Trung Nguyen Coffee Village

To get to where the story of Vietnamese coffee began, and to trace the nation’s spectacular rise as a major world coffee exporter, a visit to Trung Nguyen Coffee Village is a must.

Located in the highland city of Buon Ma Thuot in Dak Lak Province in the Central Highlands, Trung Nguyen Coffee Village offers more than a cup of the exquisite beverage. It is an ideal place for those who are interested in learning about coffee trees and the coffee processing industry.

With a desire to build a coffee paradise for tourists who visit the capital of coffee, Trung Nguyen Corporation constructed a coffee village in a total area of 20,000m². Two years after beginning construction, the project was completed in 2008 and is considered the largest historical and cultural museum of coffee in the Central Highlands.

The garden of old coffee trees in the village. White flowers of coffee trees in Trung Nguyen Coffee Village.  Part of Trung Nguyen Coffee Village.

The village is separated into two main areas including one for enjoying coffee and the other for display. Each area brings interesting experiences to visitors. In the area for enjoying coffee, tourists can see a house with a special architectural space and style of ancient houses in Hue. It has three main compartments namely Cherry, Arabica and Robusta. However, the most striking feature of the village is a garden of old coffee trees. It surely gives tourists relaxing moments when enjoying a tasty cup of coffee under canopies of old coffee trees in an immense space.

Inside the village, there are small streams that help create a cool and airy space and convey stories about the coffee culture of the locals in the Central Highlands. It is the water resource from pure streams that is attributed to creating the distinctive tasty for this area’s coffee.

The second part of the village is used as a display area which was built from wood according to the architecture of a Dai (long) house of the E De ethnic people. Visiting the area, tourists have a chance to see with their eyes objects relating to processing coffee. It is also the place for displaying over 500 objects that show diverse cultures of enjoying coffee from many countries. Here, many art performances of making coffee of other countries in the world have been held, such as making Cappuccino from Italy, roasting and grilling coffee of the Japanese and the traditional method for roasting coffee of the E De people in Vietnam.

The display area of coffee boxes. Foreign tourists learn about the tools for making coffee in Trung Nguyen Coffee Village. Utensils of the ethnic people in the Central Highlands are exhibited in the village. Tourists visit the display area in Trung Nguyen Coffee Village where there are many old objects that hold coffee. Tourists  learn about a German coffee grinding machine. Foreign tourists are interested in the traditional method of processing coffee  of the ethnic people in the Central Highlands. Foreign tourists enjoy cups of coffee in Trung Nguyen Coffee Village.

Besides the objects, visitors are also fascinated by valuable ones which feature cultures of the ethnic people groups in the Central Highlands with gongs, mysterious legends and Can wine.

Last but not least is the souvenir shop in the village where tourists can buy Trung Nguyen coffee and other products such as bags and shirts made from brocade as presents for their relatives or friends.

By Tat Son, Trinh Van Bo
Source: Vietnam Pictorial

Go Church in Kon Tum

Go (Wooden) Church in the city of Kon Tum in the Central Highlands of Vietnam is an ancient relic with unique architecture of high aesthetic value. With the glossy dark color of the wooden sculptures imbued with the local cultural identities, the church looks striking in the area.

«Chanh Toa Church, often called Go Church by the locals in Kon Tum, is located in the centre of the city. Its name originates from the materials used to build the church. At present, the church is preserved intact with its wooden architecture, patterns and overwhelming shiny dark brown color.                                          »

The city of Kon Tum is located in a small delta, formerly an administrative centre of the French in the Central Highlands so it drew many Catholic priests who came to popularize their religion for the locals. Go Church, with a total area of 700m², was built from 1913 to 1918 with a design by Decrouille, a French Catholic priest. The interior decorations of the church were made from precious wood and the bell tower, 20m high, has a Gothic architectural style that looks elegant and magnificent. Together with its floor which is 1m above the ground, the corridor running around the church shows the typical architecture of the Central Highlands’ house on stilts. The church is the harmonious mixture of Romantic architecture and the houses on stilts of the Bana ethnic people.

