Rest and relaxation in Vung Tau

Vung Tau Beach seen from the light house

I went to Vung Tau last week to unwind. The popular weekend getaway may not be famous like Nha Trang or Mui Ne with their stunning beaches, islands, islets and sand dunes. But Vung Tau has its own charms and is an amazing
escape at weekends for Saigonese who haven’t got the time to go farther.

It took me about three hours on motorbike. When I arrived the red sun was setting so I rode straight to the ocean and sat there until the aches and stresses of my long journey melted away. 

Pilgrims climb the steps to the Jesus statue in Vung Tau City - Photos: Le Vi

I took a hotel room by the sea, then went down to the beach where couples were walking hand in hand. Some stalls were selling delicious fresh seafood. The wind blew in my face, a sea breeze for a city soul. The lights of boats in the distance were like stars on the water making the scene romantic and mysterious.

In the sand I saw words written, ‘I love you,’ ‘I miss you’ together with their names in hearts. I felt life was so beautiful and happiness was simple.

Early the next day, I woke up to go to the lighthouse to enjoy the dawn and admire the sun rising over the ocean. The view included Lon and Nho mountains and a bird’s eye look at the town.

Some local women were on their way to the market and some men were swimming while most tourists still slept. The day began in that way, simple and carefree.

After taking breakfast, I went to the Jesus monument where many Catholic pilgrims go everyday to pray.

As the sun warmed, I went back to the beach to swim. It was busy and disappointing as none of the girls were wearing bikinis, preferring instead to swim in their shorts and T shirts. Some of them wore long-sleeves and masks to protect them from the sun.

A lot of people sat at tables under umbrellas enjoying the seafood that the vendors cooked for them.

After a while I got tired of playing with the waves as the water is not very clean. So I said goodbye to Vung Tau feeling revitalized enough to return to the congestion of HCMC.

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Saigontourist offers pilgrimage tours

Tourists at Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue City - Photo: Kinh Luan

In Vietnam, the first month of the Lunar New Year is time to make pilgrimages to pagodas to pray for a happy life, good luck and good health in the year ahead. Pilgrimage tourism is becoming a part of modern Vietnamese culture and an attractive tourist product for foreigners.

Pilgrimage tours to the north visit famous pagodas and temples, providing inner peace and interesting architecture such as Tran Temple in Nam Dinh Province, But Thap Pagoda in Bac Ninh Province, Temple of Literature, Tran Quoc, Ngoc Son and Quan Thanh Pagda in Hanoi.

Yen Tu Mountain in Quang Ninh Province is known as the mother land of Vietnamese Buddhism. The mountain is 1,068 meters high and is where the Truc Lam Buddhism sect was first based. 

The highlight of the pilgrimage to the North is Huong Pagoda. The pagoda is in natural surroundings so pagoda visitors can explore the mountain, caves, streams and forest. Discover the mystique of the incense filled Huong Tich Cave, boat tours from Duc Wharf and the picturesqueYen Stream.

The Hung King Festival will be held at Hung Temple in Phu Tho Province April 6-12 with traditional artistic shows, ethnic rituals and indigenous foods.

In the South, most provinces have pagodas and temples such as Vinh Nghiem, Ong  and Giac Lam Pagoda in HCMC, Dai Giac, Long Thien and Buu Phong pagodas in Dong Nai Province.

Binh Duong is famous for Ong and Ba pagodas. Dalat, the city in mist and pine trees, has Truc Lam Monastery Zen, Thien Vuong Co Sat and Linh Phuoc pagodas.

The interlacing canals of the Mekong Delta will transport you to floating markets, fertile orchards and fascinating pagodas like Ba Chua Xu and Thoai Ngoc Hau , Tay An and Nguyen Trung Truc in in Chau Doc Town, An Giang Province. Ha Tien, a province known for beautiful beaches, like Mui Nai, Bai No, Bai Ot, has Tam Bao, Thach Dong and Mac Cuu temples. If My Tho is famous for Vinh Trang Pagoda, Tra Vinh is well-known for Hang Pagoda.

Temples and pagodas in the Central are very imperial and elegant. Thien Mu Pagoda and Truc Lam Bach Ma Monastery Zen in Hue City, Long Son Pagoda and Cham’s Posah Inu Temple in Nha Trang City or Linh Son Truong Tho in Phan Thiet name a few. If visitors climb Ba Na Mountain in Danang City, there’s Linh Ung Pagoda.

