Tam Chuc Pagoda

Tam Chuc Pagoda is undergoing under an urgent construction to prepare for United Nation Day of Vesak 2019, which will be taking place from May 12 to 15, 2019. An international conference centre, 31 meters high, is constructed on a turquoise lake. Covering an area of around 2000 square meters, the centre has the capacity of over 2,600 visitors. The Tam Chuc complex consists of 1,000 hectares of lakes and 3,000 hectares of mountains and natural forests. 

Workers are putting finishing touches on a giant mural which will be seen in front of Tam The Shrine. Three giant bronze statues sit in the centre of Tam The Shrine. Murals are carved in volcanic rocks by Indonesian artisans to depict the legends of Buddha.

This year, the event will welcome 20,000 Vietnamese delegates and 1,650 international delegates coming from 112 countries and territories all over the world. International attendants would be professors, researchers, scholars as well as leaders of Buddhist organizations. At the opening ceremony will be partaking the President of Myanma, the Prime Minister of Nepal, the Deputy Secretary General of United Nations and ministers and high-ranking officers of other countries.

Vesak is a very meaningful event in the Buddhist calendar, which celebrates three important turning points of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. This activity falls on the full moon day of May.   
        

The photograph courtesy of VN Express

A 134-Year-old Church on the verge of demolition

A 134-year-old church in north-central Vietnam is on the verge of demolition. Built in1885 under the French administration, Bui Chu church is one-of-the-kind heritage in the history of Catholics in Vietnam that was constructed with local materials and European baroque style of construction. It serves as a religious place of a Roman Catholic diocese in Nam Dinh Province. The reason leading to a snap decision of the demolition as the authority of the church is afraid that the degradation of this spiritual place would cause risks to prayers. The plan of reconstruction will be taking place in May.

A group of 20 architectural experts and conservationists across the country raised awareness of the preservation of this religious relics and called on the Government to cease this plan. A governmental investigation was realised and found out that the moss on the roof causes minor damage to the church while the interior designs are still good enough. They suggested using technical methods to remove this stuff. 

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre News

Tourists pose with buffalo to post their instagram.

The above picture depicts a Norwegian tourist who passed by a tourist city Hoi An and stopped to pose with a buffalo and its owner in front of scenic rice paddy background. It is a trendy model that has attracted the attention of many foreign holidaymakers visiting this resort city to possess a new hit photo prop on their social media platforms.

Recently, many farmers spend their time growing paddies or raising chickens and ducks behind their houses instead, they invest their dough and time to raise and train buffalo for posing with tourists. They just raise several buffalo, clean them, train them to smile or do something quickly on demand. They also put some perfume on buffalo to make them more human. Then they spend their time resting on top of a buffalo in an open rice paddy field to hook tourists' interest. With some bucks, a tourist snaps a buffalo on his/her demand.

It is a new kind of decent business to rake in extra money. It seems to be easy but it requires investment and effort. Formers have to invest money in feeding some of these countryside creatures and learn a bit of English to communicate would-be tourists.   

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Traditional Festival in tourist site Trang An

An annual festival in Trang An falls on 18th of a lunar month and draws the attention of thousands of people, including local and international tourists. Trang An complex was seen as UNESCO's world heritage site in 2014 which is crisscrossed with many fishing villages surrounded by submerged or emerged limestone hills. Trang As was once chosen for the background of the blockbuster film 'Kong: Skull Island', attracting the interest of foreign visitors who were planning to visit Vietnam.

The festival has drawn the participation of 20,000 people from every corner across the country. The fest features traditional rituals and musical performances presented by renown artists. This form of the festival has been developed to promote Trang An as a must-see spot for those planning to travel in Vietnam.

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre News

Hoi An in the mulberry season

The mulberry harvesting season heralds a start of summer at the corner in Hoi An Town, a resort city in central Vietnam. The mulberry season begins the mid-November to late March. Thus tourists that come on the start of April will discover thousands of mulberry trees. In terms of food, mulberry is used not only to feed silkworm but also to make a tasty drink which includes ice and syrup, a favourite refreshment for children and women in the summer.

