Elephant hunter cemetery in Dak Lak

The tomb of the king of elephant hunting, N’Thu Knul, in Buon Don Village in Daklak

For a taste of central highlands history, tourists to Daklak Province should  visit the tomb of the king of elephant hunters in Buon Don Village.

There are 40 elephant hunters buried in the unique graveyard that has about 40 tombs. The hunters entombed there killed at least 25 to 30 elephants each. To be buried in the cemetery was a tribute to their huntsmanship.

The oldest tomb belongs to N’Thu Knul, who was a powerful tribal chief born in 1828. He is worshipped as founder of the art of hunting elephants. He also tamed hundreds of the big animals and presented one of them to the royal family in Thailand earning him the title of King of Elephant Hunters (Khunjunob) from the Thai King. A year after his death, in 1939 at the age of 110, his nephew R’Leo Knul held a ceremony and built the tomb for him.

The tomb of R’Leo Knul lies next to his uncle’s tomb. Born in 1871, he succeeded Khunjunob as tribal chief, and developed the tradition of elephant hunting and taming in the Village. R’Leo Knul tamed a white elephant for the late emperor Bao Dai. R’Leo Knul died in 1941 at the age of 70.

Jars beside the tomb are for villagers to put rice in to feed the dead - Photos: Lam Van Son

The tombs are built in the M’Nong-Laos architectural style and are decorated with lotus flowers and two pairs of wooden peacock statues.

The tombs of women are decorated with fabric.

All tombs have a hole in the top. When they buried the dead, they placed the hunter’s mouth under the hole so they could feed him rice every day for three years. After three years, the villagers held a ceremony called le bo ma (grave-leaving ceremony), a traditional ceremony of the ethnic people in the highlands to say goodbye to the dead. It was usually organized in the spring and was considered a festive day. Villagers gathered at the cemetery grounds, and the family members brought offerings of food.  They sang songs, danced and enjoyed the food and drinks taken from the altar in the belief that the soul of the dead returned to join the feast. After the ceremony, relatives of the dead no longer took care of the grave.

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Elephant hunter cemetery in Dak Lak

The tomb of the king of elephant hunting, N’Thu Knul, in Buon Don Village in Daklak

For a taste of central highlands history, tourists to Daklak Province should  visit the tomb of the king of elephant hunters in Buon Don Village.

There are 40 elephant hunters buried in the unique graveyard that has about 40 tombs. The hunters entombed there killed at least 25 to 30 elephants each. To be buried in the cemetery was a tribute to their huntsmanship.

The oldest tomb belongs to N’Thu Knul, who was a powerful tribal chief born in 1828. He is worshipped as founder of the art of hunting elephants. He also tamed hundreds of the big animals and presented one of them to the royal family in Thailand earning him the title of King of Elephant Hunters (Khunjunob) from the Thai King. A year after his death, in 1939 at the age of 110, his nephew R’Leo Knul held a ceremony and built the tomb for him.

The tomb of R’Leo Knul lies next to his uncle’s tomb. Born in 1871, he succeeded Khunjunob as tribal chief, and developed the tradition of elephant hunting and taming in the Village. R’Leo Knul tamed a white elephant for the late emperor Bao Dai. R’Leo Knul died in 1941 at the age of 70.

Jars beside the tomb are for villagers to put rice in to feed the dead - Photos: Lam Van Son

The tombs are built in the M’Nong-Laos architectural style and are decorated with lotus flowers and two pairs of wooden peacock statues.

The tombs of women are decorated with fabric.

All tombs have a hole in the top. When they buried the dead, they placed the hunter’s mouth under the hole so they could feed him rice every day for three years. After three years, the villagers held a ceremony called le bo ma (grave-leaving ceremony), a traditional ceremony of the ethnic people in the highlands to say goodbye to the dead. It was usually organized in the spring and was considered a festive day. Villagers gathered at the cemetery grounds, and the family members brought offerings of food.  They sang songs, danced and enjoyed the food and drinks taken from the altar in the belief that the soul of the dead returned to join the feast. After the ceremony, relatives of the dead no longer took care of the grave.

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• Elephant hunter cemetery in Dak Lak
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Elephant hunter cemetery in Dak Lak

The tomb of the king of elephant hunting, N’Thu Knul, in Buon Don Village in Daklak

For a taste of central highlands history, tourists to Daklak Province should  visit the tomb of the king of elephant hunters in Buon Don Village.

