The Giay ethnic group - The traditional cultural beauty

Not only did the Giay ethnic group have lyric majestic senery, it also is an ethnic group possessing unique culture.

Population: 49,098 people (Year 1999)

Locality: Concentrated in Bat Xat, Bao Thang and Muong Khuong districts (Lao Cai Province); Yen Minh and Dong Van districts (Ha Giang Province); Phong Tho and Muong Te districts (Lai Chau Province); and Cao Bang Province.

Customs and habits: The Giay worship not only their ancestors but also the genies of the heaven, the earth, and the kitchen, including the Goddess of Childbirth. The Giay villages are very crowded, containing hundreds of households. Houses are built on stilts or on level ground. The central bay of the house serves as a place for receiving guests and for the ancestor altar.

Patriarchal customs rule Giay families. The children take on the family name of their father. The family of a young man usually seeks a marriage for their son. During pregnancy, Giay women must obey certain taboos and a special altar is set up for the delivery.

Culture: Giay language belongs to the Tay-Thai Group. The cultural heritage of the Giay is rich including many ancient tales, poems, proverbs, puzzles, and alternating songs.

Costumes: Men wear trousers, short vests and wind a turban around their heads. Women wear a five-paneled vest open at the side, which buttons under the right armpit, and trousers. They wear their hair wound around their head or wind it in a turban.

Economy: The Giay practice rice cultivation in submerged fields and rear animals to provides for additional income. The Giay also rear plenty of horses as pack animals and for transport.

Dong Ho folk painting contest launched

The children’s painting contest ‘I Draw the Country’ was launched in Hanoi on May 16 by the Association of UNESCO Clubs in Hanoi and the Heritage Inns.

The contest is open to children between the ages of four and nine in kindergartens and primary schools across the country.

Compeition entrants can use any medium to create their own original paintings on size A3 paper based on the theme of one of the ten original Dong Ho folk paintings, which were announced by the organising board. Children are encouraged to use bright colours, particularly the four basic colours of Dong Ho paintings, including black, green, yellow and red.

Each contestant is allowed to send up to three entries to the Heritage Inns, 115/9 Nui Truc Alley, Nui Truc Street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi before July 16.

A awards ceremony and an exhibition to honour the 30 best entries will be held on August 10. The first prize winner will be presented a certificate of merit and cash prize of VND 5 million while two second and three third place winners will receive VND2 million and VND1 million each, respectively.

The 30 finalists will also win a field trip to the Dong Ho folk painting village to see how the traditional paintings are made.

The contest aims to help children to learn more about Dong Ho painting and encourage them to preserve and promote this valuable traditional Vietnamese art form.

Hue Festival pavilion draws huge crowds in Japan

A display booth presenting the ancient culture of Hue at the Japan association of Travel Agents (JATA) Tourism and Travel Forum in Japan attracted thousands of Japanese and international visitors.

Vietnam's participation in the forum, which was held on September 13-15, was distinctive in view of the wide turnout by visitors to its pavilion featuring the biennial Hue Festival in Hue City of Thua Thien-Hue Province. The country expects to draw visitors to the nation’s biggest cultural event.

Vietnam’s pavilion in the JATA Tourism Forum and Travel Showcase 2013.

JATA Tourism Forum and Travel Showcase 2013 attracted 80 countries with about 1,000 booths. The annual affair aims to meet a goal for promoting demands in the tourism industry. The event has expanded in scale in response to ongoing changes in the marketplace, now offering more business meetings and opportunities and for the public to learn about travel.

So far 26 art troupes from 23 countries around the world have registered to participate in the biennial Hue Festival in Hue City in Thua Thien-Hue Province, scheduled to take place from April 12-20 next year.

The eighth Hue Festival will introduce to visitors a series of cultural activities such as Nam Giao Offering Ritual, Royal Night, Ao Dai Festival, Oriental Night, musical performances, folk games, puppetry, martial arts and dance performances during the event.

Some highlights will be ‘Huong Xua Lang Co’ (Fragrance of ancient village) in the 500-year-old Phuoc Tich ancient village in Phong Hoa Commune in Phong Dien District, and real replicas of ancient markets of Thanh Toan Tile Bridge across the Nhu Y River in Thuy Thanh Commune.

Arts honoring traditional, historical and cultural values including Nha Nhac or royal court music of Hue, royal singing and dancing, Hue singing, and Thua Thien-Hue folk songs are expected to leave a deep impression on visitors.