In terms of health, mulberry contains much protein and other nutrients to prevent ageing, cancer, liver disease and bacteria infection. With medical effects, mulberry is widely grown and commonly consumed across the country.

There used to be many orchards growing this kind of this fruit. However, due to the development of tourism in Hoian Ancient Town, the local government has cleared the land to build many tourist facilities to serve international and local tourists.     

The photograph courtesy of Thanh Nien News

Fishing on Tuyen Lam Lake

On a visit to Dalat City, a once-a-time romantic city in the highland of Vietnam, photographer Tuan, Nguyen Tan was impressive with an image of a fisherman sailing a small boat on Tuyen Lam Lake. The image is poetic as its ambience is a smoky lake on the early morning.

The piece of arts was sent to National Geographic and selected to post as a photo of the week on its magazine.

The Photograph courtesy of VN Express

Vietnamese Traditional Cake Festival

The Vietnamese Traditional Cake Festival that was organised in Cantho City, a Mekong Delta city, has attracted thousands of gastronomic enthusiasts. The event showcased over 100 different kinds of cakes which inspired visitors' aesthetical pleasing and mouthwatering. The "Flavour of the southern region" festival accommodated more than 220 food stalls that provided a treat for tongue and eyes, including favourite cakes such as banh bo thot not (steamed palm sugar rice cake), banh tet (cylindrical glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste and pork), banh bo dua (coconut favoured sponge cake), banh u (small glutinous pyramid shaded cake), banh duc(rice cake cooked with lime juice).

In addition to Vietnamese traditional cakes, it displayed lots of dishes from Japan, South Korea, India, Italy, France, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. 
   

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre News

Dalat's Must-See Pedogogical College Stops Receiving visitors.

The management of Dalat Pedagogical College has just declared to cease receiving tourists due to reasons of sanitation and security. The college is seen as a national relic and received 70,000 visitors annually. It is an iconic tourist attraction of Dalat City, a once-a-time romantic city in the highland region.

The educational institution is a combination of western and oriental constructions. In addition, it had attracted the attention of the public thanks to its quaint style. However, many did not have the awareness on the preservation of historic sites, put serious strains on its facilities. The school has to spend lots of money on cleaning trash. This is why the board of directors comes up with a decision to shut down for the public visit.

This ban is damage for tourists who have not seen it in person yet. This college seems to be a must-visit destination for those travelling this city.


The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre News

Day of Pho

Day of Pho that was organised on Wednesday, December 12. 2018 had captived gastronomic enthusiasts. From early morning, many people braved cold weather and drizzle in Hanoi to join a festival of Vietnamese speciality. This event showcases the variation of pho that comes from southern and northern Vietnam. Pho is not only a favourite dish for local people but a passport of Vietnam cuisine as it helps the whole world know Vietnam. A pho bowl includes beef soup, red beef, rice noodles and herb. However, brand stores in different localities serve pho with different herb and addictives.

In addition, visitors also had an opportunity to enjoy pho roll. A rice sheet is rolled and filled with veggies, herb and beef and served with fish sauce. The above photo displays some colourful piles of pho that are "dyed" with colours of vegetables to make not only eye-catch but a delicious taste.

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre News

Vietnamese Supermarkets use banana wrapping.

The use of banana leaves to wrap comes from the Rimping Supermarket in Chiangmai in Thailand inspires many Vietnamese supermarkets. The first supermarket that follows suit is Lotte Mart in Saigon which wraps veggie. An emerging move of many supermarkets is to ditch biodegradable packages that raise awareness of environmentally-friendly actions and receive many positive feedbacks of consumers. In fact, the use of banana leaves has not only an environmental meaning but also a cost-effective way. This kind of package reduces less three times than current packages.

Vietnam is deposing of about 2,500 tons of plastic waste a day and considered one of the most plastic waste countries. 

