Rice is an integral part of life in Vietnam. Vietnam is an agricultural country with eight out of ten Vietnamese living in rural areas and making their living by growing rice. Many Vietnamese people say their country looks like two rice baskets placed at two ends of a pole.

Ripe rice field

Rice is a staple food for half the world’s population and its cultivation is dated back some 7,000 years ago in Southeast Asia. It is a symbol and also part of ceremonies and offerings. It’s one of the most important food crops in the world and an important part of Asian culture.

When the leaves of the rice stalks start to turn yellow the paddies are drained and dried in preparation for the harvest. Vietnamese farmers reap rice by using sickles to cut the stalks. Then they tie the stalks together and dry them.

Threshing separates the grain from the rest of the plant. Sometimes it is done mechanically and sometimes people or animals trample the sheaves. After threshing the rice is ready for milling. If the rice is not completely dry it is often spread out on communal yards or highways to dry in the sun. Rice dryers are widely usued in some regions now. Milling removes the husk from the kernel. Sometimes the process also strips off the bran layer which contains most of the nutrients. Brown rice still has its bran coat.

Threshing separates the grain from the rest of the plant

Nothing is wasted in rice processing. It can be turned into everything from paper to pudding. It’s steamed, puffed and flaked. It can be used to make many kinds of Vietnamese food, noodles, wine, cosmetics and cooking oil. While the kernels are eaten, the stalks are made into straw and used for making sandals, hats, baskets, ropes, brooms and thatched roofs. The hulls provide fuel and fertilizer.

Despite destruction caused by natural disasters, rice production keeps increasing in Vietnam over the last 14 years, with bumper harvests recorded year-on-year.

Vietnam’s major breakthrough in agriculture came in 1989 when the country had a record output of 18.9 million tonnes of food in term of paddy while annual production could not exceed 17 million tonnes in the 1981-1985 period.

The country’s agriculture, especially rice production, saw a strong and fast growth in the 1990-1999 period. From a country facing chronical food shortage, Vietnam has over the past 11 years become the world’s second largest rice exporter after ensuring adequate supply for domestic consumption. Rural people’s life has constantly improved. The fragrance of Vietnamese rice has actually spread across kitchens of many homes in foreign countries.

Amongst a number of beauty-spots in Hanoi, the One-Pillar Pagoda (one of Vietnam’s two most iconic pagodas, side by side the Perfume Pagoda) is a popular tourist attraction.

The One Pillar Pagoda (Vietnamese: Chùa Một Cột, formally Diên Hựu tự, which litterally means “long lasting happiness and good luck”) is a historic Buddhist temple in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. As you visit Hanoi, you may come to various other monuments, parks and historical places. Yet, the One-Pillar Pagoda reflects the architectural splendour that the country has grown.

Where is it located? The unique pagoda is located in the western part of the city, near Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Ong Ich Khiem St., Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.

The Legendary story: According to legend, ageing Emperor Ly Thai To of the Ly dynasty, who had no children, used to go to pagodas to pray to Buddha for a son. One night, he dreamt that he was granted a private audience to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who was seated on a great lotus flower in a square-shaped lotus pond on the western side of Thang Long Citadel, gave the King a baby boy. Months later, when the Queen gave birth to a male child, the Emperor ordered the construction of a pagoda supported by only one pillar to resemble the lotus seat of his dream in the honour of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. According to a theory, the pagoda was built in a style of a lotus emerging out of the water.

Formation: Emperor Ly Thai Tong had this temple constructed in gratitude for the mentioned significant legendary event in 1049, by erecting a pillar in the middle of a lotus pond, and a temple of lotus-shape, exactly similar to what he saw in the dream. This unique shape of the pagoda together with the special story has been of great absorption to hundreds of thousands of international tourists!

This Pagoda was located in what was then the Tây Cấm Garden in Thạch Bảo, Vĩnh Thuận district in the capital Thăng Long (now known as Hanoi. It was built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25 m in diameter, and it is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity, since a lotus blossoms in a muddy pond. Before the pagoda was opened, prayers were held for the longevity of the monarch, hence being considered a temple at that time. During the Ly Dynasty era, the temple was the site of an annual royal ceremony on the occasion of Vesak, the birthday of Gautama Buddha. A Buddha-bathing ceremony was held annually by the monarch, and it attracted monks and laymen alike to the ceremony. The monarch would then free a bird, which was followed by the people.

As time went by, the pagoda succumbed to many ravages caused by the colonial powers. In 1954, the French Union forces destroyed the pagoda before withdrawing from Vietnam after the First Indochina War, and it was rebuilt afterwards.

