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Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park

Viet Nam's Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park has been recognised as a world natural heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) (15-02-2004) at its 27th general assembly session being held in Paris from June 30-July 5. At the session, delegates from over 160 member countries of UNESCO World Heritage Convention agreed to include Phong Nha-Ke Bang park and 30 others worldwide to the list of world heritage sites. Phong Nha-Ke Bang park is now the fifth UNESCO recognised site in Viet Nam after Ha Long Bay, the imperial city of Hue, the ancient quarter of Hoi An and the My Son historical site. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is located to the north of the majestic Truong Son mountain range amid limestone that is believed to date back 400 million years - the oldest in Asia. The more than 200,000 ha park includes beautiful limestone formations, grottoes and caves and forest covering of up to 95 per cent. It is considered a paradise for researchers and potholers or explorers of grottoes and caves. Vietnamese and British scientists have so far surveyed 20 grottoes and caves with total length of 70km. Of these, 17 are in Phong Nha and three in Ke Bang. The area is considered a paradise for researchers and explorers of grottoes and caves, and Vietnamese and British scientists have so far surveyed 20 with a total length of 70km. Of them, 17 are in the Phong Nha area and three in the Ke Bang area. The Phong Nha cave itself which lends its name to the whole system is probably the most beautiful of all, containing many fascinating rock formations, enchanting visitors with evocative names such as Lion, Fairy Caves, Royal Court and Buddha. Besides the grotto and cave systems, Phong Nha has the longest underground rivers, the largest caverns and passageways, the widest and prettiest sand banks, and the most astonishing rock formations in the world. According to initial statistics, the primitive tropical forest in Phong Nha-Ke Bang houses 140 families, 427 branches, and 751 species of high-rated plants, of which 36 species are endangered and listed in the Viet Nam Red Book. The forest is also home to 32 sets, 98 families, 256 races and 381 species of four land backboned animals. Sixty-six animal species are listed in the Viet Nam Red Book and 23 other species in the World Red Book. In general, Phong Nha-Ke Bang's animals are more diverse than in other natural reserves and national parks. Phong Nha-Ke Bang also boasts dozens of mountain peaks of over 1,000 metres still unexplored by men and seen as ideal sites for activities like climbing and exploration. Worthy of note are Peak Co Rilata with the height of 1,128 m and Peak Co Preu, 1,213 m. Lying between these peaks are valleys which promise tourists exciting eco-tours. In addition to the diversity in the ecosystem, Phong Nha-Ke Bang is home to archeological and historical relics such as an ancient hieroglyphic script of the Cham ethnic minority, King Ham Nghi's base built for the resistance war against French colonialists in the late 19th century, and the Xuan Son ferry station, Ho Chi Minh Trail and Road 20 used during the US resistance war. Central Quang Binh province has poured heavy investment into upgrading the Phong Nha-Ke Bang visitor site to turn it into the country's major tourist destination.

Ha Long Bay

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Halong Bay is made up of 1,969 islands of various sizes, 989 of which have been given names. There are two kinds of islands, limestone and schist, which are concentrated in two main zones: the southeast (belonging to Bai Tu Long Bay), and the southwest (belonging to Halong Bay). This densely concentrated zone of stone islands, world famous for its spectacular scenery of grottoes and caves, forms the central zone of Halong Bay, which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The islands in Ha Long Bay are mainly limestone and schist islands most lying in the two main areas: the southeastern part of Bai Tu Long Bay and southwestern part of Ha Long Bay. These islands represent the most ancient images of a geographical site having a tectonic age of from 250 million to 280 million years. They are the result of many times of rising and lowering processes of the continent to form a karst. The process of nearly full erosion and weathering of the karst created the unique Ha Long Bay in the world. In a not very large area, thousands of islands with different forms look like glittering emeralds attached to the blue scarf of a virgin. The area where many stone islands concentrate has spectacular scenes and world-famous caves and is the center of Ha Long Bay Natural Heritage, including Ha Long Bay and a part of Bai Tu Long Bay.

The area is recognized as the World Natural Heritage that is the area of 434 sq. km with 775 islands. It looks like a giant triangle with Dau Go Island (in the west), Ba Ham Lake (in the south) and Cong Tay Island (in the east) as its three angle points. The nearby area is the buffer area and areas classified as national beauty spots in 1962 by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Viewed from above, Ha Long Bay looks like an extremely vivid huge drawing. This is a wonderful and skilful masterpiece of the Creation and of nature that turns thousands of dumb soulless stone islands into fantastic sculptural and artistic works of various graceful shapes, both familiar and strange to human beings.

