Co Loa Citadel will become cultural-ecological park

The Ministry of Construction has sent plans to the Prime Minister for preserving, restoring and developing Co Loa Citadel in Hanoi.

According to the plan Co Loa Citadel would be developed into a cultural-ecological park and a national historical relic covering a total 860ha, spanning the communes of Co Loa, Duc Tu, Uy No and Viet Hung in Dong Anh District.

The plan includes new zoning rules and solutions for preserving and restoring the relic areas for tourism development, particularly those with high cultural and historical value, in addition to new regulations o­n construction and investment management of the citadel.

The plan also mentions solutions to build natural ecological spaces of agriculture, green parks and gardens. It would also include water management plans that would clean bodies of water and ensure their connection to the surrounding water system.

If approved, the plan would be carried out in o­ne year.

Truong Minh Tien, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the city will develop six key tourism clusters from now until 2020, focusing o­n cultural, spiritual, ecological and shopping.

These include Son Tay-Ba Vi, Huong Son-Quan Son, and Soc Temple-Dong Quan Lake, Van Tri-Co Loa. The others are located in the city centre: the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Museum and Relic Complex inside the Presidential Palace, as well as the o­ne-pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature, the 36 ancient streets of the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem (Returned Sword)Lake and surrounding areas.

Co Loa was the capital of the Au Lac feudal, under King An Duong Vuong is about the 3rd century BC and the Van Xuan state under Ngo  Quyen 10 century AD. This second capital of Vietnam after Phong Chau (Phu Tho province today), is the capital of the Hung Kings.

Attractive Khot Cake

Khot cake is a very popular dish in southern Vietnam. The cake is easy to cook and suitable for the taste of many people, usually made for desert or treating guests.

Formerly, the main ingredients of khot cake were rice powder and well-grinded pork.The cake was served with flavour sauce, snack vegetable and cucumber. After that, people have made changes on the recipe creating the special features of the cake in different places.

People in the West usually mix rice powder with saffron and put more fresh shrimps when putting in the pattern. In the Centre, khot cake is served with cucumber, thin-sliced young papaya, big egg-plant…which are all soaked in weak shrimp sauce. In the North, people just use rice powder, some eggs (to make the powder more soft-rise) and dry shrimps instead of fresh ones...

In the khot cake making process, powder making is the most important. Chosen rice must be good to generate the cake powder. The ingredients of cake powder are wet grinded rice, steamed rice and grinded solid cool rice noodle. The different parts of powder are mixed mainly according to the makers’ experience. In the next step, powder is steadily stired with the water, little vinegar, coconut juice; there may be more eggs to increase cake softy or more saffron to make the cake having attractive color. The cake is treated with spice, salt, sugar, glutamate, small sliced onion... People usually use pork or shrimp, small shrimp, crab which are minced well then sauteed to make the cake filling.

They put the circle pattern in the pan, coat the pattern with hot fat, pour powder in the pattern, put the filling into the centre  then cover waiting until done to take out. After being done, cake powder becomes opaque yellow, the filling is brown-red, onion and chives which are in the fat stick to the cake making the green color.

There are also sauce and raw vegetable to be served with khot cake. Raw vegetables usually includes mint leaves, lettuce and cucumber... and the sauce can be flavour sauce or salted fish with garlic,lemon juice... depending on regions.

Romantic flower gardens of Hanoi in winter

Nhat Tan, Quang Ba, Nghi Tam, Tay Tuu, Tu Lien Village in Hanoi are famous for its colorful garden.

Daisies, sunflowers, napa cabbage flowers, peach blossom... bloom brilliantly. They make youngers, photographers, tourists in Vietnam travel  fall from grace their beauty.

Spring somewhere far behind that cold, bleak winter. But these days people go looking Hanoi  spring training all over the garden, flower village. 

A lot of tourists in in Vietnam travel have been visiting flower villages to see the flowers in all the vibrant colour.

Especially, hundreds of young people come each day to take pictures.

 

A young couple takes a photograph for the beautiful memory in flower garden

The photographer be enthralled by flower garden

 

 

The paradise with the many types of flowers

 

Quan Ba Skydook in Ha Giang

Ha Giang Province - Vietnam is famous for Dong Van Geopark which is recognized as a Karst Plateau Global Geopark by UNESCO.

