TRADITIONAL TET PREFERRED BY EVERYONE IN VIETNAM

Last week, Vietnam News asked readers for their favourite memories of Tet holidays and questioned what they think of the suggestion that the country should celebrate Tet under the solar calendar instead of the lunar one. Here are some responses:

Choi Yi Seob, Korean, Ha Noi I have been in Hanoi for nearly five years. My wife and I enjoyed two Tets in Hanoi and two others in South Korea. This year, we will stay here. My wife – a traditional Vietnamese woman and myself often go together every year to the flower market to buy peach blossom, a kumquat tree and many flowers to decorate our house. I have learned how to cook Vietnamese traditional dishes; however, I have to admit that this is difficult and takes time to do well. Nem (spring rolls) is my favourite dish. I think Tet is really a traditional custom and Viet Nam should keep it. It is better to celebrate it according to the lunar calendar rather than solar because every country has its own traditional customs. Tradition has to be the pride of the nation. In our country, Lunar New Year, known as Seollal (also spelled Seolnal) is one of South Korea's major holidays. Preparation for Seollal has similarities to the Tet of Viet Nam. The day before Seollal, family members gather to prepare the dishes required for the ancestral rites offerings. These must not only taste good but also look perfect. While Viet Nam has banh chung (rice square cake), nem (spring rolls), xoi (sticky rice), gio lua (pork-pie), South Korean has tteokguk (rice cake soup) and 20 other dishes such as wild vegetables, Korean style pancakes, various types of fish, galbijjim (rib stew), japchae (noodles with meat and vegetables) and many more. Vu Minh Duy, Vietnamese, Japan It is time to change, I think. As far as I know, only Vietnam, South Korea and China still celebrate New Year under the lunar calendar and consider this time as a time for holidays. I have lived in Japan for a couple of years. Japan has celebrated New Year based on the solar calendar since 1873. The Japanese New Year celebration is called shogatsu. New Year's Day is on January 1 and is called gantan, it is a Japanese national holiday. Although celebrating New Year using the solar system, Japanese people still maintain their traditional customs. I found many similarities in New Year celebrations between Japan and Viet Nam. Homes and entrance gates are decorated with ornaments made of pine, bamboo and plum tree, while clothes and houses are cleaned. On New Year's Eve, toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles), symbolising longevity, are served. It is a tradition to visit a shrine or temple during shogatsu. Most impressive are visits at the actual turn of the year, when large temple bells ring out at midnight. Various kinds of special dishes are served during shogatsu. They include osechi ryori, otoso (sweetened rice wine) and ozoni (a soup with glutinous rice). Claire Huppert, French, HCM City I have been living in Viet Nam for 10 years and what impresses me most about the traditional Vietnamese New Year celebrations is the family union, the traditional food and the customs. Like all Vietnamese people, during Tet holiday, I, together with my Vietnamese husband and children, usually visit my friends and family. I also buy Viet Nam's speciality, fruit jam and ginger jam, to send to my relatives back in France because the winter there is very cold so the people enjoy ginger jam and hot tea. Since getting married to a Vietnamese husband, I enjoy cooking traditional food myself on the first days of lunar year, worshipping the ancestors in accordance with Vietnamese customs and especially watching the Kitchen Gods show on the night before with my family. In my opinion, Tet helps to improve Viet Nam's social relationships, make people become more friendly and brings them closer to each other; therefore, the society becomes more and more stable. The Tet holiday shows the noble national character of Viet Nam, so I think it should be preserved, allowing foreigners like me to enjoy the best of the unique Vietnamese customs. Vuong Dieu Linh, Vietnamese, the Netherlands I went to the Netherlands for study seven years ago. However, I always try to find time to return home to celebrate Tet with my family. I never forget the first time I was far away from home during Tet – it was 2005. I missed my family, friends, and everything relating to Tet so much. I even cried when my mother phoned me on that New Year's Eve. Tet, for me, is actually a time for reunion and relaxation. One expert suggested that Viet Nam should celebrate Tet under the solar calendar instead of the lunar calendar. He reasoned that having a long Tet holiday under the lunar calendar hampered business transactions, especially with counterparts in countries that normally work during this time. I think there are not many people whose business transactions may be hampered due to long Tet holidays. It may account for a small part of the national population. So, it is not a reason to change a long-standing traditional custom. Andrew Burden, Canadian, Ha Noi Viet Nam should be ‘loud and proud' about all things Vietnamese and show off to the world its traditions. You are a tough, hardy people who have withstood pressures from the north as well as foreign colonial and imperialistic forces. Anyone who knows their history knows which countries I allude to. I look forward to staying in Ha Noi this Tet as I will buy a new bicycle and camera. Deserted streets and closed shops will make for good, rare photo opportunities. I will stock up on a few loaves of bread and will finally act like a tourist buying postcards and t-shirts. As for changing the lunar calendar and succumbing to globalisation's 24/7 supply chain management system: be wary, be careful. Certainly, you need to remain competitive and appease your international customers and clients. At the same time, it is essential to have an annual vacation where family, tradition and history maintains its rightful place. Do not get caught up in the ‘rat race' trying to ‘keep up with the Jones'' buying the latest gadget, blindly following the latest fashion. Celebrate the ao dai, non la, pho and nem. You do not want to fade into history where only a few tourists know why you do this and that on April 30 or September 2 or at Tet. I did not visit (and stay) in Viet Nam for another cafe latte and pizza. I crave authenticity. I want Vietnamese coffee. I want Vietnamese nem. I want pho. Do not disappoint me - you will lose your identity and I will lose my reason to stay. Travel to Vietnam

