Halong Bay Travel Guide Vietnam

Halong Bay, Vietnam is one of world’s natural wonders and is one of the top tourist attractions inHalong Vacation Vietnam. The literal meaning of “Halong” is “Bay of Descending Dragons”. A local legend says that a family of dragons was sent to defend the land long ago when the Vietnamese were fighting the Chinese invaders. These dragons had descended upon what is now Halong Bay. Halong Bay, Vietnam, famous for its scenic rock formations, has been listed among the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Halong Bay, Vietnam is a spectacular location for sightseeing in Vietnam. Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, it forms an amazing seascape of limestone pillars along with more than 1,600 islands and islets. The visitors seem to discover paradise in Halong Bay with the clear water of the Bay, with some large islands and small alcoves with sandy beaches facilitating a relaxed swimming in the calm bay water.

Halong Bay is one of the most visited and recognized of the Vietnam tourist attractions. It houses a greatHalong Vacation diversity of ecosystems including coral reefs, freshwater swamp forests, mangrove forest, small freshwater lakes, and sandy beaches. The islands feature beautiful grottos and caves with interesting stone formations and hidden ponds. Some of the most visited Halong Bay, Vietnam tourist attractions are

Bai Chay (Scorched Beach)
The visitors have to drive along Bai Chay beach to reach Halong Bay, Vietnam. Unlike its name, Bai Chay is a very pleasant black sand beach significant for a historical event attached to it. Bai Chay was once a forest until 1287 when the Mongols attacking Vietnam were driven back and many Mongol ships were set on fire. High winds drifted these ships to the shore setting the forest on fire creating a stretch of beach in this area which came to be known as Bai Chay or scorched beach.

Caves and GrottosHalong Vacation
The mystical caves and grottos in Halong Bay, Vietnam comes with strange shapes and structures. One of the most prominent among them is Virgin Cave (Hang Trinh Nu), also called the Mid Gate cave, which derives its name from the statue of a woman lying atop a flat surface of the cave. Legend says that beautiful woman committed suicide in the cave, unable to return home after being forcefully married to an old mandarin. Here her body tuned into stone. The tunnels in the Virgin Cave crisscross the island for around 2 kilometers with many chambers along the tunnel.

The next cave attraction is Hung Sung Sot Cave, Thien Cung located in the same island as Virgin Cave and has a steep path lined with shady trees. There are two chambers in the cave with a square shaped outer chamber and a ceiling of about 30meters height. The inner chamber formations look like sentries conversing with one another, animals and a formation resembling a general surveying his troops in the middle of the chamber. The light reflected from the water outside seems to bring these formations to life. Halong Vacation

The other caves existing here are the historically significant Hang Dau Go (Flowers on Stone) and Pelican Cave (Hang Bo Nau). Besides these the visitors can go kayaking, swimming and hiking in the mountains in the islands. There are several cruises offering tours in and around Halong Bay.

Accommodation in Halong Bay is available with many hotels present in the islands of Halong Bay, Vietnam. Halong Bay can be reached from Hanoi by road which is a three and a half hour drive covering 165 kilometers.

Vietnam Folk Literature

Since coming into existence, Vietnamese literature has been rich in folklore and proverbs; tales that have been handed down from generation to generation, gradually becoming valuable treasures.

The Muong ethnic group in northern Trung Bo has an epic poem called “de dat, de nuoc” (giving birth to the earth and water), whie the Thai ethnic group in the north-west has “xong chu xon xao” (seeing off and instructing the loving heart). This list could go on for quite some time.

Folk literature grows during the processes of activity, labour, construction and struggle of the people. It is the soul and vital power of the nation. At the present time, all kinds of artistic and folk literature from each ethnic group are being collected and maintained.

Vietnam Modern Literature

Vietnamese literary tradition has evolved through the multiple events that have marked the country’s history. New literary movements can usually be observed every ten years but in the last century, Vietnamese literature underwent several literary transitions.

A revolutionary campaign occurred at the beginning of Romanized Vietnamese literature, in an attempt to standardize its styles such as prose, poetry, and criticism. All the writings produced had one thing in common: the authors were using a powerful and flexible style to update events and trends and therefore predict social events.

For more than a half century the Vietnamese people fought two wars of resistance, and at the present time, are in a period of construction, industrialization and modernization. In this situation, in Vietnamese literature, movement and vital force currently exist.

Vietnam Language and Scripts

Among the 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups some have had their own scripts for a long time and some have not preserved their ancient scripts. As a matter of fact, some ethnic groups consisting of some hundreds of individuals living in remote areas have their own languages.

Throughout the years, these languages have been enriched in terms of vocabulary, precision, and expression. However, the Viet language is most commonly used.

In terms of script, for a long time under northern domination, han (Chinese) was widely used in trade, education and state documents. This lasted until the beginning of 20th century. During the eighth century, parallel to the use of han, the Vietnamese created the nom script, which used the pictography of han to note the sounds of the Viet language. The appearance of the nom script marked a point of maturity in the national conscious of the Viet, and led to the development of literature in Vietnam.