There are 40 elephant hunters buried in the unique graveyard that has about 40 tombs. The hunters entombed there killed at least 25 to 30 elephants each. To be buried in the cemetery was a tribute to their huntsmanship.

The oldest tomb belongs to N’Thu Knul, who was a powerful tribal chief born in 1828. He is worshipped as founder of the art of hunting elephants. He also tamed hundreds of the big animals and presented one of them to the royal family in Thailand earning him the title of King of Elephant Hunters (Khunjunob) from the Thai King. A year after his death, in 1939 at the age of 110, his nephew R’Leo Knul held a ceremony and built the tomb for him.

The tomb of R’Leo Knul lies next to his uncle’s tomb. Born in 1871, he succeeded Khunjunob as tribal chief, and developed the tradition of elephant hunting and taming in the Village. R’Leo Knul tamed a white elephant for the late emperor Bao Dai. R’Leo Knul died in 1941 at the age of 70.

Jars beside the tomb are for villagers to put rice in to feed the dead - Photos: Lam Van Son

The tombs are built in the M’Nong-Laos architectural style and are decorated with lotus flowers and two pairs of wooden peacock statues.

The tombs of women are decorated with fabric.

All tombs have a hole in the top. When they buried the dead, they placed the hunter’s mouth under the hole so they could feed him rice every day for three years. After three years, the villagers held a ceremony called le bo ma (grave-leaving ceremony), a traditional ceremony of the ethnic people in the highlands to say goodbye to the dead. It was usually organized in the spring and was considered a festive day. Villagers gathered at the cemetery grounds, and the family members brought offerings of food.  They sang songs, danced and enjoyed the food and drinks taken from the altar in the belief that the soul of the dead returned to join the feast. After the ceremony, relatives of the dead no longer took care of the grave.

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Elephant hunter cemetery in Dak Lak

The tomb of the king of elephant hunting, N’Thu Knul, in Buon Don Village in Daklak

For a taste of central highlands history, tourists to Daklak Province should  visit the tomb of the king of elephant hunters in Buon Don Village.

There are 40 elephant hunters buried in the unique graveyard that has about 40 tombs. The hunters entombed there killed at least 25 to 30 elephants each. To be buried in the cemetery was a tribute to their huntsmanship.

The oldest tomb belongs to N’Thu Knul, who was a powerful tribal chief born in 1828. He is worshipped as founder of the art of hunting elephants. He also tamed hundreds of the big animals and presented one of them to the royal family in Thailand earning him the title of King of Elephant Hunters (Khunjunob) from the Thai King. A year after his death, in 1939 at the age of 110, his nephew R’Leo Knul held a ceremony and built the tomb for him.

The tomb of R’Leo Knul lies next to his uncle’s tomb. Born in 1871, he succeeded Khunjunob as tribal chief, and developed the tradition of elephant hunting and taming in the Village. R’Leo Knul tamed a white elephant for the late emperor Bao Dai. R’Leo Knul died in 1941 at the age of 70.

Jars beside the tomb are for villagers to put rice in to feed the dead - Photos: Lam Van Son

The tombs are built in the M’Nong-Laos architectural style and are decorated with lotus flowers and two pairs of wooden peacock statues.

The tombs of women are decorated with fabric.

All tombs have a hole in the top. When they buried the dead, they placed the hunter’s mouth under the hole so they could feed him rice every day for three years. After three years, the villagers held a ceremony called le bo ma (grave-leaving ceremony), a traditional ceremony of the ethnic people in the highlands to say goodbye to the dead. It was usually organized in the spring and was considered a festive day. Villagers gathered at the cemetery grounds, and the family members brought offerings of food.  They sang songs, danced and enjoyed the food and drinks taken from the altar in the belief that the soul of the dead returned to join the feast. After the ceremony, relatives of the dead no longer took care of the grave.

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Duong Lam Ancient Village

A tractor crosses the temple square where farmers have stacked their rice straw

Duong Lam Ancient Village is only 50 kilometers from Hanoi. From the city take Duong Lang- Hoa Lac highway past the Hoa Lac – Son Tay crossroad heading to Bat Bat and turn left to Duong Lam Ancient Village. It is typical of an old rice farming village in northern Vietnam with 200 year old houses made from laterite. The village still relies mainly on rice cultivation.

The owner of this house, Ms Hong, renovated it using traditional materials such as laterit - Photos: Thai Hang

About 50 meters from the main road, the Mong Phu ancient gate, under shadow of 300 year-old tree, welcomes tourists to Duong Lam. The dirt road leads to the village, passing a lotus lake. Some houses on the edge of the village used to be built with laterite that was quarried at the site or brought from neighboring Thach That Commune; but they have been repaired or rebuilt with modern building materials.

