Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A date with history in the Central

Take a stroll around the Imperial Hue Palace
I was born in the North and I grew up in the South, but the central is my favorite place for traveling.

When I was a child, I really loved the Mid-Autumn festival and taking part in the lantern parades with other kids along the village trails. At that time, we made lanterns by ourselves with bamboo sticks and colored paper or plastic. On one visit to Hoi An ancient town, I took part in a long Mid-Autumn Festival with many colorful lanterns hanging on the streets and lanterns shops. The old houses built in Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese or French architecture, made me feel like I was a child again.

My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO world cultural heritage
My Son Sanctuary in Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province, gave me an insight into Cham people’s culture. The sanctuary was the site of religious ceremonies for kings of  Champa, between the 4th and 12th centuries. It was a worshipping place for the Hindu religion in the Cham kingdom and is the foremost heritage site of its kind in Vietnam. A large complex, My Son Sanctuary comprises more than 70 architectural works, including temples and towers that connect to each other.

Hue made the strongest impression on me with old buildings, royal palace, the roads where I sheltered from the light rain under tamarind trees and ladies in white ao dai and conical hats.

Despite being largely destroyed during the war, Hue’s Citadel is a great place to visit. Some of the buildings have been refurbished or have managed to escape damage and the architecture and the remaining statues and walls create an interesting look into the past. The museum exhibits inside the complex are informative, giving visitors more than a cursory summary of historical events.

A visit to Hue is to think about Vietnam’s history.

In Hue, I did not forget to visit Thien Mu Pagoda, one of the oldest pagodas in the country to find some peace during my trip and burn incense to pray for good luck and good health.

Danang is other prospect in the Central, a modern and dynamic city with many high-tech parks and towers. The city, which is endowed with stunning landscapes such as Han River, Son Tra Peninsula or Ngu Hanh Son Mountain, has plenty for tourists to do.

Ngu Hanh Son Mountain in Danang City - Photos: Dang Khoa
Tourists browse the lanterns in Hoi An ancient town
Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue City

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Dogs’ day out at national show

Best dog in show went to this German Shepherd from Hanoi. He is 26 months old and has only lived in Vietnam for three months. Previously, he won several prizes in Germany - Photos: Kieu Giang
Phan Dinh Phung Sports Club in HCMC’s District 3 was packed with dogs and their owners on Monday morning for the second national dog show.

Dogs belonging to nearly 20 different breeds including Tibetan Mastiff, Siberian Husky, German Shepherd, bulldog, Golden Retriever, Chihuahua, St Bernard, Bull Terrier and Dachshund  were there to compete at the show run by Vietnam Kennel Association (VKA). For most people at the show it was the first time they’d seen dogs the size of  two Tibetan Mastiffs that were there, weighing in at more than 50kg.

The top animals were awarded certificates and cups for best of breed, best of group and best in show.

This Pomeranian came to the show just for fun
A 10 month old Siberian husky entrant in the dog show with his teenage owner
A baby girl plays with her pet Chihuahua.
Thien Long (heaven dragon), one of two Tibetan Mastiffs from Hanoi, won best of breed and third place in the best in show category.

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Eat, drink and buy the furniture at An’s Interior Café

Café and showroom in one. Good food, drinks and the furniture are on the menu at An’s Interior Cafe - Photo: Courtesy of An’s Interior Café
Interior café is a new concept in Saigon. It’s a coffee shop and an interior design showroom. Customers are invited to lounge around drinking coffee and browse at the same time.

“An” has two meanings.  The name of the company that owns the café is, Hoang An Interior Company, and it also means peacefulness in Vietnamese.

In a quiet, blind alley off Tran Cao Van Street in HCMC’s District 3, An’s Café is hard to find among the old houses and trees. There’s a thick grey gate with a small sign, saying simply An’s. The entrance is through a garden decked with chairs and tables and bordered by a creeper covered wall.

 Through the lace curtained glass door there’s a red piano and abstract paintings on the wall and upstairs is a large lounge bar for up to 60 people.

