Vietnam travel blog

Dai Nam Tourist Site gets US$150 million expansion

2010-07-04T10:52:00.001+07:00

More than VND3 trillion (US$150 million) will be invested in the second phase of the Dai Nam Tourist Site, announced the Dai Nam Joint Stock Copmany on July 1.

“The second phase construction will be completed soon. We hope that the park will be a pride for Vietnamese people and a place honoring Vietnamese traditional culture” he added.

The Dai Nam Tourist site covers on an area over 450 hectares in the town of Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong Province, about 45 minutes drive from HCM City.

The first stage of the park was put into operation at a total cost of more than VND2.5 trillion (US$125 million).

The park received more than 3.5 million visitors last year and is expected to attract over 5 million in 2010, and 10 millions in 2012, the company said.

Source: VNA

A day at Thay Pagoda

2010-07-04T10:51:00.000+07:00

Thay Pagoda, one of the famous attractions in the vicinity of Hanoi, is also known as Thien Phuc Pagoda and is dedicated to the worship Sakyamuni Buddha and 18 Arhats. The pagoda is on the side of a mountain, surrounded by trees.

Built in the 11th century, during the reign of King Ly Nhan Tong, Thay Pagoda has three sections: the outer, for offerings and ceremonies, the middle, for worship of Buddha, and the inner, for worship of monk Tu Dao Hanh.

In front of the pagoda is Long Chieu Lake. In the middle of the lake is a floating temple that serves as a stage for water puppet shows.

In the large yard of the pagoda, there are two bridges, built in 1602.

At the pagoda, visitors can see representations of three incarnations of monk Tu Dao Hanh. A wooden statue is for the period when the monk led his life for Buddhism at Huong Hai Temple, where he found wild leaves to make medicine for residents and initiated water-puppet entertainment.

The second representation is a stone statue of the monk in a monk’s robe with a lotus flower on his head. The statue is on a stone lotus flower with a meticulously carved pattern.

The third representation is a statue of the monk reincarnated as King Ly Nhan Tong, sitting on a throne, with a general’s hat.

From the bridge in front of the pagoda, visitors can trek up the mountain, where there are old pagodas, temples and mysterious caves.

Halfway up the mountain, visitors meet Cao Pagoda, where Tu Dao Hanh started his religious life. Behind the pagoda is Cac Co Cave, which is considered the place where more than 2,000 soldiers died in wartime. At the entrance, cold air blows from the darkness in the deep cave, making visitors feel cool and shudder. The way into the cave is slippery, so visitors have to be careful. They should also bring a flashlight.

Further up the mountain, visitors meet Thuong Temple, noted for its architecture. Near the temple are many caves, such as But Moc, Bo or Gio, where visitors can find some stalactites and can be excited by sunbeams shimmering through the darkness.

A day at the pagoda will bring visitors relaxing moments, nostalgia through the antique and peace and still of the sanctuary, defeating all tiredness and tetchiness of daily life.

Source: SGT

Taking the high road

2010-06-28T17:33:00.000+07:00

Vietnam is not a country short of spectacular landscapes and history. But, while the country and its people strive to become more modern and developed, many have started to forget Vietnam’s true beauty and past.

The Hai Van Pass is one site drenched in history and beauty that remains. Even with the introduction of the Hai Van Tunnel in 2005 that makes the journey from Da Nang to Hue much shorter, many bus drivers and motorists choose to travel along the picturesque mountain road steeped in history and with panoramic views of Da Nang.

Hai Van (sea clouds) Pass is located on National Highway 1A at the border of Thua Thien-Hue Province and Da Nang City and is part of the Truong Son Range. Its history begins in 1306, before which, it belonged to the Champa Kingdom.

In the summer of that year, the beautiful Princess Huyen Tran, daughter of King Tran Nhan Tong, agreed to marry King Che Man of Champa, at the request of her father. In return, King Che Man, also known as Jaya Sinhavarman III, gave Vietnam the Ulik area (the current provinces of Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue), including the pass, as a betrothal gift.

Hai Van Pass stands 500 meters above sea level and is the highest pass in Vietnam. It stands with its feet in the sea and its summit is covered with clouds. The drive over the pass sees visitors tearing through the clouds along a winding road.

At the summit, you feel on top of the world as the wind swirls around you. On a clear day, you can see Da Nang, Tien Sa Port, Son Tra Peninsula, Cu Lao Cham Island and a stretch of palm-shaded sand, known as Lang Co, with a crystal-clear lagoon.

Also at the top of the pass is a vestige from long ago that takes the form of a brick gate covered with moss. It was built in 1826 under the rule of King Minh Mang, the second emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty.

The gate itself is 10 meters high with walls that are five meters thick. It faces Thua Thien-Hue Province, and is inscribed with three words “Hai Van Gate” in Han script. On the other side, the gate is engraved with: “The most grandiose gateway in the world”, also in Han script. These words were said by King Le Thanh Ton (1442-1497) when he visited the site.

During the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), Hai Van Pass was an important military site and a shield that protected the Hue Royal Citadel. People had to submit the necessary papers to be allowed to pass through the guarded gate.

In 1826, French troops also built a blockhouse, named Don Nhat, to protect the Hai Van Pass.

For years, Hai Van Pass, with its ancient gate covered in moss set against a backdrop of greenery, has evoked old memories and feelings from the past. It is one of the places in Vietnam where you can gasp at breathtaking scenery as well as take in the history of the site.

Source: Thanh nien

Vestiges of Oc Eo culture at Ba The Mountain

2010-06-24T08:11:00.000+07:00

In 1942, in Thoai Son District, An Giang Province, a French archaeologist discovered many artifacts of the Oc Eo culture which were attached to the legendary kingdom of Phu Nam dating back nearly 1,500 years. The antiques were kept in a cottage in the rice field where they were discovered before the local authorities brought them to the top of Ba The Mountain in Oc Eo Hamlet, Thoai Son District.

These antiques reveal secrets of a strong and prosperous kingdom that originated in South Asia. After about 1,500 years of the displacement of nature and history, this culture has fallen into oblivion.

A view of the house displaying antiques of the Oc Eo culture

at Ba The Mountain in An Giang Province.

In 2002, the government built a winding concrete road lined with trees to the top of Ba The Mountain to serve tourism.

At the top of the mountain is Son Tien Tu Pagoda which was built in 1933. Standing in front of the pagoda is an eight-meter high statue of Quan The Am and next to it a three-meter high slab of granite with a diameter large enough to separate a circle of four or five people. On this huge stone’s surface is a footprint which is bigger than a normal human footprint. People call it a ban chan tien, or a fairy’s foot.

About ten kilometers from the pagoda is a house that looks like an Indian temple with a front door facing east following the Hindu pattern. This house contains many antiques related to the history and culture of Ba The-Oc Eo. In front are two statues of human bodies with elephant heads and with linga and yoni in hand.

The antiques are divided into three groups. One includes ceramic vases, metal pots and terracotta cups. The second includes bricks, walls, pillars and statues of humans, Buddha and animals. The final group features terracotta tombs, stone molds as some stone jewelry.

“I seem to live in the past of Phu Nam’s time. I can imagine how their life was, the way they built houses, cooked and practiced religious rituals and festivals. It is amazing when artifacts of a vanished nation still exist,” said an unidentified visitor to the relic.

VietNamNet

Touring the west side of the Delta

2010-06-24T08:02:00.000+07:00

Ha Tien on the Gulf of Thailand is famous for its stunning sceneries at places such as Mui Nai Beach, Thon Van Stone Cave and Chong Islet and for its many historical and cultural relics.

Departing from the center of Ha Tien Township, the first stop should be the royal tombs and temples of the Mac Cuu family among the trees, birds and insects at Binh San Mountain. Phu Dung Pagoda is worth a look for its architecture and design.

A view of Mui Nai Beach.

Thon Van Stone Cave is just three kilometers from the center of Ha Tien. Seen from a distance, the cave, which is 50 meters high, looks like a hat of a general. Inside the cave is a Buddhist pagoda and Ba Chua Xu Temple. There are also the typical stalactites and many dark and mysterious small grottos that tourists should not enter.

Den Mountain and Mui Nai Beach promise comfort and relaxation. After a dip in the sea and playing with the waves, there is a roller coaster on a track smooth enough for little kids to enjoy. From right near the beach and for VND40,000 the gentle train achieves a little altitude on the side of Ta Ban Mountain. The winding track passing through the forest of the mountain is a good safe adventure.

On the peak of the mountain is the Vong Hai Dai Watchtower where tourists can admire the panoramic view of the region and make out Phu Quoc and many other islands.

VietNamNet

A day at Tram Gian Pagoda

2010-06-24T07:26:00.000+07:00

Tram Gian Pagoda is the folk name of the pagoda which is also known as So Pagoda, Nui Pagoda and Tien Lu Pagoda. A one-day tour here to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and the stillness of the sanctuary and to flee the scorching heat of Hanoi is an interesting experience.

Visitors to the sanctuary will be welcomed by a fragrant lotus pond. The gate of the pagoda is impressive with two giant pillars and a large brick yard behind it. At the end of the yard is the path leading to the pagoda which is covered in the shade of pine trees and looks like a scene from a fantasy movie.

The pagoda is thought to have been built in 1185 during the reign of King Ly Cao Tong and sits on top of a low hill named Tien Lu. A climb of several hundred steps and a walk down an alley paved with bricks and stones reveal a two-story bell tower of eight elegant corner-curved roofs. Known as the Bell Tower of Tram Gian, it still preserves columns carved with intricate lotus shapes, wood panels in the shapes of dragons, flowers and leaves, clouds and the sky. Under the roof hangs a 1.4-meter-tall bell that was made in 1794.

The Pagoda is built in the noi cong ngoai quoc architectural style, meaning it is covered with Chinese characters.

The center area of the pagoda includes three parts: Tien Duong (forecourt), Thien Huong (celestial perfume) and Thuong Dien (upper altar). These areas link together, creating a closed architecture.

In the yard is a place displaying drums and musical stones that pilgrims and visitors can contemplate as works of art in the poetic surroundings.

The pagoda has several statues of Buddha and one of Admiral Dang Tien Dong, a military mandarin of the Tay Son Troop. This statue is so life like that visitors often mistake it for a living person. Dang Tien Dong contributed to the renovation of the pagoda after the victory against Quing in 1789.

The pagoda keeps precious artifacts such as a stone dragon of the Tran Dynasty made as a banister, many bricks of the Mac Dynasty used to build a Tam The (past, present and future lives) statue, and many paintings and bas-reliefs depicting animals and Arhats.

VietNamNet