In the 16th century, quoc ngu (a Romanized script produced by French missionaries) appeared and was substituted for both the han and nom scripts.

Silent Hanoi

The above lines were penned by the Hanoi poet Xuan Dieu, written for one person, whose name is included in the poem. For the first time, this poem has become public. So who is Nguyen Dieu?

The elegantly-named man named Nguyet Dieu is now 84 years old. Climbing the stairs at number 62 Luong Van Can Street - a small street in central Hanoi lined with shops selling eyeglasses - I find myself in a space that evokes Hanoi of decades past. Mr. Dieu's home is long and narrow. Stepping onto the balcony, Hoan Kien Lake appears. I'm reminded of the line: "A gap of sky blooms above the lake".

The walls are filled with photo portraits. They were all taken by Mr. Dieu. There's the poet Xuan Dieu deep in thought and the musician Van Cao with a beard. Master Nam Son, one of the founders of the Indochina Fine Arts College, looks mischievous with his glasses on his head. This photo has appeared many times in different newspapers. The scholar Dao Duy Anh looks hale and hearty, while photographer Do Huan looks like a statesman. Painter Thang Tran Phenh appears serious with a long beard. Musician Ta Tan smiles merrily. The art critic Le Thanh Duc looks anxious. Photographer Vo An Ninh is lying beneath a pumpkin vine, as if waiting for sunlight. Artist Luu Cong Nhan stands in his house. Although poor, his smile is radiant. Most of those pictured, I realize, have passed away long ago.

The man who took these photos has a long face and a large forehead. When I entered his house he was lying on his bed in a dark corner. He seemed glad to see me and asked me to take a seat near his bed. The room held a precious camera cabinet and a high-tech stereo system. I guessed that the stereo might have been a gift from his kids, to help him to relax. A year ago Mr. Dieu contracted palsy. Sometimes, he can barely move around his house with the aid of a wooden frame.

After some conversation, Mr. Dieu revealed his photo shop's brand name: Nang Vang (Golden Sunlight). “In the ‘70s, every professional photographer and photojournalist knew this brand name”, recalls Hanoi photographer Nguyen Dinh Toan. "Mr. Nguyet Dieu was regarded the master in reshooting developed photos. Film was quite rare at that time. And Mr. Nguyet Dieu cut the French large- sized film (for shooting from airplanes) to get 3Smm film to use in a normal camera. That was a huge discovery. Photojournalists also knew Mr. Nguyet Dieu tor his talent in repairing damaged him. He could fix every mistake, even if the film got opaque or over-bright”.

For five years Mr. Dieu had worked for the Newspapers of Literature and Arts. He was one of the first photojournalists working in Hanoi following the city's liberation. He took portraits of artists like Xuan Dieu, Van Cao, Nam Son, Do Huan, Dao Duy Anh, Thang Tran Phenh and Thai Ba Van around this time. The poet Xuan Dieu composed her verse about him as a gift, offering her appreciation to a fellow talented artist.

People assume that the shop's brand name Nang Vang (Golden Sunlight) relates to the perfect lighting of his photos. "It wasn't that simple," said Mr. Dieu. "I played with the words, because the letters in Nang Vang can be rearranged into Vang Nang, which means ‘with - out you’. When I asked who 'You' was, he just smiled.

If somebody calls me a photographer, I'll refuse that title. I regard myself as a photo-craftsman," said Mr. Dieu. "I've pursued this career for half a century, first to earn my living and bring up my four children. It was quite hard." Mr. Dieu was born in Hung Yen and moved to Hanoi in 1950. In 1957, already working as a photographer, he bought his house on Luong Van Can Street. He moved his photo shop there and worked for many more decades.

When I mentioned portrait photography, Mr. Dieu's eyes lit up. He explained his philosophy of the "tooth-tongue style'; a lesson taught by Confucius. “When Confucius was about to die, he asked his followers if he still had some teeth left but he didn't. He then asked if he still had his tongue, and of course he did;' said Mr. Dieu. "Confucius commented that the flexible object had evidently outlasted the firm ones. That philosophy can be regarded as a social doctrine that has endured for more than 2,000 years and works up to now. The object for a portrait photographer is to capture the character's face, which contains both still and living, and flexible and firm features. The photographer must recognize and emphasize those features to reveal the person's character”.

To feed his family, Mr. Dieu worked from home at night. For years he barely slept. Being up all night leads to worry, reports Mr. Dieu. Sometimes he lays awake thinking about photography today, and worrying about the effect of digital equipment. “It's key that a photo reveal substance,” he said. “Nowadays, it's no big deal to photo-shop pictures. We end up with fake boobs, fake butts, fake faces... It's the era of fake stuff”.

Listening to him, I laughed but it was a troubled laughter. Hanoi is now totally different from the city in which Mr. Dieu spent most of his life. And admirable citizens like Mr. Dieu are rare too. They are dignified, humble, quiet and profound.