Also rebuilt only thee years ago, the house of Ms. Hong caught our eye from a distance thanks to its new renovations. The red-brown dirt house is built from laterite and wood that cost the owner about US$100,000. Hong said she was willing to pay that money as the old house was passed down through the generations to her and it was badly damaged was got it. She wanted to restore it to to its original condition.

One of the old lanes in Duong Lam village

Hong told stories while she gave tourists traditional candy made from peanuts and served tea made from the flowers and leaves of Voi, a tree only found in the north.

We then continued up the dirt road to an old temple in the center of the village, where villagers gather on special occasions. In front of the temple was a small square that was covered with of stacks of harvested rice stalks. It was noon and we sat at a street side stall run by an old woman who told us some of the village history and about some of the national heroes who came from Duong Lam such as Ngo Quyen and Phung Hung. The deeper into the quiet village we walked, the lanes got narrower and the houses seemed to be older.

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New Cuisine And Wedding Party Promotions

Some places in HCM City to enjoy northern Vietnam’s Hanoi cuisine during the Thang Long-Hanoi Millennium (October 1-10) or hold the wedding party with incentives offered by hotels

The year 2010 is coming to an end and this is the time for several hotels and resorts of Saigontourist Holding Company in HCM City to launch new gastronomic programs and wedding party service promotions.

Celebrating Thang Long-Hanoi Millennium

Van Thanh Tourist Park, located in Binh Thanh District by the Saigon River, will launch the buffet Mon ngon Thang Long (Delicious dishes of Thang Long) on the nights of October 9 and 10. The buffet with more than 50 dishes of ancient and present-day Hanoi such as cha ca Ha Noi (Hanoi fish paste) and oc nau chuoi dau (Snails cooked with green bananas and beans) takes place in the cozy ambience of a garden and is accompanied with northern Vietnamese folk songs. It costs an adult VND190,000 (US$9.7) and a child VND120,000 (US$6.2).

Over the past few years, Van Thanh Tourist Park has been a place for holding the city’s big gastronomic festivals, namely “Saigon Dinner – the day when I am 30” held on April 30, 2005, with more than 5,000 guests taking part; “Delicious dishes of different countries” held in 2007 and 2008; and “My Homeland’s Festival” held annually from 2005-2009). It is also much known for its gastronomic events for the Victory Day (April 30), National Day (September 2), Valentine’s Day (February 14) and International Women’s Day (March 8).

Dam Sen Cultural Park in District 11 has the festival “Phutho Tourist’s cuisine toward the Thang Long-Hanoi Millennium” that will run from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. on October 8-10. Diners will have a chance to enjoy over 100 exclusive Hanoi dishes together with specialties of Vam Sat (Can Gio District) and the lotus-based cuisine.

Promotions for wedding parties

To welcome its 130th anniversary (1880-2010), the four-star Hotel Continental Saigon in District 1 gives incentives to customers of its wedding party services between October 1 and December 31. These incentives are soft drinks and mineral water (within two hours of the party), the wedding night room for the bride and the groom (to a party with at least 31 tables), LCD and screen, appetizers, special gifts for guests, an occasion for six people to try dishes before the day of the party, and a 5% discount for a party which is held at noon or between Monday and Thursday.

The Hotel Continental Saigon has 83 rooms of four-star standards, three halls for holding events for 200-500 people, a deluxe European restaurant, conference rooms, bars and other service areas. It is an eco-friendly hotel as it well carries out the ISO 14001 standards for the environment.

At the threshold of its 80th anniversary, Grand Hotel Saigon expresses its gratitude to customers through the program “Grand Saigon Wedding – Meaningful and Thrifty.” Accordingly, the hotel provides support and donates gifts such as the wedding night room, wedding cake, champagne, drinks, music band, dancers to welcome the bride, a group of receptionists, the ceremony for the wedding party, and wedding cards. In particular, beer, soft drinks and mineral water are provided free until January 31, 2011, for wedding parties held at noon with at least 11 tables.

The hotel charges at least VND3 million (US$153.8, including taxes and service fee) for a table of 10 persons. It also gives consulting on the program of a wedding party as well as organizing wedding parties at home upon customers’ request.

Grand Hotel Saigon is located near the Saigon River. It was built in 1930 with French architecture and is one of the city’s oldest hotels.