Today’s form:

What you see today of the pagoda is a new form recovered in 1955 when it was refurbished with a concrete pillar from its remnants by the Vietnamese government. Today’s structure can be just called the replica of the original pagoda, which was a large building. Locals believe that if you pray here, it will invoke well-beings and prosperity.

Opening time: The pagoda is open daily from 08:00 a.m to 05:00 p.m. Entrance is free.

Note: Remember to wear full-length clothes as you visit the One-Pillar Pagoda as well as other pagodas in the nation.

Many people in Ho Chi Minh City flocked to streets to welcome Christmas early on the night of December 23.

Thousands of young people learned from experience of previous years that it was difficult for them to come to Immaculate Conception Cathedral Basilica or places with Noel decorations on Christmas Eve due to very crowded streets. Therefore, they instead rushed into streets early to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere.

Streets in Ho Chi Minh City full of Christmas colours

Many couples also took their children to streets to see Santa Claus and pine trees. “Today, streets are not very crowded and fees at car parking lots are also cheaper. It is also safer for us to walk along streets without being afraid of pick pocketing,” Mr. Hoang, from Tan Binh District shared.

Main streets were covered with sparkling colours and streams of people moving to buildings such as Parkson, Diamond Plaza, Vincom and hotels like Caravelle Saigon and the Saigon Center.

The most exciting place of the city annually is the Saigon Tax Trade Centre. This Christmas, the centre is the gathering of cultural symbols of different countries, which is a new feature this year. Images of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, France’s Eiffel Tower, Australia’s Sidney Opera House, America’s Las Vegas, and Japan’s Fuji Mountain are among the Ben Thanh Market-Ho Chi Minh City’s symbol. A Western Santa Claus stood in front of the Ben Thanh Market symbol and posed for pictures with children but adults had to pay him VND10,000 (USD0.5) per photo.

Sounds of hymns echoed at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Basilica, the centre of Christmas Eve which is covered with sparkling candles.

Christmas activities for disadvantaged children in suburban areas are also organised. The Christmas atmosphere is on every corner of Ho Chi Minh City. Christmas is being called a day for all.

Mr. Hoang’s family took a photograph near Santa Claus

Sisters taking photos

People work hard as Christmas approaches

Viewing pine trees in front of Saigon Centre

Novelties and gifts delivered to children

Saigon Tax Trade Centre might be the busiest place in HCMC

A girl “traveling” on France’s Eiffel Tower

Santa playing with children

Young people have to pay VND10,000 (USD0.5) each for a photo

Bringing the Christmas spirit to disadvantaged children

Praying for the best

Danang City:

On December 23rd, the streets in central Danang were also covered with lights and streams of people. Le Duan Street, with a modern lighting system, attracted a large number of visitors. This Christmas, Danang has become more attractive with “light parties”.

Source: DTI

Take a peasant’s common conical hat, add a touch of this and a little of that, and you will have the idea, but not quite an authentic Non Bai Tho or “Poetical Leaf” from Central Vietnam. Just a few simple arrangements added to the conical form are enough to give the Vietnamese leaf-covered hat unique features found nowhere else among Asia’s various types of conical hats.

The legend of the conical hat is related to maternal love and the history of rice growing in Vietnam.

Once upon a time, the legend says, when a deluge of rain was falling there descended from the sky a giant woman wearing on her head four huge round leaves as large as the sky itself and stitched together by bamboo sticks. The leaves protected humankind, then still naked, from the rain. The giant messenger from the sky twirled round the leaves on her head to dispel clouds and rains. Those who followed her were taught by her how to grow crops. One day mankind dozed off as they listened to stories narrated by her. When they woke up the goddess was gone. The Vietnamese built a temple in her memory and honored her as the Rain-shielding Goddess. Following her example, people went into the forests to fetch broad and round leaves (palm) which they stitched together on a bamboo frame. This was to become an indispensable headwear for the farmers on the fields, boatwomen carrying passengers across rivers, travelers under the blazing sun…

However, Vietnamese girls do not like just any conical hat they come upon. The dearest to them is inevitably the one called the “Poetical Leaf “for they become milder, more elegant and more delicate when once they put on a hat, which gives shelter to their blushing cheeks like a crowing bud protected from sun, rain or rough wind. Vietnamese women also use the conical hat to fan off the heat of summer, as a container for a bunch of vegetables, and even as a bowl to relieve the thirst when passing by a well, etc. Romantically, young couples can veil their kisses behind this traditional conical hat during their dates.