Chanh toa church, also called Go Church, is a unique architectural work  which is the pride of the locals in Kon Tum Province. The inner decorations of the church are from precious wood. The blend of Romantic architecture and the Central Highlands’ house on stilts gives the work high aesthetic value. The floor of the church is made from wood and is 1m above the ground. The bell tower, 20m high, has a Gothic architectural style that looks elegant and magnificent. Coloured glass pictures reproduce stories from the Bible. A painting inside the church. Rows of wooden pillars inside the church carved with diverse patterns.

Ban Than Cliffs

Nui Thanh District of central coast Quang Nam Province has two tourist sites that always attract visitors, i.e. Rang beach in Tam Quang Village and Ban Than cliffs in Tam Hai Village. These two sites are less than 6km away from each other, and both are about 10km to the east of Nui Thanh.

«           Ban Than cliffs are one of many magnificent rock slabs in Vietnam’s central coastal Quang Nam Province. The cliffs are more than 40 meters high, and in strange, unique shapes.                   »

Unlike other beaches which are normally crowded with people, Rang is quiet, romantic and fanciful. The name of the beach (brilliant) reflects its beauty particularly when the first rays of sunrise mirror the sea. Along the beach, young couples enjoy bathing in the blue water or sitting on the rocks for sight-seeing.

To get to Tam Hai fishing village where the Ban Than cliffs are, we had to depart Rang by ferry in the early morning. The village is located near the coast, with a coconut forest on the right, and rock grounds on the left.

In that wild, coastal village, we met Thu Duyen, a native of this fishing village, who was on a camping trip, with her colleagues who are doctors and nurses from Quang Nam Province’s general hospital.

“I love looking at the scenery in my native place with a wild, natural environment, particularly the rock cliffs with spectacular shapes and sizes, including the Ban Than cliffs,” Duyen said, adding that she used to invite her friends to come here, where they would stay for the whole day enjoying camping, bathing and climbing the cliffs to discover their beauty.

Ong Dun and Ba Che are the most famous peaks of the Ban Than cliffs.  Rock cliffs at Rang beach. A wild beach in Tam Hai. The unique beauty of the Ban Than cliffs attracts a large number of visitors. The imprint of nature on the cliffs at Rang beach. Rocks with unique shapes. Ban Than cliffs are located in Tam Hai Village, about 40km from Tam Ky City. Sunrise on the Rang Beach. Most of the rocks in this place are black. The locals catch seafood at the foot of Ban Than cliffs where there is a 10km long coral reef  with many species of seafood, especially larva of lobster.

St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi

St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi. Flickr/Eustaquio Santimano

Saint Joseph Cathedral (Vietnamese: Nhà thờ Lớn Hà Nội, Nhà thờ Chính tòa Thánh Giuse) , located at 40 Nha Chung street, Hanoi, is a Roman Catholic cathedral with neo- gothic style, which was built about 120 years ago.

History and Architecture

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In 1882, after the French army conquered Hanoi, the cathedral was constructed and completed in 1886. The cathedral and Nha Chung area were built on the land formerly belonging to Bao Thien pagoda, which was built under Ly dynasty.
The architecture with domes of the cathedral follows the Gothic style and design of Paris Cathedral. It is 64.5m in length, 20.5m in width with two bell towers of 31.5m-height. Though the appearance of the cathedral, from the doors, the colorful window glass, to the religious paintings for decoration follows Western style, the main interior part is decorated in Vietnamese way with two typical colors yellow and red. Outside, in front of the cathedral is the statue of Mother Maria.

Christmas celebration

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The first Christmas took place in the cathedral in 1887. Since then, the cathedral is always crowded with hundreds of people including both Christians and non-Christians at the weekend or during religious holidays like Christmas.

Visitor Information

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Today, taking advantage of beautiful architecture and good venue at the center of the city, the area surrounding the cathedral is always packed with hundreds of local people and tourists hanging out with friends for drinking, talking, and watching the street.
Nha Chung Street now becomes the “Lemon Tea” street, a popular gathering place to many youngsters in Hanoi, and home to eye-catching souvenir shops and Western style restaurants. It is not only the holly place for Christian couples hold their wedding, but also a great venue for non- religious grooms and brides to take nice wedding shots.

How to get there

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From Hoan Kiem Lake head to Hang Gai Street, keep going until you reach Ly Quoc Su Street on the left hand side. Walk pass Ly Quoc Su and you will reach Nha Chung – the Cathedral is the connecting point of these two streets.