International friends enjoy Tet in Vietnam

In addition to an exciting experience, foreign visitors to Vietnam tour this time of year will gain a better understanding of the country’s traditions and culture by experiencing the Vietnamese people’s preparations for the upcoming lunar New Year (Tet) celebrations.

For many foreigners, the traditional Vietnamese Tet has become a special tourism attraction, offering a good opportunity for the country to introduce its true colours and traditions to the international community.

VOV is providing an online forum for international guests in Vietnam to share their experiences and feelings about the festive season in the S-shaped country.

Steve Groff, a visitor from the UK, says, “I’m looking forward to enjoying Tet in Vietnam”

I think, Tet in Vietnam may look like the Christmas season in my home country, which brings to mind many things such as family reunions and time spent together with loved ones. Tet in Vietnam, of course, is a little different than the holly-draped version of my memories.

Tet does provide a reason to decorate, go shopping, or just go out and have a party, but that is clearly only setting the stage for the real holiday, Tet.

For foreigners, Tet is a sometimes bewildering but almost always heartwarming season. The overwhelming impression is of the hospitality of almost everyone you run into during Tet; you get invited to so many Tet feasts that you shouldn’t be hungry again until around June!

Tet is the time here to be with family, and Vietnamese do this with such single-mindedness that there is literally no one on the streets. After a month in which the normally busy streets are even more hectic with everyone preparing for Tet, when the big day actually comes my neighborhood in central Hanoi is astonishingly empty.

It really does feel like a different place, the street vendors, the sidewalk eateries, the cafes and restaurants, the shoeshine guys, the motorbike taxi guys, the sidewalk motorbike mechanics, the sidewalk barber… everyone has gone home to eat banh chung and visit with all their relatives.

The city streets, for just these few days out of the year, are peaceful places. Don’t worry about too much quietness though, you will be feasting and making merry with friends, both new and old.

Happy New Year to all who have the good fortune to be in Vietnam for Tet! Greg Nelson from the US: “I’ll travel to the beautiful beaches in central Vietnam during Tet”

Living in Vietnam for many years and knowing Vietnamese Tet as well as the back of his hand, I am still eager to welcome this upcoming Tet when I’ll go on a tour to central Danang city with my girlfriend.

The beaches are always wonderful, especially during Tet holiday when Vietnamese people are always busy preparing their family parties and visiting relatives and friends. It’s nice to move far from a peaceful Hanoi with few people on the street and silent atmosphere during Tet.

This year, Danang is my destination to celebrate New Year’s Eve and enjoy meaningful time with my beloved.

David Frank, a French tourist, says, “I am impressed by the busy shopping and cozy atmosphere before Tet”

Following my friends’ suggestion, I pay a month-long visit to Vietnam where I am traveling to different provinces and cities in all three regions of the country.

I moved from one place to another in both of Vietnam’s two major cities – Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, however, I decided to celebrate the New Year in Hue – the former capital city in central Vietnam.

I love Hue people, they’re charming and hospitable. The traditional foods there are so tasty and special I always eat too much and get very full!

I already experienced Christmas in Vietnam when I spent time going out and being with friends drinking rice wine and eating hotpot. We also had, hot chocolate and cookies. It was really fun, and created a lot of good cheer and memories.

I’ve heard many things about special Vietnamese Tet traditions, particularly “first-footing” and “lucky money.” I hope to explore these traditions more in Hue this year.

I would like to send my best very wishes to all the people in Vietnam during Tet.

Perri Black, a foreign editor for VOV, shares: “May the upcoming Year of the Dragon bring peace and prosperity to all”

Tet is a very interesting time in Hanoi. The month or so before the actual New Year’s Day is a bit like the frantic month-long build up to the Christmas holiday in the US.

People in Hanoi enthusiastically begin their Tet preparations on January 1, after the Western New Year’s Eve festivities the night before. Supermarkets and shopping centers are jammed with all kinds of seasonal goodies in bright, glittering packaging and shoppers gleefully sort through them to find just the right things. The festive spirit is palpable and seems to permeate everything.