• Van Thanh Tourist Park: 48/10 Dien Bien Phu St., Binh Thanh Dist., HCM City. Tel: 08.35123025
• Dam Sen Cultural Park: 3 Hoa Binh St., Dist. 11, HCM City. Tel: 08.38650921
• Hotel Continental Saigon: 132-134 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, HCM City. Tel: 08.38299201, fax: 08.38290936, email: continentalhotel@vnn.vn
• Grand Hotel Saigon: 8 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, HCM City. Tel: 08.38294046, email: sales@grandhotel.vn

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New Cuisine And Wedding Party Promotions

Some places in HCM City to enjoy northern Vietnam’s Hanoi cuisine during the Thang Long-Hanoi Millennium (October 1-10) or hold the wedding party with incentives offered by hotels

The year 2010 is coming to an end and this is the time for several hotels and resorts of Saigontourist Holding Company in HCM City to launch new gastronomic programs and wedding party service promotions.

Celebrating Thang Long-Hanoi Millennium

Van Thanh Tourist Park, located in Binh Thanh District by the Saigon River, will launch the buffet Mon ngon Thang Long (Delicious dishes of Thang Long) on the nights of October 9 and 10. The buffet with more than 50 dishes of ancient and present-day Hanoi such as cha ca Ha Noi (Hanoi fish paste) and oc nau chuoi dau (Snails cooked with green bananas and beans) takes place in the cozy ambience of a garden and is accompanied with northern Vietnamese folk songs. It costs an adult VND190,000 (US$9.7) and a child VND120,000 (US$6.2).

Over the past few years, Van Thanh Tourist Park has been a place for holding the city’s big gastronomic festivals, namely “Saigon Dinner – the day when I am 30” held on April 30, 2005, with more than 5,000 guests taking part; “Delicious dishes of different countries” held in 2007 and 2008; and “My Homeland’s Festival” held annually from 2005-2009). It is also much known for its gastronomic events for the Victory Day (April 30), National Day (September 2), Valentine’s Day (February 14) and International Women’s Day (March 8).

Dam Sen Cultural Park in District 11 has the festival “Phutho Tourist’s cuisine toward the Thang Long-Hanoi Millennium” that will run from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. on October 8-10. Diners will have a chance to enjoy over 100 exclusive Hanoi dishes together with specialties of Vam Sat (Can Gio District) and the lotus-based cuisine.

Promotions for wedding parties

To welcome its 130th anniversary (1880-2010), the four-star Hotel Continental Saigon in District 1 gives incentives to customers of its wedding party services between October 1 and December 31. These incentives are soft drinks and mineral water (within two hours of the party), the wedding night room for the bride and the groom (to a party with at least 31 tables), LCD and screen, appetizers, special gifts for guests, an occasion for six people to try dishes before the day of the party, and a 5% discount for a party which is held at noon or between Monday and Thursday.

The Hotel Continental Saigon has 83 rooms of four-star standards, three halls for holding events for 200-500 people, a deluxe European restaurant, conference rooms, bars and other service areas. It is an eco-friendly hotel as it well carries out the ISO 14001 standards for the environment.

At the threshold of its 80th anniversary, Grand Hotel Saigon expresses its gratitude to customers through the program “Grand Saigon Wedding – Meaningful and Thrifty.” Accordingly, the hotel provides support and donates gifts such as the wedding night room, wedding cake, champagne, drinks, music band, dancers to welcome the bride, a group of receptionists, the ceremony for the wedding party, and wedding cards. In particular, beer, soft drinks and mineral water are provided free until January 31, 2011, for wedding parties held at noon with at least 11 tables.

The hotel charges at least VND3 million (US$153.8, including taxes and service fee) for a table of 10 persons. It also gives consulting on the program of a wedding party as well as organizing wedding parties at home upon customers’ request.

Grand Hotel Saigon is located near the Saigon River. It was built in 1930 with French architecture and is one of the city’s oldest hotels.

• Van Thanh Tourist Park: 48/10 Dien Bien Phu St., Binh Thanh Dist., HCM City. Tel: 08.35123025
• Dam Sen Cultural Park: 3 Hoa Binh St., Dist. 11, HCM City. Tel: 08.38650921
• Hotel Continental Saigon: 132-134 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, HCM City. Tel: 08.38299201, fax: 08.38290936, email: continentalhotel@vnn.vn
• Grand Hotel Saigon: 8 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, HCM City. Tel: 08.38294046, email: sales@grandhotel.vn

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