Source: vietnamonline.com

Reunification Conference Hall

Reunification Conference Hall, also called Thong Nhat Conference Hall or Presidential Palace, is one of the most attractive historical sites of Ho Chi Minh City, which attracts tourists in Vietnam travel. It was built in 1865 on the grounds of Norodom Palace as a residence for the French Governor General of Cochinchina.

Reunification Conference Hall is located on No.106 Nguyen Du Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. It was built in 1865 on the grounds of Norodom Palace as a residence for the French Governor General of Cochinchina.

Reunification Conference Hall- Ho Chi Minh City

After 1954, Ngo Dinh Diem and his family lived in the Norodom Palace. In February 1963, a dissident launched an air bombardment and heavily damaged it. Diem rebuilt the palace, which was later replaced by another one, called the Independence Palace. It was designed by Western-trained architect Ngo Viet Thu. The construction was undertaken by Saigon engineers and was completed in 1966.

Quang Binh - A Rendezvous in Central Vietnam

With a complex of over 300 caves and a 116km-long coastline with white sand, Quang Binh is becoming a potential tourist destination in the system entitled “Central Heritage Road”.

“Kingdom of caves” in the west

Going northwest about 50km from Dong Hoi City, we reached Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. The signpost with the words “Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, a world natural heritage” was like an invitation promising an exciting journey to explore this area.

Known as a “Kingdom of Caves”, Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is attracting local and international tourists to visit the caves, such as Phong Nha, Tien Son, Thien Duong, Toi, En and Son Doong.

Luke Ford, a British tourist who returned to explore and survey the caves in Quang Binh for the third time said: “Compared to other caves I have visited, the caves in Quang Binh are a little bit more difficult to access but they are much more beautiful and primitive.”

Wonderful Scenery on Ly Son Island

Only a few people know that Ly Son Island in Quang Ngai Province in Central Vietnam was created from five extinct volcanoes during the prehistoric age. With wonderful scenery left by these volcanoes, the island has now become an alluring destination, attracting a large number of tourists.

Seen from the shore on a fine day, Ly Son Island looks like a pyramid on the sea with its top being the peak of Thoi Loi Mountain. Among five mountains founding on the island, Thoi Loi is a rocky one. After a long time climbing the tortuous path on the mountain, tourists reach the peak of Thoi Loi where they have a panoramic view of the garlic field that looks like a chess-board and an immense blue sea dotted with fishing boats in the distance.

A panoramic view of Gieng Tien Mountain from the peak of Thoi Loi Mountain. Photo: Viet Cuong
The road to the peak of Thoi Loi Mountain. Photo: Thong Thien
At the foot of Thoi Loi Mountain. Photo: Viet Cuong.
Duc Pagoda is located halfway up Gieng Tien Mountain. Photo: Thong Thien

The cold lava from the exinct volcanoes millions of years ago forms a beautiful scenery. Photo: Viet Cuong
A garlic field at the foot of the mountain. 
The rain-water reservoir built on an area which was formerly a primitive forest. Photo: Viet Cuong
"The Heaven Gate" was formed by the cold lava from the exinct volcanoes millions of years ago. Photo: Viet Cuong
Beautiful cliffs near Hang Pagoda on Ly Son Island. Photo: Thong Thien

According to the old people in Ly Son, the hollow of the extinct Thoi Son Volcano was formerly a primitive forest of different valuable trees and had abundant fresh water resources which ran at the foot of the mountain to form Chinh Stream. Then, the forest was totally destroyed and the stream no longer exists. So far, there is only a relic left – Hang (Cave) Pagoda. Due to the sea’s impact on geology for hundreds of years, the layers of rock have been eroded and have formed a cave in the shape of a pagoda.

