Quang Ninh is a large province located along the northeastern coast of Vietnam. The province is home to UNESCO's World Heritage Site Ha Long Bay. The provincial capital is Ha Long City. Most of coal output in the country is extracted in this province.
Ha Long Bay belongs to Ha Long City, Cam Pha Town and part of Van Don District. The bay encompasses 1,969 islands of various sizes, 989 of which have been given names. The natural beauty of Ha Long Bay has long been praised and was first recognized as the World Heritage in 1994 by UNESCO.
Sapa is a beautiful and romantic resort town, 36 kms from Lao Cai city (north-western Vietnam). At the height of 1,600 about sea level, the average temperature of the are is 15- 18 oC. It's cool in summer and cold in winter. To the west of Sapa Small Town is the Hoang Lien Son Range with 3,143-meter-high, Mount Fansipan covered with cloud year around.
Visitors to Sapa will have opporunities to dicover the unque customs of the local residents- some ethinic groups such as H'Mong, Dao... Particularly, the love market on every Saturday night is very attrattive to tourists.
Traveller and film-maker Martin Watego lived in Vietnam for 226 days. While he was there he saw a different side of Vietnam! Produced by Martin Watego for Lonely Planet Travel...
Ha Tay is a former Province of Vietnam, in the Red River Delta, now part of Hanoi.On May 29, 2008, it was decided that Ha Tay would merge with Hanoi province on August 1, 2008
The Vietnamese nation was born among the lagoons and marshes of the Red River Delta around 4000 years ago and for most of its independent existence has been ruled from Hanoi, Vietnam's small, elegant capital lying in the heart of the northern delta. Given the political and historical importance of Hanoi and its burgeoning population of three million, it's still a surprisingly low-key city, with the character of a provincial town – though with a dramatic rise in motorbike ownership, increased traffic and Western-style retail outlets, it's catching up fast with the brash, young Ho Chi Minh City. For the time being, however, it remains relatively laid-back. It still retains buildings from the eleventh-century court of its founding father King Ly Thai To, most notably the Temple of Literature, and some of the streets in the Old Quarter still trade in the same speciality goods they dealt in 500 years ago. In 1887, the French turned Hanoi into the centre of government for the entire Union of Indochina, replacing ancient monuments with grand colonial residences, many of which survive today. Hanoi finally became the capital of independent Vietnam in 1954, with Ho Chi Minh its first president: Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum is now the city's biggest crowd-puller. The city sustained serious damage in the American War, particularly the infamous Christmas Bombing campaign of 1972, much of it lucidly chronicled in the Army Museum. Until recently, political isolation together with lack of resources preserved what was essentially the city of the 1950s. However, since the advent of tourism in 1993, the city has seen an explosion in travellers' cafés, mini-hotels and cybercafés. Indeed, Hang Bac, one of the Old Quarter's main drags which is home to a large number of traveller hangouts, is starting to resemble a little piece of Bangkok's Khao San Road in Hanoi. The big question now is how much of central Hanoi will survive the onslaught of modernization.
Part ONE of TWO videos from the extraordinary Top Gear Vietnam Special. In this video, Jeremy Clarkson begins to enjoy his Vespa on the road to the Ancient Capital of Hue, and Richard Hammond is furious when James and Jeremy paint his bike bright pink. Brilliant high quality video from BBC motoring show, Top Gear.
Villages and Guilds are the most specific feature of Vietnam culture. Vietnamese culture has involved on the basis of the rice culture. Thus, the lifestyle of the Vietnamese is closely related to the village and native land.
In Vietnamese society, people have gathered together to form villages in rural areas and guilds in urban areas since the dawn of the nation. These organizations have gradually developed so that the population is more stable and closer together.
The gate of village
Each villages has its own regulations which are called conventions(hương ước). These conventions are very different from different villages and guilds, however, they are always in accordance with state laws and they ensure the promotion of good customs within its population. Convention of a village plays an important role in villagers' life, stabilizes the good habits and customs in the village. The power of the convention is based on its regulations of punishment. The worst punishment is to be forced to leave the village. Ethnic groups in Tay Nguyen consider the village as the most important things in their life, they are ready to die in their own village more than leave the village where they were born.
A page of convention
A lot of conventions are kept in the Vietnam History Museum in Hanoi (No.1, Pham Ngu Lao Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi)
Vietnamese Communal House is also a typical architecture in the countryside of Vietnam. This is the place where people gather together on special occasions discussing important issues in the village. The communal house is also for villagers worshiping the Genie who saves and protects the villagers' life.
Communal House
The word "village" is translated into Vietnamese in many ways depending on each region. In the north, it's called "bản", "mường" for some ethic groups Tay, Nung, Thai, Muong..., "Làng" for Kinh (Viet). In the south, it is called "thôn", "buôn", "sóc"...
This type of song took shape in the 15th century and was performed at communal houses. From the beginning, it was appreciated by many Confucian scholars and madarins. I then became court music which acquired its noble character.
Hat a dao is like singing a poems, that is why it is called saying-singing music . The singing technique is rather refined and meticulous. Without a good understanding the literacy value of the songs and of the harmony between the singer and the accompanying instruments, it may be difficult to fully appreciate this art.
There are three main performers on the stage: a female singer playing her "phach" (small wooden sticks beaten on a small bamboo platform to serve as percussion), a man playing "dan day" (a long-necked, 3-string lute) and a spectator who plays "trong chau" (praise drum).
Famous ca tru singing songs: Hồng hồng tuyết tuyết, Khen ai khéo vẽ, Đêm chia lửa, Tỳ bà hành, Hương Sơn phong cảnh, Tự tình, Gặp xuân...
Listen to a ca tru song: Thành phố rồng bay (The city of flying dragon) by Kim Ngoc- Linh Huong- Thuy Long
Where can you listen to ca tru song in Vietnam? Go to visit Thang Long Ca Tru Singing Address: number 40- 32, Khuong Trung, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, VN Email: info@catruthanglong.com Site: http://www.catruthanglong.com
Contact: suongcam@hotmail.com and hongngoc.nguyen241@gmail.com
Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay
Van Don Archipelago
Tra Co
Cua Ong Temple
Quynh Lam Pagoda
Ha Long Bay
Ha Long Bay
Van Don Archipelago
Tra Co
Cua Ong Temple
Quynh Lam Pagoda
