By the seaside

LookAtVietnam - Nha Trang is home to a number of fascinating cultural sites, proving that the city is more than a 'beach destination'.

LookAtVietnam - Nha Trang is home to a number of fascinating cultural sites, proving that the city is more than a 'beach destination'.  Nha Trang by gondola Nha Trang in summer Nha Trang is undoubtedly one of Vietnam's best known 'beach destinations'. The vast majority of visitors come here to feel the warm sand in between their toes and the sea breeze blowing through their hair.

But as I tend to wilt in the sunshine, I always prefer to explore the local cultural sites during the day and hit the beach in the late afternoon.

And Nha Trang has plenty to offer by way of culture – this was once the centre of Champa civilization; in fact the name Nha Trang is thought to have been derived from the Cham word yakram, which means 'bamboo river'.

The city is home to some of the best preserved Cham towers in Vietnam. Located on a granite knoll on the northern bank of the Cai river in Vinh Phuoc quarter, the Cham Towers of Po Nagar (The Lady of the City) were built between the 7th and 12th centuries.

Known as Thap Ba in Vietnamese, the site included eight towers, four of which remain, which were used for worship as early as the second century AD. Today, ethnic Cham, Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhists come to Po Nagar to pray and make offerings here, according to their respective traditions.

The original wooden structure was razed to the ground by an invading troop of Javanese in 744 AD but was replaced by a stone and brick temple in 784. continued>>

Life floats by

LookAtVietnam - Chai Village, a little fishing village hidden behind a mountain in the Tri Nguyen islands off Nha Trang, offers tourists an attractive seascape and tasty cuisine.  

Vietnam tourism industry surviving on domestic travelers

Vietnam's tourism advertised on BBC

Advertising Vietnam's tourism products to the world

There are around 50 families in the village, most of which live in floating houses built on rafts. Others raise fish in cages under rafts on the sea but they live on the island. They earn their living not only by selling seafood to traders but also by serving it to tourists.

Telling us about the history of the village, locals said Tri Nguyen was deserted not too long ago. But fishermen from some central provinces like Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Binh Dinh arrived with their boats to avoid strong storms.  more>>

Ponagar Festival opens in Khanh Hoa

The Goddess Ponagar Festival 2010 opened in Nha Trang City of the central province of Khanh Hoa on May 5 or the 22nd day of the third lunar month, attracting more than 5,000 pilgrims of 100 delegations from surrounding provinces. At the opening ceremony, various traditional dances of Cham people were performed to honour the beauty of the Cham culture.

According to the province's relic and landscape management centre, the Goddess Ponagar Festival is the biggest religious festival held from the 21st to 25th day of the third lunar month every year to commemorate the Goddess Thien Y A Na – Holy Mother of the Cham community in the central region.

Earlier, the night of May 3, more than 7,000 flower garlands and coloured lanterns carried on 22 boats were released to the Cai River near the foot of the Ponagar Tower to pray for people and soldiers who laid down for the cause of national construction and defence.

(Source: VNA)

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Sheraton Opens in Nha Trang, Vietnam

One of the world’s most beautiful bays comes on display like never before next month as the Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa preps for its grand opening in this beach town on the south central coast.
The 30-story property delivers dazzling sea views from each of its 284 rooms and a collection of restaurants and bars that immediately establish Nha Trang as a culinary destination for a host of new reasons.

 Hon Chon Beach

Three years under construction, the hotel ranks as the first internationally renown, 5-star brand to cultivate a beach destination within the country. 
“This hotel is like a standing ovation on one of Vietnam’s most alluring attractions,” said Scott Hodgetts, general manager of the hotel. “I’ve been looking at this bay, and its islands, for the past two years as we fine-tuned this launch, and I’m still not tired of it. I can’t wait to see our guests’ reaction.”  more>>

Let's Eat - Thuy Dong Restaurant

According to my guidebook, Nha Trang is considered "party central". American soldiers came here for R&R during the war and must have loved the beach. Chuck had already been here on a photo shoot, and insisted that we go back and look at the water, put our feet in it, and enjoy some fresh air without the heavy humidity and heat we had felt all along the trip. Walking around has always enabled me to discover buried treasures.

