Basket boat racing in Hoi An

Erica Tubbs’ husband takes pictures of her and a fisherwoman in thuyen thung chai (basket boat) - Photo: Minh Duy

If you like boat racing with the excitement but not the danger, join the basket boat race on the Hoi An Eco-tour, organized by Khoa Tran Travel Company.

The family-run tour company in the ancient town of Hoi An operates tours with local farmers and fishermen, for tourists to sample how they live and work and have a bit of fun on the way.

Guests are taken in a tourist boat up the river and invited to get in a fishermen’s basket boat, thuyen thung chai. Each thuyen thung chai can carry three people. The local fisherperson with the oar sits in the middle.

Before the race starts the oarsperson takes a quiet paddle through some canals lined with coconut palms and then the race starts.

American tourist Erica Tubbs, who went on the tour, said the race was lots of fun as there was a lot of screaming from the tourists and as they gripped tightly onto the walls of the basket boats.

She said after the race her and her husband were able to try a bit of fishing for catfish with nets and then ride buffalos.

 “I can see pictures of buffalos and basket boats on the internet, but can’t experience the fear of riding a buffalo or sitting in the boat. The experience was a complete surprise,” says Tubbs.

The travel company has other tours such as the fishermen and the waterways, the sunrise tour and sunset tour. The price varies around US$45 per person for groups of 35 to 40 for a four-hour tour.

For further information, contact the company at Phuoc Hai Fishing Village, Cua Dai District, Hoi An city, Quang Nam province. Tel : 0510 3 928.900 Email : jacktran@hoianecotour.com.vn.

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Tet program for overseas Vietnamese

A traditional Lunar New Year festival program named Homeland Spring 2011 in Hanoi on Jan. 28, 2011 will welcome Overseas Vietnamese back home for Tet holiday.

The program, organized by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in co-operation with other relevant authorities, will be held at Thang Long Royal Citadel to honor the city’s 1,000th birthday anniversary that was celebrated this year. 

Homeland Spring will be attended by high-ranking officials of the Vietnam Communist Party, the State, ambassadors, and chief representatives of foreign diplomat offices in Vietnam, and Overseas Vietnamese.

For Overseas Vietnamese to register to join, contact Vietnam’s diplomatic offices abroad or the Hanoi office of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese. 

The Homeland Spring 2010 was attended by more than 1,000 Overseas Vietnamese living and working in many other countries.  There’re now more than three million Overseas Vietnamese in 94 nations and territories.

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Vietnam woos Malaysian visitors

A gala night to promote Vietnam’s tourism was held in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, on Dec. 20 as part of Vietnam’s campaign to develop this
non-smoke industry in 2011.

The tourism promotion programme aims to introduce Vietnam’s land and people, culture and its incentives for tourists.

The
gala night, co-held by the Vietnam Tourism Administration (VTA), the
Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia and Malaysia’s Tourism Administration,
was attended by officials as well as representatives from tourist agents
and the media of the two countries.

Pham Quang Hung, Head of the
VTA’s International Cooperation Department, said Malaysia is Vietnam’s
top market among ASEAN. Next year, the tourism industry will focus on
Malaysia and Indonesia as these two regional markets are close to
Vietnam both in terms of geographical location and culture.

In
2010, Vietnam expects to welcome some 5 million foreign visitors. The
country set a higher target for 2011, prioritising near markets while
exploring distant others.

However, according to Hung, tourist
services should be improved and tourist guides should be trained
professionally in order to draw foreign visitors to return.

The
tourism promotion programme provided Vietnamese tourist businesses an
opportunity to directly meet and work with Malaysian tourist companies
and agents to exchange information and discuss contracts./.

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Lost in a land of Confucianism

A tourist at the gate of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi - Photo: Dang Khoa

Whenever I visit Hanoi, the first place I think of is the Temple of Literature, where the tree-shaded grounds and the buildings tell of the times that scholars studied there. The temple makes me reflect on my country’s history and I get lost in a land of Confucianism and traditional values.

Situated on Van Mieu Street, about two kilometers from Hoan Kiem Lake, the temple is on top of the list for historical sightseeing in Hanoi.

I love the temple as I love the nation’s history. So I know that in 1070, King Ly Thanh Tong built several important monuments, one of which was Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature). The organization of instruction and learning at the Quoc Tu Giam (National University) began in 1076 under the Ly dynasty and further developed in the 15th century under the Le dynasty. The university was established near the Temple of Literature, and during its more than 700 years of instruction (1076-1779), thousands of talented men in Vietnam were educated there. And hence the name of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam was born.

I have visited the temple many times, but I always enjoy looking at the ways it has been repaired and renovated in its 900 years. It is an example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture. The cultural relics include steles with inscriptions of the names of distinguished scholars, the Well of Heavenly Clarity (Thien Quang Tinh), the pavilion in dedication of the Constellation of Literature (Khue Van Cac), the statue of Confucius, the Great House of Ceremonies, the ancient wall, the old trees and the sanctuary, the stone dragons, and ink stone stands.

The history of the temple and how it has survived in such good condition to on Monday give me a sense of national pride.

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Lost in a land of Confucianism

A tourist at the gate of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi - Photo: Dang Khoa

Whenever I visit Hanoi, the first place I think of is the Temple of Literature, where the tree-shaded grounds and the buildings tell of the times that scholars studied there. The temple makes me reflect on my country’s history and I get lost in a land of Confucianism and traditional values.

Situated on Van Mieu Street, about two kilometers from Hoan Kiem Lake, the temple is on top of the list for historical sightseeing in Hanoi.

I love the temple as I love the nation’s history. So I know that in 1070, King Ly Thanh Tong built several important monuments, one of which was Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature). The organization of instruction and learning at the Quoc Tu Giam (National University) began in 1076 under the Ly dynasty and further developed in the 15th century under the Le dynasty. The university was established near the Temple of Literature, and during its more than 700 years of instruction (1076-1779), thousands of talented men in Vietnam were educated there. And hence the name of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam was born.

I have visited the temple many times, but I always enjoy looking at the ways it has been repaired and renovated in its 900 years. It is an example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture. The cultural relics include steles with inscriptions of the names of distinguished scholars, the Well of Heavenly Clarity (Thien Quang Tinh), the pavilion in dedication of the Constellation of Literature (Khue Van Cac), the statue of Confucius, the Great House of Ceremonies, the ancient wall, the old trees and the sanctuary, the stone dragons, and ink stone stands.

The history of the temple and how it has survived in such good condition to on Monday give me a sense of national pride.

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Lost in a land of Confucianism

A tourist at the gate of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi - Photo: Dang Khoa

Whenever I visit Hanoi, the first place I think of is the Temple of Literature, where the tree-shaded grounds and the buildings tell of the times that scholars studied there. The temple makes me reflect on my country’s history and I get lost in a land of Confucianism and traditional values.

Situated on Van Mieu Street, about two kilometers from Hoan Kiem Lake, the temple is on top of the list for historical sightseeing in Hanoi.

I love the temple as I love the nation’s history. So I know that in 1070, King Ly Thanh Tong built several important monuments, one of which was Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature). The organization of instruction and learning at the Quoc Tu Giam (National University) began in 1076 under the Ly dynasty and further developed in the 15th century under the Le dynasty. The university was established near the Temple of Literature, and during its more than 700 years of instruction (1076-1779), thousands of talented men in Vietnam were educated there. And hence the name of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam was born.

I have visited the temple many times, but I always enjoy looking at the ways it has been repaired and renovated in its 900 years. It is an example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture. The cultural relics include steles with inscriptions of the names of distinguished scholars, the Well of Heavenly Clarity (Thien Quang Tinh), the pavilion in dedication of the Constellation of Literature (Khue Van Cac), the statue of Confucius, the Great House of Ceremonies, the ancient wall, the old trees and the sanctuary, the stone dragons, and ink stone stands.

The history of the temple and how it has survived in such good condition to on Monday give me a sense of national pride.

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Lost in a land of Confucianism

A tourist at the gate of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi - Photo: Dang Khoa

Whenever I visit Hanoi, the first place I think of is the Temple of Literature, where the tree-shaded grounds and the buildings tell of the times that scholars studied there. The temple makes me reflect on my country’s history and I get lost in a land of Confucianism and traditional values.

Situated on Van Mieu Street, about two kilometers from Hoan Kiem Lake, the temple is on top of the list for historical sightseeing in Hanoi.

I love the temple as I love the nation’s history. So I know that in 1070, King Ly Thanh Tong built several important monuments, one of which was Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature). The organization of instruction and learning at the Quoc Tu Giam (National University) began in 1076 under the Ly dynasty and further developed in the 15th century under the Le dynasty. The university was established near the Temple of Literature, and during its more than 700 years of instruction (1076-1779), thousands of talented men in Vietnam were educated there. And hence the name of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam was born.

I have visited the temple many times, but I always enjoy looking at the ways it has been repaired and renovated in its 900 years. It is an example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture. The cultural relics include steles with inscriptions of the names of distinguished scholars, the Well of Heavenly Clarity (Thien Quang Tinh), the pavilion in dedication of the Constellation of Literature (Khue Van Cac), the statue of Confucius, the Great House of Ceremonies, the ancient wall, the old trees and the sanctuary, the stone dragons, and ink stone stands.

The history of the temple and how it has survived in such good condition to on Monday give me a sense of national pride.

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