Thứ Năm, 24 tháng 7, 2008

Ho Hoan Kiem


The Huc Bridge , Ngoc Son Temple

Views of Hoan Kiem lake in the North East side

Views of Lake on the South West ( Thap Rua on the end of South West)

The Island of Ngoc Son Temple ( Jade Temple )

Ngoc Son Gate

Hanoi is well-known for its numerous picturesque lakes and the greenness of its old big trees on the long roads . The most famous lake is Hoan Kiem , located in the center of city . It’s considered the heart of Hanoi capital , and inspires many artists , composers , writers, poets, to create outstanding art works , beautiful songs and lyric poetries . Most curious to people is the history of magic of this lake.

According to legend , in the 15th century a nobleman Le Loi successfully fought against Ming China by having a magical sword . One day during the celebration of a victory , while he was boating around the lake , a golden tortoise swimming on the surface of the water and demanded he return the sword and disappeared immediately into the depths of the lake . Up until this time , the lake had no special name. Afterward, it came to be known as Ho Hoan Kiem ( The Lake of the Restored Sword ). In order to memorize the story , the emperor had a Thap Rua ( Tortoise Tower ) built on an island at the south end of the magic lake which can be still seen today.

Hanoians, who grow up with this story as a part of their childhood , embrace the lake as the spiritual heart of Ha Noi . I try to inhabit the heart of the Hanoians who love Hoan Kiem with all their being , as far as they go, as much as they love Ho Hoan Kiem in the heart , the soul and lungs of capital as well.

Author : Kim

Thứ Hai, 21 tháng 7, 2008

Phat Diem Cathedral




Location: Phat Diem Cathedral is in Luu Phuong Commune, Phat Diem Town, Kim Son District, 130km south of Hanoi, and 28km southeast of Ninh Binh Town.

Characteristics: Phat Diem Cathedral is the center of Catholicism in north Vietnam and also a tourist site attracting foreign and domestic visitors.


Phat Diem Cathedral was built between 1875 and 1899 four roofs and six sets of iron wooden pillars and consists of a network of ponds, lakes, churches, and artificial caves.Phuong Dinh Church, part of the Phat Diem complex, is a giant building entirely made of stone. Numerous stone sculptures are on the inside and outside walls.

A large bell cast in the 1890s weighing nearly 2 tons is found in the bell tower.On both sides of the church are four smaller churches of different styles. On the extreme north corner are three stone caves. The most beautiful of these caves is Lo Duc Grotto. In the area surrounding this massive stone and wood cathedral, the rice paddies are peppered with stone churches. But, unlike these structures, built by Europeans and resembling typical churches of the era, Phat Diem Cathedral was designed by a Vietnamese priest, known as Father Sau. Father Sau rallied the local population to build the cathedral, five side chapels, three artificial grottoes, an artificial lake and a bell tower.

Phat Diem Cathedral seems to have changed very little since Graham Greene described its gigantic pillars formed out of single trees and the scarlet lacquer work of the altar. Indeed, with its multi tiered, curling roofs and its 48 lime-wood columns - (the largest of which weigh seven tones), Phat Diem is a far cry from a European cathedral. Stone relief angels overlook carved dragons and the cathedral's two-tone bell is accompanied by a giant brass gong.

Local Catholics view the cathedral's survival as almost miraculous; a bombing in 1972 flattened two of the side chapels and caused the cathedral to lean by some 20 degrees. Despite the ongoing war, restoration started immediately and today, the only obvious trace of the bombing is the destruction of some intricate stone carvings. And on Christmas Eve, an unforgettable midnight mass, attended by thousands and accompanied by a brass band, is held in the cathedral grounds.

The palace for christian era established in Vietnam in the most gorgeous period of history.

Published by Vietnam travel guild.

updated information by Kim

Chủ Nhật, 20 tháng 7, 2008

Ha Long Bay












History of the name “ Halong”


Halong Bay – The World Heritage Site

“Ha Long” is literally translated as "Bay of Descending Dragons." Prior to the 19th century, this name was not recorded in any document or archive. When mentioning the present-day Quang Ninh Sea or Ha Long Bay, old historical books often referred to them by the names of An Bang, Luc Thuy or Van Don.