This is Tran Phu Street


The main drag by the waterfront is Tran Phu Street where one is likely to find lots of guesthouses and hotels. On the corner of Le Thanh Ton and Tran Phu was a spacious restaurant, with no doors on three sides. Far from luxurious, its appeal came from the wonderful breezes and great music choices. We had spotted pizza on the menu and decided that we were finally going to give this a try!

This is also Tran Phu Street facing the water

It's tough to get bad food in Vietnam. I must have said this to you before. This charming restaurant, is sort of half-outdoorsy and half not, in that there are no closures, but there's a roof above. And it sits right across the street from the wonderful XQ Arts & Crafts Center, which I wrote about here.

To the right of the restaurant, I could see an ad for rooms at less than $10 a night! A few other people were seated, but the ones that always catch my eye, and a disapproving one at that, are the couples where an older man, usually a Westerner, is flirting and lunching with a native female who could pass for his grandchild. Sorry, folks, I’m just a bit hard on this reality, even though I have seen it countless times during my trips to Asia.

 there's always someone at work anywhere you go

About 30 minutes after we've been seated, we are informed that pizza will not be available until 4pm, which means another 2 hours. The menu is extensive enough that we can make another choice, and it’s rather easy. Pasta with seafood it shall be for Chuck, and I’m going for the seafood salad. And while we wait, let’s have that diet Pepsi that is a rarity in some areas. Entrees start at VDN35,000 (which is about $2.25 or so).

Have a look at the photos and realize that both of us licked our plates clean!!

 my amazing seafood salad

 Seafood pasta with tofu

 
My salad had enormous pieces of conch, rice noodles, tomatoes, cauliflower, frisée lettuce, and red cabbage, all tossed and wonderfully seasoned with the unmistakable lemongrass and other citrus flavors. The seafood pasta had cubes of tofu, shrimp, and green scallion pieces and went down apparently without a hitch.

As we were eating, the owner, a woman, was directing a worker with some wiring, and every few minutes, a street vendor would catch our eye and explain her offerings, all neatly stuffed in see-through pockets of her showcase. Persistence is an art here.

 they are equipped with just about anything you can think of

Across the street was a huge sign that talked about women in art, and I asked everyone on the staff about the sign and if it meant that a museum lied behind there or if there was a special festival held about these women artists. I was bewildered that no one had a clue. After gulping down our iced coffee, we went across the street to investigate.

In Vietnam, one does not ask for diet Pepsi, but rather Pepsi or Coke "lite" or with no sugar. It is not surprising that the word "diet" is incongruous with life in Vietnam. Nobody is fat. However, if you are keen on finding these, stock up on them once you find them, as they are not everywhere.

To the right is one of those absolutely charming beach houses you find as you amble around. Those Santa Fe colors are stunning, aren't they?

The Long So'N Pagoda in Nha Trang

Another wonderful unexpected discovery with a history of protest, violence and death. But once you climb what seemed to be an interminable staircase, you arrive at the top and nature smiles; bougainvilleas abound. Children play under funerary urns, without giving a thought to their significance. After all, it's a great place to catch some shade. 

The real marvel is hidden from view upon arrival. A word of caution to anyone that cannot climb more than one flight of stairs: do not attempt to go to the top. There are 152 steps to climb, and in hot weather, it can be dangerous for some to undertake the ascent; there is a sign that discourages people with medical conditions from climbing, and it should be heeded. Luck came for us in the way of a bottle of water, which is absolutely necessary, and several rest stops on the way.  The young man at my side was impossible to shake off, no matter how hard I tried. I wondered how many times he had made the climb in order to get a few dong?

