Love Valley Lost

Da Thien Lake in Love Valley in Dalat City

I went back to Dalat for the first time in many years and made my way to one of my favorite haunts, Vong Canh Hill, to look across Love Valley. When I saw how much it had changed I remembered my friend saying “In the old days, each corner of Dalat was a poem. But now…” It certainly wasn’t poetic anymore and I wished I could turn back the clock to see Dalat as it was, romantic, natural and quiet.

I do not know how beautiful Vallee D’amour was when it was given its name. But eight years ago when I came here for the first time, I realized why the French named it Love Valley. I stood on the hill peak, listened to the wind whispering, and looked down at Da Thien Lake reflecting the magnificent misty Lang Bian Mountain. The scene makes people need a lover beside them.

The romantic spot holds so many memories of love for so many people, that several girls have committed suicide there taking the leap after losing their relationship. In the stillness I imagined their tears falling in the lake.

A gardener waters flowers at Love Valley - Photos: Kinh Luan

On Wednesday the romance has gone – replaced by modern technology and human greed. Concrete fences, old military jeeps and a statue of Mickey Mouse holding a greeting board are recently added eyesores. What place does the karaoke room and playground for kids have there?

I just wanted to scream “Leave nature alone” but when I saw people playing around, I could see that nature and humans are friends. To be fair the managers have done a good job planting many kinds of flowers and ornamental trees.

But when I look into the lake, I see the reflection of Lang Bian with some Wall’s ice-cream booths and colorful pedal boats.

When I arrived back in Saigon, I was in a sad mood. However, if someone asks me to go again, maybe I will nod and say “Yes, why not.”

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Love Valley Lost

Da Thien Lake in Love Valley in Dalat City

I went back to Dalat for the first time in many years and made my way to one of my favorite haunts, Vong Canh Hill, to look across Love Valley. When I saw how much it had changed I remembered my friend saying “In the old days, each corner of Dalat was a poem. But now…” It certainly wasn’t poetic anymore and I wished I could turn back the clock to see Dalat as it was, romantic, natural and quiet.

I do not know how beautiful Vallee D’amour was when it was given its name. But eight years ago when I came here for the first time, I realized why the French named it Love Valley. I stood on the hill peak, listened to the wind whispering, and looked down at Da Thien Lake reflecting the magnificent misty Lang Bian Mountain. The scene makes people need a lover beside them.

The romantic spot holds so many memories of love for so many people, that several girls have committed suicide there taking the leap after losing their relationship. In the stillness I imagined their tears falling in the lake.

A gardener waters flowers at Love Valley - Photos: Kinh Luan

On Wednesday the romance has gone – replaced by modern technology and human greed. Concrete fences, old military jeeps and a statue of Mickey Mouse holding a greeting board are recently added eyesores. What place does the karaoke room and playground for kids have there?

I just wanted to scream “Leave nature alone” but when I saw people playing around, I could see that nature and humans are friends. To be fair the managers have done a good job planting many kinds of flowers and ornamental trees.

But when I look into the lake, I see the reflection of Lang Bian with some Wall’s ice-cream booths and colorful pedal boats.

When I arrived back in Saigon, I was in a sad mood. However, if someone asks me to go again, maybe I will nod and say “Yes, why not.”

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Love Valley Lost

Da Thien Lake in Love Valley in Dalat City

I went back to Dalat for the first time in many years and made my way to one of my favorite haunts, Vong Canh Hill, to look across Love Valley. When I saw how much it had changed I remembered my friend saying “In the old days, each corner of Dalat was a poem. But now…” It certainly wasn’t poetic anymore and I wished I could turn back the clock to see Dalat as it was, romantic, natural and quiet.

I do not know how beautiful Vallee D’amour was when it was given its name. But eight years ago when I came here for the first time, I realized why the French named it Love Valley. I stood on the hill peak, listened to the wind whispering, and looked down at Da Thien Lake reflecting the magnificent misty Lang Bian Mountain. The scene makes people need a lover beside them.

The romantic spot holds so many memories of love for so many people, that several girls have committed suicide there taking the leap after losing their relationship. In the stillness I imagined their tears falling in the lake.

A gardener waters flowers at Love Valley - Photos: Kinh Luan

On Wednesday the romance has gone – replaced by modern technology and human greed. Concrete fences, old military jeeps and a statue of Mickey Mouse holding a greeting board are recently added eyesores. What place does the karaoke room and playground for kids have there?

I just wanted to scream “Leave nature alone” but when I saw people playing around, I could see that nature and humans are friends. To be fair the managers have done a good job planting many kinds of flowers and ornamental trees.

But when I look into the lake, I see the reflection of Lang Bian with some Wall’s ice-cream booths and colorful pedal boats.

When I arrived back in Saigon, I was in a sad mood. However, if someone asks me to go again, maybe I will nod and say “Yes, why not.”

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Love Valley Lost

Da Thien Lake in Love Valley in Dalat City

I went back to Dalat for the first time in many years and made my way to one of my favorite haunts, Vong Canh Hill, to look across Love Valley. When I saw how much it had changed I remembered my friend saying “In the old days, each corner of Dalat was a poem. But now…” It certainly wasn’t poetic anymore and I wished I could turn back the clock to see Dalat as it was, romantic, natural and quiet.

I do not know how beautiful Vallee D’amour was when it was given its name. But eight years ago when I came here for the first time, I realized why the French named it Love Valley. I stood on the hill peak, listened to the wind whispering, and looked down at Da Thien Lake reflecting the magnificent misty Lang Bian Mountain. The scene makes people need a lover beside them.

The romantic spot holds so many memories of love for so many people, that several girls have committed suicide there taking the leap after losing their relationship. In the stillness I imagined their tears falling in the lake.

A gardener waters flowers at Love Valley - Photos: Kinh Luan

On Wednesday the romance has gone – replaced by modern technology and human greed. Concrete fences, old military jeeps and a statue of Mickey Mouse holding a greeting board are recently added eyesores. What place does the karaoke room and playground for kids have there?

I just wanted to scream “Leave nature alone” but when I saw people playing around, I could see that nature and humans are friends. To be fair the managers have done a good job planting many kinds of flowers and ornamental trees.

But when I look into the lake, I see the reflection of Lang Bian with some Wall’s ice-cream booths and colorful pedal boats.

When I arrived back in Saigon, I was in a sad mood. However, if someone asks me to go again, maybe I will nod and say “Yes, why not.”

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Love Valley Lost

Da Thien Lake in Love Valley in Dalat City

I went back to Dalat for the first time in many years and made my way to one of my favorite haunts, Vong Canh Hill, to look across Love Valley. When I saw how much it had changed I remembered my friend saying “In the old days, each corner of Dalat was a poem. But now…” It certainly wasn’t poetic anymore and I wished I could turn back the clock to see Dalat as it was, romantic, natural and quiet.

I do not know how beautiful Vallee D’amour was when it was given its name. But eight years ago when I came here for the first time, I realized why the French named it Love Valley. I stood on the hill peak, listened to the wind whispering, and looked down at Da Thien Lake reflecting the magnificent misty Lang Bian Mountain. The scene makes people need a lover beside them.

The romantic spot holds so many memories of love for so many people, that several girls have committed suicide there taking the leap after losing their relationship. In the stillness I imagined their tears falling in the lake.

A gardener waters flowers at Love Valley - Photos: Kinh Luan

On Wednesday the romance has gone – replaced by modern technology and human greed. Concrete fences, old military jeeps and a statue of Mickey Mouse holding a greeting board are recently added eyesores. What place does the karaoke room and playground for kids have there?

I just wanted to scream “Leave nature alone” but when I saw people playing around, I could see that nature and humans are friends. To be fair the managers have done a good job planting many kinds of flowers and ornamental trees.

But when I look into the lake, I see the reflection of Lang Bian with some Wall’s ice-cream booths and colorful pedal boats.

When I arrived back in Saigon, I was in a sad mood. However, if someone asks me to go again, maybe I will nod and say “Yes, why not.”

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Prayers at Tay Phuong Pagoda

Visitors at Tay Phuong Pagoda in Hanoi on the first day of 2011 - Photo: Thoa Nguyen

In the chill of winter’s rain and drizzle, we were determined to pray for good luck and happiness for the New Year.

About 40 kilometers from downtown Hanoi, we took a motorbike on Thang Long Boulevard, then made a turn to Thach That in Ha Tay District, and arrived at Tay Phuong Pagoda after an hour. Tay Phuong Pagoda is an old pagoda built in the 17th century and is famous for its 16 statues of Arhat.

The pagoda, which is also called Sung Phuc pagoda, is on top of Tay Phuong Mountain in Yen Hamlet, Thach Xa Commune, Thach That District, Hanoi. The pagoda has many valuable old statues of Buddha and is surrounded by shady gardens and trees.

We parked the motorbike and climbed the 239 stone steps lined by bamboo trees to the top.

The pagoda has been renovated many times since it was built in 1632. It has three buildings on the mountainside called Chua Ha (Lower Pagoda), Chua Trung (Middle Pagoda) and Chua Thuong (Upper Pagoda).

The earthen bricks were made in Bat Trang without any glaze. All the windows are round with symbols of Buddhism, pillars are made of wood and altars and statues are placed on stones carved into lotus flowers. The curved roofs have two layers.

In addition to the 16 statues of Arhat, the pagoda has 62 wooden statues of other Buddhists.

After wandering around the pagoda, we burnt incense and prayed with Buddha for a better life in a new year ahead.

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Hanging lake on Chua Mountain

Hanging Lake is always full between the sky and the mountain - Phto: Thai Hang

Local forest keepers in Ninh Thuan Province call it Hanging Lake. A five or six kilometers walk up steep paths through the dense forest of Nui Chua National Park, Hanging Lake is an unexpected sight on the mountain.

Tourists can catch the last train from HCMC to get to Thap Cham train  station at around 2am in the morning. The walk to Nui Chua starts at 8 or 9 in the morning to avoid the heat and humidity. There are many starting points for the climb but the path from Vinh Hy Bay is the most popular, as tourists can combine the hike with a boat ride around the bay to explore its 16 beaches.

The first half of the walk is through an old construction site that has been cleared. The second half is through forest. Tourists are advised to take care walking over the fallen trees on the path and avoid the trees with thorny branches.

 One minute you are in the middle of the forest then suddenly the hanging lake appears out of nowhere, astonishing tourists with its unique beauty at such high altitude - a deep blue gem in the jungle. Frogs and insects shelter in the rocks in the lake from birds. Sometimes in the dry season, if you are lucky you can watch mountain goats, deer and monkeys playing. The lake is always full of water from streams and underground springs in the area. After a few hours exploring the lake, you can start the trek back to Vinh Hy Bay.

The trip cannot be made without an experienced forest keeper. Though access to the national park is still limited, tourists should not miss out on the experience. Without the boat tour, the trip to the lake costs a few hundred dong and some local hotels like Saigon – Ninh Chu have information desks for tourists.

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