The shape as well as the size of the conical hat has evolved greatly. As a rule, the broad-rimmed hat was reserved for women while men wore hats with a higher cone and smaller rims. Then, there were hats made specifically for wealthy and powerful people, hats for children, hats to equip the army, hats for the Buddhist clergy, for the mourners…, more than 50 types in all. Undoubtedly, the two best known and best liked are the conical hat of Chuong village in Ha Tay province, north of Hanoi, and the “Bai Tho”, hat of Hue, the old imperial city.

The prototype of Lang Chuong hat is a large disk-like bamboo frame covered with palm leaves and perpendicularly bent on its rim to form a band of about four inches. At the centre is placed a small bamboo frame to fit the head. The strap is usually very elaborately made of silk, adorned with yellow tassels also made of silk. This hat used to be worn by upper-crust families during visits to pagodas or festive occasions.

The present conical hat is, however, patterned on the “Bai Tho” hat originating in the old capital city of Hue and the birthplace of many eminent literary men. It is true that the place where the hat comes from has been romantically famous with its peaceful Huong (Perfume) River and its majestic Ngu Binh (Peace) mountain. Moreover, Hue has been famous for her attractively sentimental, soft-voiced and long-haired girls who often gave inspiration to poets whose creative works have been handed down to the present day. And the “Poetical Leaf” has a prominent place in all that poetical, dreamy and yet scholarly diet of the ancient city. It is so called because the artisan takes great pains to cut the characters of a verse out of a palm leaf and insert them between two layers of palm leaves before stitching them together. The characters will be easily readable when the hat is seen against sunlight. Nowadays the characters are usually replaced by a decorative figure such as a flower, a dragon or even a landscape.

The making of a conical hat is a one-hundred-percent handicraft. The leaves used to cover the hat are brought from the forest. Then they are exposed to the dew for one night to soften them. When the leaves become dry but still soft they are flattened either by hand or by ironing. Only young leaves are selected. Old or dark ones are discarded. A hat usually consists of 16 to 18 rims made from a special kind of bamboo. In order to have a well-made hat, it must be knitted together with a peculiar kind of thread called “doac” made from the leaves of a special kind of reed. Finally, the hat is trimmed and painted with a coat of attar oil to keep it clean and smooth.

The skill of the craftsman (who in this case is more likely a woman) can be judged by the regularity of the leaves arranged on the hat. The roundness of the rim and particularly the fineness of the stitches which must be so done as to reveal no knot.

Although the conical hat is no longer the cities woman’s everyday costume, it remains the ubiquitous head wear in the countryside. And a young girl with her conical hat, quite charming in her four-flapped long dress, is always a popular image of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people.

Leaf Hat and wave in Lang Co – Hue

Tourists with leaf hat camp

If ever there was a vantage point for cloud-watchers, it would be Y Ty.

At more than 2,000 meters above sea level, leaning on the Nhu Cu San Mountain, Y Ty Commune in the northern province of Lao Cai’s Bat Xat District (near Sapa) is a favorite place for clouds to hang out. The place is almost never bathed in sunlight for a whole day.

And if you are visiting between November and April, you should know that the commune is enveloped in thick fog, day and night.

Y Ty has 15 villages home to Kinh (Viet) and three ethnic groups – the Ha Nhi, Dao and H’mong. Roads twist and turn languidly along the mountain and then “vanish” into the greenery of forests. Houses play hide and seek constantly, but also put in veiled appearances once in a while, depending on the density of clouds at different times. Terraced fields on the mountains and several cascades add to the enchantment.

Sometimes, winds bring the clouds from the mountain to the villages, merging the horizon not in the distance, but right in front of you. No wonder visitors have the experience of entering a different world.

In the Y Ty Valley, houses have a unique architectural feature. The rectangle-shaped houses have walls made of clay and wooden or straw grass roofs. They have only one main door and a small arched window for ventilation above, retaining warmth in an area where the temperature normally stays at less than 20 degrees Celsius.

The colors of the sky and the clouds, yellow ripened paddy fields, green grasses and trees – the stunning landscape painted with youthful abandon. In the evening, an occasional breeze moves through the valley, sweeping the clouds aside, allowing glimpses of a bright moon in a dark sky.

Beautiful cardamom forests skirt around the homes in Y Ty, filling the air with a pungent aroma. For years, the spice, highly prized by Chinese people, has been one of the most important sources of income for the commune. A kilogram of cardamom sells at around VND80,000 (US$4).

If you are in Y Ty on a Saturday, you can enjoy the long-standing ethnic minority tradition of the weekend market where the H’mong, Dao and Ha Nhi come to trade goods and socialize.

Many women wear colorful brocade dresses and scarves going to the market. Chinese vendors can also be found in the market at times.

