Posts Tagged Hoi An
Hoi An-Japan festival to feature PARO robot
Posted by thanhcong in Destinations, Festivals, Travel news on August 22, 2010
The world’s most therapeutic robot PARO, produced by Japan, is expected to be presented at the Hoi An – Japan Festival 2010 held in the ancient town on August 21-23. Read the rest of this entry »
Unmask your thoughts and feelings
Posted by Huyen Tran in Travel Blog on March 12, 2010
Masks cover your face and hide your identity, help you play roles of personalities and creatures who are different from you.
However, they can also be objects of art that bring you face to face with yourself; and trigger different emotions within you.
In the old central town of Hoi An, one store has such masks – those that provoke thoughts and emotions
The Trieu Mask Store on Nguyen Duy Hieu Street run by artist Dang Viet Trieu has become popular among local and international visitors because the masks he sells are special and leave a distinct impression.
Heidemarie, a Swedish visitor who has been to many exhibitions and mask stores in the town, said Trieu’s masks made her remember her dreams and fantasies.
Sherwnine Olivady, an Australian, said that he had collected masks from many countries around the world, but Trieu’s masks were the most thought-provoking.
Alleys form soul of old Hoi An
Posted by Huyen Tran in Travel Blog on January 3, 2010
Falling in love with Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam is to fall in love with its wonderful alleyways, which for locals are the soul of their home town.
According to the town’s documents, major roads in Hoi An, such as Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Bach Dang were formed in the 17th century along the Hoai River. A system of alleyways then gradually evolved to link those roads.
Many alley names remind locals and visitors of historic and folk legends. Sica Alley once had the French Sica alcohol stores, and Ba Le Alley had the Ba Le well with water that was sweetest and coolest in Hoi An.
There are other wells believed to be blessed by beneficent genii, the ancient spirits that were part of the seventh century Champa Kingdom, a Hindu-Buddhist culture with trading routes around Southeast Asia.
Performing martial arts in Hoi An
Posted by Huyen Tran in Travel Blog on January 3, 2010
The central ancient city of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province, already a popular destination for indigenous and international tourists with its ancient houses, temples and splendid scenery, is now attracting tourists to Vietnamese martial arts at the Ky Son martial arts club, 51/2 Phan Chau Trinh St.
Local members of the club recently hosted French group from Vacances Transat of BT. Transtravel Company in HCMC, including 28 people who had specifically come for the new martial art performances at the Hoi An club.
As well as the tuneful melodies of traditional Vietnamese songs, the group witnessed spectacular martial arts performances with strong, lissome and perfect moves.
Visiting the sleeping paradise
Posted by Huyen Tran in Destinations, Travel Blog on December 30, 2009
Cu Lao Cham (Cham Islands) is situated in Tan Hiep Commune, Hoi An City, about 20 kilometers off the Cua Dai coast. It consists of eight islets set as an arc, very close together: Hon Lao, Hon Kho Me, Hon Kho Con, Hon Tai, Hon Dai, Hon La, Hon Mo and Hon Ong, serve as a protective barrier for the ancient town. The area is renowned for its beauty, clean and vast biodiversity with pristine white-sand beaches and crystal-clear water.
According to archaeologists, Cu Lao Cham first settled there 3,000 years ago and established business contacts with external countries some 1,000 years ago. The islands was more well-known when Hoi An – one of the most ancient cities of Southeast Asia has been recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999; the Cu Lao Cham Natural Reserve was set up in 2003 and the national sea reserve was found here in 2004 – the second island reserves in Vietnam.
Cua Dai Beach – the charm of central region
Posted by Huyen Tran in Travel Blog on December 30, 2009
With 125km of seashore from Dien Ngoc to Dung Quat Bay, the beaches in Quang Nam province have kept their character, maintaining their rustic nature, fresh air and sunlight.
Cua Dai Beach, about 4km from Hoi An ancient town in Quang Nam, is considered one of the most beautiful beaches not only in the central region but also in Vietnam. It is over 3km in length and up to 300m in width. The beach boasts fine white sand, clear and blue water, moderate slopes and small waves, which make it ideal for recreational activities like swimming and other sea sports. This special beach stands out with restaurants, hotels and newly-built modern resorts. Roads are lined with colourful clusters of wild flowers planted to relax visitors.