It’s a great time to be in Hanoi and you can’t help but get caught up in the general excitement. The traffic increases alarmingly, which can be bit unnerving, but people are always in a good mood and look forward to spending time with family and friends. The restaurants are packed with partiers singing along to Abba’ ‘Happy New Year’ and the mass exodus out of the city a few days before New Year is amazing!

It all comes to a grinding halt about 3pm on New Year’s Eve and an eerie, expectant quiet falls over the city as everyone awaits midnight, fireworks and the beginning of the official holiday. In the days that follow the streets are relatively quiet but pagodas and temples are mobbed. As a foreigner, you will probably receive numerous invitations to visit friends’ homes during the holiday, and they are well worth accepting to enjoy the true spirit of Tet, sample the traditional foods, and welcome in the New Year.

I want to wish everyone the best of luck in their Tet preparations and a safe and happy holiday with their families. May the upcoming Year of the Dragon bring peace and prosperity to all.

Endless Beauty of Nui Doi

Those who have been on the Highland of Ha Giang can enjoy a masterpiece of nature bestowed on this place. That is Nui doi. Legends are legends forever; however, anyone who contemplates Nui Doi without hearing the story about the fairy`s breasts may associate the fully and sexy breasts of a young lady.

With an odds shape connected with a legendary story, Nui Doi Quan Ba called Co Tien Moutain is regarded as an important destination in the tours to Dong Van rocky highland, an attractive place for professional photographers to come.

Standing alone in a small valley nearby Tam Son highland city of Quang Ba District, Ha Giang Province, surrounded with terraced rice fields and spotted with the houses made of soil in dark brown, typical for the scenery encountered in the rocky highland, Nui Doi looks so fascinating.

The best time to visit Nui Doi and contemplate these amazing sceneries of the site is the spring and the summer, when the grass and plants cover " the fairy`s breasts" in freshly green or rice fills out Tam Son terraced rice fields in brightly yellow.

Nui Doi is so beautiful and fascinating that local ethnic people have adored and preserved the legend of the fairy for many generations, it has become a part of their subconscious

As told by the legend, there was a young Hmong boy in Quang Ba, the misty highland, who had talent for performing musical sound by his lips; the sound was so melodious like stream flowing and bird singing, so tuneful like the wind spreading our everywhere to the sky that many young female highlanders were softhearted. A beautiful fairy from heaven named Hoa Dao occasionally encountered the music and looked for performer. They fell in love afterwards and she could not return to heaven. The marriage between the human and fairy was made finally. The couple had one son.

The Lord knew Hoa Dao escaped from heaven and married with the human. He angrily recalled her back to heaven. Before leaving, she left her breasts to her husband to feed the baby with her breasts milk. The breasts gradually grew up and became the twin mountain like the mother `s breasts fully strain with milk. That twin mountain was named Nui Doi or Nui Co Tien

According to the legend, thanks to “the fairy`s breasts milk”, the weather at the site is cool and thus fruits grown there give wonderful taste, such as peach, apricot, persimmon.., rice and vegetable harvests are always successful. The fairy`s tear became the Mien River covering the rocky mountain area. 

Thanks to the fascinating beauty of Nui Doi and is value in terms of geology and natural scenery, the site was recognized the national famous landscape in 2010. In combination with the global geological park of Dong Van Rocky Highland, Nui Doi is the symbol, an atractive and important of this unique highland.

Vietnam travel guide

TRAVEL SERVICES IN VIETNAM TOURS

With the number of travel services in Vietnam, you may find yourself confused with which agency to trust. Planning a trip can drain all the excitement if you choose the wrong tour operators. Good things are custom cruises and tours that will take you to the most unforgettable Vietnam travel destinations.

The problem with most agencies is that they take you to tourist attractions without considering that individual travelers want their personalized adventure. The best tour operators not only help you get the greatest accommodations and arrange the necessary transportation requirements but help you save money by means of travel advisories, booking and fare discounts, hotel deals as well. In other words, the best travel services in Vietnam allow you to have a stress-free vacation since everything is taken care of. You can simply relax and forget about all things that bother you. Vietnam tourism will give you a different environment that is rich in natural beauty and wonder. The quality of your vacation depends on the quality of the Vietnam travel agency that you choose. You should pick one with years of knowledge and experience in providing the most unforgettable vacation experience for their clients. There are plenty of travel services in Vietnam today but not all of them can provide the same level of experience. This is why you should go for the reputable company which is authorized to operate in the field. At the same time, look for services that provide a wide range of options for you to choose from. You should have the freedom to choose from the different accommodations, hotels, resorts, and the like. Having the chance to choose makes the trip more personalized. A Vietnam travel company that offers plenty of options for you to choose from has many connections in the area which is great for your security and enjoyment. Most high quality travel services in Vietnam are highly recommended by thousands of travelers from different places. It will help if you go through different reviews and recommendations from other travelers who have experienced the tour themselves. There are plenty of reviews from different users online. You can simply look through them and get the recommendation that you need. Minmaxtravel.com is one of the most trusted companies that offer high class travel services in Vietnam. They offer all the ideal qualities mentioned above. If you wish to get the best experience for your vacation, try the travel services in Vietnam that only Minmaxtravel.com can offer.

