Phan Thiet fun for Tet

A traditional boat race on Ca Ty River in Phan Thiet City - Photo: Khai Nguyen

Phan Thiet has announced the cultural and sports events for this year’s Lunar New Year 2011.

From Jan. 30 until Feb. 8 (the 27th of the 12th lunar month until the sixth of the first lunar month) there are numerous music performances, sports activities, folk games and lion dances at most of the province’s 18 wards.

Bien Xanh theater group will hold special music galas in the communes of Tien Thanh, Phong Nam and Thien Nghiep. Tien Loi – Tien Thanh Tourist Area will have a fireworks display on Lunar New Year’s Eve. After the 15-minute fireworks, a music performance named “Chao Xuan” (Welcoming the Spring) will be held at Nga Bay Stage and a music gala at Nguyen Tat Thanh Square.

The traditional boat race on Ca Ty River will be on the second of the first lunar month and the Mui Ne sand hill run will be on the forth of the first lunar month. At resorts and hotels in Phan Thiet, there’re banquets to welcome Lunar New Year, folk music performances, lion dances, Cham dances and traditional martial arts.

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Fun with banh chung at Sea Horse Resort

Spring fair in Phan Thiet

A team makes a banh chung at Tuesday’s festival at the Sea Horse Resort in Phan Thiet - Photo: Khai Nguyen

Hundreds of holidayers in Phan Thiet cheered on their favorite team at a banh chung wrapping contest at a festival at Sea Horse Resort on Tuesday night.

The contest to make the square glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste and pork fat was part of a banh chung festival held by the resort. Twenty three teams, many of them tourists from Russia, Germany, Estonia and Rumania, competed.

In 15 minutes, the teams had to wrap all the ingredients of a banh chung in banana leaves and tie it with string under guidance of the resort staff.

All the teams finished the cake on time but the most beautiful banh chung belonged to three teams from Russia.

A Vietnamese overseas lady, Le Thu Nguyet, said, “I am Vietnamese but this is the first time I have made a banh chung. It is a joyful experience after 23 years away from my country.”

All the cakes were boiled to serve guests. “Touring Vietnam, I can
discover many landscapes and learn interesting things interesting about culture, food and history,” said Billy Karksson,a tourist from Sweden.

The festival is held at the resort every year so visitors can know about the traditional Vietnamese Tet festival.

*Binh Thuan Province will hold its Spring Fair at Nguyen Tat Thanh Square in Phan Thiet City from January 22 to 27 with about 150 booths.

Organizers hope the fair will add extra color to the province’s Tet celebrations and bring luck to
enterprises to promote their businesses and find partners.

The fair will feature food, cosmetics, household utensils, souvenirs, fine arts products and home decorations.

Nightly music shows, children’s games, promotions and discount programs promise to make it a fun event.

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The slow boat to Phu Quy Island

A stunning beach on Phu Quy Island

Phu Quy Island, also called Thu or Khoai Islet, is 120km from Phan Thiet City, between the mainland and Truong Sa Archipelago. The island covers 16 square kilometers and has many cultural and religious relics typical of central coast farming communities.

We left Phan Thiet Port at 7 a.m. The slow boat took eight hours. I was seasick most of the way because of the bumpy conditions. It was very tiring, but I jumped up straight away when the siren signaled our arrival.

Seen from the sea, Phu Quy Island looks like a dragon playing with clouds. From another angle it looks like a giant whale crossing the ocean.

Linh Son Pagoda on Cao Cat Mountain

The port is very busy. The locals speak with an accent that is hard to understand but they are very friendly. There are plenty of houses and coconut trees. Despite no fresh water streams, drinking water isn’t a problem because it can be pumped up from underground.

The island has many hills, knolls and sand dunes. Most of administrative offices, stadiums, schools, entertainments and traffic systems on the island are still new and there’s a few more being built. It looks a bit urban but there are  no numbers and no street names.

During four days on the island, I visited many places and met many foreign backpackers who were there to enjoy swimming or surfing on the island’s stunning beaches or bicycling around the trails. It has tourism appeal and will probably take off as a new destination in a few years.