After checking in the hotel in the centre of Hoi An city, tourists often decide to head to Cua Dai Beach immediately in a bid to steer clear of the scorching heat of the centre. However, some others, after visiting the relics in the old town, they go to Cua Dai Beach to enjoy sea food specialities in an ideal environment of immense sky and sunshine.
Lake of unforgettable impression
Posted by Huyen Tran in Travel Blog on December 29, 2009
The central province of Quang Nam is full of charm. It boasts the ancient town of Hoi An, the My Son Towers which is a remnant of the Champa Kingdom, and the vast Phu Ninh Lake.
Up to now, there are 48 vestiges which have been recognized as national vestiges in Quang Nam. However, only Phu Ninh Lake, placed in districts of Phu Ninh and Nui Thanh, is classified as National Landscape Vestige.
Phu Ninh is the name of a small village on the Que River. In 1927, the French colonial government had plans to dam the river and create a lake.
Beautiful Hoi An
Posted by Thanh Vu in Travel Blog on December 23, 2009
Hoi An definatly has charm about it, as soon as I got here I fell in Love with the historical old town. Hoi An is a beautiful small town with so, so many tailors and a French look about it.
We have also noticed more of a Chinese influence now were heading further North. We have enjoyed walking around the small town, especially in the old town as motorbikes are banned, so it’s relaxing walking around knowing you’re not going to be run over. We were going to hire bikes for a day but out of the old town we witnessed a bike crash and decided not to risk it.
I have been really impressed with all the art galleries around the old town and I can’t help but think it would be nice to own one of the works. Instead I have settled on another dress!
Laughter with family in Hoi An
Posted by Thanh Vu in Destinations, Travel Blog on December 23, 2009
An hours flight and a 45 minute taxi ride took us to Hoi An, a very pretty riverside town. Hoi An is firmly on the tourist trail and has changed a lot since we were there last. (We still loved it though!) On the drive from the airport it was very noticeable – the road was now 4 lanes and was edged with large resorts, a golf course and many signs advertising future developments. We visited Hoi An to spend some time (and my birthday) with my cousin Ros and her husband Michael. Ros was spending 3 months in Hoi An doing voluntary work with a charity working with handicapped people. They had booked us into the small hotel they were staying in – it was very comfortable at 10 Aussie dollars a night – and situated ten minutes walk from the restaurants which edged the river bank. A grin from Michael greeted us before we met Ros at a nearby cafe – we were to have many meals there (great food and cheap draught beer with very friendly owners) during our time in Hoi An. A great night followed – lots of chat and laughs. It was great to see them both!
Next morning we crossed the river with Ros and Michael where Jerry helped Michael and some of the Vietnamese people involved with Ros’s organisation move some furniture from a building they had been using as a school which the government was pulling down due to flood damage. Hoi An has had 2 very bad floods this year. The government had given the organisation another building to house their school in whilst their original premises were rebuilt. All the existing furniture was loaded onto a hand cart and pulled down the street to its new temporary home. It seemed to be a challenge to the young Vietnamese men to load and balance as much onto the hand carts as possible each trip!
My Son Ruins
Posted by Thanh Vu in Destinations, Travel Blog on December 22, 2009
This morning we got up early for the drive to My Son (pron. me son), ruins from the Cham empire 45 km south of Hoi An. The drive down was fascinating. School starts at seven (we left at 6:30) so everyone was out and about and we got to see the country “wake up.” Children and parents sped around on scooters, beautiful ao dai clad girls rode to school on bicycles. White ao dais are the uniform of all secondary school girls in the country and apparently children are not allowed to ride scooters until sixteen, and most families cannot afford scooters for their children anyway, so they ride bicycles. I’m sure it takes some practice to keep one’s ao dai out of the bicycle spokes, but all the girls we’ve seen have looked quite graceful.
We arrived at the site around 7:30 and began the trek in. First stop is the ticket booth, excercising local and foreigner prices, like most other sites in the country. Our tickets were the standard 50,000 VND, approximately $2.50 US. Following ticket purchase, you take a jeep in the first part of the way to the ruins. The driver of our old US military jeep drove along quite happily singing Ho Chi Minh propaganda songs to himself.
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