“Apart from serving good food and drinks, we also give them a peaceful venue to relax and browse the artistic items here. We change the café décor, every two months so guests can be surprised each time they come here,” said Kieu Viet Cuong, the café manager.

“Everything at An’s Café is for sale. If guests want to buy anything, they can buy the display article straight off the floor or wait three weeks for a brand new one,” Cuong added.

The food is meticulously prepared with a selection of Vietnamese and Western styles on the a-la-carte menu. Prices vary from VND65,000 to VND300,000.  The Vietnamese spring rolls, beef roll with mushroom served with Italian rice and rack of lamb with pistachio are recommended.

The café also serves over fifty kinds of cocktails for VND65,000 to VND120,000.

An’s Interior Café is at 40C Tran Cao Van Street, District 3, HCMC, tel: 08 3823 3398, website: www.anscafe.com.

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Saigon prepares for Christmas

Customers shop for Christmas decorations at a shop in Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street in HCMC’s District 5 - Photo: Thanh Truc
Everywhere you look, Saigon is busy decking out the streets with Christmas decorations and lights. Take a stroll along Ham Nghi, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Le Duan and Nguyen Hue and you will feel the festive air as the Yuletide approaches.

A strip of shops  in Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street in District 5 specialize in selling Christmas decorations with an extensive range in different colors and materials. Lengths of gold/silver tinsel cost about VND10,000–12,000, with the latest styles for VND17,000.  Boxes of six colorful Christmas baubles are priced from VND20,000 to VND30,000. The tinsel and baubles are the biggest sellers as they are compact and cheap. People are still watching the purse strings after the economic slowdown so they are looking for the best value they can find.

The Christmas trees displayed along Le Hong Phong Street in HCMC’s District 5 are also selling well. A medium size Christmas tree without decorations is about VND250,000 and from VND480,000 to VND700000 for decorated trees with Christmas baubles and tinsel.

Although the Christmas-decoration seller streets this year are quite busy, its been a bit slower than last year.

In some famous areas that sell Christmas products such as Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street (District 3), Kim Bien Market (District 5) and even Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street (District 5), the sales are much less than previous years,  down about 20% according to some shops.

Although the Christmas market has cooled down this year, the streets of Saigon are colorfully festooned for the many shoppers and onlookers to enjoy. The commercial centers in District 1 such as Parkson, Diamond Plaza, Vincom Centre and Thuong Xa Tax are glittering at night with shiny giant displays and lights. Everybody gets excited about the big Christmas displays and families take their kids around to see it.

This is the time of year to relax and enjoy the holidays in Uncle Ho’s city, welcoming the Christmas season in peace and happiness.

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Monday, December 13, 2010

Saigon prepares for Christmas

Customers shop for Christmas decorations at a shop in Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street in HCMC’s District 5 - Photo: Thanh Truc
Everywhere you look, Saigon is busy decking out the streets with Christmas decorations and lights. Take a stroll along Ham Nghi, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Le Duan and Nguyen Hue and you will feel the festive air as the Yuletide approaches.

A strip of shops  in Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street in District 5 specialize in selling Christmas decorations with an extensive range in different colors and materials. Lengths of gold/silver tinsel cost about VND10,000–12,000, with the latest styles for VND17,000.  Boxes of six colorful Christmas baubles are priced from VND20,000 to VND30,000. The tinsel and baubles are the biggest sellers as they are compact and cheap. People are still watching the purse strings after the economic slowdown so they are looking for the best value they can find.

The Christmas trees displayed along Le Hong Phong Street in HCMC’s District 5 are also selling well. A medium size Christmas tree without decorations is about VND250,000 and from VND480,000 to VND700000 for decorated trees with Christmas baubles and tinsel.

Although the Christmas-decoration seller streets this year are quite busy, its been a bit slower than last year.

In some famous areas that sell Christmas products such as Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street (District 3), Kim Bien Market (District 5) and even Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street (District 5), the sales are much less than previous years,  down about 20% according to some shops.