I visited Linh Quang Pagoda in Tam Thanh Commune, which is over 250 years old, and contains artifacts from the Nguyen Dynasty. Also, Thay Nai Temple built in the 17th century is a place where fishermen come to worship. Every year, locals hold a festival to pray for peace and better life.

A stone house by the sea - Photos: Le Ba Lu

Linh Son Pagoda, located on Cao Cat Mountain at 120 meters above sea level, is a beautiful building. It’s very peaceful. From there, I looked out across the island to see tiny boats drifting on the sea and coconut palms, the people in the town looked as small as ants.

When you come to Phu Quy you have to try the seafood - grilled lobsters, steamed turtle with salt and many kinds of dishes made of squid, oysters and clams. Long Vi Restaurant near Thay Nai Temple is a good venue.

There are just six hotels and guest houses in Tam Thanh Commune and they are all well equipped. The island only has power from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. everyday, but the weather at nighttime is a bit cold so there’s no need for a fan.

Phu Quy Island District comprises 10 islands, of which only Phu Quy is inhabited. The district has three communes, 5,466 households with 27,000 people, most of them fishermen.

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Tofu pudding on Phan Thiet beach

Vang, a tofu pudding vendor on Phan Thiet beach, serves a bowl of the sweet to customers - Photo: Tuong Vi

On the beach in Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province, we saw a woman approach shouldering a yoke with a large pot of tofu pudding and a basket of sauces and bowls.

In the South, tofu is called “tau hu nuoc duong” (tofu served with liquid sugar water) or douhua. In the North it is called “tao pho”. It is made from blended soya bean water and a little gypsum to thicken it.

The tofu pudding seller’s name was Nguyen Thi Vang. She told us that for the past 15 years she has woken up everyday at 3a.m. to cook the tofu that she vends along the beach until late in the evening.

She crouched under the yoke while her hand busied to spoon out layer after layer of the soft tofu into a small bowl. Then, she ladled on some sugar syrup with slices of ginger. In the south, the sellers also add some sweet coconut sauce. Tofu pudding is a popular cheap dessert of Vietnamese people at VND5,000 a bowl but it is full of protein, so the vendors are also popular with the tourists around town.

It varies in the three regions in Vietnam. In the North, it enjoyed warm in winter, cold with ice in summer and served with sugar and jasmine. In the Central, it is cooked with spicy ginger, sugar is optional, and the douhua pieces are too soft to retain any shape. In the South, it is served warm with ginger and coconut water, ginger is optional, and the douhua is firmer than in the North and the Central.

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Cham festivities liven up Phan Thiet next month

A file photo shows a traditional dance of Cham people at Po Sah Inu Tower in Phan Thiet City at the Kate Festival - Photo: Khai Nguyen

Preparations have begun for the annual Kate Festival of Cham people next month in Phan Thiet with processions, spirit rituals and lots of food, culture and fun.

At Po Sah Inu Tower in Phan Thiet City on October 6, 7 the highlights of the festival include traditional rituals such as a palanquin procession with costumes of Poh Sah Inu goddess and the Tong on ceremony that chases away poisonous winds. According to the Cham these winds can cause diseases and bring bad luck to families.

Other events include ethnic music and dance shows and Vietnamese cake making contests banh tet (cylindrical glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste and fatty pork) and banh gung (ginger cake).  Traditional brocade and ceramic exhibitions, folk games and other activities like the tug of war will make it a fun day for all the family.

For anyone interested to learn more about Cham crafts, there will be brocade and ceramic workshops, classes with ethnic musical instruments and talks about traditional rituals.

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A sunset adventure

Fishermen on Ke Ga Island prepare to go out to sea

"This is the life.” I thought to myself as I lay soaking in a honey and flower bath tub in the tropical garden of the Princess D’Annam Resort & Spa. “Things can’t get much better.”

I was soon to be proved wrong, however.

While I was taking tea, I saw an imposing and mysterious stone lighthouse standing tall on a rocky outlet, protecting all boats in the area. It was getting late but I couldn’t resist the idea of a sunset adventure to see Ke Ga lighthouse up close.

