Ma Pi Leng pass and the road of happiness in Ha Giang

In the coming time, Ha Giang province is expected to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the completion of the "Road of Happiness" to honor and praise the great contribution of the former voluntary youngsters in the eight northern provinces who have opened the road from the town of Ha Giang to four northern mountainous districts. The celebration is scheduled to be held in mid March 2015.

The "Road of Happiness" is the path extending from Ha Giang town to Meo Vac district via the legendary Ma Pi Leng pass built by young peoples of Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Nam Dinh and Hai Duong provinces during 8 years with simple tools equivalent to 2 million workdays.

Happy couple taking photos on Happiness Road

The Happiness Road was started on 10th September 1959 with total length 200km from Ha Giang over the rock plateau Dong Van and Ma Pi Leng pass to Meo Vac, after a long time of hard working the route was completed and put into operation on 10th March 1965. Nearly 8 years of contruction in harsh conditions with a lot of hardship the road was completed in the happiness of local people and young workers.

Why the road was name Happiness? For the road was attached to hard labour of the youth, they have sacrificed their beautiful young years, shed sweat and even blood for the road. In those days, enthusiastic young people willing to participate in activities to help people. When the campaign to build the road was launched, hundreds of young people came together on the road, volunteered to go opening the road. At that time, the tools were very basic and simple, they just had the hammers and crowbars to work. The country was still in difficult condition, they had to work very hard under severe conditions however everyday young people still worked very hard. Even they hang onto the roof of the Ma Pi Leng plateau over 11 months to build the road over the pass opening literally every centimeter of rock to open the road, completing 10km road through the steep side. Today Ma Pi Leng is considered as one of the most spectacular passes in northern Vietnam, travelers on their adventure tours to Ha Giang Vietnam cannot miss Ma Pi Leng pass on the way from Meo Vac to Dong Van.

Many people have expressed deep feelings when recalling to the old days, it's like a historical battle that they have put all effort into helping people. It is the sacrifice of their contributions now the plateau region has increasingly developed. Thanks to the Road of Happiness that people now can have easy access to trade with each other and with other regions, tourists come here to discover more and more, contributing to the economic development of Ha Giang province.

The 50th anniversary of the completion of "Road of Happiness" is expected to organize many cultural activities such as organizing acceptance of phase 1 of the monument of voluntary youth on the Happiness Road, inauguration of the cemetery and organize offering incense to young martyrs in Yen Minh district, the 2nd Hmong flute festival in Ha Giang...

Under the plan, the Northwest Steering Committee will host the ceremony in collaboration with Ha Giang province, and local agencies concerned to prepare the necessary conditions to organize the 50th anniversary of the completion of "Road of Happiness" in Ha Giang province to ensure practical and effectiveness.

What should you pack for a trip to Vietnam

Visitors to Vietnam

Baggage is a very important issue in every trip. We would like to share some notes about preparing luggage that can people my forget when preparing luggage.

One of the most common question we received from visitors is "What should I pack for our Vietnam trips ?" Well it's hard to give an answer as it depends on when and where you are going to travel, however the answer in general is please pack as light as possible. Unless you travel in wintertime in the north try not to bring too much warm clothing as you can buy easily in Vietnam with cheap prices. Tourists tend to bring too many clothes when travelling, but we recommend that you put on those clothes lightweight, easy to wear and carry just enough, on the days with much moving you should wear loose clothing, light and cool. laundry services are available at hotels and on the streets every big city and don't carry shoes unless you do the trekking in muddy terrains, a pair of soft sandals per person is sufficient. Sleeping bag is not needed for your trip if you travel to big cities. And the airlines' baggage allowance in Vietnam is less than 20 kg. 

Some people wonder whether a backpack is more suitable than suitcases, in our opinion, it is recommended that you have a backpack instead of a suitcase, please note that sometime you have to carry your own luggage without assistance by hotel staff or your tour guides, suitcases are not convenient and difficult to store when you travel by train or bus. With a backpack you can carry on motorbikes or walk without much difficulties, a suitcase is fragile and uncomfortable to walk up and down stairs, and on the busy streets and dirty pavements in Vietnam it is not easy to wheel your suitcases through food stalls, souvenir shops and all kind of people sitting around.

How to travel from Hoi An to Mui Ne

Mui Ne beach

Many travelers are confused about how to get to Mui Ne from Hoi An, Mui Ne is a beach town under Phan Thiet city of Binh Thuan province, as there is no airport in Mui Ne the only way to reach this beautiful place is by road: train or bus. 

The distance from Hoi An to Mui Ne is aprox 750 km, most people choose to go by train, overnight trains depart from Danang railway station everyday and it takes about 15 hours to arrive at Muong Man station, about 40 km from Mui Ne, from here you can go to Mui Ne by taxi (aprox 20 usd) or public bus.

If you prefer to go by bus you have to spend a lengthy journey which cost almost a day however in return visitors will have a chance to enjoy spectacular sceneries with picturesque villages along the central coast of Vietnam, many transport companies organize open buses for international tourists which cost about 25 usd per person, travel by bus from Hoi An to Mui Ne is pretty convenient as the buses are clean and follow time schedule carefully. 

A quicker way to reach Mui Ne from Hoi An is to catch a flight from Danang to Sai Gon (1 hour) and then take a bus from Sai Gon to Mui Ne (200 km, 4 hours drive). Another way is to fly from Danang to Nha Trang and then take a scenic drive from Nha Trang to Mui Ne by bus (240 km, 5 hours drive), there are several companies offering open bus service for international visitors such as Phuong Trang bus, address 30 Nguyen Thien Thuat street, Nha Trang city, tel 058.3524315 or passengers can buy tickets at the South Nha Trang bus station, located on March 10th street, other companies like Hanh cafe or Tam Hanh transport...

Phu Quoc island, the beauty of a beach destination

Phu Quoc island

Located in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc island is the biggest island in Vietnam with an area of over 1300 sq kilometres, if you are forturnate enough to admire the wild and natural beauty of Vietnam's largest island you'll understand why Phu Quoc island has always referred to as "paradise pearl island" and understand why this place is always in the list of 10 most attractive destinations for international travelers, to have the opportunity to set foot on an S-shaped strip of beautiful land of Vietnam. 

Phu Quoc with 20 other islands forms Phu Quoc Island district under Kien Giang province. The island has a tropical monsoon climate, divided into two distinct seasons (dry season - from November to April next year and the rainy season - from May to October), the average temperature is about 28 degrees Celsius, visitors can enjoy the stunning beauty of Phu Quoc at any time of year, the weather is always cool and refreshing.

Phu Quoc island still preserves the wild features and fresh air although the number of travelers to the island keeps increasing. Not only tourists are fascinated by the Sao beach, Long beach, Khem beach..., Ganh Dau cape, Tranh stream, Table Rock springs (Suoi Da Ban), Dinh Cau palace, this peaceful island also owns Phu Quoc National Park and Ham Ninh fishing village as well as Fish sauce shops, Pearl farms and immense pepper gardens, the coastal biosphere reserve and Kien Giang's islands has been recognized by Unesco as the World's biosphere reserve.

Going to Phu Quoc, visitors cannot ignore Bai Sao (Star beach) - the island's most beautiful beach more than seven kilometers in length, with a curved, sloping crescent shape, being immersed with blue sea, white sand, sunshine in Long Beach - one of the 10 most beautiful unspoiled beaches in the world, cast yourself under the shady coconut trees, you'll feel like you're lost in paradise on earth. 