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre News

Egg Beer Has Drawn The Curiosity

After the egg coffee comes up the egg beer. An above photo describing how to make an egg beer in a cafe in Hanoi has drawn curious drinkers across the country. It is not a conventional beer serving and not exists in a drinking menu at any shop.

An egg yolk is whipped with sugar along with a touch of butter that creates richness. A frothy cocktail is not a new departure from conventional drinks. According to Hoa, a shop owner's daughter, her father came up with many kinds of egg froth drink, when sipping cappuccinos, such as egg drinks with rum, chocolate and Coca Cola. She also said to beauty-conscious drinkers as it is good for the skin.
 
The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre News

Ao Dai (long dress) was honored in Saigon

An event, honouring the gracefulness of Vietnamese traditional dress, drew the attention from the public, model designers and media outlets in Saigon. This is one of the promotional activities Saigon has organised to attract more foreign tourists to the southern metropolis.

H'hen Nie, who was Miss Vietnam of 2017, is a representative of this festival. She also sealed a top-five place of Miss Universe that took place in Thailand. The above photo describes her clad in a yellow long dress in a light pink background that would match her bronze skin.

The event is a sequence of showcasing ao dai processions in many public spots in Saigon such as walking street Nguyen Hue, pedestrian zone Bui Vien, Post Office in District 1, War Remnant Museum and a lot of others. In these activities, participants would be professional performers and even the public who wants to make an attempt of their artistic skills. 

One interesting thing in this festival is that the initiative of organizing this festival comes from a Korean designer who wants to present an international view of Vietnam's long-standing dress.

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre News

Bouquet Wrapping with Leaves

A florist shop in Saigon has just switched plastic package to leaves, called dong, that has drawn the attention of customers, especially, eco-friendly buyers who want to boycott the plastic package. Once reading the use of leaves to wrap flowers on a newspaper, the owner decided to use dong which are leaves to be used to wrap sticky rice cakes. The initiative is to raise awareness of environmental friendliness and meet the expectation of "green" clients.

The leave wrapping, in fact, lowers the cost of flower boutiques less three times than the one of plastic as leaves are cheap. In addition, the bright green of dong enhances the beauty of flowers as you see in the above photo.

Recently, many outlets in Vietnam such as Co.op Mart, Big C and a lot of use leaves to wrap their products that have received many appraisals as well as positive feedbacks of their clients. 

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Newspaper

The Fist Visit by a train of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un to Vietnam.

In a visit and summit in Vietnam with US President Donald Trump, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un took an over-60-hour train from Pyongyang via China to Dong Dang Railway. The train arrived in this railway station, Lang Son Province, at 8:00 a.m. with a warm and wholehearted welcome by the Vietnamese.

Chairman Kim appreciated the well-organised and enthusiastic reception of Vietnam. His visit plays an important role in the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and North Korea. 

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

A Nude Couple posed for a nude photo in Dalat City

Some shots of a nude couple have recently raised both eyebrow and praise of Facebook users. This couple posed for photos in woods and a lake whose environment prove that it is Dalat City, a must-visit tourist attraction in the Central Highland of Vietnam.

Many believe that it is an art collection of photos and does not defence the customs as both of them took photos in deserted places far away from crowded areas. They highly appreciate the artistic aesthetics of this shoot that happens in misty setting and romantic environment. However, some criticize these photos as they consider that it is a shame for a tourist country.

Up to now, the identity of this couple is unknown and the studio that realised this album remain quiet.

The photograph courtesy of Thanh Nien News

Hoi An Town ranks among the cheapest destinations in the world.

Hoi An Town is one of three destinations in Vietnam which rank among the cheapest destinations in the world for backpackers according to the 2019 backpacker index designed by the Price of Travel, the world's largest database of travel costs. The other two are Hanoi and Saigon whose minimum cost are $18.29, and $19.47 respectively, meanwhile Hoi An Town is $21.2.