Ke Ga is a small village that lies on the coast. Under the water’s surface, the sea bed is dotted with rocks that pose dangers to boats out at sea. The French built the lighthouse from February 1897 to the end of 1898 to aid both local and foreign ships. It began operations in 1900.

“No one has ever wanted to visit the lighthouse at night.” the F&B manager of the resort, taken aback at my request, told me. “I will arrange for someone to accompany you.”

Before long, I was walking down the beach, my feet delighting in the soft sand, with Le Nam, the member of staff nominated to make my dream of adventure come true. I didn’t feel too sorry for him, though; he was grinning from ear to ear with the excitement of a newcomer that had just moved from Mui Ne (Ne Cape).

We reached the end of the bay where a fisherman took us across to the lighthouse in his basket boat. Waves attacked us from either side as the tiny boat bobbed up and down on the choppy waters.

After a fraught ten-minute journey, we reached a small island lined with large rocks into which waves crashed relentlessly, leaving in their wake white foam that swirled and frothed like a witch’s cauldron. Up above, the crescent-shaped bay took our breath away. Further in the distance stood white sand dunes dotted with trees while looming above us was the old lighthouse that stood proudly and silently at the edge of the sea.

HOW TO GET THERE

Ke Ga is around 35 km from Phan Thiet Town in Binh Thuan Province, which is four hours by car from Ho Chi Minh City. Sinh Café has buses from HCMC to Phan Thiet three times a day. Ke Ga Lighthouse, which was put into operation in 1900, is one of the oldest existing lighthouses in Vietnam

The wind was the only noise apart from the sound of the birds circling the top of the lighthouse

I wanted to spend more time watching the waves pound the rocks, but our tour guide hurried us along so as to see everything before it got dark. With the sun setting on the horizon, we passed the majestic frangipani (plumeria rubra) trees in full bloom, said to have been planted when the lighthouse was built.

Inside the lighthouse, it was cold and so dark that we couldn’t see our fingertips. There was a spiral staircase leading to the top. And on the way up were small windows, similar to those of a French chateau, which looked out onto a breathtaking landscape. At the top was a balcony that held panoramic views of the surrounding coastal area and the sea. From there, I could see all the way to Mui Ne with its white sands.

The climb and the excitement upon seeing the view soon took its toll. We couldn’t pass up the chance, however, to visit the only house on the island with its whitewashed walls and blue windows. We met Trung, one of the six people that take care of the lighthouse.

“I have lived here a long time and the weather has proved to be good for my health. Every day, I climb up to the top of the lighthouse at least once to check everything and to make sure the solar panels that run the lights are operational. Local and foreign boats pass by this area so it’s important that the lighthouse is always on at night.”

Trung was generous enough to invite me to come back and visit Ke Ga with my friends. “Next time, when you could come back with someone special please stay with us. It will be a night to remember.”

The way back seemed more fraught with danger. In the darkness, the sea was more threatening and unpredictable with waves going over our heads, it seemed.

Just as we were about to board the boat to go back to the resort, we were stopped by a fisherman who invited us to his boat for dinner. It turned out he was from Quy Nhon Town in central Binh Dinh Province and had come here to work. The dinner of green mango salad, dried fish and fried pork was simple but tasty. Inside, I missed the fresh sea breeze and began to feel sleepy. Before long, we said our goodbyes with our new friends and headed back to the resort for a good night’s sleep.

That was enough adventure for one day.

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A sunset adventure

Fishermen on Ke Ga Island prepare to go out to sea

"This is the life.” I thought to myself as I lay soaking in a honey and flower bath tub in the tropical garden of the Princess D’Annam Resort & Spa. “Things can’t get much better.”

I was soon to be proved wrong, however.

While I was taking tea, I saw an imposing and mysterious stone lighthouse standing tall on a rocky outlet, protecting all boats in the area. It was getting late but I couldn’t resist the idea of a sunset adventure to see Ke Ga lighthouse up close.

Ke Ga is a small village that lies on the coast. Under the water’s surface, the sea bed is dotted with rocks that pose dangers to boats out at sea. The French built the lighthouse from February 1897 to the end of 1898 to aid both local and foreign ships. It began operations in 1900.

