giao trinh

The cake is brittle, soft, sweet-smelling, and served with vegetable pickles and sweet and sour fish sauce for best taste.. Special food in the Centre.[r]

LOTUS CENTER

Prepared by BSC

1. Useful Websites:

http://www.vietnamtourism.gov.vn/ http://www.dulichvn.org.vn

http://www.vietnamtourism-info.com/ http://www.vietnam-tourism.com/

- Vietnam - The Socialist Republic of Vietnam Mainland Territory: 331,211.6 sq km

Population: 84,115.8 thousand inhabitants (in 2006) National Capital: Hanoi

Lying on the eastern part of the Indochinese peninsula, Vietnam is a strip of land shaped like the letter “S” China borders it to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, the East Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the east and south The country’s total length from north to south is 1,650km Its width, stretching from east to west, is 600km at the widest point in the north, 400km in the south, and 50km at the narrowest part, in the centre, in Quang Binh Province The coastline is 3,260km long and the inland border is 4,510km

Latitude: 102º 08' - 109º 28' east Longitude: 8º 02' - 23º 23' north

Vietnam is also a transport junction from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean

Climate: Vietnam lies in the tropics and monsoon (detail)

Topography: Three quarters of Vietnam's territory consist of mountains and hills (detail) Administrative Units: Vietnam is divided into 64 provinces and cities

Main Tourism Cities Tourism Cities

Main Tourism Cities

Hanoi Capital Area: 921,8 Sq km

Population: 3.216,7 thousand inhabitants

Haiphong Ho Chi Minh City

Area : 1,520.7 Sq km

Population: 1,803.4 thousand inhabitants

Area: 2,098.7 Sq km

Population: 6,105.8 thousand inhabitants

Quang Ninh Lam Dong

Area : 6,099 Sq km

Population: 1,091.3 thousand inhabitants

Area: 9,776.1 Sq km

Population: 1,179.2 thousand inhabitants

Thua Thien Huê Khanh Hoa

Area : 5,065,3 Sq km

Danang City Quang Nam Area : 1,257.3 Sq km

Population: 788.5 thousand inhabitants Area: 10,438.3 km²Population: 1.472,7 thousand inhabitants

Baria - Vung Tau Can Tho

Area: 1,989.6 Sq km

Population: 926.3 thousand inhabitants Area: 1,401.6 km²Population: 1,139.9 thousand inhabitants

New Daily Tours:

DS-MKDT4: MY HIEP - SA DEC - CAN THO - CAI RANG & PHONG BIEN FLOATING MARKET

Highlights: Homestay in the Mekong Delta

( days - night )

Mekong Delta was formed by sediment deposited by the Mekong River and the process still continues today The land of the Mekong Delta is

valley paralling Yangz Jiang and Salween River, the Mekong reach to Yung-Nan Province of China and is called Lancang Jiang (Turbulent River) Via Golden Triangle, the crossing of China,

Myanmer and Laos boarder, the Mekong flow into Vientiane Plain The term, Lower Mekong means downstream segment from the point There are some notorious rapids for French navigation plan in colonial period before the Mekong get to Cambodia, and the last segment is the Mekong Delta in Viet Nam, which distributes grate influeces to agriculture, especially paddy fields there According to a sketch on the right, we can see this long river with some segments hereinafter

Day 1: Sai Gon - My Hiep - Sadec - Can Tho - Phong Dien (L/D)

8:00 Pick up at your hotel in Hochiminh city Depart for Cao Lanh on arriving at My Hiep, take the motorised boat to get into the Xeo Quit base - a former Viet Cong base Enjoy the boat cruise around the swamps and the forest Lunch Across the Upper Mekong delta by boat to admire the charm of the river, get to Sadec, visit the Tu Ton flowers garden Drive to Can Tho Take the boat at Ninh Kieu Wharl to get into Phong Dien village Join the cooking with the family Overnight at your " Vietnamese family " in the village

Day 2: Phong Dien - Cai Rang (B/L)

7:00 After breakfast, take the morning boat trip to visit the Phong Dien floating market with the busy sence right at the time Keep cruising through the small chanels system, visit the rice noodles making viallge Experience the " monkey Bridge " in the Delta Visit the second floating market of Cai Rang Break time for lunch Return to Hochiminh city Stop for visit & rest at the Bonsai garden in My Tho Finish the trip around 17h30pm in HCMC

You can also book these packages as a private tour with price detail follows

TOUR PRICE :

 Option 1: Two stars hotel package price Can Tho: Home stay

Can Tho: Phuong Dong** Hotel or Asia Hotel**

Group 1 person 2 pax 3 - pax 5 - pax 7 - pax

Price US$180 US$100 US$85 US$70 US$65

 Option 2: Three stars hotel package price

Can Tho: Sai gon - Can Tho*** hotel or Ninh Kieu hotel***

Group 1 person 2 pax 3 - pax 5 - pax 7 - pax

Price US$205 US$125 US$110 US$95 US$90

 Option 3: Four stars hotel package price Can Tho: Golf Hotel****

Group 1 person 2 pax 3 - pax 5 - pax 7 - pax

 Option 4: Five stars hotel package price Can Tho: Victoria Can Tho Hotel****

Group 1 person 2 pax 3 - pax 5 - pax 7 - pax

Price US$285 US$195 US$170 US$135 US$130

TOUR COST INCLUDES:

 Full transportation by as tour program indicated

 Full meals as indicated in the itinerary (2 lunch, dinner, fruit, honey tea)  English- speaking guide (other languages are available upon request)  Entrance fees

 Boat trip

 night hotel accommodation ( Family home stay on request )

Description of service in detail

TOUR COST EXCLUDES:

 Visa to Vietnam (click to see)

 International airfare to/ from Vietnam & International airport tax in Vietnam  Personal insurance

 Expenditure of a personal nature, tips, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry, emergency transfers & etc

REMARKS:

1 Brief introduce about tourist sites : Binh Dinh - Dong Thap - Can Tho

2 As indicated: A/C= Air-conditioning, O/N= Overnight, B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner Rates are subjected to changed without prior notice

All's for your satisfaction !

Pomelo (Buoi)

Each variety has a unique taste The Phuc Trach pomelo has the distinguishable sweet taste of the glucose that is dissolved in the fruit and a fresh taste that slightly permeates your body and makes your spirit light There are many different scents and tastes of the Tan Trieu pomelo The tra is mildly sweet and somewhat acidic The buoi duong (pomelo as sweet as sugar) is very sweet The buoi xiem (Siamese pomelo) has a rosy core and a light sweet taste

In Dong Thap Province (Plain of Rushes), there is a variety of pomelo that does not have any seeds, called nam roi When it ripens, it bears a yellow colour and is as sweet as the buoi duong.

Rambutan (chom chom)

A rambutan tree has broad foliage and many branches In the southern provinces, the tree yields fruit at the beginning of the rainy season The rambutan season lasts until the end of the rainy season (from May to October)

The skin of this fruit is tough, thick and hairy Its meat is transparent white and tender, and has a cool sweet taste in the mouth The most reputed rambutan fruit nation-wide is grown in Binh Hoa Phuoc Village (Long Ho District, Vinh Long Province), some 50km north of Ho Chi Minh City During the rambutan season one can notice the typical bright red colour of rambutan fruit stands located in the markets, along road and at intersections throughout the southern provinces

Banana (Chuoi)

Banana flower is mixed in delicious salads Banana tree trunks, when young, can be eaten as a vegetable, and banana tree roots can be cooked with fish, or mixed in salads

Several banana varieties grow all over the country Tieu bananas are the most popular kind; they are small and smell sweet when ripe Ngu and Cau bananas are small with a thin peel Tay bananas are short, big, and straight, and can be fried or cooked in meals Tra Bot bananas are widely planted in the south; their peel is yellow or brown when ripe with a white pulp When Tra Bot bananas are not ripe, they taste sour In the Southeast, there are a lot of Bom bananas They look like Cau bananas, but their peel is thicker and their pulp is not as sweet

Pineapple (Dua)

Pineapple plants are widely grown in the country The peak ripening time for this tropical fruit coincides with summer when the hours of sunshine are longer People in southern Vietnam usually call this tropical fruit trai thom (fragrant fruit), which is literally a precise quote for the fruit since anyone who takes their first bite can surely notice the strong sweet smell Since the smell of the pineapples lingers longer than that of some other fruits,

connoisseurs find it difficult to forget

Pineapples are processed into different products such as canned pineapple, pineapple liquor, sweet preserved pineapple liquor, and sweet preserved pineapple There is also a special juicy drink that exists only in pineapple growing areas Growers press the fruit into a juice which is then mixed with the yoke of a hen's egg before being thoroughly stirred together to become a muddy drink The drink is said to be very sweet, creamy, and nutritious

Papaya (Du du)

expensive It has a sweet smell and offers various minerals and vitamins, such as vitamin A and C

In the south, one of the popular varieties of papaya is the one with red, thick pulp that has a fragrance but that does not contain much sugar This species is grown in the Mekong Delta Region and in the area close to the Cambodian border Another species of papaya available in the south is the one with yellow or orange peel

Papayas are not as abundant in the north Because of the colder climate, fruits take a longer time to ripen

Longan (Nhan)

The longan grows in many provinces in the North The longan is no bigger than a ping-pong ball with brownish peel The peel only has to be slightly removed to reach the whitish pulp, enclosing the glistening black kernel

