Mekong Delta Adventure

Sai Gon - My Tho - Ben Tre - Can Tho - Long Xuyen - Chau Doc - Vinh Suong
By: boat, bus, mini-bus, xich lo, xe om, xe may loi, xe dap loi, etc.

I returned to Viet Nam for the second time in late April 2005 to attend a veteran's, photojournalist's and war correspondent's reunion to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the end of the war; April 30th. I had already decided to tour the Mekong Delta, where I had never traveled, so, after a week in Sai Gon attending events, photographing the sights and visiting with friends I set out. Delta Adventure Tours offers a 3-day package tour continuing on into Cambodia on the morning of the fourth day but as I wanted to spend more than one night in each town I made arrangements to pick up the trip every other day.
Day One, Friday, 5/6: Sai Gon to My Tho. At 8:00 AM myself and about 14 others board a boat at the wharf on Ton Duc Thang Blvd. for the trip to My Tho. Cruising down the Sai Gon River we pass a large variety of commercial craft heading both up & down-river; merchant ships, heavily-laden cargo boats, small sampans and fishing vessels. As we get further away from the city we pick up speed and the banks change from buildings to lush green foliage. At 11:30 we arrive at My Tho. My hotel, the Chuong Duong, is right on the river. After lunch I explore My Tho, a pleasant little town on the banks of the Tien Giang branch of the Mekong. I visit the Cao Dai temple, the ferry landing, the Central Market and then just wander the streets until dark.
Day Two, Saturday, 5/7: Ben Tre. After an unsuccessful negotiation the previous afternoon to hire a car through Tien Giang Tourist to take me to Ben Tre today, I have to decided to go there on my own. Primary goal is to find and photograph the two Cao Dai temples there. I cross the river on the ferry. After some difficulties and a rather roundabout journey I arrive at the first temple just in time for the noon service. The kindly elders show me around the whole complex which I have carte blanche to shoot. After a late lunch I wander the town visiting the market and waterfront. I pass on trying to find the second temple; my limited Vietnamese language skills are not up to explaining, its Saturday, Ben Tre Tourist offices are closed, there are no taxis, only xe om, xe may loi & xe dap loi so, in the late afternoon I get a xe om back to the ferry landing to return to My Tho.
Day Three, Sunday, 5/8: My Tho to Can Tho. I spend the morning shooting in the market & around town. At 12:30 the Delta guide arrives to inform me that the bus that is to take us to Can Tho will be late due to a flat tire. I wait it out in the rain with the others. We get off around 3:00 PM; it's slow going; traffic + rain = accidents. The highlight of this trip is crossing the new bridge at Vinh Long. At the ferry crossing there's a 30 min. wait to cross the Hau Giang so we don't arrive in Can Tho until well after dark. I get a xe dap loi to my hotel, the A Chau, where, after a little negotiation, I get a balcony room for $2.00 more than an interior. Then it's out for dinner and a quick look around before retiring early.
Day Four, Monday, 5/9: Can Tho. Up early & down to the waterfront, which is bustling with activity. I let an old woman persuade me into going on a 2-hour canal tour in her small boat. Not as interesting as advertised but I get some good shots. After lunch I meet Anh Hau, a former ARVN interpreter who speaks excellent English. I retain his services as a guide & we set off on his xe om to explore the city; the market, a couple of temples and other sights. Can Tho is a really nice town. Friendly people, great sights & good food. I'm having a great time here.
Day Five, Tuesday, 5/10: Can Tho. Up at 6:00 AM for a 7:00 AM departure on a boat trip to the Cai Rang & Phong Dien floating markets. This is very interesting; lots of activity as we move among the boats selling every kind of fruit & vegetable grown in the Delta. After a brief stop at an orchard for fruit and tea we head back to town in the pouring rain. After lunch I hook up with Anh Hau again to continue exploring Can Tho, including a trip to the supermarket to get some provisions for tomorrow's trip.
Day Six, Wednesday, 5/11: Can Tho to Long Xuyen/Chau Doc. At 8:00 AM we're off on the bus to Long Xuyen where we'll get on a boat to continue on to Chau Doc. The bus trip is uninteresting but the boat trip is fantastic. It's great to be back on the river again, this time the Hau Giang, and I'm enjoying, and shooting, the variety of sights along the way including the sunset. We arrive in Chau Doc after dark. While the others pile onto the tour bus I get a xe dap loi to my hotel, the Thuan Loi. It's been an exhausting day so I decide to treat myself and have dinner at the Victoria Chau Doc, the city's luxury hotel. A sumptuous meal served by gorgeous women in a beautiful colonial-style dining room. Who could ask for more!
Day Seven, Thursday, 5/12: Chau Doc. Up and out early to go exploring as I have only one full day here. The morning is spent in Chau Doc town in the markets, temples & waterfront. After lunch I hire a xe om for the trip up Nui Sam, where I go to the temples and get my first look at Cambodia from the summit. The landscape is green & lush with rice paddies extending in every direction. At the base of the mountain I visit two more temples before heading back to town. Dinner at a floating restaurant caps off the day.
Day Eight, Friday, 5/13: Chau Doc - Vinh Suong. My last day in Viet Nam. A few tense moments this AM as I think the Delta folks have forgotten about me & I'm going to be left behind. A few calls solve the problem and as if by magic a xe om appears to take me to the boat landing. The trip to Vinh Suong takes about 2 hours. We disembark and climb up the riverbank to clear Vietnamese immigration & customs. In the customs shed there is a gigantic airport-style X-ray machine; an anachronism in this remote place. Upon exiting a crowd of boys vie to carry our bags for the 200-meter walk into Camdodia. After passing Cambodian immigration it's onto another boat to continue upriver to Phnom Penh, but... that's another story.
Summary: I set out to see if I could travel around Viet Nam by myself with minimal planning and assistance from organized tour operators, as I like the freedom to go where & when I want. Surprisingly, I was able to do so without much difficulty. When I was ready to move on I consulted my guidebook, chose a hotel, called ahead and reserved a room. This worked every time. I then called Delta in Sai Gon and told them I was ready to pick up the tour. To be sure there were a few tense moments when I thought I had been forgotten but they always came through, if a bit late. My limited Vietnamese-language skills came in quite handy and at the very least drew surprise, smiles & laughter from those I was attempting to communicate with. The cell phone I purchased in Sai Gon was a lifesaver. I'd do a similar trip again without reservation. Everybody I met was warm and friendly and eager to help; many even volunteered without my asking. I'd encourage anyone contemplating a similar journey to... GO FOR IT! In short, I had a wonderful time, made some new friends and got to see one of the most fascinating areas of Viet Nam - my way - not sitting on some tour bus.
Published on 6/19/06