Nha Nhac or royal court music of Hue was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in 2003, and has been named as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Meaning ‘elegant music’, Nha Nhac refers to court music performed at annual ceremonies, anniversaries and religious events, as well as special events such as coronations, funerals or official receptions.

Although its roots can be traced back to the 13th Century, Nha Nhac reached maturity in the royal palace of Hue under the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).

The delegation participating in the Hue festival fair was sponsored by the Department of culture, sport and tourism with the participation of reputable travel agencies in the province. In the fair, the delegation participated in the conference of the tourism development trend in Japan market; met international trading partners; took a survey about the tourist’s attraction to Hue tourism market; introduced, propagated and promoted images of destinations, tourism products of Thua Thien Hue province, especially Festival Hue 2014 to tourists.

Quang Ngai to build a turtle rescue center

The People's Committee of Quang Ngai Province in July decided to build a rescue center for Vietnamese pond turtles and a zone for preservation of the habitat for this endemic species of turtle in Binh Son district.

Scientists are making the last survey at the preservation zone of Vietnamese pond turtles in Binh Khuong commune, Binh Son district in Quang Ngai province.

The Southern Institute of Ecology will be a key partner with the Asian Turtle Conservation to implement this project. It is expected that the rescue center will be built from August 2013 to May 2014. From June 2014, the natural habitats for the Vietnamese pond turtles will be restored.

According to Dr. Vu Ngoc Long, director of the Southern Institute of Ecology, the Vietnamese pond turtle or Annam leaf turtle (Mauremys annamensis) is a species of turtles in the family Geoemydidae.

It can be distinguished from its relatives by its color pattern: the head is dark with three or four yellow stripes down the side. The plastron (belly shield) is firmly attached, yellow or orange, with a black blotch on each scute.

The Vietnamese pond turtle is an endemic freshwater turtle species in Vietnam, which is included in the list of critically endangered wildlife.

Endemic to a small area in central Vietnam, from Da Nang to Phu Yen, it was reportedly abundant in the 1930s, but all field surveys after 1941 had failed to locate any individuals in the wild. As it was occasionally seen traded as food, it was not yet extinct in the wild however. In 2006, a wild population of Vietnamese pond turtles was found in Quang Nam Province.

Currently, the number of Vietnamese pond turtles in the wild is rapidly declining due to poaching, illegal trade and habitat loss.

A Vietnamese pond turtle.

The Binh Son Pond Turtle Rescue Center is founded in the natural distribution area of this species in the central region to preserve this species.

The center will receive Vietnamese pond turtles which are successfully bred in the U.S., Europe and the turtle conservation center in Cuc Phuong National Park, in Ninh Binh province, to breed and release into the wild.

The goal of the project is the establishment of protected habitat for pond turtles, creating natural habitats for the species. This is one of the first protected habitat zone in Southeast Asia to preserve this critically endangered species of turtle.

Contemplating the sunrise at Vietnam’s most beautiful waterfall

Many backpackers consider Pongour waterfall in Da Lat City as the most beautiful waterfall in Vietnam.

Pongour waterfall (its alternative name is 7-storey waterfall) lies in Duc Trong district, Lam Dong Province, being 50 kilometers from Da Lat. Going about 40 kilometers along the highway 20 from Da Lat, tourists will see a signpost on the right. Tourists keep going 7 kilometers to go to the waterfall. In early morning, Pongour waterfall is imposing and pictureque. However, if you want to capture the first sunlight in early morning on the top of waterfall, you have to get up eary and arrive the waterfall at 6 am. Panorama of the waterfall In early morning, you will have a chance to contemplate primitive and tranquil scenery, as well as listen to the bird sounds The waterfall is surrounded by imposing cliffs

The beautiful pictures of Ha Giang

The unspoiled, idyllic beauty of the nature and human of Ha Giang in this season are depicted in the following pictures.

Nui Doi Mount is associated with the legendary love story of a Hmong boy with a fairy. The couple’s love was hindered by the god. The fairy was forced to return to the Heaven after she had a child with the Hmong man. The fairy cut her breasts and left them in the lower world to feed her child, which are now the Nui Doi Mountain. According to legend, thanks to the milk of the fairy, this land has a cool climate and the fruits here have an incredible taste. The house of the H’mong King Vuong Chi Sinh. Early morning in the market of the quiet old town of Dong Van. Dong Van town was built in the early 20th century. Behind the old town is the limestone heritage area. The road to the rock plateau. Meo Vac view from above Lung Cu flagpole is the site many young people wish to set foot. The houses of the Lo Lo people at the foothills of Lung Cu The Nho Que River at the foot of Ma Pi Leng Pass - one of the four most famous passes in Vietnam, besides Pha Din Pass in the province of Lai Chau, O Quy Ho Pass in Lao Cai and Khau Pha Pass in Yen Bai.

