Historic house becomes tourist site

In recent years, the house owned by Huynh Thuy near Tien River in Sa Dec in Dong Thap Province has become a popular destination for both domestic and foreign tourists.

The house is famous for its unique architecture which is the harmonious combination of Vietnamese, French and Chinese styles. It is the place that witnessed the romantic love between Marguerite Duras, a well-known French writer, and Huynh Thuy Le, the son of the Huynh Family who is the house’s owner.

When we arrived at the house, we meet Australian tourists who were listening to the tourist guide’s architectural value and the love between the house’s owner and writer Marguerite Duras. The bustling atmosphere in Sa Dec in the late afternoon reminded all of us of the animated scene at the wharf on the Tien River in the past.

The house was built using precious wood in 1895. Its roof is covered by Yin-Yang tiles and designed with two curved ends in the shape of boats, a familiar symbol of the watery area in the south-western region. In 1917, Huynh Cam Thuan, father of Huynh Thuy Le reconstructed the house in the style of a French villa with a harmony of both Oriental and Western architecture.

For over 100 years, despite the destruction caused by time the house still remains intact with all its beautiful features.

The outside of the house improves visitors with the French architectural style that used decorative details, such as statues and relief from the Renaissance on the facade and arched doors in the Roman style and Gothic windows of multi-colored glass. All provide the house with a magnificent and imposing appearance. Going inside, tourists have a familiar feeling because of the Oriental architectural style that is clearly seen through skillful and refined patterns and sculptures in the shapes of birds, flowers, plants, daisies, bamboo and apricots. There are beautiful spots and scenes carved on woo that reflect the bustling life in the watery area in South Viet Nam. The house consists of three compartments with the middle one used for worshiping Guangong according to the religious belief the Chinese and two others for receiving guests and for bedrooms. The corridor of the house leads to the servants’ quarters. The floor was paved with flowered tiles and the walls were built with solid brick, 30-40 languages and it was made into a film of the same named by French Director Jean Jacques Annaud in 1992. The film has left a resounding impression on viewers all around the world.

The move famous that the novel and film become, the larger the number of foreign tourists who want to visit the house grows. Over the years, the house has become a popular destination, fascinating tourists from France, the US, Australia, Japan, South Korea and the UK.

With its value in terms of architecture and historical relic, the house was recognized as a national cultural historical relic in 2009. 

Beauties and Wonders Beyond Yen Tu

Every year, the Yen Tu Mountain is flocked by tens of thousands of pilgrims to begin their journey to the uppermost shrine. Known as the Buddhist capital of Vietnam, the mountain is popular for its breathtaking landscapes, historical relics and ancient pagodas, thus continuously attracting visitors that add up to the large crowd that stream toward the top.

Seasoned hikers or for those who are up for a challenging outdoor adventure, reaching Yen Tu’s peak requires a 1,600-meter trek. It may sound like a lot of work, but the spectacular scenery that unfolds as you ascend higher can make it worth the while apart from the unique experience which many considers an equally important reward.

To the relief of those who are not so keen about climbing those rock-made steps and through the bamboo and pine tree forests, they have the option to take the cable car that carries tourists up to Hoa Yen Pagoda, and from there they can continue to explore the sights and hike up to the peak. With that, there isn’t really much of the beauty that is missed.

With the huge attention Yen Tu is getting, some travelers have missed out on some more pleasant surprises should they choose to veer slightly off the beaten path and explore the west side of the holy mountain. Here, you will pass by several pagodas, waterfalls and streams besides century-old as you make your way to the mountain top in the districts of Yen Dung, Son Dong, Luc Ngan and Luc Nam in Bac Giang Province.

Mo Stream

The west side, covering nearly 100 kilometers, is also home to many cultural and historical works, especially those which were built during the Ly (1010-1225) and Tran (1226-1400) dynasties. Located at Nghia Phuong Commune, Luc Nam District is Mo Stream. This beautiful stream winds through a valley between Huyen Dinh and Yen Tu mountains and with three temples that can be found along the stream: the Thuong (Upper), Trung (Middle) and Ha (Lower). According to folktales, these temples were said to be built during the 10th century Le dynasty in honor of Princess Que My Nuong, the daughter of King Hung XVI.