“Ô mai” – a dilicious nosh!

“Ô mai” is salted dry apricot or sugared dry apricot that is a favourite nosh for many people in Hanoi and other provinces.

“Ô mai” is produced for traditional method, since chosing material, the company also send staff to gardens in Hung Yen, Hai Hung, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau in order to gather all crop of kinds of sour fresh fruit like plum, apricot, dracontomelum, star, tamarind, kumquat, pineaple, canari, lemon. That is the secret of Hang Duong experts, they plus sugar, ginger, add chilli, stir liquorice to have smooth yellow food with sweet-smelling.

This product is for instant all year and you can enjoy with a pot of tea and a few friends to chat. This is also valuable present from Ha Noi people giving to their friends.

How to make dried apricot?

If you would like to make dried apricot, you can use the following recipe and you can make the perfect nosh. First, you soak the apricots in water to cover overnight. Then, place them to cook in the same water. Cook until tender. Mash them or chop in blender. After that, peel, core, and cut the pineapple into small pieces. Cover with water and cook until tender. Measure the fruits and juices. Last, place equal amounts of sugar with the measured fruits into a heavy kettle and cook slowly until thick and clear.

“Bun goi da”

“Bun goi da” is a special noodle soup which is one of the most appreciated by visitors to Soc Trang Province.