The gateway to the geopark is called Quan Ba by local people meaning skydoor due to its height and the fact that fog always covers the top, which makes people think it is the door to the sky. Tam Son City in all its glory seen from Quan Ba skydoor. Not only that but it has a magnificent panoramic view of Tam Son City appearing in the green valley below. It is also the perfect spot to appreciate the beautiful Fairy Twin Mountains which lie in among the rice fields. Its reverse bowl shape has made the Twin Mountains special from other mountains. The mountains resemble a woman’s breasts - that’s why in local language they call them fairy twins. The walk to Quan Ba skydoor has some beautiful curves that are nearly always covered with fog. It takes around half an hour from Tam Son City to Quan Ba skydoor. The road is poor and is full of large trucks which slow your speed considerably as you have to be very careful to avoid accidents. Tourists can stay at Tam Son City which has nice hotels and restaurants. In addition to Quan Ba skydoor and Fairy Twin Mountains, tourists may find it interesting to go to Quan Ba market day or the Hop Tien Weaving village of H’Mong minority people.

Eating in Đà Lạt

While the aroma of street foods at the Đà Lạt night market may entice you to spend your entire evening there, don’t.  Save your appetite as we’ve got some must visit restaurants to try in Đà Lạt.  We use the term restaurant loosely–restaurants in Vietnam are not the typical Western style restaurants–often they’re the bottom floor of someone’s home where the owners lives directly above on the upper levels of the home.

The first spot, Bánh Xèo Bà Chi specializes in central style banh xeo. Unlike it’s southern counter part, central banh xeo are  much smaller, almost deep fried, and as a result, much more crispy.  To get here, you have to go through a small alley way and enter through the kitchen.

Yes, you walk right past the grand daughter cooking banh xeo to order and the matriarch, Bà Chi herself, deep frying chả giò to a prefect crisp and golden consistency.  This family restaurant has been in business for years and well known among locals.

Walk thruough to the living room and grab a table.  Order several platefuls of banh xeo (only $1 each!) and plate of  chả giò (both come with all the vegatble and herb fixings) and you’ll be all the more happy for it.   Visit Bánh Xèo Bà Chi at 43B,  3 tháng 2 hẻm thủy tiên.

Across town near the old French quarter is Phúc Nguyên, a restaurant specializing in goat 7 ways de 7 món. Similar to the famous beef 7 ways, de 7 món is a very popular and festive meal in Vietnam for special occasions.  The best goats in Vietnam are found in the mountainous region of Ninh Binh in Northern Vietnam and but also in Đà Lạt with it’s hilly mountain sides. You can order specific items from the 7 courses of goat and not obligated to order all 7 courses, but if you did, it won’t set you back much at all as most dishes are around $5. Steamed de hấp and grilled de nướng (above) is was fantastic without any significant gaminess.

The best way to enjoy these meats is top with some citrus-y herbs on bánh đa rice cracker with touch of of pungent sauce of shrimp paste, pickled garlic, slivers of lemongrass, chile and lime. Or you can wrap these meats in rice paper as well.

The goat hot pot, lẩu de, is a gamey and dark broth of  made goat knuckles and long bones, with chunks of  fall of the bone meat and tendon .  It comes with the requisite plateful of herbs vegetables and varietal of noodles and eggs to lighten the dish.

The owner is actually an Indian immigrant to Vietnam decades ago and specializes in curried goat cà ri de and sauteed turmeric  de xào lăn.  Both are stand outs, rich in flavor standing up to the goat meat.

Make sure you go early in the evening as this place tends to get packed with large groups of families and friends ready to celebrate and enjoy a great evening of food and camraderie.  Phúc Nguyên 32Trần Hưng Đạo. 

Source: Theravenouscouple

Dau Tieng lake

Dau Tieng lake is the largest irrigation reservoir in Vietnam with a capacity of 1.6 billion cubic meters and it is also a frequent place for sightseers due to its beautiful landscape of mountains, mysterious islets and pure atmosphere. Moreover, the lake has crystal like, clean water and on sunny days, it's water reflects the blue color of the sky.

The Lake is located in Phuoc Minh Commune, Duong Minh Chau District, Tay Ninh Province's.

Stretching along the lake is the Cau Mountain and a primeval forest and scattered here and there in the lake are small islets. Its bank with its green grass coverage could be an ideal place for camping and picnic, visitors in Vietnam travel coming there could go fishing or watching the locals catch fish in the lake.

Cau Mountain has a height of 198 meters with a diverse floristic composition and protective forest extending to 1,600 hectares. At the top of Cau mountain is Thai Son Pagoda, which attracts a lot of pilgrims in the 15th day of the first lunar month.