Dieu Thanh Waterfall- a princess hidden herself in jungle

Dieu Thanh Waterfall is located on Dak Tit Stream, the natural border between Nhan Co Commune (Dak R’lap District) and Quang Tan Commune (Dak Nong District), Dak Nong Province. For a long time, Dieu Thanh Waterfall has won kudos for its pristine and poetic beauty.

This waterfall has been stood in the middle of mountain and forest since time immemorial, despite various changes of the surrounding scene and natural environment. Besides the biggest water column, which comes down from the height of 30m, Dieu Thanh Waterfall also comprises of some small other water columns, creating a thin mist that cools down the temperature at the foot of the rocky mountain.

Under the waterfall, there are several deep grottoes and inside them there have many large and smooth rocks for tourists to take a short rest. The temperature here is always cool. When standing on the summit of the waterfall, tourists can admire a part of the magnificent mountain and forest of theCentral Highlands.

Though Dieu Thanh is located in a calm place of jungle but it is still one of the interesting beautiful spots which is not only attracted many tourists in Vietnam travel in Dak Nong Province but also in other provinces such as: Dak Lak, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Ho Chi Minh City and so on. Especially on festivals or Tet holidays,  lots of people flock to this place.  With its romantic beauty, Dieu Thanh falls seems to be a princess hidden herself in jungle. If it is invested and upgraded, it will be an ideal place attracted to tourists near and far.

Explore the magic of rocky stream at the foot of Tam Dao

Visitors to Vinh Phuc often climb the top of Tam Dao Mountain but a few knows the majestic beauty of Tam Dao in other side.

Our group had stunning trip on foot. We followed the crystal-clear stream that flows over magic rocks of Dai Tu District, Thai Nguyen.

Nearly 100km far from Hanoi, from the town of Ba Hang ( Pho Yen Commune) on National Highway 3, we turned a small asphalt road  and went straight about 30 km along green mountain, we reached the foot of Go Mieu.

At the foot of Go Mieu

With just 100.000 VND, visitors can rent a boat for a 5-6 person group to explore the lake of Go Mieu.

Go Mieu lake is like a giant trough to contain water from dozens of stream, waterfalls from the top of Tam Dao. Every season, water of lake is always blue in color as picturesque scenery.

Sometimes, we saw the white clouds flying very low, it seemed to be across our boat. Small boat glided slowly on the surface of lake and took us into a canyon.

Between the blue of mountain, rocks with various shape and colors were looming our view. Being in the hot summer, everyone felt comfortable and cool when coming to the stream at the foot of Tam Dao. Going upstream, we seemed to be lost in a matrix of magic rocks.

Some rocks looks like heavy truck, other is like teddy bear…It is so interesting!

Giant rock

Crystal-clear water 

After then, we continued our journey at Noi Dong bridge. Here is a small and clear lake that is surrounded by yellow stones. Next to the lake is ancient si tree on giant rock. Next places we stopped were Coi beach, Da Coc. Explaining the name of those, the local people said that there are many sharp rocks around the area that are like piles.

After exploring magic rocks, people can bath in clear water to relax. If visitors want to stay for lunch or overnight, you can hire motel or stay at home’s resident near Go Mieu lake at cheap price. In particular, you will have a chance to enjoy grilled fish.

Visitors can go fishing here.

The most attractive here to visitors is go fishing at stream. After then, visitors can relax and enjoy the delicious dish of grilled fish.

TREKKING UP TO PHU SONG SUNG

The tortuous road suddenly becomes very slippery as if it is polished by oil, with frozen trees and a strong-blowing wind for company.