There are many varieties of longans The most renowned variety of longan is the cage longan of Hung Yen Province There are varieties that have a thick pulp and a very sweet taste called pulp longan Water longans have a thin watery pulp and a fresh sweet taste In the South, there is the longan of Chau Thanh (Dong Thap Province), which is fairly renowned This variety has a watery pulp, a very sweet taste, a perfumed scent, and small black seeds, which is why it is called nhan tieu (pepper grain longan)

Custard Apple (Mang cau - Na)

In Vietnam, there are two kinds of custard apple: firm and soft Both varieties can have various shapes, for example they can be round or oval When a custard apples is ripe, it is easy to peel The peel is thick, green, and covered with white or green pollen The pulp is white or light yellow and contains many black seeds

In the south, custard apples call mang cau, ripen in July, but not all at the same time Firm custard apples are densely grown in the south, mainly in Ninh Thuan and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces Xiem custard apples are oval or heart shaped Their peel is green with thorns, which turn black when the fruit is ripe The fruits are generally big and can reach 1.5 kg The pulp is white, hard, and a bit sour Custard apple trees deliver fruit after three or four years of growth A tree produces on average from 50 to 100 fruits per year The fruits ripen on the tree and then cracks, especially during the rainy season

Sapodilla (Hong xiem)

Sapodilla was imported to Vietnam a long time ago In the last 20 years, sapodilla has been widely planted in the north, where it grew for the first time in Xuan Dinh, Tu Liem District, Hanoi

cracks near the stalk The pulp, which is brown and yellow, is very juicy and smells very sweet When it is not ripe, it is not edible because it contains a lot of sticky resin

There are two popular species of sapodilla grown in Vietnam: orange pulp and white-yellow pulp sapodilla The orange pulp sapodilla is planted in the north on the highlands The pulp of the white-yellow sapodilla is light white-yellow or white-yellow and the peel is green or white-yellow The peel is thin; the pulp is soft and has taste of peach, banana, and apple

Sapodilla flower consecutively bloom in bunches so that it has fruits to offer throughout the year

Sapodilla (Hong xiem)

Sapodilla was imported to Vietnam a long time ago In the last 20 years, sapodilla has been widely planted in the north, where it grew for the first time in Xuan Dinh, Tu Liem District, Hanoi

Sapodilla fruit is shaped like an egg and weighs from 10 to 200 grams Its peel is brown with tiny cracks near the stalk The pulp, which is brown and yellow, is very juicy and smells very sweet When it is not ripe, it is not edible because it contains a lot of sticky resin

There are two popular species of sapodilla grown in Vietnam: orange pulp and white-yellow pulp sapodilla The orange pulp sapodilla is planted in the north on the highlands The pulp of the white-yellow sapodilla is light white-yellow or white-yellow and the peel is green or white-yellow The peel is thin; the pulp is soft and has taste of peach, banana, and apple

Sapodilla flower consecutively bloom in bunches so that it has fruits to offer throughout the year

Persimmon (Hong)

Vietnam has many kinds of persimmon such as my with yellow fruit and

cado with small fruit Persimmon is famous for providing a lot of sugar and

Persimmon can be either round or in the shape of a heart Persimmon fruits are divided into two kinds: bitter and sweet Bitter persimmon fruits are edible when they are green and hard, but is very sweet when the fruit is ripe The fruit of sweet persimmon are always sweet, even when green and hard

In the north, persimmon is grown widely; the most popular varieties include Lang persimmon in Lang Son and Hac persimmon in Hac Tri In the south, persimmon can only be planted in the highlands of Dalat

In Oriental medicine, persimmon is considered effective to reduce high blood pressure and relieve abdominal pain Persimmon trees can be trimmed into ornamental trees When their leaves fall down, fruits still hang onto the branches

Mangosteen (Mang Cut)

Hidden among dense foliage, big as a fist and brownish-violet in colour, is the mangosteen When eating a mangosteen, use a knife to cut around the fruit and to remove half of the shell

The inside of the mangosteen is arranged in white, soft sections, and is freshly scented There are three varieties of mangosteens: the first variety is a little acidic, the second is as sweet as candy, with big segments and a thin shell, and the last variety, called doi mangosteen, has crisp segments The mangosteen season ordinarily lasts from May to August

Jackfruit (Mit)

Jackfruit trees bear approximately 150 to 200 fruits per year When the fruit are ripe, their pulp is yellow and sweet, containing a lot or little juice depending on the species Jackfruits without seeds are planted densely in the Mekong Delta Region

To nu jackfruits are small and come from a short tree The flesh of ripe fruit is firmly stuck to the core; when eating a jackfruit, simply hold the core and pull it out In the south, the to nu jackfruit harvest season starts from March to June There are several other species of jackfruits divided into two main groups: hard jackfruits with hard and crunchy flesh, and soft jackfruits with soft flesh and a lot of juice

Durian (Sau Rieng)

You may wonder why this fruit has to bear such an austere name as "sau rieng" (one's own sorrows) If you are curious enough, travel to the orchard province in southern Vietnam where the locals are likely to recite the immortal love story

Long ago, there was a young couple that lived in the region Because of social prejudices that could not be overcome, the couple sought their own deaths in order to be faithful to each other Their own sorrows received the population's sympathies, and the story of their tragedy has been handed down from generation to generation To commemorate the couple, the locals have named one of their most valuable fruits sau rieng

Durian is an expensive fruit One durian fruit is five to six times larger than a mango Its skin is thick, rough, and covered with sharp thorns With a gentle cut between the edges of the outer shell, you can easily open the fruit to expose the layers of bright yellow segments of meat that make the pulp look like it is covered with a thin layer of butter

shaddock It can also be compared to the strong smell of foreign-made cheese and is rich as a hen's egg Others describe the fruit as sweet as well-kept honey All things considered, durian has a special tempting smell.Those who have not enjoyed the fruit before may find it hard to eat But once they have tried it, they are likely to seek it again."

Thieu Litchi (Vai Thieu)

Thieu is the name dedicated to a special kind of litchi grown in Hai Duong Province The Thieu Litchi is a bit bigger than the longan

Unlike the skin of the longan, which is rather smooth, the dark red skin of the litchi is rough and rippled.The meat of the litchi is also transparent white, but it is thicker and juicier than that of a longan The litchi seed is also smaller than the longan seed

Star Apple (vu sua)

Star apple is a fruit commonly grown in Southern orchards Entering a star apple orchard, you will see thousands of these fruit hanging loosely on branches They have smooth peel that is either green or violet

The inside is shaped like a star, which is why it is called a star apple (In Vietnamese, its name (vu sua) evokes a woman’s breast because of its milky flesh.) Before eating a star apple, press your hands evenly around the fruit until it gets very soft; then with a knife, cut it into two parts With a spoon, grate the pulp until only the outer cover remains In summer, a glass of star apple soaked in sweetly sugared iced water has no rivals among refreshing drinks

Green dragon (Thanh long)

like the kohlrabi cabbage and has an oval shape

When ripe, the fruit peels as easily as a banana Its pulp is white and gelatinous The pulp contains many seeds that cannot be extracted The seeds taste like cactus, giving the fruit a sweet and sour taste

Before 1945, green dragon fruits were not sold in southern markets It is said that Americans brought green dragon fruits to the south From Phan Thiet to Nha Trang or from Ninh Hoa to Buon Ma Thuot, bushes of green dragon fruits can be seen climbing to tree trunks in gardens and even on doors Different from any other southern fruit, its harvest season is particular; fruits become available in markets in October, November, April, and May They are more expensive in October and April, since there are smaller quantities available

Mango (Xoai)

Mango plants are widely grown in the Southern provinces There are many varieties of mangoes, including the Cat mango (Ben Cat mango), Hon mango, Thanh Ca mango, Tuong mango (elephant mango), Xiem mango (Siamese mango), Coc mango (toad mango)

Special food in the South

Xoi chien phong (Bloating fried sticky rice)

A round plate of Xoi chien phong, placed next to a plate of buttery roasted chicken, is always attractive to anyone A lump of sticky rice will become a plate of Xoi chien phong as big as a grape-fruit by talent chefs In the past, Xoi chien phong was offered only in the Binh Duong Restaurant, Dong Nai Province At present, you can taste the dish in star classified hotels in Ho Chi Minh City

Lau mam (Mixed vegetable and meat hot pot)

At present, Lau mam folk dish in the past hundred years - become a luxurious specialty in the South. Chau Doc fish sauce made from fresh-water fish, a kind of sweet- smelling and greasy fish, which must be as required to have a delicious Lau mam dish.