A huge, silver replica of a reclining Buddha waits at the top of the stairs (24 meters tall), which for us was a consolation prize for having missed the golden one in Bangkok. The view from the top is spectacular: you can see the entire city, the water, the housing, the shacks and the beautiful flowers. As we were taking photos, some curious young man appeared with shades on, and was ready to pose at a moment's notice. I called him the "little Elvis".

 and here's my Elvis:

Not to do any evil. To perform what is good. To keep one’s own heart pure. These are the teachings of lord Buddha. 

Indeed, these and other teachings are found scripted on the walls of Nha Trang’s largest pagoda in both Vietnamese and English. At any one time here, there are at least seventy students who are future monks, and eighteen orphans who serve as guides and above all, postcard vendors.

Two girls approached us as we were making our way up the stairs to reassure us so as not to worry, that they were not hawkers but rather students, and they wouldn’t be harassing us... except for the postcards. This is the way to make a contribution to this community, as they will not accept cash in any shape or form. There is so much to see here that it was great that a young man decided to serve as our guide.

The Pagoda was first built on Mount Trai Thuy in 1886 and named Dang Long Pagoda. In 1900, the Pagoda was damaged in a storm and was rebuilt down the mountain in its present location. It  was built to commemorate the monks and nuns who died while fighting against the Diem government.

 there is always work to do here; whether renovating or repairing.
Part of the monastery was damaged during the American War. 

Also visible are various buildings which are part of this establishment with their peaceful, tiled roofs, their sculpted ferocious looking dragons, and the prominent inverted yellow swastika which our guide hastens to tell us was a peaceful symbol and has nothing to do with Nazism.

 
By oneself, evil deed is done. By oneself, one is defiled. By oneself, evil deed is not done. By oneself, one becomes purified. Purity and Impurity are done by oneself. No one can purify another.

There are dozens such adages which adorn the walls of the main building, and one cannot help but read them all, and reflect upon their meaning.  The words continue to dance in front of my eyes, and they never quite leave me, as we continue our visit through the main hall: this area has been modernized and rebuilt several times, and serves as a memorial to the Buddhists who gave their lives to support the US-backed Diem regime of the 1960’s.

 The Memorial Building

There are very ornate mosaic symbols and decorations on top of the buildings. The combination of tile and glass is a Vietnamese specialty, which we had already seen in the ancient capital city of Hue.

All tremble in violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill or cause another to kill.

And also:

Should a seeker not find a companion who is better or equal, let him resolutely pursue a solitary course; there is no fellowship with the fool.

We meet a very old man who seems in contemplation and is glad to engage in some words in English with us. His face breaks into a smile when we tell him we are American. He allows us to enter a very special room where chairs and tables are set in such a way for meetings. Around the room are framed photos of the various heads of the "congregation", and the years of their reigns.

huge white Buddha sits atop a gold pedestal

One does not get a sense of what must have been very turbulent times, when monks martyred themselves against their government. At this elevated haven, there is a serenity and calm, and marvelous views of the city of Nha Trang below.

As one continues to walk along the paths and staircases, there might be a young monk in deep study; or a smiling little girl playing with siblings.  But the special room which is normally not open to the public bears witness to those who died.

The fool worries thinking," I have sons, I have wealth". Indeed, when he himself is not his own, whence are sons? whence is wealth?

French Cathedral still stands at hilltop in Nha Trang

The Nha Trang Cathedral was built by the French in 1928 and sports a grand clock on its face together with three giant bells (built by the famed Bourdon Carillons Company). To provide a hilltop setting, the top of a mountain was blown off with no less than 500 mines; it was built with steel reinforced concrete with cemented walls. If you visit the Nha Trang Cathedral, you will imagine that you have stepped into an authentic European church. 

Approximately 10% of the population of Vietnam, or about 8 million people, are Christian. The religion came to Vietnam around the 16th century through the missionary works of evangelist European countries. The man responsible for anglicizing the language, Alexandre de Rhodes, facilitated the set-up of permanent missions in major cities. Unfortunately, he fell out of favor with the reigning lords of the time and was thrown out of the country for subversion. The years that followed witnessed great suspicion and prosecution of the Catholic Church, including demolition of worship sites and execution of believers. By the time the French invaded Indochina in the 19th century, they reinstated a very strong foothold with the Church, which became the largest landowner in Vietnam. Catholics were regarded as elite and were favored over non-Catholic Vietnamese, as they were more educated.