Not until the late 19th century did the name of Halong Bay appear on a French Marine Map. “The Hai Phong News”, a French newspaper of the time, had an article, “Dragon appears on Ha Long Bay”, reporting the following story: In 1898 a sub-lieutenant named Lagredin, captaining the ‘Avalanse’ reported seeing a huge sea snake on Ha Long Bay.

This was also witnessed by many of the crews. Thus emerged the European image of the Asian dragon. Whether this appearance of a strange animal looking like a dragon resulted the name of Ha Long Bay is not known (Reference “Quang Ninh: Art and Culture” published in 2002).


There is also a local legend, which has been handed down, relating to the name Ha Long Bay, which tells the following tale:“Long ago, in the first founding days, the Viet people were attacked by foreign aggressors. The Jade Emperor sent the Mother Dragon and her band of Child Dragons to help the Viet people fight the invaders. While the enemy vessels were launching massive attacks against the mainland, the dragons descended in flocks from the sky.

They spat out innumerable pearls which changed into jade stone islands the moment they touched the water. These islands linked together to form firm citadels that checked the enemy’s advance and smashed their vessels to pieces. After the invaders were driven out, Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons did not return to Heaven but stayed on earth, right at the place where the battle occurred. The spot where the Mother Dragon landed was Ha Long, and where the Child Dragons came down was Bai Tu Long. The place where their tails violently wagged was called Long Vi, the present-day Tra Co Peninsula with its soft sandy beach stretching many kilometers.”

One of the world’s natural wonders, (and a common backdrop for films set in Vietnam), Halong Bay features more than one thousand awesome limestone karsts and islands of various sizes and shapes along the 120-km coastline of Bai Chay Beach.
Its waters are host to a great diversity of ecosystems including offshore coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forests, small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. The folk tale has it that the dragons descended from heaven to help locals by spitting jewels and jade to the sea, forming a natural fortress against invaders; these precious stones are represented by the lush green outcrops. Several islands boast beautiful grottos and caves with contiguous chambers, hidden ponds and peculiar stone formations.


The bay is about 160 kilometers northeast of Hanoi and accessed by road. Several travel agents in Hanoi offer overnight packages that include a selection of boating excursions from Chinese junks to kayaks.

Bai chay Beach may not be the nicest beach but it is certainly the busiest one in Halong Bay. This is mainly because it has a pier where travelers board a boat for a leisure cruise along the bay. Local hotels and shops spread along its beach road.


Caves and grottos in Halong Bay In Vietnam and many parts in Asia, it is common that some natural wonders and attractions are attached with folk stories and fables. In Halong Bay, many grottos, caves, stalagmites and stalactites have their own stories that explain how they got eccentric shapes and structures.

Hang Trinh Nu (Virgin Cave) is known as the Mid Gate cave. It is also known as the Virgin Cave. The name comes from a stone statue lying atop a flat surface of the cave. The story has it that a poor , and beautiful young girl was forced to marry an old mandarin who captured her from her family. She managed to escape but did not want to go home because of the fear of retaliation. Finally, she went to the cave and committed suicide. Her body then turned into the stone statue in that caveThe Virgin cave has tunnels that criss-crossing the island for approximately 2 kilometres.

There are many chambers along the tunnels. All are unique in their beauty.Hang Sung Sot Cave was located on the same island as the Virgin cave, Sung Sot cave is said to be the most beautiful - Sung Sot means astonishment or awe in Vietnamese. The path to Sung Sot is quite steep and flanked with trees. The cave is comprised of 2 chambers. The outer chamber, which is referred to as the waiting room, is square and approximately 30 metres high. The walls of the chamber are very smooth and generate a range of colors that blend with its surroundings.The inner chamber is known as the serene castle. Inside the chamber are stalactites and stalagmites that come in a variety of forms from conversing sentries to animals in varying poses. It is up to your imagination.


Many visitors are impressed by the reflection of the water that caused the formation of images inside the chamber.Hang Dau Go (Flowers on Stone)Dau Go Cave is not only known for its beauty but also famed for its historical tie to the Vietnamese history. The most famous of all grottoes in Ha Long Bay, Hang Dau Go Cave has been visited by many high rank local officials or even a Vietnamese king.The history of the cave dates back to 1288 when a Vietnamese general Tran Hung Dao fought against the Mongolian troops. He dispatched a convoy to cut wood from this region to make wooden stakes and hid them in Dau Go cave. The stakes were then embedded in Bach Dang River to form a barrier. The Mongolian soldiers were then tricked into the river. They got stuck in these wooden stakes and drowned. The cave was also used as a base where the general hid his force during the war.Indeed, Dau Go Cave is a part of a huge limestone islet 8 kilometres south of Baichay Beach. It has 90 rocky steps that lead to the entrance. The cave’s outer chamber is the largest one that can accommodate up to 400 people. It has the most impressive stalagmites and stalactites - some are as tall as 20 metres.The cave’s middle chamber has a round crystal like structure on the path that, when struck by light, emits a kaleidoscope of light that is both remarkable and unique. The inner chamber- the smallest one - has colorful stalagmites, stalactites and water filled stone wells.