Substances to prepare for Lau mam, including fresh food-stuffs such as snake-head fish, "keo" fish, pork, peeled shrimps, eel, beef, and so on, accompanied with at least 10 kinds of vegetable, sometime amounting to 24 kinds of vegetable They include water-lily, egg-plant, balsam-apple, straw mushroom, bean sprouts, chilly, etc

When boiled, the flavors of the sauce, which is mixed with citronella, chilly, vegetables, fish, shrimp and meat, are very sweet-smelling Lau mam roam is scoop out into bowls and served with soft noodle soup, simply but deliciously

Goi Buoi (Salad of shaddock)

Goi buoi is available at the majority of famous restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City The major substances to prepare for the dish include shaddocks mixed with fresh shrimps, pork, and dry cuttle-fish The dish is originated in Miet Buoi, Bien Hoa City

Goi buoi dish is especially flavored with slightly sour, sweet, peppery-hot and buttery tastes It is also added with spice vegetable, white sesames, coconut and dry cuttle-fish Therefore, the dish will be appeared on dining table as a fresh colorful picture and attractive to customers

Ca tai tuong chien xu ("Tai tuong" bloating fried fish)

"Tai tuong" fish is classified as a kind of luxurious food-stuffs

The fish is as white as chicken, delicious and sweet smelling but not crushed There are two ways to prepare for the dish: Boiled down or bloating fried

In bloating fried way, pour plenty of oil into pan, wait for the oil to boil before placing the fish in In boiled oil, fish scabs would be raised up as porcupine's feathers As serving, place the fish on to the plate, arrange boiled quail eggs around with, fried potato, fresh onion and tomato slices at the edge, season with chilly

Ca nuong trui (Bare fried fish)

The Southern villagers in countryside areas usually have fried fish in the field They use a bamboo piece to cross through the fish Pitch the head side to ground, pile up rice straws at the wind-swept place to smoke fish

As serving, use hand to remove the burned fish scabs Fish will become as white as chicken Place the hot fish on a lotus leaf, take up each piece of fish and dip it in peppery salt, squeeze with some lemon drops, roll in fig leaf or sesame young shoot to experience the dish Bowl and chopsticks are not necessary At home, the dish can be served with dry pancake, soft noodle soup and vegetables Ca nuong trui is a dish that accompanies drinking It is popular and exciting.

Ca kho to (Dry-boiled catfish)

Fish, which used to prepare for the dish, can be catfish, anabas or snake-head fish Necessary spices include dry garlic, fresh lemon, onion, chilly, sugar, glutamate, fish sauce, grease, and a spoon of pepper and wine

Although Ca kho to is a popular dish in the South, it is also a cheap specialty As serving, pick up fish to other bowl, boil the bowl of fish on a low fire and sprinkle some peppers to have sweet-smelling: Keep fire when serving, Ca kho to can be served with such boiled vegetables as shallot, white cabbage, spinach to dip in Ca kho to sauce It is more convenient to serve it with pickles such as vinegary beet or green pineapple

Cua rang muoi (Fried salted crabs)

The Westerners, especially those in land-locked countries, usually appreciate the dish as soon as they firstly experience it

At parties, a plate of bright red Cua rang muoi is usually acted as aperitif Customers suddenly feel sweet-smelling of spices and delicious buttery flavor of crab at the same time Highly qualified chefs in Vung Tau coastal area usually select brackish water crabs with much meat and liver-pancreas A delicious crab dish also depends on the soup, added to frying crabs in pans, including star aniseed, cinnamon, cardamom

The connoisseurs immediately experience the dish as it is still very hot, mixed with some lemon drops

Special food in Vietnam

Nem ran (called cha gio in the south) is a much-appreciated speciality, although it is very easy to prepare Since long ago, nem ran has been a familiar dish on the menu at all households during the New Year’s festivities, at family parties, and at receptions

The stuffing of the nem ran is comprised of mince pork, sea crabs, eggs, minced Jew's ears, thin-top mushroom, dried onions, bean-sprouts, pepper, spiced salt, etc The mixture is then rolled in flat rice cakes and fried in a pan until crispy Nem are eaten hot with a sauce that it is, at the same time, somewhat salty, sweet, acidic and scented (with the flavours of onion and pepper) Papaya and a few fresh scented vegetables are added

Gio lua (Silky lean meat paste)

By itself, the name “silky lean meat paste” evokes thoughts of the silky aspect of this speciality Gio lua is made with lean pig meat, which is pounded with a pestle until it becomes a sticky paste Fresh banana leaves are tied very tightly around the paste, and then it is well cooked Good gio lua has a fine white colour, is firm, and has a perfumed and sweetish taste

Gio lua may be obtained anywhere in Vietnam, but the best gio lua is from Uoc Le Village (Hanoi), where the know-how for Gio lua is strictly kept so as to allow no secrets of the job to flow out from Uoc Le Slices of Gio lua are slightly pink, moist, and sweet-smelling meat, fish sauce and banana leaf

- Tet Food

- Special food in the North - Special food in the Centre - Special food in the South

Special food in the North

Pho, a typical dish of Hanoi people, has been existing for a long-time.

Pho is prepared not only in a sophisticated manner but also in the technique which is required to have sweet but pure bouillon, soft but not crashed noodle, soft and sweet-smelling meat

Only in cold days, having a hot and sweet-smelling bowl of Pho to enjoy, would make you experience the complete flavor of the special dish of Hanoi

Bun thang ("Ladder" soft noodle soup)

Dishes made of soft noodle soup are diverse such as vermicelli and fried chopped meat, Bun Thang, vermicelli and sour crab soup, stewed vermicelli and boiled lean meat, etc The popular dish is vermicelli and sour crab soup whilst Bun Thang is for con-noisseurs, unique and available in Hanoi only A bowl of Bun Thang includes lean pork paste, thin fried egg, salted shredded shrimp, chicken, onion, shrimps paste, and a little Belostomatid essence Especially, Bun Thang bouillon made from shrimps and meat must be very sweet and pure Without enjoying Bun Thang when arriving to Hanoi, it somewhat seems to lack of a part of taste of Hanoi

Mon oc (Snail dish)

Snail dish is a popular but unique dish of Hanoi people It is easy to order some dishes like snail steamed with ginger leaf, gingered snail, snail sauted with carambola, snail boiled with lemon leaf, snail steamed with Chinese herbs, and so on, in many small restaurants, restaurants, and even hotels However, vermicelli and snail sour soup is the most attractive to young ladies because of brittleness by snails, the slightly sour taste by snail soup, and hot by chilly boiled down, making even gorged people keep eating

Every autumn, around September and October, when the cool north-westerly wind brings a cold dew, the sticky rice ears bend themselves into arches waiting for ripe grains because these rice grains are at their fullest and the rice-milk is already concentrated in the grains, predicting that the com season has arrived

Better than any other person, the peasant knows when the rice ears are ripe enough to be reaped to begin making com Com is made from green sticky rice that is harvested in blossom period, roasted in many times, crashed and sieved

Com is a speciality; at the same time, it is very popular One can enjoy com with tieu ripe banana. When eating com, you must eat slowly and chew very deliberately in order to appreciate all the scents, tastes, and plasticity of the young rice

Com is an ingredient also used in many specialities of Vietnam, including com xao (browned com), banh com (com cakes), che com (sweetened com soups), etc.

Com may be obtained anywhere in the North of Vietnam, but the tastiest com is processed in Vong Village, 5km from Hanoi, where com making has been a professional skill for many generations

Cha ca La Vong (La Vong grilled fish pies)

Cha ca La Vong is a unique specialty of Hanoi people, therefore one street in Hanoi was named as Cha Ca Street

Cha ca is made from mud-fish, snake-headed fish, but the best one is Hemibagrus (Ca lang) Fish bone is left away to keep fish meat only, then seasoning, clipping by pieces of bamboo, and frying by coal heat An oven of coal heat is needed when serving to keep Cha ca always hot Cha ca is served with roasted peanuts, dry pancakes, soft noodle soup, spice vegetables and shrimps paste with lemon and chilly

The Cha ca La Vong Restaurant on No.14 Cha Ca Street is the "ancestor restaurant" of the dish

Banh cuon (Rolled rice pancake)

pancake with the filling of the cake is made from minced pork mixed with Jew's ears and thin-top mushrooms The cake, placed on plate, serve with salted shredded shring and fried dry onions The customers immediately experience the disk as it is just finished and stilI very hot

It is the sauce of the cake that fascinates the customers The cake-makers have their own know-how, some of them prepare Banh cuon with Belostomatid essence to have sweet -smelling to attract to the customers

Lon quay Lang Son (Lang Son roasted pork)

Anyone who arrives in Lang Son Province could find it difficult to say no to Lon quay dish Lon quay Lang Son is delicious for many reasons, however, the main specific taste of the dish comes from the unique flavor of a kind of leaf called "Mac mat" (meaning "sweet leaf") The leaf is soaked with spices, fish sauce, glutamate, flavoring powder, then stuffed into clean pig belly and placed on reverted furnace Pig is fried the spread with watery honey so as to make the skin turn golden and brittle, and pork is soft and sweet-smelling as finish

Banh tom Ho Tay (Ho Tay fried shirmp cake)

All people who used to live in Hanoi are familiar with Banh tom Ho Tay Restaurant on the Thanh Nien (Young) Street The cake preparing process includes wheat flour mixed with potato fibres, placing on shape with shrimps upper, then fried with oil The cake is brittle, soft, sweet-smelling, and served with vegetable pickles and sweet and sour fish sauce for best taste

Special food in the Centre

Banh beo xu Hue (Hue bloating fren-shaped cake)

Banh beo is a specialty and indispensable in Hue City Banh beo is delicious with its core stuffed with small shrimps and sauce made from a mixture of fish sauce, sugar, garlic, chilly and fresh small shrimps, watery grease Therefore, it offers customers with sweet, buttery and smelling flavors Without delicious sauce, the cake would become worthless When serving, it is required to use a tool called Que Cheo (bamboo folk) to pass through the cake, cut into pieces, prick and eat Customers would be impressed forever with having Banh beo in a green garden while listening to Hue folk song coming from the Perfume River

Preparing Bun bo gio heo is very skillful Pig leg is clean-shaved, chopped into even slices with adequate bone, meat and skin, mixed with lean beefs, and soaked with salt, pepper, fish sauce, dry onion and spices