Thousands of islands emerging uneven in the fanciful waves look strong and magnificent but also mild and vivid. Amidst these islands we feel as if we were astray in a petrified legendary world. There are many names given to islands according to their shapes and forms. This one looks like somebody heading toward the shore: Hon Dau Nguoi (Human Head Island); that one looks like a dragon hovering above the sea surface: Hon Rong (Dragon Island); another looks like an old man sitting fishing: Hon La Vong; some look like big sails struggling amidst the wind to set off for the sea: Hon Canh Buom (Sail Island); then two islands look like a pair of chicken lovingly playing with each other above the sea: Hon Trong Mai (Male and Female Chicken Island); and amid the vast sea stands an island like a big incense burner like a ritual offering to Heaven: Hon Lu Huong (Incense Burner Island). All are so real that people are taken aback by them. Those stone islands have experienced unpredictable changes over time and they take different shapes from different angles of view. Here, we come to realize that they are not dumb inanimate things but are vivid and soulful.

Inside the stone islands are various breath-taking caves, such as Thien Cung, Dau Go, Sung Sot, Trinh Nu, Tam Cung and others. These are really magnificent palaces of the Creation on earth. Long ago, Hạ Long Bay has been called by the great national poet Nguyen Trai:“a wonder of the earth erected towards the high sky”. Many men of letters from all over the world have been taken aback at the grandiose scenery of Ha Long. They seem to get puzzled and incompetent as their treasure of vocabulary is not rich enough to depict the splendor of this place.

Hạ Long Bay is also attached to glorious pages of Vietnamese history, with famous sites such as Van Don, a bustling trade port in the 12th century, charming Bai Tho Mountain, and not very far away from here is the Bach Dang River which witnessed two famous naval battles of the Viet’s ancestors against invaders. Also, Ha Long is one of the cradles of human kind with the glorious Ha Long culture in the late Neolithic age, discovered at such archeological sites as Dong Mang, Xich Tho, Soi Nhu and Thoi Gieng.

Hạ Long is also home to great biodiversity with typical eco-systems like mangrove forest, coral and tropical forest. It is also home to thousands of plants and animals of numerous species, for example shrimp, fish and squid. Some species are particularly rare and can be found no where else.

With all this in mind, the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17th, 1994), officially recognized Halong Bay as a natural heritage site of worldwide importance.

Wherever you come from, whosoever you are and however old you are, you will certainly experience the same emotion and feeling when admiring this wonder of stone and water. And great experiences will always remain even when you leave the place. The legend of Mother Dragon and Child Dragons sending out pearls to form thousands of stone islands to stop invaders still serve as the soul of this invaluable heritage of the world.

Have you ever come to Ha Long, the unique wonder of the world of its kind, to admire and explore secretes implicit in the place?

Banh it - a must try specialty of the central region

A popular saying goes, "Muon an banh it la gai, co chong Binh Dinh cho dai duong di" This roughly translate as "If you wish to eat banh it la gai, get married to a Binh Dinh man to increase your life experience". It shows how essential Banh it la gai (sticky rice cake) is to the people in the central region. Originating in Binh Dinh Province on the central coast, Banh it la gai has become a veritable specialty of that region of Vietnam. Banh it la gai is made from five ingredients - sticky rice, la gai (a type of thorn leaf popular in the central region), sugar, green beans (or black beans) and a banana leaf. The la gai is boiled and then ground in a stone mortar until its green colour turns black. The sticky rice is ground into flour. The sugar is dissolved in water and then boiled down to make syrup. Then the three ingredients are mixed together to make the dough. Meanwhile, the green beans are soaked in water for hours and then whipped before steaming. After that the well-done beans are ground and rolled into balls used as fillings for the dough. The dumpling can also be made with sweetened ground coconut instead of beans. Either way the banana leaves are usually put quickly on the fire or dipped in hot water to make them soft so that it is easier to wrap the cake with them. The little packages usually are shaped like pyramids with square bottoms. Then people arrange the packets into a pot for steaming. Visiting Binh Dinh, tourists can discover how Banh it often stands right in the centre of locals' lives. In death anniversaries, it is acceptable for there to be no fish or meat, but there must be Banh it la gai. In marriage rituals, a tray of Banh it la gai is the gift of the bride’s family to that of the groom to show the skillfulness of the bride who has made the Banh it together with other villagers. In the former imperial capital of Hue in Thua Thien-Hue Province, tourists can also find Banh it la gai and another type of Banh it called Banh it ram. Banh it ram is a little ball of sticky rice flour stuffed with shrimp and pork so that the dumpling is also called Banh it nhan tom thit. The tasty morsel is served plain or wrapped in banana leaves and is one of the indispensable dishes in the death anniversaries of a Hue family. Banh it is also popular in the historic town of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province. There tourists can find Banh it not only at family parties, wedding ceremonies and death anniversaries but also at restaurants. Hoi An has two types of Banh it: one with green bean filling and wrapped in banana leaves called Banh it la gai nhan dau xanh and the other also filled with green beans but served plain called Banh it la gai tran. Unlike common Banh it la gai, Banh it tran usually is pink and smells like la dua (a type of leaf that smells when it is steamed). A famous Banh it la gai-making family lives on Nhi Trung Street in Hoi An. Stopping by their ancient house, tourists can learn all the stages of making Banh it. They can see how people prepare la gai, whip beans, grind sticky rice and form the dumplings. Above all, they can enjoy Banh it right after it is steamed.