“No one has ever wanted to visit the lighthouse at night.” the F&B manager of the resort, taken aback at my request, told me. “I will arrange for someone to accompany you.”

Before long, I was walking down the beach, my feet delighting in the soft sand, with Le Nam, the member of staff nominated to make my dream of adventure come true. I didn’t feel too sorry for him, though; he was grinning from ear to ear with the excitement of a newcomer that had just moved from Mui Ne (Ne Cape).

We reached the end of the bay where a fisherman took us across to the lighthouse in his basket boat. Waves attacked us from either side as the tiny boat bobbed up and down on the choppy waters.

After a fraught ten-minute journey, we reached a small island lined with large rocks into which waves crashed relentlessly, leaving in their wake white foam that swirled and frothed like a witch’s cauldron. Up above, the crescent-shaped bay took our breath away. Further in the distance stood white sand dunes dotted with trees while looming above us was the old lighthouse that stood proudly and silently at the edge of the sea.

HOW TO GET THERE

Ke Ga is around 35 km from Phan Thiet Town in Binh Thuan Province, which is four hours by car from Ho Chi Minh City. Sinh Café has buses from HCMC to Phan Thiet three times a day. Ke Ga Lighthouse, which was put into operation in 1900, is one of the oldest existing lighthouses in Vietnam

The wind was the only noise apart from the sound of the birds circling the top of the lighthouse

I wanted to spend more time watching the waves pound the rocks, but our tour guide hurried us along so as to see everything before it got dark. With the sun setting on the horizon, we passed the majestic frangipani (plumeria rubra) trees in full bloom, said to have been planted when the lighthouse was built.

Inside the lighthouse, it was cold and so dark that we couldn’t see our fingertips. There was a spiral staircase leading to the top. And on the way up were small windows, similar to those of a French chateau, which looked out onto a breathtaking landscape. At the top was a balcony that held panoramic views of the surrounding coastal area and the sea. From there, I could see all the way to Mui Ne with its white sands.

The climb and the excitement upon seeing the view soon took its toll. We couldn’t pass up the chance, however, to visit the only house on the island with its whitewashed walls and blue windows. We met Trung, one of the six people that take care of the lighthouse.

“I have lived here a long time and the weather has proved to be good for my health. Every day, I climb up to the top of the lighthouse at least once to check everything and to make sure the solar panels that run the lights are operational. Local and foreign boats pass by this area so it’s important that the lighthouse is always on at night.”

Trung was generous enough to invite me to come back and visit Ke Ga with my friends. “Next time, when you could come back with someone special please stay with us. It will be a night to remember.”

The way back seemed more fraught with danger. In the darkness, the sea was more threatening and unpredictable with waves going over our heads, it seemed.

Just as we were about to board the boat to go back to the resort, we were stopped by a fisherman who invited us to his boat for dinner. It turned out he was from Quy Nhon Town in central Binh Dinh Province and had come here to work. The dinner of green mango salad, dried fish and fried pork was simple but tasty. Inside, I missed the fresh sea breeze and began to feel sleepy. Before long, we said our goodbyes with our new friends and headed back to the resort for a good night’s sleep.

That was enough adventure for one day.

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• A sunset adventure
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A sunset adventure

Fishermen on Ke Ga Island prepare to go out to sea

"This is the life.” I thought to myself as I lay soaking in a honey and flower bath tub in the tropical garden of the Princess D’Annam Resort & Spa. “Things can’t get much better.”

I was soon to be proved wrong, however.

While I was taking tea, I saw an imposing and mysterious stone lighthouse standing tall on a rocky outlet, protecting all boats in the area. It was getting late but I couldn’t resist the idea of a sunset adventure to see Ke Ga lighthouse up close.

Ke Ga is a small village that lies on the coast. Under the water’s surface, the sea bed is dotted with rocks that pose dangers to boats out at sea. The French built the lighthouse from February 1897 to the end of 1898 to aid both local and foreign ships. It began operations in 1900.