Although the Christmas market has cooled down this year, the streets of Saigon are colorfully festooned for the many shoppers and onlookers to enjoy. The commercial centers in District 1 such as Parkson, Diamond Plaza, Vincom Centre and Thuong Xa Tax are glittering at night with shiny giant displays and lights. Everybody gets excited about the big Christmas displays and families take their kids around to see it.

This is the time of year to relax and enjoy the holidays in Uncle Ho’s city, welcoming the Christmas season in peace and happiness.

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Saigon prepares for Christmas

Customers shop for Christmas decorations at a shop in Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street in HCMC’s District 5 - Photo: Thanh Truc
Everywhere you look, Saigon is busy decking out the streets with Christmas decorations and lights. Take a stroll along Ham Nghi, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Le Duan and Nguyen Hue and you will feel the festive air as the Yuletide approaches.

A strip of shops  in Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street in District 5 specialize in selling Christmas decorations with an extensive range in different colors and materials. Lengths of gold/silver tinsel cost about VND10,000–12,000, with the latest styles for VND17,000.  Boxes of six colorful Christmas baubles are priced from VND20,000 to VND30,000. The tinsel and baubles are the biggest sellers as they are compact and cheap. People are still watching the purse strings after the economic slowdown so they are looking for the best value they can find.

The Christmas trees displayed along Le Hong Phong Street in HCMC’s District 5 are also selling well. A medium size Christmas tree without decorations is about VND250,000 and from VND480,000 to VND700000 for decorated trees with Christmas baubles and tinsel.

Although the Christmas-decoration seller streets this year are quite busy, its been a bit slower than last year.

In some famous areas that sell Christmas products such as Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street (District 3), Kim Bien Market (District 5) and even Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street (District 5), the sales are much less than previous years,  down about 20% according to some shops.

Although the Christmas market has cooled down this year, the streets of Saigon are colorfully festooned for the many shoppers and onlookers to enjoy. The commercial centers in District 1 such as Parkson, Diamond Plaza, Vincom Centre and Thuong Xa Tax are glittering at night with shiny giant displays and lights. Everybody gets excited about the big Christmas displays and families take their kids around to see it.

This is the time of year to relax and enjoy the holidays in Uncle Ho’s city, welcoming the Christmas season in peace and happiness.

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Saigon prepares for Christmas

Customers shop for Christmas decorations at a shop in Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street in HCMC’s District 5 - Photo: Thanh Truc
Everywhere you look, Saigon is busy decking out the streets with Christmas decorations and lights. Take a stroll along Ham Nghi, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Le Duan and Nguyen Hue and you will feel the festive air as the Yuletide approaches.

A strip of shops  in Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street in District 5 specialize in selling Christmas decorations with an extensive range in different colors and materials. Lengths of gold/silver tinsel cost about VND10,000–12,000, with the latest styles for VND17,000.  Boxes of six colorful Christmas baubles are priced from VND20,000 to VND30,000. The tinsel and baubles are the biggest sellers as they are compact and cheap. People are still watching the purse strings after the economic slowdown so they are looking for the best value they can find.

The Christmas trees displayed along Le Hong Phong Street in HCMC’s District 5 are also selling well. A medium size Christmas tree without decorations is about VND250,000 and from VND480,000 to VND700000 for decorated trees with Christmas baubles and tinsel.

Although the Christmas-decoration seller streets this year are quite busy, its been a bit slower than last year.

In some famous areas that sell Christmas products such as Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street (District 3), Kim Bien Market (District 5) and even Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street (District 5), the sales are much less than previous years,  down about 20% according to some shops.

Although the Christmas market has cooled down this year, the streets of Saigon are colorfully festooned for the many shoppers and onlookers to enjoy. The commercial centers in District 1 such as Parkson, Diamond Plaza, Vincom Centre and Thuong Xa Tax are glittering at night with shiny giant displays and lights. Everybody gets excited about the big Christmas displays and families take their kids around to see it.

This is the time of year to relax and enjoy the holidays in Uncle Ho’s city, welcoming the Christmas season in peace and happiness.

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