Ben Thanh Market

At first, the market was situated near the Ben Nghe River Dike. After being moved many times, it is now standing in the centre of the city where consumers can conveniently find all sorts of products.

According to Vuong Hong Sen, author of "the book Saigon of the Past", in 1912, the French filled a pond, the Boresse, into a solid foundation of 12,000m² and built a market on it. The market was close to a landing stage (Ben) of the old city (Thanh), hence its name of Ben Thanh. The opening ceremony for the market in March 1914 was a big festive event.

At present, the front of Ben Thanh Market faces Quach Thi Trang Square; its rear faces Le Thanh Ton Street; its right, Phan Chu Trinh Street and its left, Phan Boi Chau Street. At all of its four sides, there are bustling trading shops. Located at the centre of the city, Ben Thanh Market is always loaded with varieties of goods, such as consumer goods, cakes and candies, food and foodstuff, and particularly high-quality fruit and vegetables. Goods are displayed in a very attractive way that always catches the eyes of the buyers. They meet all requirements for the customers' daily life or for their families. The market has four gates that are very convenient for the market-goers. For all of its advantages, Ben Thanh Market is one of the most attractive tourist sites in the city for both domestic and foreign visitors.

Ben Thanh Market is a huge covered market in central HCMC. It is one of the best places to buy coffee, but do try the stalls inside before buying, as the outside stalls are more expensive. Also if you are buying a reasonable quantity you can usually get a couple of free coffee filters. Vietnamese coffee is really delicious, I'm surprised it is not more widely available in the West.

Apart from coffee, you can get almost anything in the market or the shops surrounding it. You will have to bargain, unless the prices are written on the goods, but that is all part of the experience. And afterwards you can have a bowl of delicious noodles.

Vietnam Travel, Cambodia Tours, Laos Holidays
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Vietnamese New Year