Not only that, watching the sunset from Dinh Cau cape, admire the red sun slowly sink into the amniotic fluid seabed is fascinating sight that one would rarely missed. One of the best thing to do in Phu Quoc is to rent a motorbike and discover the island your way, if you love seafood please go to Ham Ninh port where fishing boats come and go every morning, Ham Ninh is known as the only place to buy Sea Horse, considered to be very good for men. In the night time tourists can take a walk to Dinh Cau night market, buy souvenirs and food. Phu Quoc island is also famous for fish sauce and pepper, said to be the best fish sauce in Vietnam. Visitors to Phu Quoc cannot miss Phu Quoc prison, built under French rule to capture activists of Cummunist movement. A dog breed originating in Phu Quoc Island is one of the world's only three breeds showing the rare trait of having a ridge-back. There are some dog farms in Phu Quoc island selling dogs to tourists.

International travelers usually stay in Cua Lap area, about 7 km from Phu Quoc airport, please note that taxi fares in Phu Quoc is pretty expensive compared to Sai Gon or Hanoi, there are many hotels, guesthouses, resorts along the beach, to name a few Phuong Binh guesthouse (2 star), Sai Gon Phu Quoc resort and spa (4 star) or La Mer eco resort. A very good place for midrange tourists to eat is Nu Na restaurant, serving local food for domestic visitors. To reach Phu Quoc you can fly from Hanoi (2 hours) or Ho Chi Minh city (1 hour) or catch a hydrofoil from Rach Gia town in Kien Giang province.

As Phu Quoc is becoming a hot destination on the map of Vietnam travel there have been more and more big resorts and hotels are being built, the roads to the beaches are under construction and in the next few years it is very easy to travel around the island.

Top 7 unique markets in Vietnam

Vieng market in Nam Dinh

No jostling, no pushing, no bargaining, sellers and buyers in the markets come for good luck, expect a lucky year full of fortune. Unlike many other markets, these markets just meet only once a year.

1. Khau Vai Love Market

In late March of the lunar calendar, on the rocky plateau Ha Giang girls, boys, young and elderly people, tourists everywhere flock to Khau Vai love market to make a very special day found nowhere else in Vietnam.

The fair opens only one time a year on 27th Lunar March. Located about 200 km from Ha Giang town, the fair started long time ago and is the traditional activity of Hmong people. Initially those who come here were lovers who did not have a happy ending with their partners for some reason. They come and meet, exchange love and feelings for just one night until the next morning when the fair finishes they come back to life with their husbands and wives without jealousy or reproaching. Today, Khau Vai love market is a festival, a social activity for people to meet, associate and exchange goods. 

2. Vieng market in Nam Dinh town

Also meeting only once a year, here is a longstanding fair, attracting thousands of tourists every year to "buy good luck, selling risk". The market starts on the evening of 7th and 8th January on lunar calendar, the market is in Nam Truc and Vu Ban district of Nam Dinh province.

Both sellers and buyers do not lay too much emphasis on trading and profits, they come here to get good luck, with the desire to have a year of favourable weather and prosperity. Previously only farm equipment were sold in Vieng market, especially knives, hammers, plowshares...Today people bring with them many different products and make the market more exciting

3. Antique market in Hanoi

The market meets only once a year, from December 23rd to 30th, the market takes place at 5 way junction Hang Ma and Hang Luoc streets in the Old Quarter, the market sells mainly bronze artifacts and antiques dating from hundreds of years. Although it is called market there are only around 10 stalls, there is no sign. People go to market to buy decorative items for their home, there are also people who come here just to watch, go play in the days before Tet. It is also the meeting point of the year-end antiques enthusiasts.

The items sold in the market are in diversity, the most common is worship items, Buddha statues or the four holy animals, incense burner made from bronze...besides pottery. However only those who have expertise and experience can distinguish the real and fake antiques and have a precise price for the items.

4. Am Duong (Yin Yang) market in Bac Ninh city

The market opens on the evening of 4th Lunar January at Xuan O village, Bac Ninh city. In the perception of local people this is the only chance for the dead and the living to meet. The market starts in the evening on an open space beside a sacred shrine. This is a market without stalls or shops, people going to market with a chicken as an offering to the God, market goers don't bargain, all can be heard is whispering from people, people consider the market as a chance to do good deeds for the deceased. This is a form of cultural activities with featured characteristics of Kinh Bac region.

5. Thieu market in Thanh Hoa province.

The market is organized at Thieu Xa village, Hau Loc district on 26 Lunar December. Items at the market are mainly rural commodities such as sticky rice, honey leaves, fruits and vegetables. People don't bargain in the market, they go shopping good luck. Previously Thieu market took place right on the river bank for convenient waterway, today villagers agreed to meet in the temple courtyard. Visitors to the market learn about culture as well as enjoy the ancient beauty of temples and pagodas.

6. Bich La market in Quang Tri province

The market has been in existence for hundreds of years as a traditional culture of the people in Trieu Phong district. The market gathers on the night of 2nd Lunar January, buyers and sellers come here for good luck, there is no bargaining. The things for sale at the market are only local products like areca betel nuts, salt, tea, sugarcane ..., pray for a blessed year, many fortune.

7. Go market in Binh Dinh province.

People go to Go market to trade local products and take the opportunity to meet in early Spring. Unlike other markets, Go market meets on the 1st day of Tet every year, it is organized like a festival, a place to exchange original culture of martial land Binh Dinh. Goods at the market are just fish or vegetables or fruits grown at home and the market is a good excuse for people to meet and wish a happy new year to each other.

Attractions in Lai Chau province

Lai Chau town

With the gentle terraced fields, such as the winding ribbon running around steep hillsides, Lai Chau is like a beautiful girl waiting to be awakened. Coming to Lai Chau, visitors will be immersed in unspoiled nature, where clouds rolling mountains with the legendary Da river. 

Pu Sam Cap cave:

From Lai Chau town, travels about 6 km to the west, the road to Sin Ho plateau will see limestone mountains formed from tectonic era, the karst type terrain that creates the cave system in the mountains with magical stalactites. This rocky region is called Pu Sam Cap, meaning the three big mountains overlapping.

Cave Pu Sam Cap with an area of 600 ha attracts large tourist attention because of the broad spatial and stalactites formed over thousands of years, the rock clusters with different shapes. Heaven's Gate and two of the caves are put into operation.

visitors can easily recognize the very lively stone dragons, jade tower, lions and most impressive pictures of stone terraces in the cool and transparent. one cannot help but be overwhelmed by the spectacular natural scenery made by creator, with romantic, subtle, harmonious space of northwestern mountains.

Sin Ho town

Sin Ho means a place of rivers and streams by local language, Sin Ho boasts dense tree forests and charming natural scenery. Perhaps that is why this place attracts tourists to Lai Chau.

Located at 1,500 meters above sea level, from Sin Ho plateau of Lai Chau town about 60 km, there is year-round cool climate and beautiful landscape surrounded by the sea of ??white blur clouds. Guests will be immersed with natural grandeur, experience the atmosphere of the bustling bazaar along the ethnic people: Red Dzao, Hmong, Sila, Cong ... with highland produce.

September, October is planting season in the Northwest, you'll be watching the golden terraced fields, On the new rice season, visitors will admire the bustling village with games, songs over the yellow paddy terraces

On market days, throughout the roads to market visitors will see across the hillside dyed with brocade, the colourful costumes of local girls and older women on their way to market, on the shoulder is local produce of highland area.