After the market closes, the girls stand on the roadside or sit on flat stones, enjoying the sunshine, chatting with each other, while some of them embroider clothes.

Tip: Getting there

In Hanoi, catch a bus from the Giap Bat Station or a train from the Hanoi Railway Station to Lao Cai Town. The 300-kilometer long trip takes around 12 hours.

• After reaching the town, tourists can hire a motorbike from hotels to go another 70 kilometers to reach Y Ty Commune in Bat Xat District. The road from Lao Cai Town to Y Ty is rather narrow small, so it may be difficult to get there by car.

• Tourists can also bring their motorbike for the trip. The Hanoi Railway Station provides the service of transporting vehicles along with passengers.

The Hotel Metropole Hanoi holds invaluable historical significance in the development of the capital city.

Hanoi, which was a stunning jewel in the French Colonial Indochina crown, has gone through enormous changes in the last decade since Vietnam swung open its doors to tourism.

As a prominent fixture in the heart of Hanoi since 1901, the Hotel Metropole has coincided with Hanoi’s history, through turbulence and economic growth.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Hanoi was still a land of swamps and lakes.

The very first photo of Hotel Metropole Hanoi in 1901.

Modern Metropole Hanoi view from interior garden.

Queen of Denmark visited the hotel in 2009.

Two men, one vision

The story of this legendary building began in 1898 when two French men, Émile Dumoutier and André Ducamp, met in what was then the capital of Indochina.

Dumoutier, who described himself as an anti-imperialist, was acting as Tonkin’s chief education officer. In this role, he established more than ten schools to introduce aspects of the French way of life without damaging indigenous culture.

Ducamp had been investigating a range of investment opportunities from Hong Kong to the French dependencies in India.

Life was good for the men and Dumoutier was already the owner of a row of houses in downtown Hanoi.

He invited Ducamp to join in a new enterprise that both of them knew little about. After a short discussion, the two men got excited by the mere thought of it: Dumoutier provided the houses covering 3,140 square metres and Ducamp put up half a million francs in cash.

That is how the two men would come to build a first-class hotel fit for any of the world’s major cities.

A phoenix from the swamps

Towards the end of the 19th century, Hanoi, the city of lakes, grew rapidly. The French drew up detailed plans for a new town to be laid out beside the old one. Dumoutier had access to the blueprints for Hanoi, which were kept in the government’s planning division.

At that time, Henri-Rivière Boulevard was no more than a narrow track running through marshlands and lakes. Dumotier knew that before long, it would be the new heart of the European settlement in Hanoi.

Ever the opportunist, he quickly snapped up two available lots.

As the capital of Indochina, Hanoi was receiving an increasing number of visitors who had to be put up in official guest houses, missions or private homes.

They had the Grand Hôtel near the ‘little’ lake or the Hanoi Hôtel in rue Paul Bert and a smattering of small hostels. However, none of these were truly elegant or designed to meet the needs of the international traveler.

Dumoutier was about to change this. He wanted the style of the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo with its huge ballroom and the Adelphi in Singapore.

With just 500,000 francs, the two men were able to get it up and running. On the spot where 10 years earlier a small, muddy lake had provided an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, a huge hotel took shape.

Its façade spanned over 80 metres, making it the largest hotel in Indochina or, as the Revue Indo-Chinise remarked on March 18, 1901, “un immense hôtel”.

In the summer of 1901, the Grand Hôtel Métropole Palace opened its doors to the curious population of Hanoi. A British visitor, Alfred Cunningham, who was one of the Métropole’s first guests, had written in his book, ‘The French in Tonkin and South China’, “The hotel is elegantly furnished, each bedroom has a bathroom and there is a public hall, salon de conversation, reading room. The sanitary arrangements are perfect, and the general accommodation leaves nothing to be desired.”

Limelight

The Hanoi hotel soon became the rendezvous point for colonial society in the first half of the century. During the boom years of the 1930′s, Hotel Metropole was the social venue for all occasions, including the honeymoon venue for Charlie Chaplin after his secret wedding to Paulette Goddard in Shanghai.

Following Vietnamese independence, the new government opted to maintain it as the official hotel for visiting VIP’s. During and after the war years, it became a base for press and diplomats.

90 years after it had risen so gloriously from the swamps of ancient Hanoi, the Thống Nhất (or Reunification Hotel) was closed for the face-lift of the century. As an integral part of Hanoi’s history, the hotel has played host to numerous Kings, heads of state and celebrities since its re-opening in March 1992.