As with the rest of Vietnam, the most popular form of transport

 is the motorbike, even for churchgoers.

Fast forward to today. Our cab driver was keen enough to take us all the way up the hill to the entrance. There was a service in progress, and I tiptoed in so as not to disturb the ceremony. Straight ahead, I could see an enlarged photo of the Pope John who had just died (this was in 2006) ; this mass was a commemoration to him, and our timing, as usual, couldn’t have been better. The interior of the building reminded me of Westminster Abbey, with its magnificent arches and stained-glass windows.

Most of the women are in traditional dress, white or beige. There was a special procession going on, led by three men carrying crosses of different sizes; behind them were young women in Ao Dai dresses of different colors. There must have been a special meaning to the order of the colors: the ladies in celadon/white were first, followed by the ones in pink, with the greatest number last in dark blue/white. 

Around the main building were packs of motorcycles that would carry the families back home. I recognized many of the saints’ names as I went from statue to statue around the perimeter of the outer court. A crèche was built into this circle, and aside from the familiar cross, it had offerings, license plates of various origins, potted flowers, and a cascading bougainvillea tree on the top. 

The chant was really beautiful, and during moments of silence, you could hear a pin drop. Urns that are set along the road going up the hill hold the ashes of an exhumed cemetery. 

I noticed that most of the worshipers never smile

The art of silk embroidery in all its glory in Nha Trang

As we traveled throughout Vietnam, we didn't miss the stunning work resulting from hand sewn embroidery done mostly by young women of Vietnam. The art is ancient and probably was acquired from the Chinese who refer to it as Suzhou or "Su" embroidery. This technique dates back 2,000 years (yes as in two thousand).

The intricate details and beauty of the designs are still produced today, using extremely fine colored silk threads (though there are also cheaper, and coarser versions, which are still beautiful) and usually center around pastoral themes, portraits, and uncluttered representations of anything you can imagine.

a typical pastoral scene in a very intricate work; some take a year or more to finish

Later in our travels, we learned that Vietnam's center for this type of art is located in Dalat. However, we stumbled upon an impressive array of finely spun silk thread embroiders just as we were finishing lunch at the Thuy Dong Restaurant which has a view of the beach. The short video that follows will give you an idea of the intricacy of the work; the finished work is stunning, and the threads are almost invisible.


If you find yourself in Nha Trang, head over to the XQ Arts and Crafts Trade Center, and there will be more than your eyes can take in. The setting itself is right out of a fairy tale book. As you enter, you can hear the sound of water gurgling in a small, but serene lily pond. Facing the main entrance is a display which looks like a four poster bed, but where silk strands, white and dyed, hang from the top beams. Have a look:

and the pond:

I sat on the benches which are seen in the background, and 

was served some tea; can it get more idyllic than that?

To complete the fairy tale environment, three Vietnamese young women, dressed in the traditional Ao Dai, were sharing a quiet moment on a bamboo suspended wooden swing, hung over a bed of small gray pebbles.

The main gallery is replete with works of all sizes, subjects, and prices. The sales personnel is courteous, but not overbearing as salespeople can become. I had asked one of them if they would allow me to enter the work area, so that I could watch these artists at work. I promised to be quiet as a mouse, and they agreed.

The room is quite large and well lit; as I watched the women's hands sew, I worried about their eyesight. How can such tedious, meticulous work be produced without hurting the eyes? Some of the pieces are so large and intricate that several women share the work; when they saw me enter, they stopped out of curiosity and beamed when I told them I was from America. If that is surprising, I urge you to visit Vietnam. It is not what you think.

It is impossible to walk away from this place without purchasing something. In the event you don't want to carry your treasures with you, they will ship anywhere in the world, and they are very good at packaging the items so that they do not become damaged.