Rainbow Drink (che ba mau)

The rainbow drink is fun and filling, so much so that it can make a perfect afternoon snack on a hot summer’s day. Che ba mau is always colourful, with textures ranging from crunchy agar jelly sticks (available in Asian markets) to starchy beans and creamy coconut milk.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup skinless split mung beans, soaked for 3 hours and drained
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup red azuki beans, soaked for 4 hours and drained
• 1 ½ cups coconut milk
• ¼ cup tapioca pearls
• 1 can longan, drained

Method

• Bring 2 cups of water to a simmer in a pot over medium heat. Add the mung beans and ½ cup sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until the water is completely absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Bring 2 cups of water just to a boil in a pot over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the azuki beans and ¼ cup sugar. Cover and simmer until the beans are cooked through, about 3 hours. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.

• Meanwhile, bring the coconut milk and 1 ½ cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the remaining sugar and tapioca pearls, and simmer until the tapioca pearls have become completely transparent. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• In an ice soda glass, working in layers, place 2 tablespoons shaved ice in between 3 tablespoons each of everything else staring with shaved ice, coconut tapioca, shaved ice (again), mung beans, shaved ice (again), azuki beans, shaved ice, coconut tapioca (again) and a few logans on top. Use ice cream spoons to eat and a straw to sip!

A trip to Thac Ba lake

This artificial lake has 1,331 islands and hills with diverse ecological environments. The water in the lake is blue and clear, and imprinted with the reflections of the surrounding ancient forest.

Situated 180km from Hanoi, Thac Ba Lake is one of three Vietnam's largest artificial lakes and famoust for the first hydro power plant. Thac Ba Lake is known as an actractive eco-tourism site.

Thac Ba Lake was created in 1970 by the construction of a dam on the Chay River. Thac Ba reservoir covers a total area of 23.400 ha, of which 19.05 ha is water area and the remaining 4.35ha of islets on the Reservoir. The length of the Reservoir is 80km, maximum width is 10km, the average depth is 15 - 25m and maximum depth is 42m.

Tourists can go to visit Thuy Tien cave, Xuan Long cave, Cao Bien and Chang Re mountain, Trinh Nam island ... Coming to Thac Ba, tourists can also discover the natural beauty of primitive forest and thousands of islands, rocky mountains.Thac Ba Lake is not only a beautiful landscape, but it is also a national vestige. In 1285, the Thu Vat Battle took place under the command of Tran Nhat Duat against Mongolian invaders.

During the resistance war agaist the American, Thuy Tien cave is the revolutionary base of Yen Bai provincial committee. Thac Ba is recognised a place of historical and cultural interest by the government. There are major plans to develop eco-tourism resorts in the surrounding area. For a long time Thac Ba Lake has become Yen Bai people's pride.

There are 12 ethnic minority groups such as Dao, Tay, Nung, Cao Lan, Phu La.surrounding Thac Ba reservoir. These ethnic minority groups feature their own special and colourful traditional festivals. Coming to Thac Ba lake, tourists will have chance to enjoy speciality fish dishes, such as ven (bream), lang (hemibagrus), qua (snake-head), bong tuong (goby) and thieu bac (culteralburnus). Visitors can also sample Dai Minh famous sweet mandarins and pommelos.

Mong ethnic group celebrates traditional New Year

Mong ethnic minority residents of Hang Kia Village, nestled in northern Hoa Binh province’s Mai Chau Valley, are celebrating their Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, starting on the first day of the 12th lunar month.

Tet arrives for the Mong people one month before the similar festival of the Kinh, which make up the majority of Vietnamese population.

Despite the extremely cold weather, thick fog and drizzle, local children, dressed in colourful clothes, step out of their houses, enjoying the atmosphere of spring that is spreading through every corner of the village.

Look at the beauty of spring in the northern Highlands:

Travellers to Hang Kia village, Mai Chau valley, Hoa Binh must brave foggy paths

The village, surrounded by fog, experiences cold weather

During the Tet holiday, children have the chance to wear new clothes


…and new shoes…


…and play folk games with each other




Adults stay indoors, drinking wine around a fire

Children also need warming up