Sometimes Mr. Dieu ducked his head and smiled mischievously. I wanted to take a photo of him while he was raising his head a little. But he would not agree, said it would be a waste. Then he joked: “I'm now just 84, not so handsome now”. Nguyet Dieu is a silent Hanoian. He has never cultivated fame. He represents old-style Hanoi taste and style. I was told that the poet Vu Dinh Lien (the author of the famous poem Ong do - The Scholar) had once composed some verses to Nguyet Dieu. Meeting Mr. Dieu, I was suddenly reminded of two verses by Vu Dinh Lien: Them the ancient people / Where has their spirit gone?

We can say that people like Nguyet Dieu now belong to the past. They are old and rarely met. But while life is rough and harsh, it is good to remember that some loving ties remain to connect us to the past.

Cham showcase

A special style of Cham pottery, known as Go Sanh, is the focus of a private museum established at 173 Le Hong Phong Street in Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh province. The ancient pottery on display at this location was collected by Mr. Nguyen Huot in the decades before Vietnam’s reunification. Mr. Huot’s son, Nguyen Vinh Hao, inherited his dad’s prized collection and opened the museum.

The museum houses thousands of antiques from the Kingdom of Champa, which flourished in Central Vietnam. The Cham statues on display range from expensive golden statues once owned by the royal family to religious stone statues to roughly made images. The collection is extremely precious.

Part of the museum’s appeal is its architecture. Visitor expecting a boring museum lined with glass cabinets will be surprised. While modern material has been used, the house features typical Cham motifs, plus some elements of traditional northern architecture.

In front of the house stands a huge pair of gate columns, bent like ivory tusks - a style common to the gates of Cham towers. Cast from concrete, the columns gain their ancient look thanks to wood carvings at the top. Inside, visitors are welcomed by a blazing red Shiva statue. Kala demon heads fixed on thick wooden planks look incredibly vivid, recalling the glory days of the Cham capital Vijaya, which flourished and then perished in the 15th century.

Items are contained in large glass cases and in wall recesses, as they would be inside a Cham tower. Statues of Brahma, Vishnu and other gods are mostly intact, having spent hundreds of years underground. The gods' static gestures are complemented by their vivid facial expressions. In this space, visitors can feel the spirit of the ancient Cham people and their once-great kingdom.

Opened in early 2006, this museum immediately attracted the attention of researchers and collectors. Built up over a lifetime, this collection reflects a passion for the Chams' ancient culture.

Earthly delights

Researchers and collectors of antique pottery are still talking about an exhibit that took place last year titled “From Go Sanh to Quang Duc”. Long Tuyen investigates. In the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum a map shows two ancient pottery centers, Go Sanh in Binh Dinh and Quang Duc in Phu Yen. The first thrived in the old Kingdom of Champa, the other on the border of Phu Yen province in Quang Nam prefecture of Dai Viet under the reign of King Le Thanh Tong.

Found by Vietnamese researchers before 1975, Go Sanh pottery was produced in the wealthy Vijaya Dynasty of the Cham Kingdom. Quang Duc pottery evolved out of techniques and enamel technology learned from China and from the ancient Chams.

The clay for Quang Duc pottery was sourced at An Dinh and the enamel was made from blood cockles from O Loan Lagoon. The fires were fed with hop seed bushes and queens crape myrtle wood, plants peculiar to the An Dinh area. Researchers have found that all Quang Duc pottery has shell marks and distinctively colored enamel. Using shells to test firing temperatures was a technique used by ancient potters in many places, but exposing blood cockles to high heat to create colored enamel is a practice unique to Quang Duc wares.

A shipwreck found near Binh Thuan contained Jingdezhen and Dehua porcelains from the 16th and 17th centuries, plus Go Sanh - Binh Dinh and Quang Duc - Phu Yen pottery. This shows that Quang Duc pottery was exported as well as being valued locally.

In its heyday, Quang Duc pottery was sold in many places in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City antique collector Tran Dinh Son had some items of Quang Duc shell pottery, including a lime pot with a poem in nom script, that were found when a canal in Saigon was dredged after 1975.

The Quang Duc pottery trade dates back 300 years
Artisans report that the Quang Duc pottery trade dates back 300 years and was established by the Nguyen family from Binh Dinh. There are grounds to suppose that Quang Duc pottery is the successor of the Chams' famous Go Sanh - Binh Dinh pottery of the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th centuries and later Dai Viet pottery.

When the Nguyen family moved to Ngan Son they found excellent clay, fuel and waterways on which to transport their pottery. Their wares were very distinctive. Unbaked pottery was placed into a firing bag and blood cockles were stuffed inside before firing. According to antique collector Nguyen Vinh Bao from Binh Dinh, Go Sanh and Quang Duc pottery was fired using hop seed bushes to increase the kiln temperature and create the distinctively colored enamel.

Quang Duc village is now in An Thach commune, Tuy An district, Phu Yen province. Many trade villages remain in this area. In Quang Duc village, Quang Diem Luu Phuoc Temple still contains parallel sentences that read:
“Merits from the ancestors are permanent.
Luck for the descendants lasts for numerous generations.”