“No one has ever wanted to visit the lighthouse at night.” the F&B manager of the resort, taken aback at my request, told me. “I will arrange for someone to accompany you.”

Before long, I was walking down the beach, my feet delighting in the soft sand, with Le Nam, the member of staff nominated to make my dream of adventure come true. I didn’t feel too sorry for him, though; he was grinning from ear to ear with the excitement of a newcomer that had just moved from Mui Ne (Ne Cape).

We reached the end of the bay where a fisherman took us across to the lighthouse in his basket boat. Waves attacked us from either side as the tiny boat bobbed up and down on the choppy waters.

After a fraught ten-minute journey, we reached a small island lined with large rocks into which waves crashed relentlessly, leaving in their wake white foam that swirled and frothed like a witch’s cauldron. Up above, the crescent-shaped bay took our breath away. Further in the distance stood white sand dunes dotted with trees while looming above us was the old lighthouse that stood proudly and silently at the edge of the sea.

HOW TO GET THERE

Ke Ga is around 35 km from Phan Thiet Town in Binh Thuan Province, which is four hours by car from Ho Chi Minh City. Sinh Café has buses from HCMC to Phan Thiet three times a day. Ke Ga Lighthouse, which was put into operation in 1900, is one of the oldest existing lighthouses in Vietnam

The wind was the only noise apart from the sound of the birds circling the top of the lighthouse

I wanted to spend more time watching the waves pound the rocks, but our tour guide hurried us along so as to see everything before it got dark. With the sun setting on the horizon, we passed the majestic frangipani (plumeria rubra) trees in full bloom, said to have been planted when the lighthouse was built.

Inside the lighthouse, it was cold and so dark that we couldn’t see our fingertips. There was a spiral staircase leading to the top. And on the way up were small windows, similar to those of a French chateau, which looked out onto a breathtaking landscape. At the top was a balcony that held panoramic views of the surrounding coastal area and the sea. From there, I could see all the way to Mui Ne with its white sands.

The climb and the excitement upon seeing the view soon took its toll. We couldn’t pass up the chance, however, to visit the only house on the island with its whitewashed walls and blue windows. We met Trung, one of the six people that take care of the lighthouse.

“I have lived here a long time and the weather has proved to be good for my health. Every day, I climb up to the top of the lighthouse at least once to check everything and to make sure the solar panels that run the lights are operational. Local and foreign boats pass by this area so it’s important that the lighthouse is always on at night.”

Trung was generous enough to invite me to come back and visit Ke Ga with my friends. “Next time, when you could come back with someone special please stay with us. It will be a night to remember.”

The way back seemed more fraught with danger. In the darkness, the sea was more threatening and unpredictable with waves going over our heads, it seemed.

Just as we were about to board the boat to go back to the resort, we were stopped by a fisherman who invited us to his boat for dinner. It turned out he was from Quy Nhon Town in central Binh Dinh Province and had come here to work. The dinner of green mango salad, dried fish and fried pork was simple but tasty. Inside, I missed the fresh sea breeze and began to feel sleepy. Before long, we said our goodbyes with our new friends and headed back to the resort for a good night’s sleep.

That was enough adventure for one day.

Related Articles

• A sunset adventure
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A sunset adventure

Fishermen on Ke Ga Island prepare to go out to sea

"This is the life.” I thought to myself as I lay soaking in a honey and flower bath tub in the tropical garden of the Princess D’Annam Resort & Spa. “Things can’t get much better.”

I was soon to be proved wrong, however.

While I was taking tea, I saw an imposing and mysterious stone lighthouse standing tall on a rocky outlet, protecting all boats in the area. It was getting late but I couldn’t resist the idea of a sunset adventure to see Ke Ga lighthouse up close.

Ke Ga is a small village that lies on the coast. Under the water’s surface, the sea bed is dotted with rocks that pose dangers to boats out at sea. The French built the lighthouse from February 1897 to the end of 1898 to aid both local and foreign ships. It began operations in 1900.

“No one has ever wanted to visit the lighthouse at night.” the F&B manager of the resort, taken aback at my request, told me. “I will arrange for someone to accompany you.”