Bun bo gio heo is proper with all appetites Even diet people could enjoy the sweet-smelling of beef with less fat of pig leg so as not to be fed up with as serving Bun bo gio heo is delicious anytime you have it You could enjoy this specialty of the Central region on Hue City

Banh la cha tom (Grilled rice cake with Cray fish)

Anyone who used to experience the dish would never forget such simple cake made from grilled rice cake and Cray fish only

The cake must be as thin as a leaf but flexible enough Cray fish must be brittle and sweet Serving with long jawed anchovy sauce

Banh la cha tom does not as heavily smell as the majority of the other dishes but gentle, elegant and attractive to customers

Com hen song Huong (Perfume River mussel cooked rice)

Com hen has a sweet-smelling flavor of rice, onion, and grease, as well as strange tastes of sweet, buttery, salty, sour, bitter, and peppery-hot You have to arrive to Hen river-islet in the Perfume River to have the original Com hen However, you can find out the dish on some streets in Hue City It requires 15 different raw materials to prepare for the dish, including mussel, fried grease, watery grease, peanuts, white sesames, dry pancake, salted shredded meat, chilly sauce, banana flower, banana trunk, sour carambola, spice vegetables, peppermint, salad, etc

Com hen is always attractive to many customers because it is tasty and, at the same time, economic to anybody

Cao lau as a dish has its "own kingdom", therefore, customers are likely to be served with it only in Hoi An

Cao lau noodles are carefully made from local new rice not stocked one Water used to soak rice must be taken from wells in the Ba Le Village; noodles thus will be soft, enduring and flavored with special sweet-smelling In addition, meat used to prepare for Cao lau must be loin or trotter.

Dry pancakes used must be thick and have much sesame Greasy coconut quintessence and bitter green cabbage are also indispensable The so-called genuine Cao lau Hoi An must satisfy all above requirements

Banh trang cuon thit heo (Dry pancake roll with pork)

Coming to the Central region, you are offered with the service of Banh trang cuon thịt heo.

A big plate of fresh vegetables with a peppery-hot red chilly, a plate of boiled lean and fat meat, a bowl of fish sauce, and a plate of dry pancakes are displayed on the dining table Customers have to serve themselves with all of the 10 substances mentioned above

Banh trang cuon thịt heo is considered as not only a daily dish but also likely an artistic specialty of the Central citizens

My Quang (Quang soft noodle soup)

Similar to rice noodle and chicken or pork soup (Hu tieu), My Quang is a variety of Pho (rice noodle soup), because the noodles are made from rice and soused with soup as serving The soup sauce, which is added, comes from a mixture of flavor from beef or pork bone, shrimps, crabs, chicken and duck The noodles are yellow, somewhat distinct from Pho However, the main reason for having this color is to be in hannony with the colors of shrimps and crabs

The best My Quang is made from rice in Phu Chiem, shrimp in Cho Dai and spicy vegetables in Tra Que As a strict selection of substances to prepare, My Quang has been dominant in almost all of culinary markets in the Central provinces and expanded to Ho Chi Minh City with a high qualification of a Quang Ngai's specialty

Highland Market

People wear their nicest clothes and spend some days at the market They may play their pan-flutes, dance, sing and meet new friends Therefore, markets in highland areas are also called Love Markets (Cho Tinh)

Countryside Market

Many communes in rural Vietnam feature countryside markets (cho que).

There are two main types of countryside market: the fair and the evening market Fairs are held periodically For example, it may be held on days with the numbers three and eight, which would imply fairs on the 3rd, 8th, 13th, 18th, 23rd and 28th days of each lunar month Major markets attract

huge numbers of people

Apart from local products, visitors can find industrial and expensive commodities produced in other localities Of course, necessities such as fruit, oil, salt and vegetables are always available

Floating Markets

There is a very interesting kind of market in the Mekong River Delta Thousands of boats gather to form a place of economic activity Trading activities take place all day, but the most exciting time is in the morning when boats arrive loaded up with agricultural products

On a cho noi (floating market) all trade activities take place on boats The largest cho noi include Phung Hiep, Nga Bay, Phong Dien (in Hau Giang), Cai Rang (in Can Tho) and Cai Be (in Tien Giang) Most of the agricultural productions sold in cho noi are for wholesalers, who then re-sell it to food processing factories or ship it to the north

Vietnam Handicrafts

For a very long time, handicraft products have been a source of cultural pride and a source of income for the people As the varieties of handicraft products are too numerous to be fully introduced, only a few typical items and their sources are mentioned here

Woven tapestries and brocade handbags are unique works from the skilled hands of the ethnic women living in the Northwest regions, such as Cao Bang, Lao Cai

Embroidered articles and silk products are famous from the regions of Van Phuc (Ha Tay), Nam Ha, Thai Binh, Hue, Dalat (Lam Dong)

Wool tapestries from Hanoi and Haiphong, and jute tapestries from Hung Yen, Haiphong, Hanoi and Thai Binh, are much sought after

Ceramic and porcelain items have been produced in Vietnam for a long time Ceramic and porcelain products glazed by traditional methods into beautiful art are well known in Bat Trang (Hanoi), Dong Trieu, Thanh Ha (Quang Ninh), and Haiphong Copperware is fabricated by the skillful hands of coppersmiths in Ngu Xa (Hanoi), Dai Bai (Bac Ninh), Dong Son (Thanh Hoa)

Jewelry products and metalwork are concentrated in Hanoi, Thai Binh and Hung Yen, while stonework are mainly produced in Danang (Five Element Mountain Region)

There are thousands of types of handicraft products Some of these handicrafts have been internationally recognized and popularized, such as lacquerware While lacquer artists produce a limited number of paintings and sculptures, lacquer crafts have been part of Vietnamese life in many forms: vases, boxes, interior decorating items, jewelry, and office products

With about 2,000 years of history, Vietnamese products made by a community of handicraft artists, have established a firm and growing position in the domestic and international markets

Handicrafts

In Vietnam, there are traditional handicrafts: ceramic, bamboo products, lacquerware, mother-of-pearl inlaying

• Ceramic:

Ceramic

There are many villages throughout the country that produce ceramics Some of these villages include Phu Lang in Bac Ninh Province, Huong Canh in Vinh Phuc Province, Lo Chum in Thanh Hoa Province, Thanh Ha in Hoi An (Quang Nam Province), and Bien Hoa in Dong Nai Province

Bat Trang Ceramic Village (Hanoi) is very old According to historical documents, products from this village were well known as far back as the 15th century

Vietnamese ceramic is now well known in both the domestic and international markets Traditional products include kitchen items and trays The flower-patterned bowls of Bat Trang have been exported to Sweden, the cucumber pots to Russia, and the teapots to France

Bamboo products

Bamboo and rattan (tre, may, and song) are abundant sources of material used by Vietnamese handicraftsmen The advantages of these products are that they are light, durable, and termite resistant

Bamboo and rattan products from Vietnam first appeared on the world market at a Paris fair in 1931 Since then, more than 200 items made from these materials are sold overseas Among the most popular are baskets, flower pots, lampshades, and bookshelves

• Lacquerware:

Lacquer painting

Lacquerware is really typical to Vietnam, although it also exists in other Asian countries It is said that the resin extracted from the trees in Phu Tho Province is the best one As such, the lacquerware products made in Vietnam are very beautiful and durable

As early as the 18th century, people in Nam Ngu District in Thang Long (Hanoi) specialised in making lacquerware products In its early stages of development, lacquerware contained only four colours: black, red, yellow, and brown However, due to improvements in technologies in later years, additional pigment colours were made, therein, creating a wider range of lacquer colours

Currently, Vietnamese made lacquerware products are essential in both the domestic and foreign markets The renowned products include wall paintings, flower vases, jewellery boxes, trays, chessboards, and folding screens

• Mother-of-pearl Inlaying:

Craftsmen performing inlaying use different types of oyster shells and pearls, which offer a wide array of colours This art form requires a lot of effort as the process of inlaying involves numerous stages, including designing, grinding, cutting, carving, chiselling, and polishing

Inlaying is widely used in the furniture industry to make tables, desks, chairs, picture frames, and trays that portray various ancient tales These tales are displayed as scenes of nature, such as birds, butterflies, lotus ponds, and banana trees

The process of inlaying furniture has increased the value of wooden articles According to legend, this handicraft originated in the Chuon Villagein Ha Tay Province

• Stone Sculpture:

Sculptors use marble to carve various articles of high value, including bracelets, ash-trays, Buddha statues, ornamental flowers, leaves and trees, and animal statues, such as cats and peacocks

• Embroidery:

Embroidering painting

In the past, embroidery was mainly reserved for the benefit of the upper class, temples, and pagodas The technique of this art form was rather simple, and it involved only five colours of thread: yellow, red, green, violet, and blue

Presently, embroidered goods serve both useful and decorative purposes New technologies have helped to produce new materials, such as white cloth, lampshades, and lace As a result, the embroidery industry has developed and there is now a wide range of new products including pillowcases, bed sheets, and kimonos The most skilled type of embroidery is the production of portraits, which requires using up to 60 different colours of thread

It is believed that embroidery originated in Quat Dong Village in Ha Tay Province

• Jewellery:

Jewellery

As soon as the 2nd century, the Vietnamese were using gold and silver to create jewellery There are

three different techniques used to make gold and silver jewellery, including intricate carving, casting, which is the process of melting metal and pouring it into flower, lead, or bird shaped moulds, and common processing, which is a process of polishing metal