Dao San village:

As a border commune in Phong Tho district, Dao San is more than 40 km to the north of Lai Chau town, this place still keeps the pristine beauty of hill tribe villages of ethnic minority people such as Hmong, Thai, La Hu, Dzao. Coming to this area guests will discover the villages, learn about life of local people through the weekend market culture.

In each market day, you will see colorful brocade converge. On New Year's Day, Dao San is attractive with the unique Gau Tao festival, visitors will enjoy folk songs, dances and join in the games, enjoy special Thang Co soup of people on the highland region and drink Sung Phai wine. In addition, you can also enjoy the fresh air, tranquility, not any less than SaPa, admire pristine natural landscapes, rustic jungle.

Weekly markets

Weekly market brings together many traditional cultures, it is the crossroad of the customs of ethnic minorities, visitors should not miss the unique and original markets, this fair is the meeting place, exchange love of young boys and girls as well as bartering local products of the ethnic groups. It's interesting to see throughout the streets, in the early morning, groups of people talking and laughing, walking their horses or carry goods on their back making their way to market. In the noise of trade, the songs by the girls and sound of flute can be heard somewhere, courting each other, in colorful dresses flock to the market, prominently appear on the mountain and forest background. The whole northwest mountain seems awakening by the footsteps of market goers.

Ta Leng rice terraces:

with the rice terraces softly winding like a silk band around the steep hillside. Ta Leng attracts photographers every water season or rice harvest. In September, October the fragrant rice is seen everywhere. Watching from afar, the rice terraces look like yellow ladder leading to the mountain peak between the vast sky. Paddy terraces of Ta Leng bear the magnificent beauty of a natural picture, drawing domestic and international tourists.

In the distance, you can see Ta Leng's undulating roofs with simple and peaceful houses in the surroundings of mountain, it makes you forget the tiredness to immerse yourself in a quiet space.

Vang Pheo hamlet

Vang Pheo hamlet is located about 30 km from Lai Chau town, leaning on the Phu Nho Kho mountain, on the front is winding Nam Lin stream creating a charming picture. This is the inhabitation of White Thai people and still preserves the unique and original cultures of Thai ethnic groups. Visitors get to learn embroidery, weaving, rattan products and especially very famous silver carving and buy products like necklace, brooch.

Currently the villagers were content to serve tourists with services like homestay, dining, cultural performances, entertainment, shopping...

Best mountain resort areas in Vietnam

Tam Dao mountain resort

Located in the tropics, Vietnam is hit by unbearable hot winds in summer, everybody wants to get away from the harsh heat. These are some destinations where there are beautiful scenery and fresh air that you can choose to "hide the sun".

Sapa - Lao Cai province

Sapa is an ideal destination for visitors at any time of the year. This town has a subtropical climate so cool and fresh. Come walk along the winding streets, behold the beauty of rice terraces on mountain sides, one also has a chance to immerse themselves in the stories that are filled with local identity and enjoy ethnic cuisines.

Da Lat - Lam Dong province

Da Lat is also known as the city of flowers, fog city or "Paris of Vietnam". At an elevation 1.500m above the sea level, surrounded by mountains and forests, Da Lat inherited a mild and balmy climate year round. This is where visitors come to admire the works of European architecture and numerous beautiful landscapes.

Ba Na hill - Danang

Along with the Marble Mountains and Son Tra peninsula, Ba Na is one of the most beautiful mountain in Da Nang. This range of mountains has a temperate climate with an annual average temperature of 15-20 degrees Celsius. A journey by cable car to conquer a series of scenic places is the attractions of Ba Na.

Tam Dao - Vinh Phuc province

Located at an altitude of 900m, the town of Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc ) has a cool and fresh climate with 4 seasons in one day. Guests can relax at leisure in the resorts or visit famous scenic spots located around the mountains as Tay Thien Pagoda and Temple, Tam Dao National Park ...

Mau Son mountain, Lang Son province

As a high mountain located in the northeast province of Lang Son, Mau Son is famous for beautiful scenery and produces like Tuyet Son tea, six spur chickens, wild lemons, flavoured frogs, grilled pork...Besides the cool air, usually less than 16 degrees C, Mau Son is the summer destination not to be missed

Moc Chau plateau - Son La province

Moc Chau Plateau invites visitors to the blue sky, the green tea plantation stretches an endless colors, the dairy cows grazing leisurely, meandering streams, cool air and beautiful dances in spread skirts.

Ba Vi national park - Hanoi

Ba Vi is famous for diverse ecosystems, landscapes and cool climate. It is not just the ideal retreat but also a "golden destination" to join the adventures exploring the forest and learn about flora and fauna life in the region.

Dong Van highland - Ha Giang province

Perched over 1000m altitude, Dong Van highland - top northernmost place of Vietnam that has been recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark because of the unique geological structure. For tourists, this is where you can explore the many beautiful landscapes as well as learn the unique culture of ethnic minorities.

Bach Ma national park, Hue city

At the height of 1,500 meters and near the sea, Bach Ma mountain has most pleasant climates in the highlands of Vietnam in particular and Indochina countries in general. The resort on the mountain was built by the French in the 1930s. Guests do not forget to explore the natural beauty of Bach Ma National Park.

Phia Oac peak, Cao Bang province

Located on an altitude of nearly 2,000 m, Phia OacOac is like a paradise for tourists interested in explorations. Coming to this place one not only enjoys the cool air (always less than 15 degrees Celsius), but also explore a series of abandoned villas built during French colonial times along with paranormal stories.

Paracel islands of Vietnam

Starting in the 16th century, several Western maps featured the Indies or East Indies (or East India), which include the lands of South and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, as having Hoang Sa in the East Vietnam Sea, and marking the coastline to the west of Hoang Sa (the central Vietnamese coast) as Costa de Paracels (Coast of Paracels).

Paracel islands

During the 17th and especially 18th centuries, more maps clearly indicated the position, geographical features, and relationship of Hoang Sa to “Dang Trong” (Inner Half – an area of Vietnamese southward expansion in the past).

However, most of these maps still included Hoang Sa in the Indies or East Indies.

Not until the early 19th century—when the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), Vietnam’s last monarchy, was formed and fully asserted Vietnamese sovereignty—did Western maps officially recognize Hoang Sa as belonging to Vietnam. 

Spratly islands of Vietnam

Spratly islands

The Spratly Islands are located in the southeastern Vietnam, including a group of more than 100 islands, reefs and atolls scattered from the west to the east about nearly 350 sea miles wide, and from the north to the south about over 360 sea miles. The nearest island is the Truong Sa Island, which is about 250 sea miles from the Cam Ranh Port of Khanh Hoa Province. 

In the Truong Sa archipelago, there are many such islands which are inhabited. For example, Đá Nam, Đá Lớn, Thuyền Chài, Cô Lin, Len Đao, Tiên Nữ, Núy Le, Tốc Tan, Đá Dông, Đá Tây, Đá Lát and Đá Thị. On each of them stand a few little houses, small but solid and resistant to strong winds with a living room, a kitchen, a meeting room, a gym and a few bedrooms. These islands are connected by bridges whose names are taken from bridges in the soldiers’ native villages

Horse fight in Ha Giang

Horse fight in Ha Giang

The first horse fighting competition made it's debut in 2013, this strange tournament was held for the first time in the north pole area, the tournament took place at Bang Hanh commune, Bac Quang district, Ha Giang province.