The strange dish is originated in My Xuyen Town, Soc Trang Province. Leaving the city of Soc Trang some 5 km to My Xuyen Town, you can see a board "bun goi da" suspended before the small stall. While waiting for the dilicious dish moved out, you can view the cool green trees, smelling the fragrance of delicious dishes.

The best “bun goi da” is served at a small and shady stall in a quiet street at old Bai Xau, a site which used to be buoyant port serving the 6 Southern provinces. The shop-owner Trinh Thi Nu, is a retired school teacher in Can Tho City. She takes a very good care to ensure the best quality of the dish which requires a number of ingredients including rice noodles, pork, prawns, soybean paste, sliced red chilli and some herbs. Having put these things into a decoratively presented bowl, a flavoured hot broth, the most important thing to decide the taste of the dish, is added to the mixture.

“Bun goi da” is even more appealing with some fresh vegetables. It has been one of the favourite dishes for both locals and visitors in Soc Trang Province. Each bowl is a mere 12,000 to 15,000 VND. For many years, “bun goi da” have made the journey to Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, help to improve people’s living standard. Moreover, “bun goi da” is also served in Hoang Cung Restaurant of Saigon - Can Tho Hotel. Although the price is 20,000 to 25,000 VND for a bowl of “bun goi da”, the luxurious seat will help you delight in watching the street and the bowl of “bun goi da” is much more delicious.

Not only the favourite for many visitors, “bun goi da” is one of traditional dishes in Soc Trang Province. Once enjoying and you can feel the typical fragrance of the dish.

Hoi An Travel

The ancient town of Hoi An, 30 km south of Danang, lies on the banks of the Thu Bon River. Occupied by early western traders, Hoi An was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th century.
Hoi An has a distinct Chinese atmosphere with low, tile-roofed houses and narrow streets; the original structure of some of these streets still remains almost intact. All the houses were made of rare wood, decorated with lacquered boards and panels engraved with Chinese characters. Pillars were also carved with ornamental designs.

Tourists can visit the relics of the Sa Huynh and Cham cultures. They can also enjoy the beautiful scenery of the romantic Hoi An River, Cua Dai Beach, and Cham Island.

Over the last few years, Hoi An has become a very popular tourist destination in Vietnam.

Light Bright

NO FLUORESCENT LIGHTS. NO MOTORCYCLES. NO TELEVISION. ON THE 14TH DAY OF EACH LUNAR MONTH, THE RIVERSIDE TOWN OF HOI AN GIVES MODERN LIFE THE NIGHT OFF.

In a wood-fronted shops a woman in traditional dress sits at a desk, bathed in the light of a lantern made from a simple bamboo fish-trap. Outside, two old men are absorbed in a candlelit game of Chinese checkers. These scenes, straight out of the 19th century, still take place in Hoi An, a sleepy riverside town in the central province of Quang Nam.

Hoi An has long been a cultural crossroad. More than five centuries ago the Vietnamese nation of Dai Viet expanded its territory southwards, encroaching on the Indianized Kingdom of Champa, which covered much of what is now central Vietnam. Hoi An, located on the Hoai River, emerged when Japanese and Chinese traders built a commercial district there in the 16th century.

These diverse cultural influences remain visible today. Visitors will find Hoi An's Old Quarter lined with two-storey Chinese shops, their elaborately carved wooden facades and moss-covered tile roofs having withstood the ravages of more than 300 years of weather and warfare. These proud old buildings, which back onto the river, remind visitors of another era, when Hoi An's market was filled with wares from as far afield as India and Europe. Colourful guildhalls, founded by ethnic Chinese from Guangdong and Fujian provinces, stand quietly, a testament to the town's trading roots.

While Hoi An's old-fashioned charm is always visible, on the 14th of every lunar month modernity takes another step back. On these evenings the town turns off its street lamps and fluorescent lights, leaving the Old Quarter bathed in the warm glow of coloured silk, glass and paper lanterns. In ancient times, Vietnamese people made lamps out of shallow bowls filled with oil. Later, foreign traders introduced lanterns, ranging from round and hexagonal designs from China to diamond and star shaped ones from Japan.

Let there be light

When developing plans to preserve their town's ancient character, Hoi An residents decided to revive the practice of using coloured lanterns. Starting in the fall of 1998, one night each month is declared a "lantern festival". On the 14th day of each lunar month, residents on Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Le Loi and Bach Dang streets switch off their lights and hang cloth and paper lanterns on their porches and windows. Television sets, radios, street lights and neon lights are turned off.

In the ensuing quiet the streets of Hoi An are at their most romantic, the darkness broken only by jeweltoned lanterns in all manner of shapes and sizes.

Strolling through the lantern-lit streets is like walking into a fairytale. It is all the more picturesque since motor vehicles are banned from Hoi An's Old Quarter. On Trai Phu Street, stop at the beautifully preserved Faifo Restaurant to sample some traditional Chinese-style pastries. Or walk on to the Treated Café, where bamboo baskets, commonly used to wash rice, have been transformed into unique lanterns. These basket lamps are but one example of people's creativity as they experiment with new shapes and materials, including lights made from hollow bamboo tubes.

A Warm Glow

The 14th day of the lunar month is a Buddhist day of worship. Residents place offerings of food and incense on their ancestral altars and visit one of Hoi An's many pagodas. The scent of incense and the sounds of people singing add to the town's enchanted atmosphere. On these evenings, visitors will get a rare glimpse into another era. These nights are a welcome reminder of life's unexpected beauty.

Hanoi Food

Hanoi's local cuisine is some of the best in Vietnam, and the finest local dishes are served at small one-dish restaurants, usually just open-air joints at street side, where you might wonder why there's a line out the door. To Vietnamese, it's about the food, not the atmosphere. Some of the best meals in the capital -- or anywhere in Vietnam, for that matter -- are eaten on squat stools with disposable chopsticks. Standards of hygiene might appear poor, but do as locals do and wipe down bowls and chopsticks with a napkin before tucking in. Yes, eating on the street does mean you might have some tummy trouble, but if you stick to the few places recommended below, you should be okay.
The ubiquitous pho -- noodle soup served with slices of beef (bo) or chicken (ga), fresh bean sprouts, and condiments -- can be found anywhere. And don't miss cha ca, Hanoi's famed spicy fish fry-up.
Banh Cuon, 14 Hang Ga St. (tel. 04/3828-0108), consists of minced pork and mushrooms rolled into soft rice crepes topped with crispy fried garlic and coriander. Cut-up pieces are dipped in a tasty fish sauce. The stuffing-to-crepe ratio at this streetside eatery is a bit on the low side, but it is still great value for money, at 20,000 VND a plate.
Bun Bo Nam Bo, 67 Hang Dieu St. (tel. 04/3923-0701), serves only one main course: bun bo, a dish of fresh rice noodles topped with crisp fried garlic, bean sprouts, peanuts, basil, and beef, that costs only 30,000 VND. Sound simple? It is. It is the subtlety of the flavors of this dish and the stock that brings 'em here in droves. Just order by holding up as many fingers as you want bowls of bun bo, take a seat at the low tables in the brightly lit interior, and wait. A spartan atmosphere, but a rich and delicious dish worth hunting down. No credit cards. Daily 7am to 10:30pm.
Cha Ca La Vong, 14 Cha Ca St. (tel. 04/3825-3929), is on a street called Cha Ca, and it serves one dish . . . you guessed it . . . cha ca (starting at 100,000 VND per person). So what's the story with cha ca? Very simple: It's a delicate whitefish, fried at high heat in peanut oil with dill, turmeric, rice noodles, and peanuts -- and it's delicious. The place is pretty grungy, and to call the service "indifferent" would be to sing its praises, but that's the beauty here: It's all about the food. You order by saying how many you are and how many bottles of beer or soda you'd like. Then it's do-it-yourself, with some gruff guidance, as you stir in the ingredients on a frying pan over a charcoal hibachi right at the table. It's a rich dish and great with some hot sauce (go easy on it at first), and it makes for a fun and interesting evening. Just say "Cha Ca" and any cabdriver can take you there. Avoid copycats: There are a few copycat "Cha Ca La Vong" restaurants on the same street serving this dish on electric grills, so make sure you've got the right address before you sit down and order. No credit cards. Daily 11am to 2pm and 5 to 9pm.
Gia Thuyen Pho (Noodle Soup) , 49 Bat Dan St. (on the west side of the Old Quarter near the old citadel wall), is a very popular storefront pho noodle soup stand in Hanoi's Old Quarter. If you've seen the Japanese film Tampopo, about the making of the perfect noodle soup, or saw the Seinfeld episode about New York City's "Soup Nazi" who, because of his quality broth, chose his customers instead of vice versa, you'll have an idea what it's like. The line is around the block day and night, as Hanoians of all stripes humbly cue up for a taste of the best. The formula is simple: delicious cured beef, fresh noodles, and spices -- done the same way, over and over, for years. Just order "One please" (it is pho with beef or nothing) and pay the surly lady, who might even let a few customers go ahead of you if she doesn't like the cut of your jib. Unlike in most pho joints, no one serves you, so you have to carry your own bowl to an open slot at a crowded table (if you come with a friend, you might have to separate), and the place is as grotty as any little noodle stand, but when you pull those first noodles off the chopsticks and follow with a spoonful of broth, you'll know why you came. No phone. One bowl of beef pho is 25,000 VND. Daily 6 to 11am and 6 to 11pm.
Nguyen Sinh Restaurant Francais, 17-19 Ly Quoc St., directly north on the street that runs in front of the Nha Tho Cathedral (tel. 04/3826-5234). What is so Vietnamese about this French restaurant? Everything. Founded in 1950, these folks were the ones (among many) who kept alive the art of baking bread and cooking French foods. Vietnamese French has its own bend, say French expats, and in Hanoi it's a cuisine of its own. This little storefront offers good imported cheese and wine; it's sort of like Hanoi's de facto New York deli (it'll do in a pinch, anyway, for that late-night snack). Here you can get a delicious baguette with cheese and pâté for just 35,000 VND, or a savory steak fry-up French style. You'll find locals in berets trying out their newest licks on the saxophone, and French expats getting a little taste of home, chatting with the Francophone clientele. Très chic. Daily 7am to 10pm.
Restaurant Lau Tu Xuyen, 163 Yen Phu, with another location at 199 Duong Nghi Tam (tel. 04/3714-0289), is a fun adventure. Way out on the eastern shore of West Lake (about 30,000 VND by taxi from the city center), this big warehouse of a restaurant is the best place in town to enjoy the real lau, or Vietnamese hot pot. Go with a Vietnamese friend or be open to some creative charades with your waitress; there's no English menu, and foreign visitors are rare. The official directions for cooking hot pot? As my friend says, "You just put." Add whatever you like -- fresh seafood, beef, poultry, and vegetables -- to a shared pot of boiling broth on a hot plate in the center of the table. They also can bring out a barbecue setup for small kabobs. You order like you would order dim sum, choosing plates of raw ingredients off a tray. The place is packed in the evenings, especially in the winter (this is Vietnam's version of stew) and on weekends. The entry is just adjacent to the Thang Loi Lakeside hotel. The local draft beer flows freely and costs little. Make a night of it and end with a walk in this busy expat neighborhood. Expect to pay about $5 per person in a group. No credit cards. Daily 11am to 10pm.

5 must-try food when you visit Hue

Whether your holiday lasts for 1 day or 2 weeks, you simply cannot miss the opportunity to try famous Hue cuisines. Below is a list of must-eat for you when visiting Hue:

Com Hen

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Com Hen (rice with mussel) is a very unique cuisine of Hue. Com Hen contains rice, boiled mussel, star fruit, fish sauce, cabbage, onion, pepper, peanut, chili, and a variety of herbs. The specialty is all of these elements are cold. When people eat Com Hen, they add all the above ingredients to a bowl, and slowly add boiled mussel broth with chili sauce into the bowl (the broth is the only hot thing in Com Hen). Com Hen has an extremely spicy flavor as such, so gastronomes remember it just after one time enjoying.

Bun Bo Hue

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Bun bo Hue (Hue style beef vermicelli) or more detail, Bun bo gio heo (beef and pig's knuckle vermicelli) is a popular Vietnamese soup vermicelli dish, and one of the most typical foods of Hue, Vietnam. Fine combination of ingredients make the food famous; the broth is prepared by simmering beef and bones for a long period of time, after that a large range of different spices containing lemon grass and chili are added in. Shrimp paste holds no less importance. Hue people usually add thin slices of beef shank, chunks of boiled oxtail, and pig's knuckles or pork into the bowl. It can also contain cubes of maroon brown congealed pig blood, which are good for those suffering from high blood pressure. The specialty is commonly served with a plenty of herbs like sprouts, lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, onions, and sliced banana blossom. Thinly sliced purple cabbage or iceberg lettuces are used in case of lacking in banana blossom. It is highly recommended for tourists to add a few of shrimp paste directly into the soup.

Banh Beo

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Banh beo (water fern cake) is a kind of small steamed rice pancake. The name is to refer from the shape of the cake (like a water fern-Beo in Vietnamese). It is white in color, sometimes nearly transparent and usually has a dimple in the center, which is covered with savory recipes including chopped dried or fresh shrimp, scallions, mung bean paste, crispy fried shallots, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and oil.

    

Banh khoai

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Banh khoai (delicious pancake) is so much like Banh xeo (sizzling pancake) since they both are made from rice flour, water, turmeric powder, added slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, bean sprouts and then pan fried. Banh khoai and Banh xeo also are wrapped in mustard leaf, lettuce leaves or rice paper, and stuffed with variety of herb, like mint leaves, basil and served with a sweet and sour mixed sauce. In Hue, Banh khoai is placed open-face instead of being folded in half like Banh xeo. Moreover, Banh khoai always goes with a fermented soy bean sauce, and people consider it a winter food owing to its greasiness and spicy taste of the sauce. Therefore, most Hue citizens only make them when winter coming.

Mam tom chua

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The central of Vietnam is reputable for its Mam tom chua (sour shrimp sauce) and Hue is the best place for this unique sauce. Unlike normal shrimp sauce (has brown color and smooth surface), Sour shrimp sauce has orange color while shrimps still keep its original shape. It is quite simple to make this sauce. First, shrimps are clean by salt water (do not use normal water to avoid bad smells) and “cook” by strong rice wine. The shrimps will turn red. After that, carefully mix the shrimps with sticky rice, sliced lesser galangal, garlic and chili. Slowly put all the mixture into a jar covered by guava leaves. Just need to wait for 5-7 days and we have the mouthwatering sour shrimp sauce of our own making. This is the best sauce for boiled pork with vermicelli.

          

Bac Ninh Province

Bac Ninh province
Bac Ninh is a beautiful and famous province in the northern midlands. Just 30 km from Hanoi city, north close to Bac Giang province, Hai Duong Province on the east and southeast, Hanoi on the west, Hung Yen on the south. The province has many large rivers follow through, so the transportation system of roads, railways and waterways are favorable; located on the adjacent of Hanoi capital that creates many advantages in economic and cultural development. Terrain is mostly plains, there are many beautiful places came into poetry: Cầu River, Thiên Thai Mount... The average annual temperature around 24 ° C. Bac Ninh is home of temples, festivals and traditional cultural activities. Each festival will show the beauty, the essence of local culture and people are trying to moderate the occasion, appreciated the heroes. Bac Ninh is now a famous handicraft villages such as Dong Ky Wood, Dong Ho folk painting village, Dai Bai Cooper casting... that create favorable conditions for tourism development. On the ancient land with long history culture, when ever spring coming over, Kinh Bac busy again..