It is said that gold work originated in Dinh Cong Village near Hanoi and that silver work originated in Dong Xam Village in Thai Binh Province

• Wood Work:

Making fine wooden articles

Since the 1980s, the production of fine wooden articles has experienced a strong revival These works of art have been much sought after in both domestic and foreign markets The most popular of these products are wooden statutes and sets of wooden chairs, cabinets, and beds

Currently, there are many companies dealing in the production and sale of wooden items Their skilled employees have produced many beautiful and highly appreciated products

• Copper Casting:

Copper casting is one of the most famous and enduring traditional art forms of Vietnam With the help of technology, several ancient copper items from all over the country have been preserved Approximately 3,000 years ago, ancient Vietnamese discovered how to cast copper to make brass tools, weapons, and ornaments; therein, initiating the metal age Some brass statues that have been preserved serve as proof of the blooming period of copper casting in Vietnam In later years, pursuing their forefathers’ talents, handicraftsmen created many innovative brass products that suited the needs of society

Some of the most famous copper pieces known today include a series of brass drums that were cast over centuries As well, there are brass artefacts currently exhibited in Hue, such as a bronze kettle at the Imperial Palace (1659-1684), the bronze plaque of Thien Mu Pagoda (1677), the bell of Thien Mu Pagoda (1710), the Nine Cannons (1803-1804), and the Nine Dynastic Urns (1835-1837)

Today, only a few copper casting villages remain, such as Ngu Xa in Hanoi, the casting quarter near Hue, and Phuoc Kieu in Quang Nam

Traditional Fine Arts

Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups, each of which has its own traditional culture The diversity of the ethnic groups is apparent in the many traditional and cultural Vietnamese treasures These treasures include the various works of art found throughout the country, including sculpture, ceramic, painting, and casting, made from materials such as clay, stone, bronze, steel, wood, and paper

Preserved vestiges testify that the Vietnamese people have a long history of traditional fine arts For example, the picture carvings on the walls of the caves in Hoa Binh date back to 10,000 years; a bronze ladle found in Haiphong and bronze tools found in Thanh Hoa are from 4th century BC.

art

Folk Paintings

Folk paintings are a combination of traditional cultural values with ancient artistic methods that have been created through the labour of past

generations There are two types of Vietnamese folk paintings, Tet (Lunar New Year Festival) paintings and worshipping paintings

The Vietnamese believe in ancestor worship and the deification of natural phenomena, both of which are reflected in the paintings

Due to their historical popularity, the folk paintings were produced in large quantities This high demand was met through the use of the woodblock carving printing technique, which has been practiced by the Vietnamese for many centuries During the Ly Dynasty (12th century), there were

many families who specialised in woodblock carving By the end of the Tran Dynasty, they were also printing paper money At the beginning of the Le So Dynasty, the Chinese technique of carving printing boards was adopted and improved The History Museum and the Fine Art Museum in Hanoi

still keep old printing boards as archives

During the Mac Dynasty (16th century), folk paintings developed quite extensively and were popular

among the aristocracy in Thang Long In the 18th and 19th centuries, the art of folk painting was stable

and highly developed

traditional aspects As well, the paintings have been influenced and enriched by the genius of other painting styles One exception is Dong Ho paintings, which continue to exist unchanged against the

challenges of time

Dong Ho Paintings

These paintings which originated in the Red River Delta, are the most famous The artists coat do paper (the Rhamnoneuron paper) with diep powder (a white powder made from the shells of diep, a kind of fluvial bivalve mollusk) to make silver lustre glitter Sometimes yellow flower powder called Hoa hoe or orange-red sapandwood powder is used to make the colours more elegant and shiny

On that background, the colours are applied with a woodblock Some of the paintings only have simple black lines, while others are printed with one other colour All of the materials for creating the colours for these paintings come from nature A wide spectrum of colours can be made using mixing

and multi-coloured printing techniques

Dong Ho paintings reflect people’s innermost feelings, wishes, and simple dreams Because the paintings appeal to so many people, they are available throughout the country, from the village

markets to the capital city

Hang Trong Paintings

Hang Trong paintings are also printed with black lines to form the basis for the colour But, unlike Dong Ho paintings, they are made by hand Large sheets of imported paper and brightly coloured paints are used for Hang Trong paintings The content of these paintings are very much influenced by

Chinese drawings

Hang Trong paintings are popular as worshipping paintings in temples As such, the paintings are often in spacious living rooms or in holy places Hang Trong paintings have traditionally served the poorer classes and are made and sold in the

Kim Hoang paintings, which are often called red paintings, are made on the outskirts of ancient Thang Long Kim Hoang paintings are printed and drawn on imported coloured paper (yellow, bright red, pink) and printed with black lines and shapes; other colours used to separate the shapes

The colours are applied in rough, but flexible lines Sometimes, the paintings are reprinted to create clear line The colours used for Kim Hoang paintings are bought and then mixed by the painters, except for indigo, which is self-processed The themes of Kim Hoang paintings are similar to those of the Dong Ho paintings, but there are also Chinese character paintings Phuc, Loc, Tho (meaning “Happiness”, “Good Luck”, and “Longevity” respectively), that have the typical flower of each

season printed next to each character

Sinh Village Paintings

Sinh Village Paintings, which come from Sinh Village, a suburb of Hue City, are well-known in the central region of Vietnam Most Sinh Village paintings are used for worship, and they express the

mystical, nature-based beliefs of the ancient Vietnamese

Among these pictures is the Tuong Ba (Statue of the Lady) painting, the guardian angel of women. Sinh paintings are made using just one printing-board to create the drawing lines and black shapes After being printed in black, the work is sometimes completed with embellishments made with colourful lines Some paintings are still printed on rustic paper

Traditional Sculpture

In the realm of traditional art, Vietnamese sculpture has had a significant history of development Vietnamese sculpture has been heavily influenced by the three traditional religions, Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, which come from neighboring countries China and India Examples of early Vietnamese sculpture can be found in common houses, temples, and

pagodas

The main categories of Vietnamese sculpture include:

The sculpture of the Funan and Champa kingdoms in South Vietnam

The sculpture of the Chams in Central Vietnam

The sculpture of the Dai Viet in North Vietnam

Prehistory

The prehistory covers the period from the Nui Do culture, 300,000 years ago, to the Dong Son culture, 2,500 years ago Cultural activities from this time are not clearly known, nor are the artistic practices

There are no prehistoric sculptures, only expressions or manifestations For example, a 10,000- year-old carving of three human faces and a wild animal can be found in Dong Noi Grotto(Lac Thuy District, Hoa Binh Province) Small ceramic and stone carvings have also been uncovered at archaeological digs in Phung Nguyen, Dong Dau, and Go Mun The Dong Son culture is famous for its kettledrums, small carvings fastened to objects of worship, and home utensils, which have handles sculpted in the shape of men, elephants, toads, and tortoises

Sculpture of Grave Houses in the Central Highlands

The five provinces of Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong are located in the highlands of south-west Vietnam where a brilliant culture of Southeast Asian and Polynesian nations lived The linguistic families of the Mon-Khmer and Malay-Polynesian played the main role in the formation of the language of the Central Highlands, as well as the traditional customs, which have remained very popular among the scattered communities of the region Mourning houses erected to honour the dead of the Gia Rai and Ba Na ethnic groups are symbolised by statues placed in front of the graves These statues include couples embracing, pregnant women,

and people in mourning, elephants, and birds

Cham Sculptures

The association between the two Cham clans of Cau and Dua led to the establishment of a feudal state, which was heavily influenced by Hinduism The royal kingdom of Champa took shape in what is now South Vietnam This ancient country was dispersed along the coastline Archaeologists believe the kingdom began to develop during the second century, but it was only during the 7th and 8th centuries that the presently-found forms of Cham architecture and sculpture

were created; this time period is closely linked to movements of Buddhism and Hinduism The Chams possessed astounding creative ability and produced magnificent works of art and architecture The most magnificent remains of the Cham civilisation can be found in Amaravati (Quang Nam Province), Vijaya (Binh Dinh Province), Kanthara (Nha Trang) and Paduranaga (Phan Rang) Sculptures were harmoniously laid together in architectural complexes, which were based on

the distinct functions of particular towers

The development of Cham sculpture is divided into six main periods:

- My Son E1(first half of the 8th century).

- Hoa Lai (first half of the 9th century).

- Dong Duong (end of the 9th century).

- Tra Kieu(end of the 9th century and beginning of the 10th century).

- Thap Mam (12th and 13th centuries).

- Poklong Gialai (end of the 13th century to the 16th century).

