashion Show with a topic "I walk at night" takes rose and hydrangea as main flowers that are decorated on dresses.

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Conic Hat Street

A street has attracted the attention of thousands of young people who pour out in it to take selfies. It is Street Dao Duy Tu, Hanoi, which is decorated with conic hats, spanning 200 meters. A conic hat is one of the identities of Vietnam, along with ao dai (a long dress). It is also a traditional crafty item of Hue, Middle Vietnam. It is why the street brings the impression to local people that they are living in Hue.

It's a celebration of the 13th anniversary of Vietnam's Cultural Heritage Day, which showcases artefacts of Vietnamese feudal dynasties such as the ancient statue of Buddha and reproduced products of the national museum. Notably, an exhibit of royal costumes gives an opportunity for international and local tourists to learn about the dressing style of each dynasty.

These activities are to promote Vietnam's tourism and retain features of Vietnam's culture and history.

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

It's time to travel

Mortiz Alexy, a German tourist, realized a tour across cities and provinces in Vietnam such as Cantho, Ho Chi Minh, Dalat, Kontum, Hoi An, Sapa ... This travel took 9 weeks, spanning 8,000 km by a motorbike.

From 2012, Mortiz, a software engineer, left Germany to make a tour around the world, going to 40 countries, which include Vietnam. Vietnam is a nation he has travelled nine times and taken a collection of photos of locations he stayed.

Mortiz has a way to make his voyage which he hasn't thought about a plan ahead. Instead, he visits places on the base of suggestions of people he meets on a journey or interesting sites he finds on Google.

During his visits to Vietnam, he strikes up conversations with local people in Mekong River Delta and is interested in finding their hospitality that makes him realize the collection of photographs to recall his memories in this country.

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Sapa

Sapa is known for its fine, rugged scenery and cultural diversity as it is host to terrace fields, lush vegetation, Fansipan Mountain and hill tribes as well. Sapa is nowadays a tourist hotspot where you find a throng of vendors who surround tourists aggressively to sell their wares. However, your interesting exploration of this countryside would be worth trouble.

One of the interests that have attracted you is that you have an opportunity to learn about the culture of the ethnic minority people in Sapa, which include H'mong, Dao, Tay, Giay, Muong, Thai, Hoa. Many of them make crafty items or blankets to sell. Striking up a conversation would make you surprised as their ability in English is considerably impressive. Since tourism has developed in Sapa, many people have indulged in learning English to see this language as a way of livelihood.

Miss Universe Pageant of 2018

H'Hen Nie, Miss Vietnam of 2017, clad in a traditional dress designed by Linh Sa, drew the media attention at the Miss Universe Pageant, particularly Thai Vogue Magazine, which posted some of her images. 

The beauty contest is organized by the Miss Universe Organization, which is run by women and has attracted the participation of thousands of young women from every corner of life annually. The noble mission of this organization is to empower women to become secure. They are self-confident to stand up in any situation to declare "I am secure. That's what makes them beautiful"

The contestants and winner will be provided with opportunities to cultivate their career goals, advocate for humanitarian issues to create the impact the society in terms of humanity, culture, and environment. To do these, they have joined high profile activities in government, business, finance, broadcasting, filming, and television.  

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

A Cave House in Hanoi

A brick cave house has attracted public attention as is considered as a blast from the past. Its construction style is environment-friendlier as it used recycled bricks to prevent the wind and sun to make the accommodation more breathable and incorporate green element and nature light as well. The unique house was built by H&P Architects to contrast the surrounding man-made structures and harken back to man's earliest domicile.

The outer layer of brick is used as a shield against smoke, dust, and noise that are prevented from entering the house. Nooks and crevices are places to decorate plants or vegetables to provide shade and green to residents. A unique idea is that people sense the weather and time through these nooks and crevices from the inside. In addition, windows are skillfully constructed to let shadow and nature light into the hallway and walkway.

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

H'hen Nie shines on the catwalk.

After claiming the Top 5 Miss Universe 2018 organised in Thailand, H'hen Nie strutted the catwalk in the event of the Autumn Winter 2018 fashion show, designed by Cuong, Do Manh.

H'hen Nie is an impressive success of an ethnic minority person who rose from scratch. She refused to get married at an early age under her mother's obligation that she revealed later after Hhen's Miss Vietnam Crown Winning. With her tan skin along with her athletic figure, H'hen Nie has attracted the attention of the public

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Lang Son City

Lang Son is a small mountainous city in northern Vietnam and a city of Lang Son Province as well. It is bestowed scenic beauty along with breath-taking caves that have attracted the attention from international and local tourists annually. In addition, it owns poetic countryside like an above photo that depicts a rural life in flower blossom. This is a simple, healthy, and free-worry life of local people.

Lang Son is also home to many ethnic minority groups such as Nung, Hoa Mong, and Kinh Dao. It is why it organises lots of traditional festivals that are held from January to April of the lunar new year to retain their own culture and promote their tourism in the province. The meaningful ideas of these festivals are building, praying for prosperity and happiness of a family.

The photograph courtesy of VN Express Online

Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc, sitting off the coast of Cambodia, is an unassuming best-retained island. The reason that Phu Quoc still keeps its beauty of nature is mostly uninhabited areas at the moment although it is made of 28 small islands where most of the tourism activities take place and some luxury resorts are built to serve the increasing number of international and local tourists.

One of the must-see places in Phu Quoc Island is Hon Xuong that is considered as Robinson Crusoe's island because it can be accessed by a boat. Due to no accommodations on this site, tourists have to stay in the open air by camping on the beach to enjoy picturesque waters.

Phu Quoc spans 150 km of ice-cream soft sand and includes 20 un-exploited beaches that have attracted the attention of tourists in Asian countries nearby.

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Bao Loc City

Bao Loc City is home to green tea and coffee on which most of the local people live on. Someone explains the name of Bao Loc or B'Lao City that means low flying clouds or goodness. Bao Loc is also home to ethnic minority people Ma.

Things to visit in Bao Loc City include Dambri Waterfall that is considered as a gem of Bao Loc's tourism. The photo above depicts the beauty of nature that the waterfall has spellbound thousands of international and local tourists annually. A moving story of love originating from this fall. A K'Ho girl had to leave the sweetheart that made her shed tears at a stream to the death and her body turned into rocks. K'Ho People named the fall Dambri that means "waiting" in their own language.     

The photograph courtesy of VN Express Online

Hoi An Ancient Town is celebrating UNESCO's 19th recognition on the world's heritage

Hoi An Ancient Town is celebrating UNESCO's 19th recognition on the world's heritage on December 4, 2018. It gains UNESCO's noble nomination as Hoi An still combine the construction styles of Japan, China, and Europe that creates its unique characteristics. The town reflects a well-preserved complex of wooden frame houses with red tiles and yellow walls, an open market, a ferry quay, and ancient temples. Street front buildings make convenient customer's access while their backs facing a river provide easy loading or off-loading goods from boats.

Hoi An used to be Southeast Asian Trade port dating from the 15th to 19th century, which is a vital route among countries of Southeast and East Asia and the rest of the world. At present, it is one of the must tours for international tourists who come to Vietnam if they want to learn about one of UNESCO's heritages in Vietnam. 

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online