Horse fighting Festival attracted the participation of 30 competition horses , which are considered the finalists as hundreds of horses in mountainous provinces of Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Cao Bang had qualified the preliminary knockouts.

Horse fighting competition in Ha Giang has attracted thousands of visitors in and outside the province , even international visitors to witness , many elderly people and young children are interested in the strange images of the fights. Because prior to the dramatic battles, the horses are very familiar with the daily life of farmers in the highland, on the trips over the mountain, bring goods to markets. 

The only difference with other bullfighting festivals in some provinces which are known to many people in Hai Phong , Vinh Phuc is that the buffaloes are slaughtered immediately after the tournament ends despite losing or winning sales were slaughtered immediately after the tournament ends, in the horse fighting competition in Ha Giang the horses will come back to their daili work packing, plowing...

In the horse fighting festival held in Ha Giang in August 2013, the structure of prize includes: One first prize , One second and two third prizes, the winner will gain 25 million Vietnam Dong First Prize. To encourage the spirit of participation, the organizers decided to give cash awards to all horse owners who have horses participating in the contest, and the prize will be increased for the final game.

Horse owners are encouraged by the organizers with big prizes, the audiences were encouraged by the unique performances of or the gladiators in the arena coupled with village commentators, passinating the audiences in the field.

How about the horses, what is the reason to make them so excited and courageous? Only those who are witnessing the gladiator horses opening their mouths biting opponents with teeth or make a rear kick finding the way to defeat opponents see the appeal of each game.

To create a dramatic performances, the organization send the 3rd member in the field to encourage the male horses to display his own martial art, the third party is not human or any other animal but a beautiful female horse the organizers have selected from a ''beauty contest'' before, the appearance of the beautiful "horse girl" on the pitch has made the games more interesting for the winner will have a chance to express feelings with his girlfriend.

Thanks to her motivation, both gladiators want to win, want to express his feelings and thus become more aggressive despite the danger, injury, and even their lives to win. The audiences witness the original tricks of the fighters, although fall rolling on the ground the fighters get up and fight to the end.

While the gladiators fought hard to win the prize for the owner and a special bonus for himself, a lot of audiences in neighboring communes watching every trick, then discuss every moment of the game, there are both young and elderly people. Hoang Van Le, 78 years old said some decades ago in the war against the French and then the American this area was a revolution stronghold, almost all families have horses, the horses were used to transport goods, bring people through the mountain as there were no road" Le continued 

"there used to be many many horses, in recent years people use motorbike for transportation and they have sold all their horses, it is doubtful if there is any more horse in the commune, the fighting horses today are from other places, not this commune, my family also has a horse, our children wanted to sell him but I refused, as long as I am still here the horse is with me"

It is known that many elderly people in Bang Hanh commune still remember their childhood when every morning they mounted their horses and went to school, at that time only rich families had horse for their children to go to school, it's been decades and the images have faded in the memory of people. A young man in Bang Hanh has another thought "I can not get away from the horse, he helped me a lot in my work, he took me to school when I was little, then he helped carry rice to the markets..."

When the competition came to an end the commentators and audiences all cheered as if to congratulate the winner of the festival, after the quick prize presentation ceremony the horse fighters return to their daily job, see the audiences again next years...

The organizers believe that in addition to stirring up memories, preserve cultural values in the highland areas of Vietnam, the festival also helps promote and attract tourists to the region. 

Village culture in Vietnam

I shall never forget this lesson learnt by heart at primary school when I was eight: My Village: “My village is surrounded by a bamboo hedge which hides its houses from view. One enters it through abrick gate. Most houses are thatch huts. Each house, encircled by a babmoo hedge, has a courtyard, a garden and in many cases a pond. In the garden thre grow vegetables, sweet potato, and fruit trees. Besides a little road crossing the village there are only narrow lanes. For some time now they have been paved with bricks, which has made them cleaner. Formerly, whenever it rained, it was very unpleasant to use them because one had to walk in the mud”. To complete the picture, one must add the presence of the market, the communal house, the pagoda, the small open- air shrines dedicated to Confucius and prominent Scholars (Van Chi) as well as to various spirits. 

Duong Lam ancient village

The bamboo hedge, in some cases reinforced by an earth embankment and a moat, turns the small rural community into a green islet in the middle of a sea of rice fields. It protects the villagers against bandits as well as typhoons, and supplies materials for the repair or construction of temples, bridges, markets and other public works. It usually has four gates (north, south, east, west), sometimes fewer, which are closed at nightfall by guards. Before the main en trance, banian or ceiba trees cast refreshing shade where farmers returning from the fields or travellers can rest while drinking a cup of tea at a stall nestled among them. One may visualize in this way a village in the delta of north Vietnam, the cradle of the nation. It has kept many of these traditional traits in spite of changes brought about by western influence and urbanization. Topographically, there are four types of villages. The riparian village generally stretches behind the dike, which serves also as a road, on a higher level than the rice fields around them. It is often submerged by flood waters, especially if it is located between the river and the dyke. 

The village in the swampy lowlands extends between the major stream and its effluence, Is built on raised ground for in the flood season the fields are under water. The village in the uplands is built on a hill slope near a river or forest stream here the population is sparse, the land not very fertile. 

The coastal village sits on or among sand dunes. The sandy land had been turned into arable land. The dense population owns relatively big houses with garden and orchard. The topography of the different types of villages is determined by the cultivation of wet rice in submerged fields which had forced the Viet (the majority ethnic group in Vietnam)

To leave the piedmont to settle in the plains, in their southward advance – as far as the Mekong delta in the 17th century - the Viet villages had dispersed. 

The southern village (in the Mekong delta), although born of the northern village (in the Red River delta), has, through a kind of mitosis become different from it in many respects. Going into sparsely popu lated wild regions, the first settlers famished peasants, soldiers of farming colonies, adventurers, and political refugees from China - began by establishing themselves on raised strips of alluvial land ( con giong) before building new villages on lowlands along the multitude of channels, called “arroyos” by the Spanish. Most communities is thus spread along waterways or roads. They had no bamboo hedges, were not isolated from each other, and were often quite close together.

Compared with northern villages they were young communities and had a heterogeneous population, including Chinese, Cham, and Khmer minorities. The people are not bound by strict age –old traditions. Fertile land and a mild climate spare them the toil and suffering which have for long been the lot of their brothers in the Red river delta. All this has led to a “southern” mentality, with which we shall deal with later on.

Binh Lap beach, beautiful place in Khanh Hoa province

Binh Lap beach

Speaking of Khanh Hoa tourism, one cannot not mention the white sandy beach of Nha Trang. But beside that, Cam Ranh waters also possesses beautiful beaches and importantly still preserves it's unspoiled and natural beauty. 

Looking on the map, Khanh Hoa is blessed with two "sleeves" reaching out symmetrically spectacular ocean with 2 fishing villages at the end, the north is the Dam Mon, Van Thanh commune and the south is Binh Lap. Dam Mon is known to many tourists however Binh Lap is still natural

Binh Lap is about 90 kim from centre of Nha Trang city, in the past it took 2 hours by canoe from Ba Ngoi port because this hamlet is isolated from the mainland, on the behind is mountains, facing the immense sea. The inhabitants are scattered over three areas Bai Ngang, Bai Lao and Tau Be, a 10km path leading up to the mountain was built in 2007 links Cam Lap people's committee with Tau Be village which is the last point of Binh Lap.