Dai Viet became an independent, powerful state after Ly Cong Uan came to the throne and moved the nation’s capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long (present-day Hanoi) Buddhism became the national religion, and it gradually became a part of everyday life Buddhist centers formed in Quang Ninh, Ha

Nam, Nam Dinh, and,especially in Bac Ninh Province

The native area of the Ly Dynasty was built in the traditional architectural style of Southeast Asia During this time, pagodas were generally built in grades, with high towers and statues of Buddha at the centre The statue of Amida Buddha in the Phat Tich Pagoda (built in 1057) was one of the first works of Buddhist sculpture in the north A monument found at the Dam Pagoda (built in 1086) is derived from the Cham symbols of Linga and Yoni At 5.4m high, this is an imposing work

Tran Dynasty (1225 - 1426)

The Tran Dynasty, which followed the crumbling of the Ly Dynasty, continued the development of Vietnamese feudalism Victorious resistance against Mongolian invaders in 1258 and 1288 preserved the independence of the country and had a deep influence on literature and arts At the same time, war ravaged the country, limiting artistic creation Buddhism continued to be widespread; however, pagodas of this period were not as fantastic as previously constructed pagodas Numerous lotus form rectangular bases for statues were produced that can presently be found in pagodas in Thay, Boi Khe,

and Duong Lieu

Woodcarvings and engravings with subjects of dancing dragons and fig tree leaves can be found in Pho Minh Pagoda (Nam Dinh Province) and Thai Lac (Hung Yen Province) In the mausoleums of the Tran Dynasty, stone sculptures are mainly of men and animals paying respect to the royal family The statues of tigers in Tran Thu Do’s mausoleum (one of the founders of the Tran Dynasty) and the statues of buffaloes and dogs in Tran Hien Tong’s mausoleum are the first forms of sculpture in

Vietnam’s tombs

Le Dynasty (1427 - 1527)

For 100 years from the beginning of the Le Dynasty, Buddhism gradually integrated into all the villages and hamlets, and Confucianism began to play an important role in royal matters and in the agricultural economy Relations between farmers and landlords flourished However, aside from the three impressive stone statues erected at the Ngoc Kham Pagoda (Bac Ninh Province) at the beginning of the Le Dynasty, the image of the Buddhist sculpture faded out Instead, Buddhist sculptures were replaced by magnificent works on the mausoleums and tombs of the Le emperors in Lam Son (Thanh Hoa Province) Following the style of Emperor Le Thai To’s Mausoleum, built in 1433, eight mausoleums for kings and two for queens were built They had square surfaces with a path in the middle for the gods to run through Along the sides, there were two

rows of statues of mandarins, unicorns, horses and tigers

After 20 years of war with the Chinese Ming occupation (1407–1427), the country was devastated Numerous products were stolen, temples and pagodas were destroyed, and skilled workers were captured and transferred to China Emperor Le employed farmers from neighbouring villages to carve statues and to build mausoleums As a result, the new monarchy saw the production of relatively poor

quality sculptures

Le - Trinh - Tay Son

works, developed throughout the countryside

In the 17th century, Nguyen lords came into power and conquered the South Seven conflicts broke

out between the Trinh and Nguyen families during this century Buddhism was restored and was considered the salvation of the people’s spirits Over the next 200 years, culture and arts developed and reached high levels of prosperity Sculptures became more and more diverse and included Buddhist sculptures in village pagodas, sculptures of native religious beliefs in temples, and sculptures for the mausoleums and tombs of the emperors and mandarins of the Le and Trinh dynasties

The statue of the goddess Kuanin with 1,000 eyes and 1,000 arms in the Ha Pagoda (Vinh Phuc Province) is a fine example of the grandiose sculptural work of the 16th century The Kuanin statue in

But Thap Pagoda (in Bac Ninh Province) is symbolic of 17thcentury work The statue is 3.7m in

height, and features 48 large arms and 952 smaller ones, all of which are bunched, together in a dark

ring around the eyes

Sculptures featured in commercial houses, such as in Phu Lac, Chu Quyen, Tho Tang, Lien Hiep and Huong Loc, are full of vitality and have liberal features and imposing structures The identities and styles are a mix of deity and Buddhist images, commercial life, and agriculture

Nguyen Dynasty (1802 - 1945)

The Nguyen Dynasty saw the transfer of the capital from Hanoi to Hue, and the building of a grandiose imperial city and a complex of mausoleums and tombs The sculptures of these feudal mausoleums and tombs are considered to be artistically weak and rigid

Traditional Pottery and Ceramics

Pottery has taken form early in Vietnam According to ancient document, pottery appears in Vietnam ten thousand years ago Following information is general outline of pottery and ceramics appearance through historic development

Prehistoric Age

Bronze Age

Most of the pottery products from the Bronze Age were formed on turn tables and had diverse styles As well as cooking utensils, there were also artistic ceramics and products for tool production The diverse products were decorated with carved images and covered by a different coloured layer of an enamel-like substance The adornment of pottery products from this period was performed using

bronze tools

Iron Age

Iron Age pottery products developed in all regions of the country These products were produced at low temperatures using somewhat rudimentary techniques The form and ornamentation of the Iron Age pottery products was quite unique to this period This craft developed from traditional

experience, and from the influence of the Chinese

Architectural pottery, including bricks and tiles, also originated during this time and small simple statues of animals, such as pigs and oxen, were introduced

From Ly Dynasty until now

After more than ten centuries of Chinese domination, the Ly and Tran dynasties saw the reestablishment of national independence During this period, pottery experienced splendid achievements in quality and diversity through large-scale production

Basic elements, including the form, decorations, and coloured enamel, were employed to create beautiful products The painted decorations were simple, but incredibly attractive Unique carving characteristics developed and various kinds of enamel were applied Since the 15th century, ceramic started to bear white enamel with blue designs and fabrication

Nowadays, some localities are still specialized in producing ceramics, including Bac Ninh Province, Thanh Hoa Province, Nam Dinh Province, and Hanoi

Vietnamese Architecture

Vietnamese architecture arises from the Kings Hung dynasty

Before the 10th century, villages and hamlets appeared in this period according to several tales of Linh Nam The ancient Vietnamese used wood to build houses to protect themselves from tigers and wolves Two kinds of houses were depicted on the bronze drums; one in the shape of a boat and the other in a shape similar to a turtle shell

Due to dense lakes, swamps, rivers, and highly humid tropical climate, the most appropriate building material is bamboo and wood to set up houses on low stilts At the end of the 19th century, houses on stilts remained in mountainous areas, midlands, and plains throughout the country

In order to be suitable with the rugged terrain, Co Loa Citadel was made out of clay during Thuc Phan Dynasty in the 3rd century BC The architecture during the Chinese sovereignty, from the 2nd century BC to the 9th century, consisted of various structures like ramparts, royal tombs, citadels, folk-houses, and pagodas

Nguyen Dynasty

Khue Van Cac-Ha Noi

The development of Bac Ha region at the beginning of the 19th century was slowed down, after the capital was moved to Hue by the Nguyen Dynasty At the same time, development in Thang Long increased and citadels, cultural structures, temples, and new residential areas were built

Hue’s architecture was considered as a collection of traditional influences which relied on flat surfaces, citadel and urban centers, interior decoration, and scenery structures

Ly Dynasty

During the 11th century while a united-feudal state was developing, the Ly Dynasty initiated a new phase in architectural development

Generally, the architecture of Ly Dynasty, 11th and 12th centuries, had five orthodox styles: citadels, palaces, castles, pagodas, and houses

Thang Long Citadel had a complex of palaces, many of which were 3-4 floor temples At that time, the Thang Long culture deeply reflected the cultural characteristic of the tower-pagoda The architectural characteristics of the Ly Dynasty were residential complexes, more ornamental roofs, doors, door-steps, banisters, and rounded statues, all in a suitable design for the climate and traditional customs of Vietnam Streets, markets, ground and stilt houses in popular architectural design developed simultaneously as royal palaces

Le Dynasty

But Thap pagoda-Bac Ninh province

In the turn of the 15th century, under Le Dynasty, orthodox architecture had two dominant styles: the imperial palace and the royal tomb From the 16th to 17th century, religious architecture gained a lot of popularity in architectural development

The pagoda and temple construction techniques achieved progress during the 18th century

Tran Dynasty

Binh Son tower-Vinh Phuc province

Under the Tran Dynasty, the dominant architecture models were the royal palace, pagoda, house, temple, and citadel These styles were deeply and significantly illustrated in the Binh Son Tower in Vinh Phu Province, the Pho Minh Pagoda in Nam Dinh Province, and the Thai Lac Pagoda in Hung Yen Province

The complexity and structure of Pho Minh Pagoda is an outstanding example of the architectural style of the Tran Dynasty period and of the following centuries The structure was designed in main sections: the lobby, main hall, and sanctuary

The inside yard, or interior garden, played an important role in the traditional architectural style and reflected the concept of oriental space The contemporary architecture of royal palaces was designed with upper floors and systems of consecutive corridors in an open-air space, which was very convenient for living in a warm climate In spite of the crowded development, the majority of construction materials were still bamboo and wood

Even though the Ho Dynasty lasted for only years, it left an outstanding architectural heritage such as the Tay Do Citadel in Thanh Hoa Province The splendid doors of the citadel still remain

Modern and Contemporary Architecture

Ha Noi Opera House

At the end of the 19th century, architectural characteristics were influenced by new construction style brought by European urban planning and the interaction between French and Oriental cultures Since the reunification in 1975, Vietnam’s architecture has been impressively developing

urban planning, and regional planning Also, issues on spontaneous development of urban area, protection of architectural relics, and house-building strategies are problems that need urgent solutions

Nha nhac, Vietnamese Court Music - An Intangible Cultural Heritage

On November 7, 2003, UNESCO bestowed world heritage status on 28 relics of nations as masterpieces of oral and intangible heritage of humanity Among the 11 masterpieces of Asia, nha nhac (royal music) represents the first intangible legacy of Vietnam to have been put on this list

The UNESCO Council appraised Vietnamese royal music in the following terms: “Vietnamese royal music represents an elegant and refined music It deals with the music performed in the imperial courts and on different anniversaries, religious festivals, and on such particular occasions Of the different categories developed in Vietnam, only the royal music was national.”