However, to experience adventure and challenge ourselves, we decided to go for it. We reached Xa Ho Commune, Tram Tau District in Yen Bai Province after nearly a day’s ride from Hanoi with the sunset coming down the mountainous area. We stayed overnight at the house of Thao A Mang, our local ethnic guide for the next day. Tourists warm on fire and have food on the halfway to Phu Song Sung We could not sleep as the cold and wind took its toll and by the next morning we departed feeling groggy and tired. Mist still covered the village and was mixed with drizzling drops and a north-easterly wind. Two Mong ethnic people guided and carried foods for us. We just brought simple things such as a sleeping bag, water and foods. A wooden tent for tourists to stay overnight in Phu Song Sung We started to see the mountain imposingly erect as if we just could trek forever with no turning back. The mountain is about 2,955 meters above sea level, so it is a bit lower than Fanxipan but it is surely tougher to be conquered as it is has no stops like Fanxipan. It was misty so we could not see anything, except our feet groping up on the tiny trail. Sometimes we fell down and had to use sticks to pull ourselves up. We didn’t take a long rest as moving on kept us warm. Sometimes the wind blew the mist and clouds away and we were really amazed at the splendid sceneries. Reaching through the dense forest, the higher mountain walls were lined by endless valleys. Sometimes the strong wind forced us to sit down in groves to prevent us from falling down the valleys. At that time we really knew what the expression being scared to death really meant. Trees were frozen and leaves became grey/white. However, it rewarded us with beautiful wild flowers. At the height of 2,400 meters and amidst the magnificent and immense space, we found we were really small and in the strangely quite space, we just heard the birds’ twitters and our steeping and breathing sounds. We decided to call a halt to our dreams of hitting the peak to stay at a cottage of Giang A Sinh, head of the commune. A miracle occurred when the sun beams suddenly gleamed on the mountain’s peak, amidst the valleys and the white sea of clouds. The beamslooked like fireworks and it just occurred to us that we missed the chance to capture this on camera. As night came, we just could hear the whispers of wind through the wooden walls. However, stayed together we felt warmer to sleep well on that night. The next morning, we were greeted with golden sunlight, making us feel we were bobbing in the clouds. We went home with a great experience and memories in our hearts.

HIKING ADVENTURES ON CAT BA ISLAND

“Here’s the trail,” our guide said. He pointed up – at what appeared to be a sheer rock wall.

Most people come to Cát Bà Island as part of a two-day cruise on Halong Bay. They generally view the island as little more than a rest stop before the long drive back to Hanoi. But there’s far more to Cát Bà than the port town. Staying at the Cát Bà Eco-Lodge, 13 kilometres inland, my friends and I got to explore an impressive landscape where there are seemingly more rice paddies than tourists. We arrived at the lodge in the late afternoon, as the wind swept through the mountains and the sky was stained the deep gray of approaching night. It was too late to go on an ambitious hike, so we opted for the “Waterfall Hike,” which was described as a picturesque 30-minute walk to see a nearby waterfall. The man behind the front desk looked enthusiastic about our choice. Then he brought us to the rock wall. We contemplated the wall for a minute before our guide, clearly impatient with our postponement, began to scramble up. “Come on!” he called, already perched on a high ledge. It was obvious that no one had gone on the “Waterfall Hike” for quite some time. The rocks were overgrown with leaves and tangled branches. My hair caught in a thorn, and I crouched awkwardly on a ledge to untangle it. “How much farther?” one of my friends asked. “Maybe twenty minutes,” our guide said. He was climbing down now, as rapidly as he had come up. “See you later!” We continued climbing up the jagged wall for a few minutes before we admitted defeat. There was no waterfall in sight, only rocks and more rocks and leaf cover that got thicker the higher we climbed. We exchanged glances. Then one of us said what we were all thinking: “Maybe an easier walk would be better.” After picking our way down the rock wall, we headed along a narrow path into the hills. With the shadows of mountains on both sides, we were surrounded by mist. The cool breeze blew all around us. Darkness was falling, but we managed to snap a few pictures before night arrived. Then it was time to head back to the lodge, where we ordered a barbecue dinner. It was a bit of a splurge at $15, but well worth it for the hearty plates of ribs, chicken drumsticks and charred squid. Most of the food served at the lodge travels less than two miles to get there – one of the main reasons that we chose this hotel. Not only is the eco-lodge situated in an ideal spot for trekking through this remote area; it also emphasizes sustainability. This means that trash is recycled and composted, the buildings are built with natural materials and local people help run the business. Sustainable hotels like the Eco-Lodge can play an important role in the country’s tourism development. But sadly, too many tourists are unaware that these hotels exist – or don’t realize why they are important. Journeying back to Hanoi, we stopped in the island’s port town to get on the bus, where we encountered flocks of tourists who had never left the main street. “There really isn’t much to Cát Bà,” one of them said. Little did they know.

Green trees make Hoi An ever charming

The ancient city of Hoi An is not only famous for its harmonious relationship between history, culture, architecture, land and people but also for its beautiful green trees.

Despite growing on some narrow streets their colourful stand out almost everywhere.

Glistening beauty of Sapa on an early spring morning

During spring the flowers and plants of Sapa glisten with dew in the early morning light. Whether sunny or rainy, the town retains a unique beauty which is famous for inspiring visitors.

Some image of the area surrounding the mountain town: