Peanut gets residence at Palace

Veteran rockers, Peanut, perform at the Palace Hotel Saigon - Photo: Courtesy of Saigontourist

Calibre Charner restaurant at the Palace Saigon Hotel has signed veteran local rockers, Peanut, as the nightly resident band.

The band that started more than 40 years ago in 1967 has made a recent comeback playing its own brand of classic rock. The four members, Bernard Tam (solo guitarist, singer and who can play guitar by teeth), Francois Thien (drummer), Michel Chi (Guitar bass, singer) and Patrick Trung (keyboard, singer), are brothers.

Covers from the 60s, 70s and 80s include Come together, Don’t let me down (Beatles), How deep is your love, I started a joke (Bee Gees), The house of the rising sun, We gotta get out of this place (The Animals), I can’t get no satisfaction (The Rolling Stones), Smoke on the water (Deep Purple) and Hotel California (Eagles).

The band is accompanied by a singer from the Philippines and four Vietnamese singers. They will perform from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

On February 1, the band will perform from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in front of the hotel in a Tet performance on Nguyen Hue Flower Street.

Calibre Charner is part of a relaxation, healthcare and beauty complex featuring restaurant, café, bar, karaoke, spa, gym and hair salon. Located in downtown Nguyen Hue Boulevard and surrounded by trade centers, buildings, banks and fashion shops, cafés, Calibre Charner, open 7a.m. to midnight, is an ideal venue for businessmen and tourists to take the view of Saigon life.

The menu includes breakfast with noodle soup with ox tails, Hue style noodle soup with beef, Nam Vang noodle soup and broken rice.

It has two set dinner menus for Tet on Lunar New Year’s Eve priced at US$59 per person.

On the fifth floor of the hotel will be a seafood buffet from February 2 to February 6. Tickets are priced at VND550,000 per adult on Lunar New Year’s Eve and VND350,000 per adult on February 3 to 6.

The Palace Hotel Saigon, 55-66 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, HCMC’s District 1. Tel: 3829 2860.

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The secret chamber beneath Gia Long Palace

It has been forty seven years since the coup d’état of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime on November 1, 1963. There are still rumors about a secret underground chamber under the Gia Long Palace, where Ngo Dinh Diem, the first president of the Republic of Vietnam, resided. The palace at 69 Ly Tu Trong Street in HCMC’s District 1 still stands, but now it is  HCMC Museum. The Saigon Times Daily photo-journalist Kinh Luan took some snapshots of the place.

The French-designed palace on the intersection of Ly Tu Trong and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia streets in HCMC’s District 1 was built in 1885. It was the home of several high-ranking officials of the French Colony in Saigon and later of officials of the South Vietnamese puppet regime

Workers restore one of the six rooms in the 30 meter-long chamber. Apart from high-tech equipment in the signals room, the other five rooms are decorated with simple furniture

Architect Ngo Viet Thu designed this bombproof tunnel that was built in 1962 by sappers in the Saigon Army. The entrance to the tunnel is a thick steel door. Thu also designed the Reunification Palace

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The secret chamber beneath Gia Long Palace

It has been forty seven years since the coup d’état of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime on November 1, 1963. There are still rumors about a secret underground chamber under the Gia Long Palace, where Ngo Dinh Diem, the first president of the Republic of Vietnam, resided. The palace at 69 Ly Tu Trong Street in HCMC’s District 1 still stands, but now it is  HCMC Museum. The Saigon Times Daily photo-journalist Kinh Luan took some snapshots of the place.

The French-designed palace on the intersection of Ly Tu Trong and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia streets in HCMC’s District 1 was built in 1885. It was the home of several high-ranking officials of the French Colony in Saigon and later of officials of the South Vietnamese puppet regime

Workers restore one of the six rooms in the 30 meter-long chamber. Apart from high-tech equipment in the signals room, the other five rooms are decorated with simple furniture

Architect Ngo Viet Thu designed this bombproof tunnel that was built in 1962 by sappers in the Saigon Army. The entrance to the tunnel is a thick steel door. Thu also designed the Reunification Palace

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The secret chamber beneath Gia Long Palace

It has been forty seven years since the coup d’état of the Ngo Dinh Diem regime on November 1, 1963. There are still rumors about a secret underground chamber under the Gia Long Palace, where Ngo Dinh Diem, the first president of the Republic of Vietnam, resided. The palace at 69 Ly Tu Trong Street in HCMC’s District 1 still stands, but now it is  HCMC Museum. The Saigon Times Daily photo-journalist Kinh Luan took some snapshots of the place.