Nha nhac (Vietnamese royal music) and its principles came to Vietnam under the Ho Dynasty (1400-1407) The Ho Dynasty, however, only existed for a short time, so nha nhac rapidly fell into oblivion. In 1427, Le Loi defeated the Chinese Ming invaders and liberated the country However, nha nhac only began to develop in the reign of King Le Thanh Tong (1460-1497) and reached its peak under the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945)

Nha nhac is genre of scholarly music It attracted the participation of many talented songwriters and musicians, with numerous traditional musical instruments

From now on, nha nhac will have opportunities to preserve, develop and popularize to the public, inside and outside the country

Music and Songs

Nha nhac, Vietnamese Court Music - An Intangible Cultural Heritage

On November 7, 2003, UNESCO bestowed world heritage status on 28 relics of nations as

masterpieces of oral and intangible heritage of humanity Among the 11 masterpieces of Asia, nha nhac (royal music) represents the first intangible legacy of Vietnam to have been put on this list

(Detail)

Young people now enjoy new music that comes to them from the radio, television, audio and video tapes, as well as compact discs So, they still show any attachment to the old folk tunes so loved by their elders, such as the melodies of ca tru? Ca tru is a musical genre that calls for expertise as well as sensibility on the part of the listeners In return, it provides the most refined enjoyment

(Detail)

Quan Ho

The birth place of quan ho folk songs is Bac Ninh Province During village festivals, which are held every year, particularly in spring, young men and women gather in the yard of a communal house or pagoda, on a hill or in a rowing boat, and sing quan ho This is a style of singing where songs alternate from group to group (Detail)

Hat Van

Hat van or hat chau van, a traditional folk art which combines singing and dancing, is a religious

form of art used for extolling the merits of beneficent deities or deified national heroes Its music and poetry are mingled with a variety of rhythms, pauses, tempos, stresses and pitches (Detail)

Then Song

The then song is the religious music of the Tay, Nung minorities This type of song can be considered a religious performance of Long Poems which depict a journey to the heavens to ask the Jade

Emperor to settle trouble for the head of the household (Detail)

Hue music and song

Ly Folk Song or Ly Nam Bo

The ly song is one of the special folk songs of the Vietnamese people It is sung in the northern, central and southern regions of Vietnam (Detail)

Xam Song

The xam song is one kind of song that was created by the Vietnamese a long time ago, and which is considered a very special performance People used to walk in a group of two to three or four to five and sing, mainly in residential areas such as a parking lot, a ferry-landing, or a market gate (Detail)

Traditional Wedding Music of the Khmer

It is impossible to be without this kind of traditional music at a Khmer wedding reception in the South of Vietnam (Detail)

Rija Festival Music

Rija is a term used by the Cham to designate numerous festivals related to agriculture and clans (for

instance, Rija Prong, Rija Nagar or Rija Yaup, etc.). (Detail)

Ly Folk Song or Ly Nam Bo

These folk songs, however, are much more developed in the South The various ly songs of the South contain different subject matters, as well as unique musical characteristics The ly songs of the South depict the activities of production, emotions, and the thoughts of the people in their daily lives Animals, plants, flowers, love, and marriage are also described in the ly folk songs Some folk songs describe the common aspirations of the people or criticize disgraceful practices The ly songs of the people in South Vietnam reflect the daily lives of the local residents Although the songs have various styles, sorrow is the prominent characteristic described in the words of the songs The songs are considered rather modest, simple, and mischievous

Festival games & Folk games

Rice cooking competitions (thi thoi com)

During Tet, a number of villages in northern and central Vietnam hold cooking contests that may sound simple, but follow strict and complex rules: Cooking in the wind and rain Tu Trong Village, Thanh Hoa Province has a temple dedicated to the 11th century warrior Le Phung Hieu (Detail)

Spinning Tops (con quay)

In summertime, groups of children often play with tops along Hanoi’s streets and alleys Their enthusiasm and happy laughter attract an audience, old and young, and remind older viewers of their younger days (Detail)

Bamboo Jacks (choi chuyen)

This girls' game (chơi chuyen) includes ten thin, well-sharpened, round bamboo sticks and a ball, which traditionally is a fig, a miniature variety of eggplant, a small rock or a clod of clay (Detail)

Kites that make music (dieu sao)

The game of squares (O an quan)

Either boys or girls, usually age’s seven to ten, play the two-person game of O an quan (literally "Mandarin's Box") They draw a rectangle on the ground and divide it into ten small squares called "rice fields" or "fish ponds (Detail)

Cat and Mouse Game (meo duoi chuot)

Each game requires between seven and ten people They stand in a circle, hold hands and raise their hands above their heads Then they start singing the song (Detail)

The Game of the Dragon-Snake (rong ran)

A large group plays the children's game rong ran (dragon-snake) In One person sits on a small hill or some location above the other players; he or she acts as the doctor The other children stand in a line, holding each other's belts to form the body of the dragon-snake (Detail)

Throwing a sacred ball through the ring (nem con)

Each ethnic group in Vietnam has unique ways of celebrating Tet The Tay people of Cao Bang and Lang Son Provinces have a special Tet game that not only ushers in the spring but also serves as a matchmaker (Detail)

Releasing pigeons (tha chim)

Human Chess

“Human chess” (co nguoi) is a popular game at village and temple festival The game follows the general rules of Chinese chess The concept is recognizably similar to Western chess, but with a different-sized board and different pieces, including cannons and guards, each of them marked with a distinct Chinese character (Detail)

Festival games & Folk games

Battle of the Chickens (choi ga)

Cock fighting, a long-standing form of popular entertainment, is organised during traditional festivals throughout Vietnam (Detail)

Nu Na Nu Nong

This is a girls’ chanting game Several girls sit side by side with their legs stretched out The head of the game recites a song; at each word, she uses her hand to touch another girl’s leg or foot (Detail)

Bamboo Swings (Danh Du)

Swings have been traditional game at village festivals for centuries A Complete History of Dai Viet (Dai Viet su ky toan thu) states: "In the Ly Dynasty, in spring or the first lunar month, boys and girls get together and play this game" (Detail)

The Pull of Natural Forces (keo co)

The Art of Traditional Wrestling

On a beautiful spring day in Nam Dinh, a light breeze blows over the multicoloured traditional flags planted at the four corners of the arena where the finalists of the National Wrestling Championship are about to compete (Detail)

Vietnamese Rugby or Vat Cu

The rhythmic sound of a drum echoes for kilometers-vibrating, pressing, increasing in urgency Any spectators arriving late from neighbouring villages hasten along their way The crowd grows larger and larger around a flat piece of empty space in front of the village pagoda (Detail)

Blind Man’s Buff

Children between ages six and 15 enjoy playing bit mat bat de (“catching a goat while blindfolded”) One participant volunteers to play the “goat” and another, the “goat catcher” Other players form a circle around the players (Detail)

Chanting While Sawing Wood (keo cua lua xe)

Both boys and girls play the game of keo cua lua xe Two children sit opposite each other, holding each other’s hands tightly While reciting a song, they push and pull each other’s arms and pretend as if they are sawing a piece of wood between them (Detail)

Vieing for Ball

The game of vieing for ball is a ritual in some festivals or a custom in others Its names and rules can be different from locality to locality It is an activity wishing for bumper crops of the peasants

(Detail)

Word arrangement

under 15 years old They wear blue trousers, leggings, and white shirts with red hem (Detail)

Boat racing

From time immemorial, boat racing has appeared in Vietnam It is not only a competition but also a ritual in honour of the Water God, stemming from the act of praying for water among agricluture-based people

In some places there are only two boats in competition (in Ðào Xá, Phú Tho), a male boat with the figure of a bird at its head and a female one decorating with a figure of a fish These two figures symbolize the yin-yang harmony (bird: in the sky – yang, fish: in the water – yin) The movements of the ores waken up the Water God This kind of boat racing only takes place at night and ends at the crack of dawn For fishermen boat racing conveys their wishes for bumper fish catches In other places, boat racing is held to honour general who were good at navy operation At present boat racing constitutes an important part in the program of many festivals from the North to the South, especially the localities with rivers and lakes or near the sea It has gone beyond a belief activity to become a fascinating sport event, which attracts a large number of participants As such, boat racing has become an event to compete and display collective strength

Worship of Ancestor Custom

A very popular belief among Vietnamese is the custom of the ancestor cult In every household, an ancestor altar is installed in the most solemn

location

On the last day of every lunar year, an announcing cult, cung tien thuong, is performed to invite the dead forefathers to return home to celebrate Tet holidays with their families During the last days before Tet, all family members visit their ancestors’ graves; they clean and decorate the graves, in the same manner that the livings clean and decorate their houses to welcome the New Year

On the anniversary of an ancestor’s death, descendants and relatives unite and prepare a feast to worship the dead people and to ask for health and happiness for themselves From generation to generation, ancestor worshipping customs have been religiously preserved There are some small variations between those customs among the many Vietnamese ethnic groups, but the common theme of fidelity and gratitude towards the ancestors remains

Villages – Guilds

The Vietnamese culture has always evolved on the basis of the wet rice civilization Thus, the lifestyle of the Vietnamese population is closely related to its village and native lands

The purpose of these conventions is the promotion of good customs within populations All the conventions are different but they are always in accordance with the state laws

Approximately ten thousands such conventions are kept in the History Museum in Hanoi and in other museums throughout the country

Customs of Chewing Betel and Areca Nuts and smoking thuoc lao

According to legends, chewing quid of betel and areca has been a custom since the Hung Vuong period and is connected to the antique legend of betel and areca