Many sections of the stream turn into small and big waterfalls, including Thum Thum, the highest of them all. Quite a little distant, Thum Thum is located along the winding 3.5 km road from the Thuong temple, through the Suoi Mo lake project. But all the hard work one has to take to get there will be washed away as the magical beauty of Thum Thum unfolds.

Thum Thum Falls

Thum Thum, starting from the top of Huyen Dinh Mountain some 100 meters high, falls in four stages with each of them having its own unique attraction. As its water pours down from above, it creates a wonderful natural bath and drum-like sounds, of which where it was named after. The water is very pure and cool. The flora is highly developed and rich diversity of forest trees emerging to cover the stream.

At the first stage are inviting bathtubs-like ponds naturally created from the cascade and rocks. The second level was named Tron (slippery) Waterfall because of its challenging and slippery path. The third level exudes it own unique and calm beauty. Here, the water is noticeably clean and pure that even the tiniest pebble on the bottom could be seen.
 
Pretty much an obstacle course to make it to the top, reaching the highest level would take some crossing through humongous rocks and a forest. Yet the immaculate feeling of being on the peak and sweet echoes from the water rushing down will soothe all the exhaustion away.

Nuoc Vang Stream

One of the most famous “assets” of Luc Nam is the Nuoc Vang (golden water) Stream that runs along Phat Son Mountain, between 800 and 900 meters above the sea level. The road leading to the stream is meandering and curved. The stream has its name from the color of its water which is honey-yellow throughout the year. Such color is believed to be caused by a giant coal mine in Quang Ninh Province or the disintegration and agglomeration of trees over thousands of years. Every summer, the bright yellow fades. Every winter, it darkens. Many locals also believe that the water picks up its tinge as it flows through yellow sandstone. Until present, however, no one has settled on a satisfactory explanation on this. Just don’t be fooled as this bizarre-colored waters are as clean and pure as you can hope to find anywhere in the country. For generations, water drawn from the spring has sustained the livelihoods of many local Vietnamese families living around the area.

Giot Waterfall

At the top of Nuoc Vang is the 50-meter-high Giot Waterfall where you can have an undisturbed, pleasant view of the enchanted stream. The road to get there is rocky. Reaching the falls is a reward in itself. Watching the stream at Ba Giot Waterfall flows through rapids and pours over the edge in three falls, which are best viewed from upstream if you want to capture their full grandeur and beauty. Pedal-boating on the quieter reaches of the water, as well as camping, are available at the waterfall.

Nearby the waterfall is Ba Chong Stone. After millions of years of rain and sunshine, being covered by the sea three times and witnessing hundreds of severe volcanic eruptions, the three layers piled up on each other unsteadily and formed an impressive landscape.

Not far from Ba Chong Stone, two Bach Tuong hills look like a pair of elephants. On the top is Thich Ca statue sitting on a lotus base while at the bottom is a deep cave and Thien Chon pagoda.

Ba Chong stone rooting from the Oc Eo-Phu Nam civilization in the southeast highland terrace has been listed by the Ministry of Culture and Information since 1998.

Loud and proud Tan Dinh Cathedral

Saigon is of course blessed with some stunning architecture with most people agreeing that the Reunification Palace is probably the most stunning and in the nation’s modern history, most historic.

However, one such structure which has always fascinated me since I sauntered past it tons of times as I first rode around a strange city as a newcomer and invariably got lost. I knew that the ‘pink tower’ as I called it at the time was near my home but I had only had to learn how to get home from the stand-out premises which proudly rises high into the sky.

After a few trips over the bridge on Hai Ba Trung in Phu Nhuan District detours I finally made it to Tran Quoc Thao in District 3 from District 1, quite an achievement for a motorbike novice in less than an hour.

Tan Dinh Cathedral was built by French colonists when the nation was part of French Indochina over a period of six years from 1870-1876.

Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica in District 1 is the largest cathedral in the city, followed closely by the more bright and beautiful Gothic-style Tan Dinh.

In 1929, the cathedral area was expanded and a 52.60m-high tower was added which ensures it is a real landmark in this part of the city.

A year after the American War in 1976 Tan Dinh again was upgraded to celebrate its century and its now distinctive pink and white colors were chosen to ensure the cathedral stands out in the Saigon skyline.