A new morning

The hotel is divided into two wings. The historic Metropole Wing was inspired by classic French architecture with a hint of local touches. The more contemporary Opera wing, which was completed in 2007, was renovated to create a harmonious blend between the historic and modern elements of the hotel. Great care was taken to respect the rich heritage of the site while installing state-of-the-art technology.

The Opera wing is ready to return to its position as a popular address for celebrities, leisure tourists, businessmen and politicians alike.

The centenary Hotel Metropole Hanoi has once again been recognized by two renowned travel publishers: Condé Nast Traveler US and Travel & Leisure, as one of the best hotels in the world.

Source: DTI

Visitors to the northern town of Sapa at this time will be welcomed by the enthralling sight of the cherry blossoms blooming early this year.

After some chilly days with the temperature dropping down to 5 degrees centigrade, the flowers, which came from Japan, are now sparkling under the warm sunlight. The sight has caught the eyes of visitors as well as local people to come and snap some photos.

According to chairman of the Sapa District People’s Committee, Le Duc Luan, these flower trees were a gift from the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association on the 100th anniversary of Sapa Town in October 2003.

“The land and climate in Sapa is suitable for the trees to grow very well,” Luan said. “Some among the 100 trees grown at the gate of the People’s Committee’s headquarter have become big trees and blossom with beautiful flowers every December.”

A local photographer named Pham Gia Chien, said that the blossoms will be visible until the new year. “There are two places where visitors can admire the flowers: on Ham Rong Mountain and around the lake in Sapa Town’s centre.”

Source: DTI

Tip: Book the best Sapa hotels at lowest prices!

When speaking about Vietnamese food in general and Hue culinary in particular, people usually mention both the traditional and court culinary art.

The feast of ancient Hue court is divided into different categories, such as the worshipping feast for great ceremonies, the feast for mandarins or envoys and the feast for new doctoral laureates. The number of dishes in each type of feast is also different. For instance, a great feast includes about 161 dishes while a precious feast has 50 dishes, a hefty breakfast feast with 12 dishes and a vegetarian feast for worshipping at the pagoda with 25 dishes.

Spring rolls are decorated with roses made of tomatoes.

The ingredients for making court dishes are the same as that for making daily dishes. However, the technique of cooking as well as the artistic dish arrangements are very selective and require the cook’s creativeness. All the dishes are refined to offer the best ingredients for good health and always reach the pinnacle in fragrance and taste, not to mention the meticulous presentation.

Visiting Hue today, tourists can enjoy various dishes of the Hue royal style in hotels or restaurants, such as Tinh Gia Vien Restaurant owned by artisan Ton Nu Thi Ha, a descendant of the Nguyen Dynasty. Here, night parties of the ancient court are reproduced, leaving a long-lasting impression on tourists.

Water-melons are carved into flowers and served as deserts at royal banquets.	The dragon-shaped salad is made from fruits, shrimp, meat and other ingredients.
The peacock-shaped dish is made from bulbs, fruits, eggs and meat.	The dish of chopped meat rolled with Lot leave is arranged into a peacock

Mist is covering Ba Na-Nui Chua Resort at this time of the year, creating an atmosphere of mystery and a scene straight out of a book.

The site is located in Hoa Vang District, some 40 km from Da Nang City to the west. It used to take visitors an hour to go through dangerous roads to Ba Na Mountain. Now, thanks to the cable car system, you only need 15 minutes to get to the mountain top.

The cable car system, which links Ba Na Mountain’s base to Vong Nguyet Hill, includes 24 pillars, 94 cabins and can serve 1,500 visitors per hour.

The system has two places in the Guinness Book of World Records: The world’s longest one-wire cable car network (5,042.62m) and the cable car system with the highest gap between the first and last stations (1,291.81m). The cable car offers a wonderful view and unique experience to soak in the nature.

Ba Na’s cable car has two spots in the Guinness Book of World Records

Stunning views from the cable car

The view from above

Thick mist makes surrounds the cable car

Loc Uyen Garden

Quan Am Cac Pagoda in the fog

A huge statue, 26m high, located on the top of Ba Na Mountain

Visitors soak in the scenery

Bridge on top of Ba Na Mountain

A suspension bridge hangs at a height of over 1,000m

A unique and remarkable experience

Source: DTI

Once a place most westerns held with much hate in their hearts, Vietnam has over the last few decades turned into a top destination spot in south east Asia.  There is so much to love about Vietnam, including the food and people, but the stunning natural beauty of the country is one that must be experienced in person.  Probably most well known for rice patties, Vietnam also has some of the most stunning beaches in the world.  The waterways are a main form of transportation from village to village once you get out of the larger cities are serene, peaceful and something that must be experienced first hand. 

Source: Lightstalking