A quid of betel, also called trau, is composed of four elements: an areca leaf (sweet taste), betel bark (hot taste), a chay root (bitter taste), and hydrated lime (pungent taste) The custom of chewing betel nut is unique to Vietnam Old health books claim that "chewing betel and areca nut makes the mouth fragrant, decreases bad tempers, and makes digesting food easy" A quid of betel makes people become closer and more openhearted At any wedding ceremony, there must be a dish of betel and areca nut, which people can share as they enjoy the special occasion

During festivals or Tet Holidays, betel and areca nut is used for inviting visitors and making acquaintances Sharing a quid of betel with an old friend is like expressing gratitude for the relationship A quid of betel and areca nut makes people feel warm on cold winters days, and during funerals it relieves sadness Betel and areca nuts are also used in offerings When Vietnamese people worship their ancestors, betel and areca nut must be present at the altar Nowadays, the custom of chewing betel remains popular in some Vietnamese villages and among the old

Let’s not forget to mention thuoc lao or strong tobacco For women, betel can initiate various feminine conversation, but for men, thuoc lao is related to their joyfulness as well as the sadness in their lives

Getting married is an important event in a Vietnamese’s life The procedure of the ancient wedding ceremony was very complicated Current wedding ceremony procedures include the following steps: the search for a husband or wife, the proposal, the registration, and finally the wedding

Depending on habits of specific ethnic groups, marriage includes various steps and related procedures, but generally there are two main ceremonies:

Le an hoi (betrothal ceremony): Some time before the wedding, the groom and his family visit the bride and her family with round lacquered boxes known as betrothal presents composed of gifts of areca nuts and betel leaves, tea, cake, fruits, wines and other delicacies covered with red cloth and carried by unmarried girls or boys Both families agree to pick a good day for wedding

Le cuoi (wedding ceremony): Guests would be invited to come to join a party and celebrate the couple’s happiness The couple should pray before the altar asking their ancestors for permission for their marriage, then to express their gratitude to both groom’s and bride’s parents for raising and protecting them Guests will share their joy at a party later

Funeral Ceremony

Formerly funeral ceremonies went as following: the body was washed and dressed; then a le ngam ham, or chopstick, was laid between the teeth and a pinch of rice and three coins were dropped in the mouth Then the body was put on a grass mat laid on the ground according to the saying “being born from the earth, one must return back to the earth.” The dead body was enveloped with white cloth, le kham liem, and put into the coffin, le nhap quan Finally, the funeral ceremony, le phuc, was officially performed

The deceased person’s sons, daughters, and daughters-in-law had to wear coarse gauze turbans and tunics, and hats made of straw or of dry banana fiber The deceased person’s grandchildren and relatives also had to wear mourning turbans During the days when the dead were still laid out at home, the mourning went on with worshipping meals and mourning music Relatives, neighbours, and friends came to offer their condolences

The date and time for the funeral procession, le dua tang, must be carefully selected Relatives, friends, and descendants take part in the funeral procession to accompany the dead along the way to the burial ground Votive papers were dropped along the way At the grave site, the coffin is buried and covered After three days of mourning, the family visits the tomb again, le mo cua ma or worship the opening the grave; after 49 days, le chung that, the family stops bringing rice for the dead to the altar And finally, after 100 days, the family celebrates tot khoc, or the end of the tears After one year is the ceremony of the first anniversary of the relative’s death and after two years is the ceremony of the end of mourning

Nowadays, mourning ceremonies follow new rituals which are simplified; they consist of covering and putting the dead body into the coffin, the funeral procession, the burial of the coffin into the grave, and the visits to the tomb The deceased person’s family members wear a white turban or a black mourning band

Religious Dance

They are not numerous, but still occupy enough cultural space to form this peculiar category

Religious Belief Dance

Religious belief dance is closely connected to ceremonies, beliefs and customs of Vietnamese nationalities

It has been given the strange title of religious belief dance, due to the reflected spiritual features displayed The dances often worship spirits and genies, facilitate prayer or pay homage to the deceased

Modern Dancing

Vietnamese modern dance started developing around 1945 It consists of a combination of materials; some from the folk dance period and others from the new era

has absorbed international and European classical influences, especially in dances to accompany popular music

Water Puppets

Vietnamese water puppetry has a long history An inscription on a stone stele in Doi Pagoda, Duy Tien District, Nam Ha Province, relates a water puppet show staged in the year 1121 to mark a birthday of King Ly Nhan Tong in 4036 words

Puppets are made of wood and coated with waterproof paint Each puppet is handmade, has its own posture and expresses a certain character The most outstanding puppet is known as chu teu which has a round face and a humorous and optimistic smile The show starts with chu teu, dressed in an

odd costume, offering joyful laughter

The pond and lakes of the northern plains, where crowds gathered during festival and galas, become the lively stages for the water puppet shows At a water puppet show, the audience watches boat races, buffalo fights, fox hunts and other rustic scenes amidst the beating of drums and gongs The characters plough, plant rice seedlings, fish in a pond with a rod and line, scoop water with a bamboo basket from a tripod, etc The show is interspersed with such items as a Dance by the Four Mythical Animals: Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise, and Phoenix and Dance by the Eight Fairies, in which supernatural beings enjoy festivities alongside people of this world

In water puppet shows there is a very effective combination of visual effects provided by fire, water, and the movements of the marionettes The whole control system of the show is under the surface of the water, concealed from the audience When fairy figures appear to sing and dance, it is calm and serene; then the water is agitated by stormy waves in scenes of battle, with the participation of

fire-spitting dragons

Cheo or Vietnamese Popular Theatre

Cheo is a form of stage performance that originated in the northern

countryside The word cheo means “lyrics of folk ballads, proverbs”.

Traditionally, cheo was composed orally by anonymous authors Today's playwrights compose cheo along traditional lines The characters in the plays sing time-tested popular melodies with words suited to modern circumstances Human rights and the battle of good against evil are common themes The joyfulness and optimism of cheo is expressed through humour and wit In cheo performances, there is always an exchange between the audience and the performers The performers, dao (actress), kep (actor), lao (old man), mu (female character) and he (buffoon) At present cheo is an integral part of Vietnamese theatre and is well liked by people in both the country and in towns, and by foreign spectators as well

The buffoon in Cheo

Cheo is now undergoing a strong revival It is particularly relished by foreigners by overseas Vietnamese visiting the country

Cai Luong

Cai luong is a kind of folk music that developed in the early 20th century It

was first played by amateurs in the south Thanks to their soft voices, southerners sing cai luong very romantically.

The performance includes dances, songs, and music; the music originally drew its influences from southern folk music Since then, the music of cai luong has been enriched with hundreds of new tunes A cai luong orchestra consists mainly of guitars with concave frets and danakim Over time, cai luong has experienced a number of changes to become a highly appreciated type of stage performance

Classical Opera or Tuong

Tuong, also called hat boi in the south, is a stage performance that came

about during the Ly-Tran dynasties and that became very popular nationwide during the following centuries

During the Nguyen dynasty, 19th century, tuong occupied a good position in the cultural lives of the royals In tuong, space and time are captured by songs, dancing, and simple music In the past, tuong did not require any elaborate stage accessories; now, however backdrops and make-up are more elaborate and sophisticated

Religion and Belief

Buddhism

Buddhism was first introduced to Vietnam in the 2nd century, and reached its peak in the Ly dynasty (11th century) It was then regarded as the official religion dominating court affairs Buddhism was preached broadly among the population and it enjoyed a profound influence on people's daily life Its influence also left marks in various areas of traditional literature and architecture As such, many pagodas and temples were built during this time

At the end of the 14th century, Buddhism began to show signs of decline The ideological influence of Buddhism, however, remained very strong in social and cultural life Presenty, over 70 percent of the population of Vietnam are either Buddhist or strongly influenced by Buddhist practices

Catholicism

Catholicism was introduced to Vietnam in the 17th century At present the most densely-populated Catholic areas are Bui Chu-Phat Diem in the northern province of Ninh Binh and Ho Nai-Bien Hoa in Dong Nai Province to the South About 10 percent of the population are considered Catholic

Protestantism was introduced to Vietnam at about the same time as Catholicism Protestantism, however, remains an obscure religion At present most Protestants live in the Central Highlands There still remains a Protestant church on Hang Da Street in Hanoi The number of Protestants living in Vietnam is estimated at 400,000

Islam

Islamic followers in Vietnam are primarily from the Cham ethnic minority group living in the central part of the central coast The number of Islamic followers in Vietnam totals about 50,000

Caodaism

Caodaism was first introduced to the country in 1926 Settlements of the Cao Dai followers in South Vietnam are located near the Church in Tay Ninh The number of followers of this sect is estimated at million

Hoa Hao Sect

The Hoa Hao Sect was first introduced to Vietnam in 1939 More than million Vietnamese are followers of this sect Most of them live in the south-west of Vietnam

Mother Worship (Tho Mau)

Researchers describe the Vietnamese mother-worship cult as a primitive religion Mother, Me in the Vietnamese language, is pronounced Mau in Sino-script The mother worship cult might be originated from the cult of the Goddess in ancient ages In the Middle Ages, the Mother was worshipped in temples and palaces Due to the fact that it is a worshipping custom and not a religion, the Mother worshipping cult has not been organised as Buddhism and Catholicism have As a result, the different affiliations of the cult have yet to be consistent and different places still have different customs

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