The ‘pink tower’ is a real tourist hotspot with its main tower and two smaller structures at the front. At the top of the tower is an octagon with a bronze cross standing three meters high and the main tower has five huge bells weighing about 5.5 tons.

The dome has fish scale-shaped tiles and arches adorned with decorative leaves, flowers and refined statues of angels and is popular with wannabe-photographers from home and abroad. There are statues of female saints on the left hand side and on the right are male saints. All the altars in the chancel are made from precious marble imported from Italy.

I pass it daily but at the weekend finally popped inside for a look and it is pretty spectacular. I had a quick look around and said a little prayer for my gran, a fervent Catholic, and was on my way again. Worth a visit for Saigonese and tourists alike even if it is just for a few snapshots.

 

Dong Van old market back in business

The old Dong Van Market in the Dong Van Karst Plateau of Ha Giang Province has reopened for tourism after a new market was built for locals 500m away, vice chairwoman of the People's Committee of Dong Van District Ly Thi Kien told Viet Nam News yesterday, Jan 15.

The old market, built in 1908, was a rendezvous for ethnic groups during market days on Saturdays and Sundays.

Last year, the district people's committee decided to preserve the old market as a weekend destination for tourists and proposed a new market for local people at the nearby site.

Kien said: "We have opened the market to serve tourists on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The old market will be a destination for souvenir-hunters and thang co (a soup of horse, goat or buffalo meat) stalls, while the new market will feature butchers, grocery stalls, poultry and livestock sellers."

She said the resettlement aimed to create a clean and fresh market for tourists, but retain the traditional market spirit which has inspired over the past 100 years.

Bui Thi Thai, a resident in the district, said she had expected the old market to open again because the crowded market on weekends was a definitive image of the district.

"It used to be crowded on weekends. The famed weekly market covers a cross-section of ethnic Mong life with their traditional cuisine of thang co and rice wine," Thai said.

The 44-year-old, whose father is from the Tay people and mother was from the Mong people, added that the old market has become quieter as people flock to the new market, with only thang co, men men (maize powder cake) and souvenir stalls being allowed to stay at the previous market.

The Dong Van Karst Plateau, situated 1,000m above sea level, was recognised as UNESCO Karst Plateau – Viet Nam's first Global Geopark in 2010.

A row of 20th-century-old houses, situated opposite the market, also offer old Mong cuisine.

Dong Van District, which lies 150km northeast of Ha Giang City and 500km north of Ha Noi, is only accessible by bus or off-road motorbikes.

Bin Thuy’s House of Ancient Beauty

 “The Lover” is a film about 30 years old about a Chinese man (played by Tony Leung Ka-fai) and a French girl (played by Jane March) who fell in love in Vietnam in the 1920s. Jean Jacques Annaud, a Frenchman himself, directed the film and in his travels in search of scenes for the movie, he came upon the southern city of Can Tho wherein he discovered and was mesmerized by the ancient beauty of the house of Bin Thuy that he knew right then and there it had to be a part of the movie. In fact, the house was so stunning that some (or many) of the people who saw the movie actually traveled to the place to see the ancient beauty with their own eyes.

And for those who have seen the house for themselves, they would even be delighted to discover that the house is even more beautiful up close than in the movies. Although built already 140 years ago, the structure retained the beauty of its East-West architecture, a contrasting feature which got the French director’s attention and interest in the first place. The outside appearance of the house is French-designed, while the interior design is authentic Vietnamese.

Inside, there is a huge historical altar lacquered in red and trimmed with gold as the centerpiece of the house. The furniture is made of antique wood, and everything else in the house is antique including kitchen wares such as wash basins and jars. But the center of interest and perhaps wonder in the house is its collection of ancient items that have been carefully preserved for generations. For instance, the hanging lamps date as far back as the 19th century. A round marble table has been around since the 18th century, while a set of French tables and chairs can be traced back to the ancient times of the 17th century, when King Louis XIV ruled the kingdom.

The famous Bin Thuy house can be found in Bui Huu Nghia Street, Binh Thuy District, 5 kilometers from Can Tho. It was built in 1870 by the Duong family who arrived in the southern region of Vietnam in the late 19th century. It has a land area of 300 square meters. Duong Chan Hien is the original owner the house. He is the grandson of Duong Chan Ky, a landlord who was also a developer in the 20th century. Ngo Thi Ngoc Lien is an old woman who is presently the caretaker of the house and according to her, during the French colonialization, the family was forced to leave the house when the whole region was occupied. In fact, soldiers occupied the house as well and lived there for years. 