Pilgrimage tours offered by Saigontourist Travel Service Company include a four-day tour to Huong Pagoda-Hanoi and Halong Bay priced at VND3.7 million to VND4.8 million, a four-day tour to Hanoi, Hung Temple and Halong Bay departing on April 12 and priced at VND3.7 million, a two-day tour to Do Temple and Yen Tu Mountain priced from VND1.6 to VND1.7 million, departing from Hanoi on Feb. 17, 19, 24 and 26 and March 3, 5, 10, 12, 17 and 19, a three-day tour to Linh Ung Pagoda priced at VND2.5 million to 2.9 million, departing from Danang on February 18 and 25 and March 4, 11 and 18, a four-day tour to Hoi An City to enjoy Nguyen Tieu Festival priced at VND2.7 million to VND3.2 million, exclusive of flight ticket and departing from Danang, a four-day tour to explore Hue City priced at VND2.7 million to 4.1 million, departing from Danang on February 19 and 26 and March 5, 12 and 19 and a four-day tour to Cai Be-Vinh Long-Can Tho-Chau Doc and Ha Tien in Mekong Delta priced at VND2 million to VND2.8 million, departing on February 17, 19, 24 and 26 and March 3, 5, 10, 12, 17 and 19.

Saigontourist Travel  Service Company is at 45 Le Thanh Ton Street, HCMC’s District 1, tel: 3827 9279, email: info@saigontourist.net.

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Lake reflects the heavens in An Giang

Teams compete every year in a dragon boat race - Photo: Lam Van Son

Bung Binh Thien (Peaceful Lake of Heaven), is a fresh-water lake in An Giang Province that is popular for weekend getaways.

Located in An Phu District, in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, the lake links the communes of Khanh Binh, Nhon Hoi and Quoc Thai. Fed by Binh Di River and Hau River, the natural lake is tranquil all year round.

It covers about 200-300 hectares and is four meters deep in the dry season. As it is connected to the Mekong River system its width triples in the rainy season, with the depth increasing up to seven meters. It is the largest fresh water lake in the southwest.

The stillness of Bung Binh Thien reflects the sky while water-lilies and lotus sway in the wind.

Bung Binh Thien is home to many ethnic Cham people who have maintained their amazing culture and traditional festivals such as Roya Phik Trok and Ramadan. On full-moon nights, young couples often take a boat and sing love songs.

The lake plays host to local boat races and water games in August. Tourists are welcome.

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Artist recalls his boyhood in paintings

Artist Ton That Bang sings his song “Co gi dau” at the press conference at Phuong Mai Gallery in HCMC’s District 1 - Photo: My Tran

A painting exhibition named “Memories: Leaves and Flowers” by artist Ton That Bang will open at Phuong Mai Gallery, 129B Le Thanh Ton Street in HCMC’s District 1 on Sunday.

The artist uses his brush to recollect his childhood in 30 oil paintings on canvas.

His memories are wooden horses, girls whose dresses are sewn of leaves and skirts weaved of reeds and an old woman with a giant leaf on her head. Some of the subjects stand solidly on the ground, others seem about to topple, while some are weightless. Coins and dices represent life as a game of chance.

Bang says, “Childhood is the time people embrace in their memories and heart. My memories are simple with my mother, my wife and my daughters. I owe them a debt of gratitude as they share everything in this life, protect me and support me to paint.”

The exhibition runs till February 28.

Ton That Bang was born in 1963 in Quang Tri Province and his paintings have been in many group and solo exhibitions in Vietnam, Australia, the U.S., the U.K., Hong Kong and Singapore. He is also a musician and poet.

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Seventh House has a feminine touch

Customers relax at the Seventh House coffee shop - Photo: Thanh Hang

I discovered the Seventh House  (Ngoi nha so 7) Coffee Shop one year ago and have since visited it alone or with my friends regularly. Words like “sophisticated” or “heartwarming” come close to describing it but the best description is definitely “feminine”. The word does not refer to pink wallpaper or “chick lit” novels, but the overall impression that it created on me.

‘Mysterious’ is the first feminine character of this café. Situated at the end of a small alley in HCMC, the coffee shop is a challenge to find the first time. Even though I know the way well, it’s hard to give directions to my friends. They think I’m joking when I explain, “The coffee shop is on Ngo Thoi Nhiem Street and down an alley across from the back gate of Marie Curie high school. There is a motorcycle-wash in front. Go straight to the end of the alley and go in the small white door.”

It’s not easy to approach a beautiful woman, but once you do, she’s a real fountain of pleasure. So it is with the Seventh House Coffee Shop. She is such a picky chick you will want to give up on her, but if you persist she’ll give you more than you expect.