My Son site

My Son, located 69 km southwest of Danang, was an imperial city during the Cham dynasty, between the 4th and 12th centuries. My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 70 architectural works. They include temples and towers that connect to each other with complicated red brick designs. The main component of the Cham architectural design is the tower, built to reflect the divinity of the king. According to records on the stone stele, the prime foundation of the ancient My Son architectural complex was a wooden temple to worship the Siva Bhadresvera genie. In the late 16th century, a big fire destroyed the temple. Gradually, historical mysteries were unveiled by scientists. Through stone stele and royal dynasties, they proved My Son to be the most important Holy Land of the Cham people from the late 4th to the 15th centuries. For many centuries, the Cham built Lip, a mutually linked architectural complex, with baked bricks and sandstone. The main temple worships the Linga-Yoni, who represents the capability of invention. Beside the main tower (Kalan) are several sub-towers worshipping Genies or deceased kings. Although time and the wars have destroyed some towers, the remaining sculptural and architectural remnants still reflect the style and history of the art of the Cham people. Their masterpieces mark a glorious time for the architecture and culture of the Cham, as well as of Southeast Asia. Each historical period has its own identity, so that each temple worshipping a genie or a king of a different dynasty has its own architectural style full of different impression. All of the Cham towers were built on a quadrate foundation. Each comprises three parts: a solid tower base, representing the world of human beings, the mysterious and sacred tower body, representing the world of spirits, and the tower top built in the shape of a man offering flowers and fruits or of trees, birds, animals, etc., representing things that are close to the spirits and human beings. According to many researchers of the ancient Cham towers, the architectural art of the Cham towers at My Son Sanctuary is the convergence of different styles, including the continuity of the ancient style in the 7th-8th centuries, the Hoa Lai style of the 8th-9th centuries, the Dong Duong style from the mid-9th century, the My Son and My Son-Binh Dinh styles, etc. Among the remnants of many architectural sites excavated in 1898,  a 24 metres high tower was found in the Thap Chua area and coded A I by archaeologists and researchers on My Son. This tower is a masterpiece of ancient Cham architecture. It has two doors, one in the east and the other in the west. The tower body is high and delicate with a system of paved pillars;  six sub-towers surround the tower. This two-storey tower looks like a lotus flower. The top of the upper layer is made of sandstone and carved with elephant and I ion designs. In the lower layer, the walls are carved with fairies and water evils and men riding elephants. Unfortunately, the tower was destroyed by US bombs in 1969. After the My Son ancient tower complex was discovered, many of its artifacts, especially statues of female dancers and genies worshipped by the Cham people, worship animals and artifacts of the daily communal activities, were collected and displayed at the Cham Architecture Museum in Danang city. Although there are not many remnants left, those that remain display the typical sculptural works of cultural value of the Cham nationality. Furthermore, they are vivid proof, confirming the history of a nationality living within the Vietnamese community boasting of a rich cultural tradition. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Ministry of Culture and Information will establish a management board for the My Son World Cultural Heritage Site. Local and foreign experts working at My Son site reported that their work is running smoothly and they have recently uncovered several more relics. My Son is world-renowned for its temple towers and sanctuaries built by the Cham ethnic people for conducting religious rituals. French archaeologist Henri Parmentier discovered the complex in 1898 and classified the temple towers into various groups. Each group is characterised by a gate tower, a main tower symbolising heaven, a long tower shaped like a house providing lodging for pilgrims, a tower to store materials for worship and smaller towers in honour of the gods of direction and the stars. In 1999, UNESCO designated My Son and the ancient town of Hoi An world heritage sites – two of only 50 such sites in the world. The organisation has offered programmes to help Viet Nam, and Quang Nam Province in particular, protect the sites. After excavating around the towers in the G group, experts found that laterite is the material used to build the wall around the towers and even some towers. They also discovered two terra-cotta decoration pieces engraved in Han script, which are different from other tower groups in My Son and shows the participation of Viet people in the construction process of My Son. UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture and Information will establish the My Son World Cultural Heritage Site Management Board and boost the archaeological and restoration activities at the site. The project to excavate and restore towers in the G group at My Son relic site has been implemented thanks to an agreement signed between the Government, the UNESCO’s Asia-Pacific office and the Italian Government.

Hoi An Ancient town

Occupied by early western traders, Hoi An was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th century.

Ao Ba Ba

Ao Ba Ba are the stereotypical black silk pajamas (although ao ba ba can be any color) worn by both men and women in the southern countryside, particularly the Mekong Delta.

Ao Ba Ba is also worn in the cities, mostly by women. Look for them in the markets and on the street.

Tourism and hotel management course

School of Hotel & Tourism HCMC, under the Saigontourist Holding Company, has launched a two-year training course for 1,700 students, of which 600 will major as tour guides, 600 in restaurant management and 500 in accommodation management.

Apart from the two-year training course, the school continues to enroll students for short-term Chef, Hotel and Restaurant Management vocational classes and refresher courses. A course introduced in 2002 to teach students how to make traditional Vietnamese food as well as Western and Asian cuisine has increased to ten classes with 500 learners from the initial two classes with 100 students.

While Tourism and Hotel Management attract many young learners, the strategy of expanding education forms and cooperation with international training units has become a strong position of the school.

In International Relations, School of Hotel & Tourism HCMC is expanding by collaborating with international schools in China, Taiwan, New Zealand, the U.S. and Canada to offer courses at university and college levels in Tourism and Hotel Management. The trainees in cooperative courses at Canadian tourism schools will have the opportunity to work at the Winter Olympic Games 2010, taking place in British Columbia in Canada.

The fact that school’s certificates and degrees have been recognized by many countries in the world indicated that the training quality and qualifications of students at the school are up to standard, said Tran Van Hung, headmaster of the school. School statistics indicate that 90% students find good jobs after graduation.

Currently, Saigontourist is building a luxury hotel for students to practice and bolster their expertise in HCMC’s Tan Binh District. The facility will offer 60 rooms and other services that meet international-three-star-hotel standards.