The French-designed palace on the intersection of Ly Tu Trong and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia streets in HCMC’s District 1 was built in 1885. It was the home of several high-ranking officials of the French Colony in Saigon and later of officials of the South Vietnamese puppet regime

Workers restore one of the six rooms in the 30 meter-long chamber. Apart from high-tech equipment in the signals room, the other five rooms are decorated with simple furniture

Architect Ngo Viet Thu designed this bombproof tunnel that was built in 1962 by sappers in the Saigon Army. The entrance to the tunnel is a thick steel door. Thu also designed the Reunification Palace

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• Painters show works inspired by nature, nostalgia
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The Hmong king’s palace in Ha Giang

The palace of Vua Meo, where the king of H’Mong lived last century in Dong Van Plateau, Ha Giang Province - Photo: Lam Van Son

On a tour of Ha Giang Province we visited Dong Van Plateau and decided to take a day to see the palace where the king of the Hmong people lived early last century.

The king of the Hmong lived in this palace in the early 20th Century

Often dubbed Vua Meo (king of H’mong), the palace’s official name is Vuong Chinh Sinh. The Hmong king ruled over a vast territory from Dong Van Plateau to Meo Vac Town.

During his reign, the charismatic king attracted a lot of attention when he and other Meo residents joined forces with Ho Chi Minh to gain national freedom.

The palace is in Sa Phin valley in Lung Phin Commune, Dong Van District at the base of a mountain, backed by cliffs and topped by a mass of clouds.

Tall sa moc trees surround the palace that is built from stone, fir wood and terra-cotta tiles in the Chinese architectural style of the Man Qing era.

Our first impression was of a small market called Sa Phin market at the palace gates and a parking lot run by H’Mong people, many of whom are descendents of Vua Meo.

Covering a total area of 1,120 square meters, the palace was used as a residence and fortress during the Vuong Dynasty.

The two storey, 50 meter long palace that took eight years to build has four long houses and six wide houses with 64 rooms for the king’s wives, children and soldiers.

All the walls are 50-60 centimeters thick. Surrounding it is stone barrier which is 2 meters high and 80 centimeters thick.

The palace is divided into many areas such as dining room, bed room, kitchen, marijuana store, rooms of his wives, a prayer altar and an area for criminal executions.

After entering the main gate, we passed about four smaller gates to explore the site. There are two fortresses.

No one lives at the palace anymore but it has been well maintained by the provincial government. It contains wardrobes, fireplace, beds, flour-mill, crossbow and pan-pipe.

Still largely un-restored the palace is a great place to learn about the province’s interesting history.

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Palace Hotel’s new look dining

A corner of CALIBRE Charner- Photo: Courtesy of Saigontourist

The Palace Hotel Saigon has opened the doors of its new Calibre Charner Restaurant, to replace the former Palace Café.

Located in downtown Nguyen Hue Boulevard and surrounded by trade centers, buildings, banks and fashion shops, cafés, Calibre Charner is an ideal venue for businessmen and tourists.

The restaurant is part of a relaxation, healthcare and beauty complex featuring restaurant, café, bar, karaoke, spa, gym and hair salon.

The complex is stylishly lit and furnished with comfortable sofas and cushioned chairs with courteous staff.

CALIBRE Charner is open from 7 a.m. to midnight. Guests can enjoy breakfast with noodle soup with ox tails, Hue style noodle soup with beef, Nam Vang noodle soup or broken rice. The restaurant also serves set menu for lunch and many Asian and European dishes for dinner. Gourmets can also enjoy live jazz with piano and saxophone.

CALIBRE Charner is at the Palace Hotel Saigon, 55-66 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, HCMC’s District 1. Tel: 3829 2860.

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