Not far from Cau Mountain in the rubber plantation is Cau Nom Lake, which has very pure and clean water with fresh air and tranquilizing atmosphere. There is also Tha La peninsula with an area of 57ha next to the lake. On the peninsula, local people often grow many tropical fruit trees such as longan and mango,etc.

Binh An Tourist Resort in Soc Trang

Binh An Tourist Resort is supposed to resemble Dam Sen Cultural Park in Ho Chi Minh City. When coming here, tourists in Vietnam travel get the chance to join many recreation and entertainment activities.

Situated at No. 71, Ward 2, Soc Trang Town, Soc Trang Province; by the Highway No. 1A, Binh An Tourist Resort resembles Dam Sen Cultural Park in Ho Chi Minh City, but in a smaller scale.

Coming here, tourists in Vietnam travel have opportunities to join many recreation and entertainment activities. The tree-lined road system, the network of swimming pools, fishponds and other facilities are well arranged. That is the reason why this resort is suitable to tourists, with their different tastes and hobbies.

Behind the gate lies a man-made mountain 30 to 40 meters high. Atop the mountain stands a big statue of Avalokitesvara. At the foot of the mountain there are fishponds and paths. Inside the mountain is a mini hotel. Next to the mountain stands a two-storey villa built in the mixed Russian and Chinese architectural style, where wedding ceremonies, parties or banquets can be held.

The Binh An Tourist Resort has stirred up the atmosphere of a peaceful town imbued with Khmer cultural identity in Soc Trang, a province of the western part of south Vietnam.

Ecstatic with Dai Loc Girdle - Cake

Girdle-cake is not only thin, flexible but also aromatic and attractive anyone enjoying.

Coming to Quang Nam, when mentioning girdle-cake, everyone adverts Dai Loc girdle-cake.  These big round and smooth white girdle-cakes are made from rice creating an unique flavor and always attractive anyone who enjoys. Coming to Quang Nam, when mentioning to girdle-cake, everyone advert Dai Loc girdle-cake.  These big round and smooth white girdle-cakes are made from rice and create a unique flavor, and attractive anyone who enjoys. Dai Loc district is located in the northern of Quang Nam province. Almost people's lives are here associated with agriculture. In addition to sericulture, weaving, knitting…the profession of making girdle-cake in Dai Loc also had a long-standing brand in the market. If having chances to go through Quang Nam land, you should visit some famous villages for making this cake, and have the opportunity to witness the diligence, skill of the famers when making delicious ones and providing them inside and outside the province. In addition to the sweet girdle-cake, sesame girdle-cake, coconut girdle-cake….here mainly makes stuffed pancake.  Girdle-cake Dai Loc has a unique flavor in comparison with popular ones in Quang land, particularly indispensable in the trays of the Tet holiday or other feasts… When being away from the home, whenever wanting to enjoy girdle-cake,  Quang Nam people must find and buy a few from the market immediately. Also having vegetables, seasoning sauce, pork, but everything seems less delicious because it is lack of the fragrant smell of new rice and crispness. To have delicious ones, it requires maker to be skilled in the preparation of ingredients as well as manipulate to coat cake on the stove. After washing rice, you must soak it thoroughly and constantly in two days, then decorticate finely. Mixing flour is also very important. You have to mix it carefully to be smooth, and just enough water so that the flour mixture is not too liquid or too solid, affecting to the quality of cakes.

Admire Million - Dollar Castle Restaurant in SaiGon

Located a little slanted toward the west of Semicircle lake (district 7) and near Anh Sao bridge pier, Cham Charm castle is prominent with the architecture imitating majestic and splendid Ankor Wat temple.

The shade of splendid Cham Charm Castle is onSemicircle lake  The first impression about the restaurant is the pure white color of a splendid castle that is prominent with 4-metre-high stairs going along two rows of trees. When the door closes, the space inside the restaurant is like the palace of a Cham pa King, especially the bricks that are alternated in the walls are covered by mysterious red light. Furthermore, it also decorated with a range of stone column in My Son, terra-cotta idol, Linga statue, old relics, sculpture statue… Warm light of light system make every corner, every floor…mysterious, exquisite and luxurious. Cham Charm has an area of 5,000 square meters, so it can hold 600 customers. The space of restaurant is divided into 3 areas. The upstairs is for customers to enjoy grill dishes in a large and romantic space. The ground-floor has many private rooms that are for VIPs who need a quiet space. The restaurant is also known as the first cuisine gallery of Asia with more than 1,300 kinds of wine all over the world. Let`s enjoy these nice pictures of splendid castle restaurant: