Beautiful birds in Bac Lieu

Bac Lieu Province, around 100 km from the southernmost tip of Vietnam, is home to a popular bird sanctuary located in Hiep Thanh Commune of Bac Lieu Town. The sanctuary is one of the most attractive ecological tourist spots in the Mekong River Delta.

The Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary is the vestige of a forest which ran along the East Sea coast and came into existence over a century ago. The sanctuary is just around five kilometers from the town center. It covers some 107 hectares and lies within the remaining 385 hectares of forest area. The sanctuary is now home to 46 bird species, 60 fish species, seven frog species, 10 species of mammals, eight reptile species, and 100 species of plants. On the ground are a massive number of eggs, and in the air, you can spot some species with 2 m wing-spans.

Over nearly one century, the Sanctuary is the place where generations of birds are born, usually in the rainy season, and developed. There are currently some 40,000 birds and 5,000 nests, according to preliminary statistics. Birds mostly gather here during the rainy season between May and October. In August and September, flocks of birds gather at the sanctuary to build nests and breed. The forest comes alive with the singing of various kinds of birds and trees overflow with hundreds of birds’ nests. The Sanctuary is also the important home of several water birds, mainly teal, stork, heron, night heron and cormorant.

According to documentation of Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary Nature Reserve, in the first, it was a coastal rich and diversified salt forest floor with the natural salt-marsh ecosystem. As a part of the remaining forest floor along the East Sea, it is increasingly far from the sea due to alluvial deposits. In 1962, it was looked after, protected and controlled by a household. Then, the local authority realized that it is a precious natural property, so they have a step by step investment.

The best time to visit Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary is in the early morning when most birds leave their nests to begin a day of feeding. Alternatively, at sunset the birds can also be seen more easily as they return to their nests to sleep, flocks of bird fly one after another. This is the moment of enjoying the most spectacular sight the sanctuary.

Moreover, the rich flora and fauna of the enclosure gives the lush, natural area a feeling of wonder and enchantment. Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary is a favorite destination of both nature lovers and researchers and visitors will easily find several types of birds listed in Vietnam’s “Red Book” of endangered species of plants and animals. The area is also popular amongst photographers who come to the sanctuary for one-of-a-kind shots of the breathtakingly beautiful birds.

Although it has potential for further development, the Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary remains off the radar of most large tourist companies and thus, tourists wishing to visit the area must organize travel themselves or seek out a local guide.

Traveling to Bac Lieu, you should not forget to visit Bac Lieu bird sanctuary, the area of nature conservation with over 40 species of inhabiting bird, especially the species rare and valuable.

Phu Yen : come to love and leave to miss

Just off National Highway 1A, about 80 kilometers from the central coast city of Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa city in Phu Yen province is famous for its primitive landscapes including O Loan Lagoon, Mai Nha (Roof) island and Da Dia Rapids.
O Loan Lagoon, which has been recognized as a national tourist site, covers about 1,200 hectares. The west side of the lagoon is surrounded by small hills and the east side is the tomb of Cao Bien, a national hero. It is located at the end of Quan Cau pass, near National Highway 1A. Tourists can hire a boat from a local fisherman for VND200, 000 to enjoy its scenery.

The area of the lagoon is famous for oyster and cockle dishes and crab. Oysters make good food like soup or fried dishes. However, it is most delicious in a mix with peanuts, tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables. After rowing around the immense lagoon, tourists will want to head straight for a restaurant to enjoy indigenous specialties.

Leaving O Loan, tourists should go on to An Hai beach and Mai Nha Island, a quiet speck of land belonging to Phu Yen province and endowed with unspoiled beaches and bizarre rock formations. It is called Mai Nha for the simple reason that it looks like the roof of an ancient red-tiled house when viewed from afar.

On sunny weekends, groups of fishermen often hire boats to go fishing on the island. They sit on the rocks all day to fish and to enjoy the pleasant sound of the waves.

Only a few families live on the island by farming and breeding cattle. Like everywhere else in rural Vietnam, the people here are friendly and hospitable.

There are no restaurants on the island so bring food and water.

Da Dia (Stone Plate) Rapids is a must-see attraction in Tuy An district. The strange rocks here include large upright stones in a symmetrical pattern that looks like a baffling riddle of nature set in stone for all time. It’s like a giant jigsaw, irritatingly made of the same shaped pieces, and forming a solidified structure that has proved more than just a curiosity for thousands. Looking down on it, visitors often liken it to a gigantic beehive, others as a pile of stone plates.

Archaeologists say that the rapids were formed from a volcano thousands of years ago. Exhausted researchers usually call a halt after counting around 35,000 stone columns which look like they were carefully arranged by a large hand. The rapids have been listed as a National Heritage Site by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Beauty of Muong Vang

The villages of the Muong ethnic minority are surrounded by streams, mountains and stilt houses. These villages not only provide for attractive scenery, but are also known for their hospitality.

Muong people account for over 60% of the population of Hoa Binh Province. There are four distinct groups of the Muong people in Lac Son District, including Muong Bi, Muong Vang, Muong Thang and Muong Dong.

Lac Son, some 50km from Hoa Binh City to the South West of Hoa Binh Province, is a land which preserves many old features of Muong people’s culture.

At an elevation of 1,071m above sea level, Cot Ca Mountain in Quy Hoa Commune, is sometimes referred to as the roof of Lac Son District.

One of the most impressive sights of this hilly region is actually the houses of the Moung people, which are still built in the traditional way, on stilts. Each household resides on the peak of a mountain or a hill.

Modernity has partially affected their culture; more and more, the traditional dress is being discarded for more modern garb. Still, the mystery and natural way of the lifestyle here is worth seeing. In any case, there are still relics of the old ways: Ao Com (a traditional Muong shirt), old songs, and special foods are still to be found.

Photos of the Muong Vang:

Imposing beauty of Dray Nur waterfall

Sparkling Dray Nur waterfall in Dak Lak Province has a natural beauty that is shrouded in the mystique of legend.

The 30-metre falls, which are also known as Cai or Vo (wife), originate from the Krong Ana River.

The story is that, a long time ago, a man of Kuop Hamlet fell in love with a girl who lived on the other side of the Serepok River. Their love remained hidden from their parents until they were inseparable.

Unfortunately, they were in a sort of Romeo and Juliet situation, where the two families were old and bitter rivals. Naturally the parents did not approve, and all their efforts to stay together seemed destined to fail.

So one night, rather than being separated, the couple committed suicide in the Serepok River. Suddenly, there was a thunderstorm, water leaped up from the river and sounds came from the forest. The next morning, the people of the hamlet were surprised to see that the river had been separated in two, isolating the two families.

Ever since then the one river has been two: the Duc (husband) creates the Dray Sap Waterfall in Dak Nong Province, in the central highlands, while the Cai (wife) river feeds the Dray Nur waterfall in Dak Lak Province.

Water still flows down the falls in small streams, only to be united at the bottom. Many say that the sound it makes are echos of the delights and reproaches of that “star crossed love”.

A mystical beauty

Visitors enjoy the sight and sound

Vietnam’s “Dark Cave” opens for tourists

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has come to be well-known for the Phong Nha Cave and its natural beauty. Starting in June, the park’s management board launched a tour from the Chay River to Hang Toi (Dark Cave).

Boat trips along Chay River

The tour is environmentally friendly, and offers visitors a chance to try out the local cuisine of Quang Binh Province.

The Chay River begins at the limestone plateau of Ka Bang, with the clear and blue waters of the Son River’s tributary.

The stone peaks provide a lovely foil to the surrounding corn fields, making unique and picturesque scenery.

Hang Toi or “The Dark Cave” is 5,258 metres in long, and 80 metres in high. It is also the home of a number of animals, from bats to swallows.

Hang Toi

Underwater lime stone caves of Hang Toi

Grandiosity puts human life in perspective

Pavilion of Edicts (Phu Van Lau)

Location: Pavilion of Edicts is situated right in front of the Flag -Tower and by the National Highway No.1A which crosses Hue City.
Characteristic: It is a delicate pavilion with a south view. In front of the Pavilion is a large court leading to the Nghinh Luong Pavilion (Pavilion for Fresh Air) on the Perfume River bank.

There had once been a tiger – elephant duel on the pavilion grounds in 1829 to entertain Emperor Minh Mang. In his fortieth and fiftieth birthday anniversaries, many entertainments were also held there. These practices were maintained by Emperors Thieu Tri and Tu Duc in their birthday anniversaries. Emperor Thieu Tri listed the Perfume River and the Pavilion of Edicts among 20 most beautiful sights of the capital city of Hue. It was him who ordered in 1843 the construction of a stele house on the right of the pavilion for engraving his poem “Morning Boating on the Perfume River”.

It is the building where Emperor’s edicts and lists of successful candidates of Thi Hoi (National Examination) and Thi Dinh (Court Examinations) were publicized. Though built early in Emperor Gia Long’s reign (1819), it was first decided by Emperor Minh Mang to be the site to publicly display his important edicts.

After having been announced at the Throne Palace or the Ngo Mon, the edict was put in a canopied palanquin and carried by soldiers to the pavilion. On that occasion, the Thua Thien Province mandarins and thousands of local elders crowded to pay homage to the edict. Since 1821, after the Proclamation Ceremony, lists of successful candidates were posted there. In order to enhance the significance, two stone steles were erected on both sides of the pavilion, inscribed with Chinese characters meaning “Tilt Your Hats and Dismount” reminding passers-by to tilt their hats and get off their horses when passing this monument.

The pavilion was destroyed by a typhoon in 1904 and restored later by Emperor Thanh Thai.

Coto island

Co To Island is about 3 hours by boat from Cai Rong Town , Van Don Island District, 150km from Halong City. The Quang Ninh province's tourism sector has surveyed potential to develop tourism on the island, especially eco-tourism. Co To Island includes 40 large and small islands, of which the three largest are large Co To, Thanh Lan and Tran.

Co To Sea is beautiful both day and night, sunrise and sunset, bright moon and dim moon. Beaches in the large Co To Island are deserted and not polluted by modern industrial society. Trinh Sat Beach is typical with white sand and blue water as clear as crystal.

The forest is also appropriate for ecotourism tours. You can walk or catch "xe om" (motorbike taxi) to visit a lighthouse on a high hill. It's about 10 minutes by "xe om" from centre of island to the foot of hill, and then you'd better walk along a path to the lighthouse. This path is about 1km and lies among pine tree forest together with thousands of violet wild flowers. The light house is on the highest peak of the Co To island, 70 metres above sea level.

Large Co To Island has an abundance of seafood such as shrimp, cuttle fish..., price is very cheap. You can bring gas cooker and cook your own meal or hire a native to cook.

From large Co To Island, hiring a boat to the islands around, you will discover things such as kinds of water sports: snorkeling, fish stabbing... on Thanh Lan Island, oranges are a special harvested fruit. During harvest time, the island turns a splendid orange-yellow colour.

Charming landscape with fresh air make CoTo become an attractive place for visitors who are keen on exploring.

Phu Quy Island - Beautiful landscape

 120 kilometers southeast of the Phan Thiet Sea, lies ten beautiful islands which comprises the known Phu Quy District. From the range of islets, Phu Quy Island is deemed the largest with 16.5 km2 in area and a population of about 25,000. With its long stretch of white sandy beaches and dense coral reefs, only the rocky, northern half of the island is inhabited. Endowed with beautiful landscapes which include vast rows or casuarinas trees, the entirety of the island is very pristine.

Though the place holds a lot of beautiful sceneries and important cultural sites, the speedier development of its neighboring islets have helped Phu Quy maintain its paradise-like visage and its pure state. With cool climate year-round, crystal-clear waters and fascinating coral reefs, the island is a great place to keep close touch with nature and enjoy a calm and serene atmosphere ideal for summer getaways or romantic settings.

Among the places to see around the island is the famous lighthouse that sits on Cam Mountain. Not only the lighthouse provides tourists the best view of the island’s romantic landscapes and beautiful rock formations, the people in the island also take pride on it as it is one of the only two lighthouses in the country that runs on solar energy. On the same mountain lies the Linh Buu Pagoda, one of the many pagodas and temples that have graced the island for so long. An Thanh Temple which holds remains of gigantic whales worshipped by the locals along with the 18th century-built Linh Quang temple are two of the nationally-recognized cultural-historic sites embedded in this beautiful place.

Apart from that, as Phu Quy’s name means “rich and precious”, the island indeed has vast reserves of mineral resources and perfect fishing conditions. In fact, its waters are considered the most important fishing grounds in the central coast of Binh Thuan province where a wide and diverse marine life dwells in. Snappers, groupers, tunas and sharks are among its most common products, yet the abundance of squid makes it the island’s specialty.

Viewing the island from the north, it resembles giant mackerel emerging from the sea, thus, Phu Quy is commonly referred to by the local residents as Cu Lao Thu (Mackerel Island).

What To Expect

Because of its distance, Phu Quy’s major sources of electricity are diesel-driven generators. As the place do not have disco bars and active night life, with a few karaoke bars around however, power in the whole island is switched off every night close to midnight until early morning the next day. However, along with the recent developments around, a network of electricity is developed on top of the modern road systems, schools, medical stations and tourism services put up in the locality.

The island may be pretty far from Vietnam’s mainland, but ATM machines are available as well as hospitals with X-ray services. They also provide a decent mobile phone coverage and internet cafes are easily accessible. As the island does not have as active tourism activities than its neighbors, there are only few guest houses available at present (about 100,000 VND for a night’s stay). Visiting the market gives you opportunity to enjoy the island’s freshest catch and have it cooked for an extra fee. You can take a nice walk along the shorelines while enjoying the stunning view of the beach, or perhaps read a good book or take the opportunity to just simply relax and enjoy the peace and quiet away from the chaotic city noise. Friendly villagers often approach you and offer coconut milk drinks for sale, sugar canes and freshly cooked Cha Gio (Vietnamese spring rolls).

Getting Around the Island

There is no public transport available in Phu Quy, yet renting a motorbike (80,000 VND for a full day, or 50,000 for half-a-day, without fuel) is the easiest way to get around the island. At present, better roads are constantly developed and more vehicles might be expected in the near future.

Traveling to Phu Quy

You can travel via road to Phan Thiet, and from there you can take the ferry boat bound for Phu Quy (140′000 VND one way). Since schedules of ferries greatly depend on weather conditions, there are no fixed departure schedules. On favorable weathers, the boat departs from Phan Thiet harbor every three days.

A phone call to the harbor better helps you plan your trip ahead, but if you have the chance to drop by, they usually put up a sign on the waiting boat which says when the next departure is expected. It is advised to come an hour early before the departure to find a comfortable seat since the travel could get uncomfortable due to cargoes taken aboard. Normally, the trip takes about 6 hours, but when the waters are not calm and weather is not so favorable, it could stretch up to over 9 hours. Don’t forget your visas since registration of passports on their immigration office is required upon arrival.

Ha Giang Stone Plateau

    *Area: 7,884.3 sq. km.
    *Population: 673,300 habitants (2005)
    *Capital: Ha Giang Town.
    * Districts: Dong Van, Meo Vac, Yen Minh, Quan Ba, Bac Me, Hoang Su Phi, Vi Xuyen, Xin Man, Bac Quang, Quang Binh.
    * Ethnic groups: Viet (Kinh), Tay, Dao, H’Mong, San Diu.

Located at the highest latitude in Vietnam. The annual average temperature varies between 24 and 28ºC. Ha Giang Town is 320km from Hanoi. Ha Giang is on National Highway No.2, 34, 279 linking to Yen Bai, Cao Bang, Lao Cai provinces in turn. Tourist can buy embroidery such as handkerchief, haversack, and dress with colorful, fine pattern. They also take part in enjoyable market-day of local ethnics. The people and natural scenes here are unlike anywhere in Vietnam.

Attractions

Khau Vai Love Market
Every year on 27th day of the third lunar month in Khau Vai Commune, Meo Vac District, Ha Giang Province. This is the place for couples in the region to make a date, and it is also the place for former lovers to meet each other, and look for boy or girl friend.

Dong Van Highland
In Dong Van District, 146km far from Ha Giang Town, Ha Giang Province. Dong Van has a lot to offer: mountains, forests, hidden grottoes and caves, and many valuable plants for medical purposes. Dong Van Highland is situated 1,025 m above sea level and is inhabited by the Tay and H’Mong ethnic groups. The temperature is approximately 1oC in winter and reaches 24oC on the hottest days. The plateau provides famous products such as Hau plums, peaches, and persimmons without seeds. Dong Van apples are as big as pears. In Dong Van, numerous valuable plants used for their medicinal value are found, including ginseng, anise, and cinnamon. Dong Van is very beautiful with mountains, forests, hidden grottoes and caves, multicoloured orchid forests, plum and peach trees, persimmon orchards, and more. Visiting Dong Van, one can see Pho Bang, also called Pho Bang Street, which was built a long time ago and features multi-storey houses made of clay bricks and tile roofs. Visiting Dong Van on Sundays, one can shop in a very original mountain market where all kinds of goods and multicoloured clothes can be purchased.

Sapa - lovely town in fog

Despite its commercialization during the last seven years, Sapa is still a must-see on any northern Vietnam itinerary. On a clear day you will treated to views of steeply terraced rice fields, towering verdant ridgelines, primitive mud-thatched villages, raging rivers and astounding waterfalls.

Nestled high in the Tonkinese Alps near the Chinese border, Sape was built as a hill station during French colonial days, to serve as a respite from stifling Hanoi summers. These days, weekends are still the biggest draw in this crumbling hill-tribe center. Visitors from the capital flock to Sapa for a glimpse of the famed "Love Market," a trek to local hill tribe villages, or an ascent of Vietnam's highest peak, Fan Si Pan.

Some eight ethnic groups inhabit Lao Cai province: Hmong, Dao, White Thai, Giay, Tay, Muong, Hao and Xa Pho. The most prominent in town are the Red Dao, easily identified by the coin-dangling red headdresses and intricately embroidered waistcoats worn by the women, and the Hmong, distinguished by their somewhat less elaborately embroidered royal blue attire. Groups of ethnic Hmong youngsters and women can be seen hauling impossibly heavy, awkward baskets of wood, stakes, bamboo, bricks, mud and produce. Deep in the valleys surrounding Sapa, the Muong Hoa River sluices a wild, jagged course among Giay, Red Dao and White Thai settlements, their tiny dwellings poking out of the neon rice fields like diamonds on a putting green. One- to four-day treks are offered by a handful of outfitters. Guests sleep in tents or in the homes of villagers, their gear hauled by Hmong porters. Be warned: Despite what the local innkeepers will tell you, both the Hmong and the Dao really do not enjoy having their photographs taken unless they're paid for it. It's a certainty that any brochure you see of smiling, care-free ethnic hill people was shot under a Screen Actors Guild contract.

Sa pa is famed for its "Love Market" – sort of a cross between a peacock mating ritual, a Middle Eastern arms bazaar, an Amish square dance, a bad Pavarotti concert and Bangkok's Patpong (except here the people wear clothes). On Saturday nights, Red Dao hill tribe youths of both sexes congregate in a weekly courting rite, singing tribal versions of Loretta Lynn love songs to woo the opposite sex. The songs are highly personalized and boast of the composer's physical attributes, domestic abilities and strong work ethic. While Dao women are indeed highly industrious, the men, it seems, prefer to spend most of their time drinking, smoking opium or sleeping, only occasionally slapping the rump of a lethargic bovine moving more slowly than they are. Few of their songs, though, are about drinking, smoking opium, sleeping or slapping rumps.

Topping out at 3,143 meters, Fan Si Pan has become the Mount Everest of Vietnam, with queues of yuppie trekkers in their latest TravelSmith "totally-packable" rainwear forming mountaineering traffic jams at base camps. Footprint Travel can arrange guided ascents.

Sapa itself is a somewhat bedraggled village meshing crumbling, mildewed French colonial architecture with the pencil-thin, brick-and-concrete mini-hotels that have become so ubiquitous in recent years all across Vietnam. This neglected, cultural mishmash would be an eyesore in any place less spectacularly scenic than Sapa. Because of its Shangri-la-like setting, Sapa actually seems quaint – a tranquil, restful village. Which is, of course, what the French originally intended the place to be. Amenities are limited unless you choose to stay at the Four Star Victoria Sapa, a sprawling alpine campus nestled discreetly into a hillside in the center of town.

The best times of the year to visit Sapa are in the spring and fall. Summers tend to be rainy and muddy, while winter temperatures can drop to the freezing mark (Sapa ushered in 2000 with snow!). Weather really does make a difference here, because the spectacular scenery is all but blotted out when there is cloud cover and rain. Ignore the other Nikon-toting tourists in the villages and get out into the countryside, where you just may still catch a glimpse into hill-tribe life of a couple of centuries ago.

Vietnamese people

Although there are as many as 60 different groups of people living in Vietnam, the majority of the population are the Viet people. Of the 78 million people living in the country, 85 percent are what we refer to as Vietnamese. They live primarily in the lowlands of Vietnam. Three-quarters of the population of Vietnam live in rural villages. A vast majority of the citizens are rice farmers, and live in the lowlands where there is fertile, easily irrigated soil. Where the ancestors of the Viet people came from is not completely known. They were probably farmers that moved gradually into the northern part of Vietnam from China, and slowly moved south, pushing other native people like the Champa out or up into the mountains as they migrated along the coast.

One of the larger minority groups in Vietnam are the H'Mong. They immigrated to the lowlands of Vietnam during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Before the war between North and South Vietnam, they were involved in foreign and rice trade, and remained somewhat independent from the Vietnamese people. Later, however; new laws and regulations forced most to abandon their ways of life, and many fled the country.

Two other minorities living in the lowlands include the Cham and the Khmer. The Cham are descendants of the Champa kingdom that existed along the central coast for thousands of years. Now there are only about 50,000 of their people left living as fishermen and farmers in scattered villages along the coast. The Khmer, of Cambodian decent, live and have lived for a long time in the swampy Mekong Delta, south of Ho Chi Minh City. They are more numerous than the Cham people. mountain girl

The other residents of Vietnam live in the mountainous regions of the country. They, as a group, are commonly called the Montagnards. In the northern mountains, along the Chinese border, live tribes that have migrated there in the last several centuries. Some of the more common of these include the Tai, Nung, Meo, Yao, Muong, and the Tay. The Tay are by far the most numerous of the northern people. To the south, in the central highlands, are the Rhade and the Jarai peoples. They are descendants of nomads who came to the central coast in the third or second millennia BC, and have since been pushed up into the highlands. Now they live mainly by slash and burn agriculture. For centuries, the mountain people lived in isolation and were suspicious of lowlanders. They maintained only limited communication and trade with the Vietnamese. In the last fifty or so years, the Vietnamese have tried both peacefully and forcefully to integrate them into their society, and they have found themselves in the middle of several wars. Now the Vietnamese government is implementing programs to improve and develop communities, bring lowland Vietnamese people into the mountains, and educate the children of these Montagnards, while still allowing them to maintain their heritage. people

Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world. Their official language, Vietnamese is spoken throughout the country, but dialects vary between the north, south, and center. English is common in larger cities and is taught in schools, and French is also spoken in various parts of the country. Vietnam has an 88 percent literacy rate. Their national script is called Quoc Ngu. It was introduced by European colonists, and utilizes the Roman alphabet (the alphabet used for English).

The Vietnamese people, and the many minority groups living with them have created a unique culture and form of society. They have held onto their heritage and pride throughout countless struggles and wars, and are still striving to integrate and unite all parts and people of their incredible country.

Complex of Hue Monuments

The Hue complex is located approximately 100 km northwest of Danang, the largest commercial city in the middle region of Vietnam. The city is divided into old and new sections on either side of the Fon River, extending nearly 4 km in all directions. Although it has high temperatures and humidity (except during the dry season from November to April) with an average annual precipitation of 2,900 mm, the summer is not as oppressively humid as in Japan.
Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam, is a city with a long cultural heritage unparalleled anywhere else in the country.
The northern bank of the Perfume River contains the relics of palaces, constructed as an arc of defensive ramparts 11km in length. This valuable site comprises more than 100 architectural works from the Nguyen dynasty. Situated in the hills o¬n the southern bank of the Perfume River are the beautiful tombs of the Nguyen kings. Four of these tombs are particularly notable as their designs reflect the opinions, personalities and tastes of the emperors they incarcerate. They are the majestic Gia Long tomb, the imposing Minh Mang tomb, the poetic Tu Duc tomb and the magnificent Khai Dinh tomb.
Hue is also an important center of Buddhism. The city and its surrounding area still contain dozens of pagodas constructed more than 300 years ago.
The city is renowned for its traditional dishes and sophisticated handicrafts as well being the place where royal music is originated.
Hue still retains its original layout from the Middle Ages and therefore the whole city is in effect a vast and invaluable museum. The historical sites of Hue have been classified by the Vietnamese government as very precious property and in December 1993 Hue was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.
World Heritage Site : The archaeological sites of Hue are the remains of the capital of Nguyen, the last Vietnamese dynasty that was prosperous from the early 19th to the mid 20th century. Although based on an architectural style from China, these structures incorporate both Baroque and traditional Vietnamese architecture. Now recognized for their historical and artistic value, they were included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1993.

Bach Ma National Park

Bach Ma National Park is located in central Vietnam in the province of Thua Thien Hue, around 700 km south of the country's capital Hanoi and 1,000 km north of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The national park covers an area of about 22,000 ha in the districts of Phu Loc and Nam Dong. It was created in 1991 to protect the centre of the last corridor of forest stretching from the South China Sea to the Annamite mountain range at the border with the Lao PDR. With steep mountains and dense forests, this area is home to a wide variety of animals and plants. At the base of the mountains there is tropical monsoon forest, with sub-tropical forest above 900m. There are species from both northern and southern Vietnam, and Bach Ma is recognized as o¬ne of the areas of Indochina with high biodiversity. Bach Ma mountain peak is the highest point in the park at 1,450 m above sea level and is o¬nly 18 km away from the coast.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

The Park is considered a paradise for researchers and explorers of grottoes and caves and is the home to 140 families, 427 branches, and 751 species of precious plants

Phong Nha - Ke Bang is a national park in the center of Quang Binh province in north-central Vietnam. It protects one of the world's two largest karst regions with several hundred caves and grottoes. Its name derives from Phong Nha cave, the most beautiful one, with numerous fascinating rock formations, and Ke Bang forest. The plateau is probably one of the finest and most distinctive examples of a complex karst landform in Southeast Asia.
Location:
Geographically, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (PNKBNP) is located in central Vietnam, about 500km south of the capital, Hanoi, within the Quang Binh Province.
The western boundary of the Park partially forms Laos-Vietnamese border, which is only 42km from the sea. The Park is found within the geographical co-ordinates of 170 20'-170 48' N and 1050 46-1060 24' E in Bo Trach and Minh Hoa Districts.
Recognition by UNESCO in 2003
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was first nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. The dossier submited to UNESCO was for the recognition of Phong Nha nature reserve as a world natural heritage under the name “Phong Nha Nature Reserve”. The reason given for the nomination was that this nature reserve satisfied the criteria of biodiversity, unique beauty and geodiversity (criteria I and iv).
It was recognized as a world natural heritage site at the UNESCO's 27th general assembly session being held in Paris in June 30th – July 5th, 2003. At the session, delegates from over 160 member countries of UNESCO World Heritage Convention agreed to include Phong Nha-Ke Bang park and 30 others worldwide in the list of world heritage sites. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park meets with criteria viiii in accordance with UNESCO’s appraisal scale since it displays an impressive amount of evidence of earth’s history and is a site of importance for increasing human understanding of the geologic, geomorphic and geo-chronological history of the region.
Physical features:
Criterion (viii): Phong Nha is part of a larger dissected plateau, which also encompasses the Ke Bang and Hin Namno karsts. The limestone incontinuously demonstrates the complexity interbedding with shales and sandstones. This, together with the capping of schists and apparent granites has led to a particularly distinctive topography.
Looking into the caves, you may recognize discrete episodic sequences of events, leaving behind various levels of fossil passages, formerly buried and now uncovered palaeokarst (karst from previous, perhaps very ancient, periods of solution); evidence of major changes in the routes of underground rivers; changes in the solutional regime; deposition and later re-solution of giant speleothems and unusual features such as sub-aerial stromatolites. The location and form of the caves suggest that they might owe much of their size and morphology to some as yet undetermined implications of the schists and granites which overlay the limestone. On the surface, there is a striking series of landscapes, ranging from deeply dissected ranges and plateaux to an immense polje. There is evidence of at least one period of hydrothermal activity in the evolution of this ancient mature karst system. The plateau is probably one of the finest and most distinctive examples of a complex karst landform in SE Asia.
Cultural heritage:
The oldest evidence of human occupation of the area are Neolithic axe heads and similar artefacts found in some of the caves. There are some relics of Ham Nghi King, a final King of the Nguyen dynasty before the French colonial period, at the Maria Mountain in the north of the Park. Currently the Arem, Ma Coong and Ruc ethnic groups live in two villages in the core zone of Phong Nha Ke - Bang National Park. Until 1962 these indigenous people lived in the forest in houses made of bamboo and leaves or in the caves, living from forest products and hunting. They used simple tools and their clothes were made from the bark of a toxic forest tree (Antiaris toxicaria) and lianas.
Since 1992 the Government of Vietnam has set up two new settlements for these 475 people, who are the two smallest ethnic groups in Vietnam. These people are familiar with a number of economically valuable species, especially precious timber such as Mun and Hue (Diospyros spp., Dalbergia rimosa), and oil-extraction from species such as Tau (Hopea hainanensis) and many medicinal plants. The Phong Nha Cave has long been a site of religious and touristic importance, with an old Cham Temple discovered in the cave and it was a site of worship in the ninth and tenth centuries. During the war with the USA the Phong Nha - Ke Bang forest and caves were a garrison and weapons store for the Vietnamese army.
Conservation value:
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is of high conservation value as one of the largest areas of intact forest habitat remaining in Vietnam. As part of a continuous forest block with the neighbouring Him Namno Biodiversity Conservation Area in Laos it forms one of the largest areas of forest on limestone karst in Indochina. The presence of tall lowland forest, which is regionally threatened as a habitat type, in the National Park increases the area's conservation value.
Tourist activities
The number of tourists has increased dramatically since the park was listed in UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Tourism activities in the area are the responsibility of the Trading and Tourism Department of Quang Binh province, with 280 international standard rooms in the province and 8 vehicles with capacities of 4 to 15 seats for tourist transportation. The forest guards of Son Trach commune in Bo Trach district are placed on tourist security duty.
Quang Binh Province has invested into upgrading the Phong Nha-Ke Bang visitor site to turn it into one of Vietnam's major tourist destinations.
Multiple eco-tourist projects have been licensed for development and the area is being heavily developed by the province to turn it into a major tourist site in Vietnam. Phong Nha Ke Bang is part of a tourism promotion program called: "Middle World Heritage Road" which includes the ancient capital of Hue, the Champa relics of My Son, the city of Hoi An, nha nhac and the Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
Tourist activities in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park are organized by local travel agencies and vary in form:
• Tour for expedition of caves and grottos in boats and with professional cave expedtion means.
• Ecotourism, discovering the florae and fauna in this national park in the Ke Bang Forest.
• Mountain climbing: There are extreme sloping mountains here with a height of over 1,000 m, which is a real challenge for adventurous climbers
In order to facilitate the increasing flow of tourists to the site, the Dong Hoi Airport was constructed and is due to be operational at the end of 2008.
Phong Nha-Ke Bang, together with Ha Long Bay and Fanxipan of Vietnam, is listed as a candidate for 7 new world natural wonders vote. As of February 12, 2008 it ranked 10th in the voting list
In summary, Phong Nha displays an impressive amount of evidence of earth’s history. It is a site of very great importance for increasing our understanding of the geologic, geomorphic and geo-chronological history of the region.

Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.
Location : Hoi An is located approximately 30 km south of Da Nang, the fourth largest city in Vietnam, where the estuary of the Thu Bon River (the largest in Khannam Danang Province) flows into the East China Sea. Today, Hoi An port has a simple quay and the water is shallow. However, between the 16th and 18th centuries, the city was a prosperous international trading port and its seashore had a protective formation of sandbanks surrounding a bay, which provided a safe anchorage for ships in those days.
The name "Hoi An" refers both to the town and the surrounding community which includes several villages (xa). Present-day Hoi An consists of 6 villages (Ming Phuong, Hoi An, Kochai, Dong An, Zie Hom, Ho Hua) and the town of Hoi An.
The town of Hoi An is composed of 3 districts (phuong). These are divided into smaller units called khu, vuc, xa. There are also neighborhoods (to) which are the smallest units.
Outline of the Heritage : Hoi An, formerly called Fai Fo, was a port town used as a relay trading base for Southeast Asia. Wooden tradesmen's houses, Chinese merchants' club-houses , Emperor Kwang's Shrine, etc., stand along Kyanhou, running parallel with the Thu Bon River, and facing two streets: Nguyenchiminhkai and Nguyentaihok. It is supposed there was a Japanese town, similar to the o-ne in Ayutthaya,Thailand, between the 15th and 16th centuries, and Imari ceramic ware was discovered as evidence of the trading. Although the town has come to assume its present appearance since the latter half of the 18th century, the mixture of various cultures it embraces has been attracting a great number of tourists.

Vietnam heritage - My Son

My Son, located 69 km southwest of Danang, was an imperial city during the Cham dynasty, between the 4th and 12th centuries. My Son Sanctuary is a large complex of religious relics that comprises more than 70 architectural works. They include temples and towers that connect to each other with complicated red brick designs. The main component of the Cham architectural design is the tower, built to reflect the divinity of the king.

According to records on the stone stele, the prime foundation of the ancient My Son architectural complex was a wooden temple to worship the Siva Bhadresvera genie. In the late 16th century, a big fire destroyed the temple. Step by step, historical mysteries were unveiled by scientists. Through stone stele and royal dynasties, they proved My Son to be the most important Holy Land of the Cham people from the late 4th to the 15th centuries. For many centuries, the Cham built Lip, a mutually linked architectural complex, with baked bricks and sandstone. The main temple worships the Linga-Yoni, who represents the capability of invention. Beside the main tower (Kalan) are several sub-towers worshipping Genies or deceased kings. Although time and the wars have destroyed some towers, the remaining sculptural and architectural remnants still reflect the style and history of the art of the Cham people. Their masterpieces mark a glorious time for the architecture and culture of the Cham, as well as of Southeast Asia.

Each historical period has its own identity, so that each temple worshipping a genie or a king of a different dynasty has its own architectural style full of different impression. All of the Cham towers were built on a quadrate foundations and each comprises three parts: a solid tower base, representing the world of human beings, the mysterious and sacred tower body, representing the world of spirits, and the tower top built in the shape of a man offering flowers and fruits or of trees, birds, animals, etc., representing things that are close to the spirits and human beings.

According to many researchers of the ancient Cham towers, the architectural art of the Cham towers at My Son Sanctuary is the convergence of different styles, including the continuity of the ancient style in the 7th-8th centuries, the Hoa Lai style of the 8th-9th centuries, the Dong Duong style from the mid-9th century, the My Son and My Son-Binh Dinh styles, etc. Among the remnants of many architectural sites excavated in 1898, a 24 metres high tower was found in the Thap Chua area and coded A I by archaeologists and researchers on My Son. This tower is a masterpiece of ancient Cham architecture. It has two doors, one in the east and the other in the west. The tower body is high and delicate with a system of paved pillars; six sub-towers surround the tower. This two storey tower looks like a lotus flower. The top of the upper layer is made of sandstone and carved with elephant and I ion designs. In the lower layer, the walls are carved with fairies and water evils and men riding elephants. Unfortunately, the tower was destroyed by US bombs in 1969.

After the My Son ancient tower complex was discovered, many of its artifacts, especially statues of female dancers and genies worshipped by the Cham people, worship animals and artifacts of the daily communal activities, were collected and displayed at the Cham Architecture Museum in Danang city. Although there are not many remnants left, those that remain display the typical sculptural works of cultural value of the Cham nationality. Furthermore, they are vivid proof, confirming the history of a nationality living within the Vietnamese community boasting of a rich cultural tradition.