Unlike Thoi Loi Mountain that has only rocks, Gieng Tien Mountain has a special fertile soil, similar to the Bazan soil in Tay Nguyen (the Central Highlands). The locals often use this soil and sand to fertilize the garlic fields. Thanks to these fertilizers, the variety of garlic grown in Ly Son has a special flavour that is hardly known in other places. Around the crater of Gieng Tien Mountain that is smaller than that of Thoi Loi Mountain is a piece of land where no plants can grow. According to the beliefs of the locals, it is the sacred oil that was used as ash on the graves of soldiers of Kiem Quan Bac Hai Squad who laid down their lives when protecting the Hoang Sa (Paracel Islands) during the reign of King Minh Mang (1791-1841)

To the east of Gieng Tien Mountain is a strange pagoda, called Duc by locals. Visiting the pagoda, tourists learn a story about the Goddess of Mercy who traveled on Bac Hai Sea to save fishermen in distress. Seeing fishing boats being sunk by storms, she tore her robe into thousands of pieces and threw them into the sea. These pieces of cloth turned into dolphins which saved fishermen on the sea. Due to their belief, the locals made a statue of the Goddess of Mercy, 27m high, facing the sea and placed it at the pagoda with the hope that the Goddess of Mercy will protect fishermen when they go to the sea. 

Although the relic of three extinct volcanoes is only small mounds, the presence of cold lava is seen in many places on Ly Son Island, forming a wonderful landscape. They are rocks in different shapes that leave a long-lasting impression on tourists to the island.

Source:VNP

Fascinating Cu Lao Cham

Cu Lao Cham (Cham Islands), a World Biosphere Reserve in Quang Nam Province is famous not only for its wild beauty but also for being an area which has drawn the special attention of scientists because it possesses species of corals first found in Vietnam. The successful cultivation and restoration of the coral reefs in this area have opened a new research direction to restore the damaged coral reefs in the waters of Vietnam.

Impression of the green islands

Although situated less than 20 miles from Hoi An Ancient Town, a world heritage site, in the past Cu Lao Cham was fairly wild. In 2009, it was recognized as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO and soon became a famous marine tourism destination in central Vietnam and attracted the scientists’ interest.

In the summer of 2010, as we followed a group of Japanese tourists who participated in a competition to swim across the sea from Cu Lao Cham to Cua Dai, we had an opportunity to learn about the impressive beauty of these pristine islands. At that time, Le Vinh Thuan, Head of the Communications Department of Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area (MPA) said that the city of Hoi An and MPA had devised a plan to build Cu Lao Cham into an ideal marine tourism destination in the renowned tourist triangle of Quang area , My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An Ancient Town. Therefore, the local authorities opened training courses on tourist professional skills, such as cooking, accommodation services, transporting tourists by boat and guiding tourists for snorkeling for nearly 3,000 people living on the islands to earn their living instead of doing the work of marine resource exploitation.

In early 2014, we returned to Cu Lao Cham and met Thuan again. He cheerfully said that Cu Lao Cham had successfully built the green island into a fascinating marine tourism destination with various forms, such as snorkeling to contemplate the coral, swimming, enjoying the local food and discovering the wild beauty of the natural beaches.

Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area consists of eight islands in the island commune of Tan Hiep. Photo: Hoang Quang Ha In summer, Cu Lao Cham has about 3,500 tourists each day. Photo: Tran Thanh Giang Cu Lao Cham has 200 high-speed boats which take tourists to discover the beauty of islands. Photo: Tran Thanh Giang With diverse tourism forms, the area attracts a large number of foreign tourists. Photo: Trinh Thong Thien Foreign tourists discover Cu Lao Cham using coracles. Photo: Hoang Quang Ha Joan Tubbs, a tourist from the US, learns how to catch fish with the guidance of a fisherman. Photo: Trinh Thong Thien Cu Lao Cham has many beautiful beaches, such as Chong and Lang. Photo: Hoang Quang Ha Beautiful coral reefs in Cu Lao Cham fascinate most tourists. Photo: Hoang Quang Ha   A Foreign tourist catches sea urchins, a species which eats coral, to protect the coral reefs in Cu Lao Cham. Photo: Hoang Quang Ha

Kien Giang

Phu quoc island

Kien Giang province located in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. It is known for fishing and rice farming. The provincial capital is Rach Gia, 250 km from the Ho Chi Minh City. Kien Giang is bordered with An Giang province in the northeast, Can Tho and Hau Giang in the east, Bac Lieu in the southeast and Ca Mau in the south, and Kampot Province of Cambodia (with the 54km border) in the west, Gulf of Thailand in the southwest (with the 200km coast).