In the past, Binh Lap was the poorest village in Cam Ranh, it was like an oasis, the only means of transport was by boat, and fishing was the only way for people to make a living. Before the end of the war in 1975 this area was still wild with a few households, there were no hospital nor school, people were very poor. After reunification Binh Lap changed very fast, especially after Doi Moi (Innovation Policy) people started raising lobster and it has changed living standard of local people

Binh Lap today is no longer wild and natural like before, although in the same hamlet people live mainly in 3 areas with more than 200 households and 1000 inhabitants, living on fishing and cultivation, most people are pretty rich. With over 100 fishing boats Binh Lap produce up to 500 tonnes of seafood each year, however the most lucrative occupation is lobster raising in cages, more than 80 percent of population raise lobsters, making up to hundreds of million Vietnam Dong a year, many have become rich, there were only a few poor families. 

At the end of the road is Tau Be village, most densely populated area in Binh Lap, the main occupation of the villagers is fishing. A beautiful beach named Bai Ngang, from inside the cool house overlooking white sand beach, the sea surface is like a mirror, pristine water, cool winds blow.

When starting up the slope, a very beautiful scene opens. Looking down is square lakes raising fish, coconut forest and far away is blue sea. The winding road climbing mountain pass, on one side of the mountain is big rocks, dense trees, the beach is looming in the distance.

The beach in Binh Lap is cresent, the end point of the crescent is a beautiful rock field, blue water clear through the sea bed. The rocks are large enough that depending on the shapes the human imagination can give it a name, such as rhinos,. There are rocks like rhinos, owl...

There are very large rocks, on which are weird dent like a giant hand. Standing on the highest rock just look down beneath rocks, waves crashing onto the beach all year round. In the distance are the mountains and fishing boats, unspoiled nature and tranquility.

Bai Lao (also known as the Nhao tree cape), another attractive beach with blue water and gentle waves, this is another crescent connects with Bai Ngang making a spectacular shape, to the end of Bai Lao is Tau Be village.

In the experience of free travelers, to discover all the beauty of Binh Lap oneshould start from Binh Ba Island (famous for delicious lobster) and turn around the Binh Lap peninsula with different modes of transport, It is recommended to bring along a camere for underwater shooting as it is impossible to ignore the great pictures in the ocean.

Previously, Binh Lap was also known as a destination gem hunters, they said that the terrain of Binh Lap was on the foothills of God mountain (between Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan provinces) and precious stones were accumulated in the forest and rivers.

Visiting Binh Lap one cannot miss to enjoy seafood, made from shrimp, crab, oysters, snails, fish...the price is quite reasonable. If not buy food here, tourists can still lend kitchen and barbecue shrimp, the cost includes fresh water shower...

In the future when the road to Binh Lap (from Thanh My fork bridge) is complete, travelers will come know more, Hope Binh Lap will preserve the wild natural character, the quality of seafood and the friendliness of local people is still bold. 

Visit That Khe district of Lang Son

That Khe district

On the eve of Tet, the Lunar New Year, when the wish of all Vietnamese was to spend the holiday home with their families, I left Hanoi. I felt that a visit to That Khe, the Land of the Seven Springs, Would amply justify such a sacrifice. 

That Khe, with Ðong Khe, Cao Bang and Lang Son, formed a string of four French garrison towns and along Highway Four military posts which guarded the rugged northern border of Vietnam at the start of the First indochina War (1946-1954). Our victory on Highway Four in the autumn of 1950, broke the French blockade and took the Vietnamese resistance from a purely defensive guerilla on to strategic counter - offensives in which the two sides fought more and more piched battles. That victory heralded the campaign of Dien Bien Phu which took place four years later.

That Khe where I was going is located 200 kilometres north of Hanoi, in Lang Son Province which was a remote and somewhat mysterious border area of the ancient kingdom of Vietnam.

Lang Son was a place where lived primitive man. In 1964, archaeologists discovered in the caves of Tham Hai, and Tham Khuyen (Binh Gia) some teeth of a manlike apedating back 400.000 - 500.000 years. Numerous vestiges are evidence of a neolithic culture about 10.000 years ago. 

From Hanoi to the provincial capital of Lang Son, a distance of 154 kilometres, one travels along National Highway One, which leaves the Red River delta to penetrate in to the uplands with rolling earth hills before climbing to the Highlands, dominated by limestone peaks. At Kilometre 109 we stopped to have a look at the Chi Lang pass, the scene of bloody battles which sealed the fate of invading columns from the north, notably in the years 981 and 1427. 

In this spring of 1994 the town of Lang Son keeps but few traces of the last Sino-Vietnamese conflict in 1979 . Like the townlet of Dong Dang 14 kilometres away, it has put on a new face because of the thriving cross-border trade which has grown with the market economy. Within a matter of a few years its streets are overflowing with feverish activity and lined with insolently luxurious houses built by the nouveaux riches. Smuggling is rampant. In an out-of-the-way place I saw Nung and Tay minority women crossing in a mountain pass carrying loads of Chinese beer produced in Nanning, those slender women of around 45 kilogrammes (90 pounds) transported, hanging from the ends of their shouder poles, loads of 50 kilos and more! In another place, Iwas told that contranband Japanese cars were moved along a newly opened road. 

The townlet of That Khe, 67 kilometres from Lang Son on Highway Four, was left out of the tourists circuit and little affected by the commercial fury. It had the worn-out look of a mountain district centre. The district , Trang Dinh, had a population of 52.800 in 1986 made up of people of the minorities Tay (44%), Nung (39.2%), and Dzao(7%) and of the Viet Kinh majority (6%). That Khe (Seven Springs) owes its name to the seven forest streams that cross it besides three rivers. Its fields lying in a hollow, formerly a lake are the rice bowl of the province. It is also famous for the plums and pears that grow in its orchards. Its forests, which cover three quarters of its area, have been greatly damaged by the practice of slash –and-burn cultivation. The indigenous Tay, probably related to the Viet, live in low-lying areas and grow wet rice in submerged fields. The Nung, related to the Choang in neighbouring Chinese Kwangsi, Came only 300-400 years ago. Being latecomers to the region they had to settle on hillsides and grow dry crops. 

On the eve of Tet in That Khe, only elderly Tay and Nung people wore traditional indigo blue clothes, young people sported T-shirts and jeans. At the end of the day they no longer gathered in small groups to toss back and forth love songs, as their elders did in former times. However, at the market one could still enjoy roast duck and duck noodles, the region being renowned for the tasty flesh of the ducks it raises. 

Our journey ended at Ang Mo (or Tan Tien), linked by a new 24 kilometre road to That Khe. Here we visited a few households, two Dzao and one Tay. The Dzao were wasting away from opium smoking, but the Tay were rather prosperous from the products of hunting and gathering, foodcrop growing, and poultry raising. But the area as a whole was steeped in boredom. It is certainly a good thing that the Swedish - Vietnam Fund for the Promotion of Culture has decided to give Ang Mo a wire - broadcast network of loudspeakers serving 300 households (about 1800 members).

Sing a song at Lim festival in Bac Ninh province

The first days of the year, the cold weather coupled with drizzle cannot hamper visitors across the country to visit Bac Ninh - Kinh Bac, the land not only famous for Quan Ho folk song and Dong Ho painting but also gathers a lot of unique historical relics such as Kinh Duong Vuong tomb, But Thap pagoda, Dau Pagoda (Thuan Thanh district), Phat Tich pagoda (Tien Du district) Do temple (Tu Son town)... Therefore, Bac Ninh is the destination of many visitors on pilgrimage to the original source.