Below are a few of my favorites, but there were so many more it would be impossible to include all.

Here's the address:

64 Tran Phu Street
Nha Trang, Vietnam

How the art came to Vietnam: 

Embroidery was founded and developed in Vietnam by Le Cong Hanh in 1606.

Traditionally, the art was carried out by women as dictated by ancestors in the following verse:
Men read books and declare poems.Women have to do embroidery and sewing


During the Nguyen reign, it was established as an art of the Royal Court. The Hue artists were reputed for their sweetness, subtlety, carefulness, elegance and artistic qualities. The themes they embrace are of everyday life in Vietnam and have moved away from the Chinese culture of dragons and similar subjects.

The absolute wonders of Cham Culture

This was an unexpected surprise, as we were looking for things to do in Nha Trang, aside from the beach since we had the entire day unplanned.


In the picture to the left, worshipers are getting ready to enter one of the temples, with their offerings for the Gods. Before entering, there is a receptacle which holds burning incense. I am wearing a light lavender dress, and I am to the right of the entrance, as I decided to join the faithful inside.


You are bound to hear about the Cham while in Vietnam. They are an ancient civilization that had its influences mainly in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam and Cambodia. Their domain was called Champa, and their architecture and art style is unmistakable. Though we did not see My Son, it is reported that the finest examples of their architecture is to be found there. The Cham were influenced by the Khmer, who, in turn, were influenced by India’s Buddhism, so that one can easily make the connection between Angkor Wat and the buildings found in My Son and Nha Trang. The Cham ruled Vietnam for 10 centuries.


Absolutely amazing was our cab driver who did not know the Po Nagar Cham Towers. Initially, he stopped at a restaurant bearing that name. Add heat to this frustration and you get the meaning of potboiler. 

This is the Xom Bong Bridge you will cross to get to the Towers

Essentially, you need to cross the Cai River via the Xom Bong Bridge, and then you will have arrived. Once again, you are at the bottom of a hill looking up, and don’t be surprised if your jaw drops a few inches as you do. But first, you must buy your ticket (VDN5000), as all good tourists must. If you come here to worship, then it’s free.

There are carvings of Brahma, Shiva, and other symbols of Hindu religions

The first pillars you will see will be in two rows under the main tower. At one time, they enclosed a meditation hall. The burnt orange color of the brick and terracotta monuments are very distinctive, and you will recognize many of the elements of Hinduism sculpted into the towers, such as the Brahma with his four arms and four faces and his wife Saravasti. 

Shiva, with the third eye in his forehead, has many wives, and Vishnu (a sculpture of this god is found on the northernmost tower, with Sanskrit writings on the sides of the entrance arch), whose wife is the goddess of beauty, holds an object in each of his four arms. The mythical Garuda is also present and was prominent during our travel to Bali’s temples.


Inside the temple is a veritable feast of offerings, things that glitter and shine, strong Hindu colors, especially reds, fuchsias and marigolds. Bows of fruit are everywhere and the smell of incense is intoxicating. 

As you scale a circular stone stairway, the splendor of the towers comes into view. They are dedicated to the Hindu goddess Po Nagar (don’t pronounce the "r," because no one will understand you). Only four towers remain of the original seven, and we had an opportunity to enter one of them along with the worshippers; the Vietnamese are not really Buddhist, but observe a combination of three different principles, including Taoism and Confucianism. 

a woman prays

an offering rests in a pink hat: dragon fruit, a rose, and

 a apple protected by netting

It was fascinating to watch as one woman on her knees was rubbing the statues knees and praying. Incense joss sticks are lit and placed in one of the outer urns, and you must leave your shoes at the entrance. The dark interior corridor leads to the main room, where the likeness of a gold Buddha sits in lotus pose. Everyone worships differently and prays for different phenomena. There are magnificent views of the river.

Even nature has sculpted its trees a little differently here at the Po Nagar Towers

Bougainvillea flower everywhere