Hoi An Town inherits the culture and culture of China, Japan and Europe and was a South East Asian commercial port dating back the 15th to the 19th century. Nowadays, it is a tourist attraction where the 21th-century curse of air pollution and traffic congestion is absent. The town only takes a tourist some hours to visit but they enjoy specialties of the middle Vietnam gastronomy and unique constructions.  

One thing about Hoi An Town you should know if Hoi An is in your planned trip is that Hoi An has no airport and railway station. The only way to go to Hoi An is a means of the vehicle. You can take a taxi from a neighbouring city Da Nang where there are daily flights from major airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Hoi An offers many sorts of accommodation that suit your pocket and style. 

The photograph courtesy of Thanh Nien Online

A Must-Eat dish before leaving Hanoi: Cha Ca

During the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un. It was a media-attracted event to find a solution for the peace on the Korean peninsula. That is a reason why all eyes were on Hanoi and drew the attention of many foreign visitors and reporters to come to Hanoi. They have an opportunity to enjoy such delicious Vietnamese signature dishes that CNN advises not to leave Vietnam if not yet eating these dishes.

One of Vietnam's specialities is Cha Ca (Fried Catfish Dish). The name of the dish has an interesting origin. It takes after the name of a street. In the Old Quarter in Hanoi streets are named after vocation or trade they host. In reality, this food is not only favourite in northern Vietnam but most of the regions in Vietnam. In Cha Ca Street sits a restaurant, named La Vong, which only serves this kind of gastronomy.

The ingredients include catfish, dill, onion, turmeric and galangals. First of all, fish squares are marinated with turmeric and some additives, then they are fried in a pan and tossed with dill, onion and galangals. Last, it is served and added with herb, peanut, hot chillies and vermicelli. 

The photograph courtesy of VN Express

You may not know a hidden cave near Dalat City

Da Lat is noted as a romantic city that is a must-visit resort town on holidays for local visitors. One thing that regular tourists may not discover is a hidden cave at the foot of Thac Voi (Elephant Waterfall). It is Hang Gio (Wind Cave) whose entry was formed by rough-hewn steps meandering under the canopy of big trees. Its entrance, at some points, is narrow enough for one person to get in at a time, creeping at foot of ancient trees.

A reason that people don't see the cave is it is covered in spray when visiting Thac Voi whose name originated from a legend of love. A love story is about the daughter of a village chief who had fallen in love with a son of another village chief. Their love affairs happened in wartime, thus a man had to join the army to fight against evaders. Unfortunately, a man died in a battle that made a girl got distressed and sang sorrowful songs. She kept singing until her last breath. A herd of elephants heard this voice day and night and turned stone once her voice disappeared. A sudden explosion broke a mountain into two and a strong source of water fell off.

A photograph courtesy of VN Express

Saigon's Heritage Site

According to architectural experts and researchers, many cultural and architectural heritage sites in Vietnam are in dire need of preservation. In a forum that took place in an event named Saigon Pho, literally translated as "Saigon Street", many ideas referred to the protection of these architectural landmarks.

The Saigon riverbank is considered as a landmark that reflects a historical dependence upon a river. Something should be done to stand out the old and new neighbourhoods on both sides of a river.

In Saigon, many iconic French colonial heritage sites like Saigon Post Office, Le Hong Phong High School, Headquarters of Saigon Branch of the State Bank, and Municipal Theatre that are in dire upkeep.  

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online

Lantern Festival or Tet Nguyen Tieu

After a lunar new year comes the Lantern Festival or Tet Nguyen Tieu that the Chinese community organises activities such as lantern hanging in streets or union processions. The Lantern Festival takes place on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to mark the first full moon of a year. It is one of the biggest celebrations in South East Asian countries that include Vietnam.

On this day, district 5 in Ho Chi Minh City is a hub of activities. Thousands of people flock to pagodas or buddhist temples to pray for happiness, prosperity, and longevity. While other festival goers pour out into streets to enjoy dragon procession in colorful streets. Some people are clad in clothes of famous characters in Chinese novel in a "Journey to West".

The photograph courtesy of Tuoi Tre Online