Quan Ho singers at Lim festival

The first stop in the journey of tourists is Thuan Thanh District with Kinh Duong Vuong complex ( A Lu hamlet, Dai Dong Thanh ward) away from Bac Ninh city about 20km to the south. According to legend and historical bibliography, Kinh Duong Vuong is the Great Father of Vietnamese, father of Lac Long Quan.

Kinh Duong Vuong temple covers an area of over 2000m including 3 worship built in Cong letter of old Vietnamese writing, the middle chamber is dedicated to King Duong Vuong, on the left if mother Au Co and on the right is Lac Long Quan, there are tools made of bronze, ceramics and wood such as bronze tray, incense burner, gong...Located on 4.200m on the south bank of Duong river, King Duong Vuong tomb has an architecture of 2 storeys and 8 roofs, surrounded by shady trees. Through the ups and downs of history, so far, the temple still preserves many tangible and intangible heritages such as tree spirit, stone steles, beliefs, festivals...

Leaving A Lu hamlet, down the Duong river dike, visitors continue to But Thap pagoda (But Thap village, Dinh To commune). The pagoda is named "Ninh Phuc Monastery" built during the post - Le dynasty (17th century). In the upper temple there are Tam The, Tam Than statues, most notably Quan The Am Bo Tat statue, 3.7 m high with 42 big hands and 958 small hands, each hand has an eye on its palm. From upper temple through the stone bridge with 3 curved spans, visitors will see wooden Cuu Pham Lien Hoa built in 9 storeys, carved with Bhudda statues on it's sides. In addition, there are more than 70 wooden Buddhist statues like Kim Dong - Ngoc Nu, Arhat statues...many ancient towers such as Bao Nghiem tower, Ton Duc... is where relics of the Zen Buddhist Monk are placed.

After visiting But Thap pagoda, visitors continues to Dau pagoda. Originally built in the early 3rd century, Dau Pagoda is rated as one of the famous old pagodas in the Kinh Bac land, where the interaction of two major streams of Buddhist culture, India and China. Dau pagoda worships Phap Van Goddess. The pagoda was built with four rows of chambers surrounding the main house, in the yard of the pagoda lays Hoa Phong tower, about 17.3 m in height, inside is a bell tower built in Canh Thinh King

The next destination is Dong Ho painting village, also known as the Mai village (Song Ho commune). Dong Ho, a pretty village on the bank of the Duong River, has long been on the spiritual life of every Vietnamese citizen by the famous folk paintings imbued with national identity. People from Hanoi and other cities come and buy the paintings, many tourists who love folk art come and study characteristics of Dong Ho village.

End the tour at Thuan Thanh district, visitors can go for sightseeing Tien Du district pagoda (Phoenix Village, Phat Tich Commune) was built in the Ly Dynasty in the 10th century. Origin of the pagoda is attached to the Luy Lau Buddhism center and the introduction of Buddhism in India. This is where there are 5 pairs of objects beasts (lion, elephant, buffalo, horses and rhinoceroses) Vietnam's largest stone statues placed on lotus pedestal in front of the temple. In the upper level of the temple has statues of Amitabha Buddha meditating on a lotus throne 1.85 m high (including the pedestal is 2.8 m) - a masterpiece of sculpture in Ly court. In addition, there are 32 towers in the backyard of the temple, belong to Buddhist monks have died from the 17th century to the 20th century.

Going to Tien Du district on 12 and 13 January every lunar year, visitors will have the opportunity to participate in the Lim fold song festival, this is a major festival in Bac Ninh, the definition is regarded as the cultural uniqueness of Kinh Bac region. Festival attracts many people from all over the country, most of them young men and women, they come to sing with local folk artists, especially since they Bac Ninh's Quan Ho folk music was recognized by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2009 , the festival has become increasingly busy and attract more foreign visitors.

Sunset at West lake

Sunset at West lake

Following shifts in the monsoons Vietnam has been hit this year by violent typhoons. In late August three days of heavy rains turned Hanoi in to something like a pond. In order to go from my house near the railway station to my office in the Old Quarter of Hanoi which is located south of the Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem lake) I had to make a long detour and walk four kilometres. 

Instead of the usual two. And yet all along roadway and pavement I found no dry stretch to set foot on. I had to wade knee-high-at some places even above that level – in water and stoically let myself be splashed over by passing motor vehicles.

At the turn of the century the French colonial administration in its plans of urbanization had in mind a Hanoi of about 100.000 inhabitants. By now the figure has gone beyond the million mark. Thirty years of war have played havoc with the sewer system, to say nothing of its aging. Along the centuries, the Red River, changing its course several times, had left here and there in the city a myriad ponds and lakes of various sizes which serve as natural outfalls for rain water. Because of the population explosion, aggravated by land speculation, those natural overflows have shrunk. As a result, for some years now, Hanoi streets are submerged after each prolonged downpour. 

A QUICK VISIT TO THE WEST LAKE

Whenever Liz got the blues I would tell her :”Listen straddle your bike , we’ll pop over to the West Lake.”

The visit was always asuccess : there were so many things to see, so many pages of history to evoke.

In summer, surrounded by the exhilarating music of the cicadas and the biright red of the flowers of the flame-trees, we would enjoy the cool air sitting on the grass of the Co Ngu causeway and looking at the fireworks of the sunset. In winter, with the mist blurring

The shapes of the trees and the fishermen’s boats, we might think we were admiring a landscape in a wash drawing. The Lake then truly deserved its old name of Lake of the Mists (Dam Dam) by which it was called in the 11th century. 

According to one legend the place was originally thickly wooded and inhabited by a fox demon with nine tails. The monster was later killed by the Dragon King, the Ancestor of the Viet people, who drowned it under floods of water, thereby creating a lake. Another legend tells us that the Vietnamese monk Khong Lo( 11th century), who rendered great services to the emperor of china, was allowed to take back to the country large amounts of bronze which he used to cast an enormous bell. When the bell was rung its sound was so powerful and carried so far that the Golden Calf, thinking it was its buffalo-mother’s voice calling, hurriedly rushed south to her, and in its frantic search for her turned up mounds of earth and brought into existence an enormous hollow which filled with water and became a lake. When I was a small child I found the story quite credible together with the legend that went with it that any family with ten male children could try to entice the Golden Calf to emerge from the lake.

In the middle ages many palaces and pavilions were built by the Ly, Tran and Le kings and the Trinh seigneurs. They stood on the banks of the West Lake and also at the edge of Lake Truc Bach, separated from it by the Co Ngu causeway, now renamed the Youth promenade. Truc Bach means white silk woven at the Ivory Bamboo village. A pavilion was built there by a Trinh seigneur, where he relegated his neglected concubines. The poor women devoted their time to silk weaving. The product of their looms was a very beautiful kind of white silk.

In 1802 a scholar named Nguyen Huy Luong wrote a piece of rimed prose which became famous. It was entitled: Hymn to the West Lake. It sang the beauty of the landscape and glorified the achievements of the Tay Son dynasty which had driven out the Ching invaders and brought peace to the country . Later, however, another scholar named Pham Thai who stood for the restoration of the Le dynasty, wrote a political pamphlet in literary form which became no less famous, In this writing entiled ”Against the Hymn to the West Lake” he used the same rimrs as appeared in Nguyen Huy Luong’s work to say just the opposite.