Ring the doorbell and you enter a big room full of light from the giant windows above. Amazingly for a congested city, there is a small grassy field outside the house. I doubt that it belongs to the coffee shop owner. Sometimes a cat wanders over to a coconut tree there and rubs itself. Just imagine yourself lying on a soft cushion, drinking a strawberry smoothie, reading The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and observing a cat playing on the field, and you will know where the café’s femininity lies. And then the last sunlight will fade away outside, and there you will be listening to a love song coming from the guitar of a young boy sitting near you. This coffee shop really knows how to touch a woman’s heart - mystery, beauty, surprises and romance.

The Seventh House Coffee Shop is at 7 Ngo Thoi Nhiem Street, District 3.

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Seventh House has a feminine touch

Customers relax at the Seventh House coffee shop - Photo: Thanh Hang

I discovered the Seventh House  (Ngoi nha so 7) Coffee Shop one year ago and have since visited it alone or with my friends regularly. Words like “sophisticated” or “heartwarming” come close to describing it but the best description is definitely “feminine”. The word does not refer to pink wallpaper or “chick lit” novels, but the overall impression that it created on me.

‘Mysterious’ is the first feminine character of this café. Situated at the end of a small alley in HCMC, the coffee shop is a challenge to find the first time. Even though I know the way well, it’s hard to give directions to my friends. They think I’m joking when I explain, “The coffee shop is on Ngo Thoi Nhiem Street and down an alley across from the back gate of Marie Curie high school. There is a motorcycle-wash in front. Go straight to the end of the alley and go in the small white door.”

It’s not easy to approach a beautiful woman, but once you do, she’s a real fountain of pleasure. So it is with the Seventh House Coffee Shop. She is such a picky chick you will want to give up on her, but if you persist she’ll give you more than you expect.

Ring the doorbell and you enter a big room full of light from the giant windows above. Amazingly for a congested city, there is a small grassy field outside the house. I doubt that it belongs to the coffee shop owner. Sometimes a cat wanders over to a coconut tree there and rubs itself. Just imagine yourself lying on a soft cushion, drinking a strawberry smoothie, reading The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and observing a cat playing on the field, and you will know where the café’s femininity lies. And then the last sunlight will fade away outside, and there you will be listening to a love song coming from the guitar of a young boy sitting near you. This coffee shop really knows how to touch a woman’s heart - mystery, beauty, surprises and romance.

The Seventh House Coffee Shop is at 7 Ngo Thoi Nhiem Street, District 3.

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The Dao’s dance with devils

At the start of the ceremony, the leader of sorcerers begins with a dance to a slow beat

Spring means white man flowers cover Vietnam’s northern mountains, it also marks the time when Dao minority people hold fascinating festive activities to pray for fertile crops, prosperity and health for the New Year.

Nam An is a small village on a 1,000 meter high mountain in Ban Qua District in the northernmost province of the country, Ha Giang Province. There is a selection of different minority people living there but most are Dao. At Spring time, tourist can attend their festive activities, among which the Blessing and Fire jumping ceremony are the most interesting.

Old people said the Dao village deep in the jungle used to be frequented by devils and other dark powers. To protect them, villagers depended on a powerful man supported by sorcerers to meet the Almighty and ask him for blessings to fight against the demons. The blessing ceremony is the most important ritual that every Dao man has to take. 

During the ceremony that takes about two hours, the most prestigious man, who has the most power and experience in rituals against devils in the village leads four or five sorcerers or more. They call for the Almighty to come and offer blessings for a certain man, no matter what his age. The blessing will bring him faith and power in the fight against devils, protection for his family and village against plagues and pests.

A dancer jumps into the burning coals - Photos: Pham Thai

The man and his attendants wear colorful brocatelle, in red, their beautiful traditional costumes. With a sacrificed animal, the leader reads a long prayer in Chinese to call for the Almighty’s participation. The sound of the music gets louder, the men now dance in a big circle with their hands beating small Chieng, a traditional musical instrument. Finally, the rituals reach a crescendo with the fire jumping ceremony, when all the sorcerers and the newly blessed man jump bare foot into a fire and glowing coals, to prove their courage against devils.

Traditionally, the blessing ceremony could last three days with rituals, dancing, singing, drinking corn and rice wine, but it now takes only takes one day. Tourism has brought with it influences that have made many changes to the most sacred ceremony of the Dao people. Tourists on organized tours can now request a ceremony to be performed any time of year.

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