Antique collectors keep coming back to the house to ask and convince the Duong family to sell their ancient treasure. But many times too, the family refused, even during hard times when they needed money. To them, the house has become like a witness and even companion to the rise and fall of the Duong family through Vietnam’s turbulent history. Today, during anniversaries and other special occasions, the house transforms into like a house of worship and gathering wherein descendants of the Duong family come together to commemorate their ancestors. The rest of the year, the house is open to visitors.  

Because of the success and worldwide recognition of the Bin Thuy House from the movie “The Lover,” many other directors followed suit and shot scenes of or their whole movies themselves in Bin Thuy. Thus, the house has also appeared in movies such as Chan Troi Noi Ay (“The Distant Horizon”), Nhung Neo Duong Phu Sa (“The Silt Ways”), and Cay Tre Tram Dot (“The Hundred-Knot Bamboo Tree”). Moreover, since 2009, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has named the Bin Thuy house as a “National Relic for Architectural Arts.”

While the Bin Thuy house has definitely received global recognition, family members and the government itself are in continuing efforts to preserve the ancient structure and beauty of the abode while making it available to the public.
 

Thành cổ Sơn Tây – Die alte Zitadelle von Sơn Tây

Die Stadt Sơn Tây liegt gut 40 Kilometer nordwestlich des Zentrums von Hanoi in der ehemaligen Provinz Hà Tây, die seit dem Jahre 2008 zum Grossraum Hanoi gehoert. Wegen der strategisch guenstigen Lage am Roten Fluss vor den Toren der Hauptstadt war Sơn Tây in seiner Geschichte in wichtiger militaerischer Vorposten, besonders gegen die Invasionen aus dem Norden. Die heute zu grossen Teilen gut erhaltende Zitadelle wurde 1822, im dritten Regierungsjahr des Nguyễn-Kaisers Minh Mạng, auf dem Gelaende der beiden Doerfer Thuần Nghệ und Mai Trai errichtet.





Die quadratische Festung mit einer Seitenlaenge von etwa 450 Metern befindet sich heute mitten in der Stadt rund zwei Kilometer vom Roten Fluss entfernt. Sie war komplett von einer fuenf Meter hohen Mauer mit Schiessscharten und von einem drei Meter tiefen und 20 Meter breiten Wassergraben umgeben. An jeder Seite befand sich ein von Kanonen bewachtes Tor, das ueber eine Steinbruecke zu erreichen war, das Cửa Hậu im Norden, das Cửa Tiền im Sueden, das Cửa Hữu im Westen und das Cửa Tả im Osten. Das Nordtor und die angrenzenden Mauerabschnitte wurden vor einiger Zeit restauriert. Erhalten geblieben sind auch das West- und das Suedtor, waehrend das Tor im Osten zerstoert ist. Der Eintritt in die Festung ist nur durch das Nord- oder das Suedtor moeglich.









Im Inneren des Areals befinden sich der 18 Meter hohe Flaggenturm, der ebenfalls vor kurzem renoviert wurde und ein Palast, der abwechselnd als Verwaltungssitz, Lagerhalle und Truppenunterkunft diente. Die Zitadelle war in der 70er und 80er Jahren des 19. Jahrhunderts ein Zentrum des Widerstandes gegen die franzoesische Kolonialarmee, wurde dann aber doch nach mehr als einjaehrigem Widerstand am 16. Dezember 1883 von den Franzosen erobert. Der General-Gouverneur von Franzoesisch-Indochina liess sie im Jahre 1924 auf die Liste der historischen Denkmaeler von Tongking setzen. Seit 1994 gehoert die Zitadelle von Sơn Tây zum Nationalen Kulturerbe Vietnams.

Einen Besuch von Sơn Tây kann man sehr gut mit einer Zeitreise in die ganz in der Naehe der Stadt liegenden Gemeinde Đường Lâm verbinden.

Viele Gruesse
Cathrin



Cathrin’s Blog: Zwischen Traditionen und Moderne