The 17-km road encircling the Lake provides cyclists with the pleasure of ever renewed discoveries: first the Flower Villages which at the approach of Tet, the lunar New Year, Supply the cityfolk with an unending stream of peach blossoms and dwarf tangerine trees as well as flowers of all kinds: Nhat Tan, Ngoc Ha, Nghi Tam (the last- named now specializing in the growing of bonsai and the breeding of goldfish); next, Quang Ba with its guava trees, Tay Ho with its “Palace of the Saintly Matrons”, Xuan Tao with the temple dedicated to the child-hero of Giong, Trich Sai with the Thien Nien pagoda where is honoured the patron saint of the weavers of black satin, Ke Buoi famous for its hand-made paper, Thuy Khue with the pagoda dedicated to madam Danh…Of course one should not forget the Taoist temple Quan Thanh (called by the French Pagoda du Grand Bouddha because of the existence there of a giant bronze statue of the guardian god of the North, Huyen Thien, Tran Vu) and the Tran Quoc pagoda standing on a smal peninsula jutting out into the lake and believed to have had its first buildings constructed as far back as the 6 th century.

For all the pleasure of the trip , though , there is a fly in the ointment now: the eye sores represented by arrogant villas of the nouveaux riches, most of them dubious taste.

As I wade along them on such occasions I think of the Red River floods. In summer heavy rains may raise the level of its waters by 10-14 metres causing them to wash away houses, animals and crops. Like the Hindu god Siva, the river is both a creator and destroyer. Its rich alluvium sustains the Viet’s people wet rice culture but its floods destroy crops, drown men and beasts, cause outbreaks of epidemics. Old farmers remember with horror the catastrophes brought about by the bursts of its dykes. Dyke building in Vietnam began as early as the 12th century (the Co Xa dyke in Hanoi was build in 1108 )and the dykes have expanded along the centuries into a network of about 3, 000 kilometres. The volume of earthwork approaches thai of the Chinese Great Wall and the Egyptian pyramids. And yet recall that at the time of the floods of 1970 a man squatting on top of a Hanoi dyke may wash his face by bending slightly over the surface of the river in spate. While in normal times the top of the dyke is 14 metres above the river bed, the water level was then seven metres higher than the lowest part of the city. In colonial times the French administration did not shrink from knocking down a few stretches of dyke protecting the countryside in order to save Hanoi from submersion. 

Indeed, the problem of flood protection for Hanoi and for the whole of the Red River basin is still awaiting a radical solution.

Romantic Hanoi when Autumn falls

When I was in Stockholm summer was drawing to a close. Approaching autumn was putting patches of gold on the birch-trees and purple flecks on hedges and bushes. People sitting or slouching on benches or on the grass literally ”imbibed” the summer sun whose departure was deeply regretted at the prospect of the coming cold and dim light. 

Autumn in Hanoi

As for us, children of the tropics, we always impatiently wait for the arrival of autumn which will free us from the oppressive heat of July. In fact only the northern part of the country is blessed with four relatively well differentiated seasons : because of the monsoons the climate of Vietnam as a whole is marked by the division in to only two seasons- the dry season, i. e. winter, and the damp season, summer. 

The approach of autumn in Hanoi is heralded toward late August by mild weather and gusts of a dry and cool wind called gió heo may. The landscape, less gorgeous than in Europe, assumes a discreet charm , particularly in September and October: clear and transparent blue sky , blond light, lotus dying in the ponds , morning mist blurring the shapes of weeping willows on the banks of the Lake of the Restored Sword. The trees generally keep their greenness although a few dead leaves flutter to the ground.

“Drips of Autumn Rain” is the title of a musical work by the young composer Ðang The Phong, who died prematurely of consumption. Its notes and lyrics sang in the hearts whole generation, even in the depth of jungles during the First Indochina War

The 15th day of the 7th moon is our All Souls’ Day. A ceremony is held for absolution of wandering souls. Our great poet Nguyen Du (1765-1820) wrote sad for them:

In this seventh moon the rain sobs endlessly

Icy gusts penetrate to the resting places of dry remains. 

Another great poet, Nguyen Khuyen (1835-1909), was an aesthete who enjoy making wash drawing-like short poems singing the charm of autumn landscape:

A pond in autumn, limpid and cold

From my tiny boat I fish with rod and line

A gust of breeze ripples the turquoise water

Some yellow leaves fall and glide away

Autumn, which evokes solitude, separation , and unhappy love affairs, is also in Vietnam the season of delicious foods , happy weddings and the Children’s Festival. 

The most tasty fruits ripen between the 7th and 9th moons, longanes, grapefruit, bananas of the kind called tiêu, persimmons, plums, etc. Pigeons stuffed with chopped pork, specially processed glutinous rice (com), and lotus seeds, together with ginger-flavoured pastry , are particularly flavoured by gourmet scholars. One should not forget the moon- shaped banh deo and banh nuong. In autumn, the moon looks its best , pure and bright. A symbol of the female principle, yin, it is the tutelary spirit of woman, conjugal life, and marriage. It is the abode of Dame Moon (Ba Nguyet) and Old Man Silken Yarn (Ong To), who bind together man and wife with red silken thread. Weddings are preferably held in autumn in order better to receive their blessing. The mid- autumn Festival is the equivalent of Christmas for the children of Vietnam. But of that, more later on.

Over the Long Bien bridge

Long Bien bridge in Hanoi

My friend french novelist Marie France Briselance was on her first trip to Vietnam. She had to leave Hanoi with regret after a stay of eleven days : to her who is of the “Vietnam generation,” the city has much to tell. 

Marie missed in particular a bridge built in 1902 which was originally called Pont Doumer (doumer Bridge), and wich was renamed Long Bien Bridge by the end of the colonial period. She had wanted to cross it by foot but because of lack of time she had not been able to do that.

She had reason to regret the missed chance, my poor friend .a 3 – kilometre walk (going and coming)on that bridge between just the sky above and water below and on a wonderful morning in autumn would be a veritable cure that could have prepared her better for the hustle and bustle of Paris. 

As for me each time I take a stroll on the bridge which since the construction of Two other more modern ones, has been reserved for pedestrians and cyclists only,I am filled with contradictory sentiments for the alluvium-laden river below that flows on a turbulent course of more than one thousand kilometres. On the one hand I am reminded of the flight of time and the vanity of this world by these melancholic lines by the Chinese poet Tou Fou:

“Seest Thou not the Yellow river coming from the sky,

Downward to the Ocean Flowing,never turning back?”

(Translation by W.B.Fletcher)

On the other hand when I look towards the swirling upper waters, my heart is filled with gratitude and tenderness for my distant ancestors who in the first millenary before the Christian era forged the Vietnamese national identity by creating the Red River civilisation.

My former professor of Mathematics ,Mr.Hoang Xuan Han, a polytechnician, Sinologist and vietnamologist now residing in Paris, has commented in an interview : “There is really a geographical space, distinct from that of China and on which was born an autonomous culture.It can be said that this space at first straddled the present Sino-Vietnamese border and extended from Yunnan to the delta of the Red River. That is what we call the ‘ Bronze Drum Civilisation, the first Vietnamese culture , the most authentic.”

We will return to this Vietnamese culture of the Red river, which was contemporary with Athens, before its encounter with the Chinese culture.

1750 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh city to Hanoi

Matthieu Pouly a 26 year old French philosophy Student, is the first person to have travelled alone on a bicycle from Paris to Hanoi. The journey took him 18 months. I was present when Matthieu met the press in Hanoi and all the time I was recalling to mind the many follies of my youth in the colonial period. 

