Sep
24
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Discovering the beauty of the northern provinces by motorbike
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VietNamNet Bridge – There's a reason why the mountainous provinces of northern Viet Nam top the to-do lists of countless backpackers and visitors. I've been fortunate enough to trek through the westernmost forests of Dien Bien Province, drive a motorbike across Ha Giang Province's Ma Pi Leng (one of the most beautiful passes in the north), and wander around the Khau Vai love market until midnight. However, despite these adventures, I had never seen terraced mountian fields of ripened rice before.
Plain as day: A beautiful terraced field in Van Chan District's Tu Le Commune.
To remedy this exception, I joined a four-day motorbike tour with 11 other people to the northern provinces of Son La and Yen Bai during the Independence Day long weekend earlier this month.
From Ha Noi, we drove 200km to Son La Province's Moc Chau District and spent one night there. Our group missed out on tasting stone crabs at a market on Thung Khe Pass but experienced unforgettable moments at Moc Chau love market.
The love market is held annually from August 31 to September 2 for Mong ethnic people. Unlike Khau Vai market in Ha Giang and Sa Pa market in Lao Cai, few tourists visit it. Upon our visit, groups of girls and boys dressed in traditional attire walked the streets, enjoying a live music show, complete with song and dance routines. We also caught boys attempting to make friends with girls and young men flirting with beautiful young women.
The darker it got, the more fun it was. However, we had a long journey the following day and reluctantly retreated to our hostel for an early night.
In the market for love: Mong young women flock to the centre of Moc Chau town
to enjoy the love market and celebrate the Independence Day.
We drove nearly 180km in the next day to reach our destination – Ngoc Chien Commune in Muong La District. We had no difficulty driving along the concrete roads from Moc Chau to Muong La, but the route from It Ong Town to Ngoc Chien was more challenging due to loose rocks and small stones that had fallen onto the path, preventing us from picking up speed.
To overcome the steep slopes of the natural terrain, our drivers were forced into first and second gear while the passengers held them tightly. Only our leader, with his mighty Minsk motorcycle, was able to coast smoothly up the gradients.
Despite concentrating heavily on driving, we still managed to observe some beautiful sights along the way, stopping several times to take photographs of breathtaking green terraced fields stretching down from the mountains and Thai people bathing in the springs along the sidewalks.
Ngoc Chien Commune is located about 1,800m above sea level with a cool climate all year round. Home to Mong, Thai and La Ha ethnic people, there are no hostels or guesthouses here, with homestays the only accomodation option for visitors. As such, we opted to stay in a stilt house of a Thai family.
Tough terrain: Drivers find it difficult to overcome
muddy roads from Ngoc Chien to Nam Khat.
There is a saying that "Ngoc Chien Commune's women are most beautiful in Muong La District". The local people claim their beauty comes from bathing in hot springs. Although we reached Ngoc Chien late in the day, we still tried to enjoy the famed hot springs ourselves, driving 5km to the neighbouring Muong Chien Commune. For only VND5,000 (US$0.25) per person, we bathed for as long as our hearts desired. The natural hot water helped to reduce our tiredness and regain full possession of our senses.
Following our soak, we had a quick dinner consisting of simple local dishes before cutting loose at a nearby karaoke house. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to talk with our hosts as we had to go to bed early in order to save our strength for the most difficult stage of our trip the next day.
No one can explain why, but it rains on Independence Day in Ha Noi every year. However, when celebrating this important event outside of the capital for the first time, I realised that it rains in other areas, too. The road from Ngoc Chien to Nam Khat Commune in Yen Bai Province's Mu Cang Chai District opened in 2005 without any concrete laid. As a result, the paths are full of gravel and stones, meaning driving motorbikes under added rain was always going to be taxing.
With our wheels covered in mud and our tyres unable to grip the road, we dismounted our motorbikes and helped our drivers to push them along.
After nearly two hours of pushing and driving, our efforts were paid in kind with a stunning view of the hallowed ripened rice fields. Ypoundsellow flecks of colour spreading across the terraced horizon appeared in front of us, resembling a beautiful painting by a masterful artist.
We eventually arrived in Van Chan District's Tu Le Commune in the afternoon and had lunch there before heading to Nghia Lo Town. After one night there, we spent a whole day travelling back to Ha Noi.
As well as laying eyes on the one sight I had so longed to see, the trip provided me with so much more: bathing in hot springs, experiencing offroad terrain and so on. Now, I'm left with the idea by Father Alfred D Souza: "Happiness is a journey, not a destination". He couldn't be more right.
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Sep
24
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Cruise, cuisine and culture on Saigon River
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VietNamNet Bridge – Authentic cuisine, dancing, music and many more typical Vietnamese traits are available for visitors to experience on board the three-deck wooden boat Vietcruiser that travels along the Saigon River every Saturday, with chartered voyages six days a week.
The dancing show on Vietcruiser.
The journey to experience Vietnamese specialties begins when guests step aboard Vietcruiser, as local girls in traditional attire, including ao dai, treat you with cakes and fruit of different regions and seasons.
On the bamboo trays are banh tet (cylindrical glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste and pork), banh pia (flour cake with salty yolk, durian, green bean paste and taro), and many other sweet and salty cakes made from rice powder and other ingredients. Litchi, chom chom (rambutan), Vietnamese tea and other seasonal fruit on offer will add some flavor before the trip starts.
A buffet dinner begins once the 39-meter-long, 8.5-meter-wide Vietcruiser departs Nha Rong Wharf in downtown HCMC at around 7:15 p.m. During the cruise on the Saigon River at night to Thanh Da in Binh Thanh District and back to base, guests can walk around the serving counters on the ground floors to select goi (mixed salad), goi cuon (spring roll), grilled squid and shrimp, and other dishes featuring flavors of different localities in Vietnam.
The craftsman shapes to he on the boat.
Music and dances depicting cultural and historical glimpses of Vietnam are on show throughout the voyage that ends around 9:30 p.m. The melodious sounds of dan tranh and dan bau and other Vietnamese musical instruments will relax guests on board. Craftsmen are also a fixture on the Vietcruiser to make to he (toy figurine), which is made into toys for children to play at traditional festivals in the country from a mixture of glutinous and ordinary rice powder. With this material, the craftsman can shape animals, flowers or characters from folk stories and also do requests for guests.
When dinner is over, a good idea for passengers is to sit and relax at their seats or go to the upper deck to view HCMC at night
Tickets are priced from VND390,000 and allow guests to enjoy a wide selection of Vietnamese food specialties as well as music and dancing shows during the weekend voyage on the 256-seat boat. For the ticket price you also get some free drinks.
Note this is a special promotion price until the end of October.
More information is available at www.vietcruiser.com.
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Sep
24
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Hanoi hosts exhibition of Japanese KIRIGAMI
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VietNamNet Bridge – An exhibition titled ‘World of KIRIGAMI: A Hundred Flowers & Words’ featuring art works by Japanese artist Kanako Yaguchi will be held at the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Hanoi from September 22 to October 21.
Kanako Yaguchi is highly acclaimed as a promising KIRIGAMI artist who adds new value on the traditional KIRIGAMI handicrafts by fusing contemporary ideas into them.
Many of Kanako’s original patterns have become standards in KIRIGAMI works and her cutting-edge patterns are used for new designs for Japanese traditional clothes likely the Kimono and Yukata, as well as for advertisements. Kanako has also published many books on KIRIGAMI and often appears on TV in Japan as an instructor for making KIRIGAMI works at home.
Born in 1976, Kanako Yaguchi graduated from the Department of Design at Joshibi University of Art and Design, Japan. She currently works in the apparel industry and has had many solo exhibitions.
She also owns shops, designs logos and holds workshops on KIRIGAMI works. She has released many books in English including The Art of Decorative Paper Stencils 1 & 2 (Quarry Books, 2008, 2009).
KIRIGAMI (paper cutouts) is one of Japan’s traditional arts and a variation of Origami (folding paper).
These KIRIGAMI works are usually seen in Buddhist and Shinto festivals in Japan, decorative paper for New Year, Tanabata (The Star Festival), paper lanterns for fairs, paper toys for kids, wall paper and folk handicraft products.
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Hanoi hosts exhibition of Japanese KIRIGAMI
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24/09/2012 08:55:50
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Nguyen Truong Son wins first prize at Davines hair show
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24/09/2012 08:54:15
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Elderly scholar determined to complete book
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24/09/2012 08:52:30
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Nexttop DJ 2012 launched
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24/09/2012 08:51:19
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North artists bring Hanoi’s autumn to town
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24/09/2012 08:48:57
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YxineFF launches with 16:30
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24/09/2012 08:47:55
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The Voice’s Liveshow Round to make voting results public
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24/09/2012 08:45:23
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The Voice’s Liveshow Round to make voting results public
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24/09/2012 08:43:00
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Travel awards honour low-cost carrier VietJetAir
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24/09/2012 08:37:03
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