Published by Vietnam travel guild.
Updated information by Kim

Sa Pa

Silver Water Fall
Ta Van Village on ahead




Red Dzao woman
Flower H'mong people

Area : 678,6 sq. Km
Population : 38,200


Habitants Administrative division : - Townlet :
Sapa- Communes : Ban Khoang, Ta Giang Phinh, Trung Chai, Ta Phin, Sa Pa, San Sa Ho, Ban Phung, Lao Chai, Hau Thao, Thanh Kim, Ta Van, Su Pan, Suoi Thau, Ban Ho, Thanh Phu, Nam Sai, Nam Cang.

Located 38km from Lao Cai City, Sapa is a mountainous district of Lao Cai Province. Sapa District is very well-known with Sapa Townlet, a beautiful and romantic resort. At the height of 1,600m above sea level, the average temperature of the area is 15-18°C. It is cool in summer and cold in winter. Especially it's the only snowy for few days in Winter some years in Viet Nam , a tropical country .
Visitor to Sapa in summer can feel the climate of four seasons in one day. In the morning and afternoon, it is cool like the weather of spring and autumn. At noon, it is as sunny and cloudless as the weather of summer. And it is cold in the evening. With no advance warning of a thunderstorm short and heavy rains may come at noon on any summer day. Subsequently, a rainbow appears, transforming Sapa into a magic land, which for years has been a constant source of poetic inspiration, lights up the whole region.The best time to witness the scenic beauty of Sapa is in April and May. Before that period, the weather might be cold and foggy; after that period is the rainy season. In April and May, Sapa is blooming with flowers and green pastures. The clouds that settle in the valley in early morning quickly disappear into thin air.Sapa has many natural sites such as Ham Rong Mountain, Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge, Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave.
Sapa is also the starting point for many climbers and scientists who want to reach the top of Fansipan Mountain, the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143m. Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range is also called the Alps of the North Sea area since Fansipan Mountain is not only the highest peak in Vietnam, but also in the Indochina Peninsula. The pyramid-shaped mountain is covered with clouds all year round and temperatures often drop below zero, especially at high elevations.The first thing you notice when approaching the resort town are some detached wooden mansions and villas perched on a hill top or hillside, behind thick pine forests and almost invisible on this foggy morning. Old and new villas with red roofs now appear and now disappear in the green rows of pomu trees, bringing the town the beauty of European towns.
Fresh and cool air in Sapa is an idea climate condition for growing temperate vegetables such as cabbage, chayote, precious medicinal herbs, and fruit trees such as plum, pear…Sapa is home to various families of flowers of captivating colours, which can be found nowhere else in the country. When Tet, the Lunar New Year Festival, comes, the whole township of Sapa is filled with the pink colour of peach blossom brought from the vast forests of peach just outside the town.
Sapa is regarded as the kingdom of orchids. Here, orchid lovers are even amazed by the choice, when trekking in the forest filled with several hundred kinds of orchids of brilliant colours and fantastic shapes, such as Orchid Princess, Orchid of My Fair Lady's Shoe. Some orchids are named after lovely singing birds such as the canary, salangane's nest, and more.Sapa is most beautiful in spring. Apricot, plum and cherry flowers are splendidly beautiful. Markets are crowded and merry, and are especially attractive to visitors. Minority groups come here to exchange and trade goods and products. Market sessions are also a chance for locals to promenade and young men and women in colorful costumes to meet, date or seek sweethearts.
Visitors to Sapa will have opportunities to discover the unique customs of the local residents.
Home Staying with local people's families in Villages are very friendly, warmly . They are Red Dzao , Day , H' Mong , Black H'mong , Flower- Mong , Nung , Meo , Tay, Nhang minority groups .

published by Vietnam travel guild ,
updated information by Kim