Before long, I was walking down the beach, my feet delighting in the soft sand, with Le Nam, the member of staff nominated to make my dream of adventure come true. I didn’t feel too sorry for him, though; he was grinning from ear to ear with the excitement of a newcomer that had just moved from Mui Ne (Ne Cape).

We reached the end of the bay where a fisherman took us across to the lighthouse in his basket boat. Waves attacked us from either side as the tiny boat bobbed up and down on the choppy waters.

After a fraught ten-minute journey, we reached a small island lined with large rocks into which waves crashed relentlessly, leaving in their wake white foam that swirled and frothed like a witch’s cauldron. Up above, the crescent-shaped bay took our breath away. Further in the distance stood white sand dunes dotted with trees while looming above us was the old lighthouse that stood proudly and silently at the edge of the sea.

HOW TO GET THERE

Ke Ga is around 35 km from Phan Thiet Town in Binh Thuan Province, which is four hours by car from Ho Chi Minh City. Sinh Café has buses from HCMC to Phan Thiet three times a day. Ke Ga Lighthouse, which was put into operation in 1900, is one of the oldest existing lighthouses in Vietnam

The wind was the only noise apart from the sound of the birds circling the top of the lighthouse

I wanted to spend more time watching the waves pound the rocks, but our tour guide hurried us along so as to see everything before it got dark. With the sun setting on the horizon, we passed the majestic frangipani (plumeria rubra) trees in full bloom, said to have been planted when the lighthouse was built.

Inside the lighthouse, it was cold and so dark that we couldn’t see our fingertips. There was a spiral staircase leading to the top. And on the way up were small windows, similar to those of a French chateau, which looked out onto a breathtaking landscape. At the top was a balcony that held panoramic views of the surrounding coastal area and the sea. From there, I could see all the way to Mui Ne with its white sands.

The climb and the excitement upon seeing the view soon took its toll. We couldn’t pass up the chance, however, to visit the only house on the island with its whitewashed walls and blue windows. We met Trung, one of the six people that take care of the lighthouse.

“I have lived here a long time and the weather has proved to be good for my health. Every day, I climb up to the top of the lighthouse at least once to check everything and to make sure the solar panels that run the lights are operational. Local and foreign boats pass by this area so it’s important that the lighthouse is always on at night.”

Trung was generous enough to invite me to come back and visit Ke Ga with my friends. “Next time, when you could come back with someone special please stay with us. It will be a night to remember.”

The way back seemed more fraught with danger. In the darkness, the sea was more threatening and unpredictable with waves going over our heads, it seemed.

Just as we were about to board the boat to go back to the resort, we were stopped by a fisherman who invited us to his boat for dinner. It turned out he was from Quy Nhon Town in central Binh Dinh Province and had come here to work. The dinner of green mango salad, dried fish and fried pork was simple but tasty. Inside, I missed the fresh sea breeze and began to feel sleepy. Before long, we said our goodbyes with our new friends and headed back to the resort for a good night’s sleep.

That was enough adventure for one day.

Related Articles

• A sunset adventure
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Have a whale of a time at Phan Thiet festival

A traditional dance show at the Nghinh Ong De Quan Festival in Phan Thiet City on Monday - Photo: Khai Nguyen

Nghinh Ong Quan Thanh Festival (Whale Worship Festival) had a jubilant start on Monday at Ong Pagoda in the coastal city of Phan Thiet.

After joining in early celebrations early on Sunday morning at Thien Mau Pagoda, thousands from the local and Chinese communities flocked to Ong Pagoda to join the rituals, ceremonies and palanquin processions. Other activities included music shows, traditional dance performances and dramas re-enacting legends of Buddhism and folklores.

On Tuesday in temples around Phan Thiet, locals will continue rituals and an artistic program to worship skeletons of whales and pray for a good harvest and a better life. They will also hold a colorful lantern display and offering ceremony and release paper boats in the sea.

 The highlight of the festival is the Quan Thanh De Quan procession with about 800 people accompanied with many folk performers on the city’s main streets. Performers walk on stilts, do dragon dances, and dress as religious characters.

The traditional Chinese festival goes for three days and is held once every two years.

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