Vietnam countryside village

The last stage of Matthieu’s voyage- the 1750 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh city to Hanoi - called up old memories. When I was Matthieu’s age. I cycled between Hue and Hanoi,a distance of over some 1300 km, just one – third of Matthieu’s journey from France. 

Yet, more than 50 years ago , that was something to be proud of . And to people of a liberal profession like myself, it was pure madness. Anyhow,as we were rebelling against the colonial regime and all the structures of the great feudal- bourgeois family, and because we were more or less influenced by 

Andre Gide, we found in those long excursions a cheap means of escape. Matthieu was luckier because he had a different motive, being of a generation un affected by Gide’s complexes. He was trying to illustrate cultural, ecological and humanist concerns through his “Transhuman” project. 

And I wonder if while pedalling along the former Colonial Road No 1 and now National Highway One, the young Frenchman, who brought with him a message of “World Citizenty”,was aware of Sur la Route mandarine,a book written in 1925 by his compatriot Roland Dorgeles to proclaim his colonialist faith a la Kipling? Other Times, other ways. 

It would be difficult for people to day to imagine how conditions were on the main portion of the Mandarin Road in the 19 th century. Our great – grandfathers would have to spend a month and a half covering the distance on foot. 

To have a rough idea of all the risks involved we should read Leu Chong (Tent and Writing Desk) by Ngo Tat To,who devoted an entire chapter to the odyssey made by two young men travelling to the royal capital for court examinations. 

“From Thanh Hoa the road became more and more difficult. Beyond Ha Tinh fore Bidding scenrs uere encountered frequently. All day long one was enmeshed in bush

So dense that one could rarely have a glimpse of the sky above. Ahead were cliffs that looked like towering walls while swift torrents threatened to cut off one’s way at any moment. Going up one had to keep the head thrown back ; going down one had to lean on one’s knees. A wrong step wouldd surely land one in some unfathomable chasm. ”

The stretch across Mount Trong was infernal torture. The travellers had to chop their way through the bush while their feet , despite the protection of thick rush sandals,bled from cuts caused by knife-sharp rocks. At night the two students and their servants would sleep in hammocks strung between the branches of a big tree “It was so dark. The night would be shattered by the hooting of owls, the chattering of monkeys and the roaring of tigers. A cold wind would bring with it whiffs of some fetid odour. In his fever-troubled sleep.

Cham island in Hoi An

Cham island in Hoi An

Cham island or (Cu Lao Cham in Vietnamese) is a beautiful island not far away from the world heritage Hoi An. Nature here is fascinating with the coral reef ecosystem having a rich diversity. Upon visiting this island you can dive and watch coral or enjoy yourself on the white sand beaches. People here are very friendly and hospitable. Due to Hoi An is only about 14km to Cu Lao Cham, it is a destination that attracts many tourists. Cu Lao Cham is also developing homestay tourism so this is a more interesting place for young backpackers. 

Be a Backpacker

Backpackers means completely self-sufficient and do not book through the tour companies. However the companies organize one day tours to Cu Lao Chamare quite interesting, with enough itineraries which include sightseeing and fishing, coral. Being a backpacker, on the other hand, will be amused and impressed much more than booking a tour. Cheaper price is a sure thing and a 100% free to do whatever you want but that trip is going to be harder. Be prepared for at least 2 day stay (since each day only one trip to and from the Island so you must stay at least 1 night). You can enjoy swimming and snorkeling. About the ships to the island - you have to go to Hoi An and ask for directions to the Bach Dang pier (people also call this market pier Cu Lao Cham). There are two kinds of ships Cu Lao Cham as vessels freeway Greenlines and market ones (timber ships). There is also smaller speedboat that goes faster (only takes about 25 minutes). If one likes to feel strong and want to save time, buy train tickets from travel companies. Of course encouraging you to buy their package tour travel is also popular where you buy the tickets - but do not worry, you can always refuse if you don't want to. Otherwise you can still move through the boats at market because these boats are an hour slower than a train. High-speed train tickets namely 150,000 VND per pax (8/2012) but small boat tickets are just 25,000 VND per pax. Liner are more slowly, larger ships, so if anyone afraid of seasickness should take this one. 

Get Aboard and Settled In

Since each day there is only one single trip to the island, so you have to be at the dock at 7:30 in the morning. If you take the market boats, you will have to wait until the boat is fully-loaded. If this is your first time, you should sit on the second floor of the ship. Private speedboat Greenlines dock at the Beach Village, this is the most populated area of the whole island. Opposite to the pier is the tourist center of the island and marine conservation center of the island. You can visit both two places and take the most general information about those two.

You can also ask the staff of the marine conservation center on a few residential addresses. Homestay tourism business form are available as you can ask any other people on the island.Once settled in, you can freely roam around the island to visit the tourist attractions on the island. Some places to visit you can see the: docks storm in Bai Village, beaches Bai He, Bai Chong, Bai Sort Temple, Shanghai,... The Village is located on the beach and you can take a nice walk there. If you want to get off the island, hire motorcycles. However, the roads here are not good enough to reach any destination.

Vietnam arts and crafts

painting of Hanoi Old Quarter

Collecting art may well be the last thing on your mind when you set of on Vietnam package tours; but neglect this aspect of Vietnamese culture and you will be missing out. The country boasts a rich history of wonderful art, with diverse influences that range from Chinese culture to more contemporary Western inspirations.

Buyer beware

Antique Vietnamese art, even that dating from the recent Nguyen Dynasty, can be extremely expensive. In many cases, such as with Bronze Age art, acquiring these pieces can be prohibitively costly and even, in many cases, illegal. Cheap knockoffs can be found in many local markets, especially when it comes to wooden art and sculpture, which is easily reproduced. But the discerning art critic can get more for their money if their know where to look. 

Vietnam arts, ceramics and souvenirs

While on Vietnam tours, travellers can come across some fine examples and reproductions of traditional art from around the country. In many cases, these are quality pieces that would sit elegantly in a home and also make for great, cheap souvenirs and gifts. If you're looking for something a little "showier", and indeed a bit pricier, try Dong Khoi Street in Ho Chi Minh for hand blown ceramic pieces, fine art and even furniture.

Prints and canvases

Hanoi is famous for the original artwork that can be purchased here, as well as quality reproductions, which you can pick up for less than $30 a piece. Prints are easier and lighter to ship home than sculptures. Many galleries will allow you to purchase the canvas alone, which can be more practical and easier to take home. However, make sure the canvas is wrapped carefully, especially if you purchase original watercolours, pastel or oil paintings that can easily flake or get damaged.

Galleries can usually deliver directly to your hotel, but some more upscale establishments may be able to ship directly to your home, saving you the cost and hassle of transport. The Old Quarter is often the best place to look for quirky pieces or modern art from talented contemporary Vietnamese artists.

Textiles

The experts on Vietnam tours will tell you that not all art here is confined to ceramics, prints or canvases. The country is also rightly famous for its stunning textiles, many of which are still woven and stitched by hand. You can choose to bring home the raw fabric or commission a tailor to create something special from your selection. Keep in mind that prices can range from very cheap to couture expensive.

Lacquer ware and carvings

While on your Vietnam tours you will come across the traditional lacquer wear and handicrafts like stone carvings. These make for interesting pieces to grace your home or they can also make wonderful gifts. Hand-crafting is still much prized in the country and pieces range from rattan goods to high quality ceramics to wooden puppet carving.