Lim Festival
Location: Lim Hill belongs to Lim town, Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province, accessible long former national road number one, just 18km away from Hanoi. 
Features: Lim Festival is a cultural and artistic festival of the local village, it appear from ancient times. The festival has attracted many tourists in many difference ages travelers from around the world, in which the majority is the youth. People came to Lim festival together enjoy singing love song, for older people, this is an opportunity to find the old days, encouraging young generation to preserve the traditional culture value, with the young girls and boys this is an opportunity to find love partner. This is unique cultural event which became an invaluable asset in the folk cultural treasure of Vietnam. 

As well as other traditional festivals, there are many ceremonial dignified, respectful activities to honor the gods by amusing folk games, competition. Coming to Lim festival, visitors have many chances to see, hear and sing immediately associated with the singers, there is also the most basic characteristic of this festival. They are the kind of folk character of the former Kinh Bac (now Bac Ninh province). The famous folk song is not only in their lyrics, passion and love life with 200 couples, or special music tunes, but also by other rare characteristics in civil cases in other areas. 

Nowadays entire province region there are 49 villages, still well preserve singing folk song of Quan Ho which recognized world intangible culture heritage, distributed in four districts on the southern province of Bac Ninh. Lim festival was opened on the hill on 13 January, where has the Lim Pagoda (pagoda Jubilee). Lim Festival is very crowded and famous. Coming to Lim festival, visitors can see and hear the folk songs on the hills and temples, singing on the boat and in the home (home theater) listening many songs for each pair (two male, two female). Visitors also take part in many cultural activities of local traditions, or attend to many traditional games such as fighting cock, fighting birds, and wrestling which was retained as a legacy. 

Do Temple Festival Location: Located in Dinh Bang Village, Dinh Bang Commune, Tu Son, Bac Ninh, 18 km away from Hanoi. 
Characteristic: This sanctuary temple worship of 8 Ly kings. The main festival is on 16 / 3, on the day King Ly Thai to take the throne with a respectful ceremony, the procession with thousands of participants from Kim Dai temple to Do temple (about 3 km). Leading the procession included a group of martial minister, naked, and hundreds of soldiers follow. Then there is the procession carrying 100 people dressed in red, black hat. Leading a procession of Thanh Mau has 18 female generals and then the procession following the Bat De, following by a horse and 16 men dressed in red. After the procession are the old villagers wearing uniforms. There are many traditional games that is consider entertainment part, such as cock fighting, release pigeon, wrestling with their singing and many other fun. Tourists coming there to attend, not only burning incense eight Ly kings, but also visiting, sightseeing Kinh Bac region. The festival has showed the spiritual meaning of the festival just remembers the historical figures, has evoked pride of Renaissance origin and sublimation of Vietnamese country. 

Ba Chua Kho Temple Ceremony 
Position: Located in Co Me Village, Vu Ninh ward, Bac Ninh city, Bac Ninh province. 
Characteristics: The festival has the custom that offering incense, vows to loan Ba chua (symbol) "pray for development and fortune." Legend said that Ba Chua Kho is a hardworking woman, after getting married King Ly, she asked the King for returning Vu Ninh village, organize production sites in 72 hamlets. She also looks after the food storage and good food preservation during resistance and after military victory over the Nhu Nguye River in 1076. When she died, people have set up shrines to commemorate her credit. Throughout the years, pilgrims from all over the country come here to worship very crowdedly, locally culture is very superstitious so especially during the festival people come to implore for fortune and borrow money with prosperous business, gifts and loans from her for all year.

DAU TEMPLE Location: Located in Khuong Tu village (also known as Dau Village), Thanh Khuong Commune, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province. 
Features: The first temple in Vietnam was started up in early of the 3rd century. From the first century AD, this place was very famous for Buddhist in the country and abroad.. The temple was rebuilt by Mac Dinh Chi laureate doctor with a large scale in the 14th century, and renovated several times in the next century. Currently in the temple’s courtyard has Hoa Phong tower about 17m high. Inside tower, there is a bell in the reign of Canh Thinh (1793) made out of bronze in Minh Mang 18th. In addition, there is the Phap Van, Kim Dong, and Ngoc Nu statue.