The 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi

LookAtVietnam brings to you a panorama of activities to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of Hanoi as Vietnam's capital. King Ly Cong Uan project: need another script? Counting-down clock to celebrate 1000th Hanoi anniversary 38 major projects for Hanoi's 1000th anniversary PM appoints Steering Board heads for Hanoi's 1000th anniversary 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi to be imposing and solemn Gargantuan 'ao dai' commemorates history, tradition Plan for 1000th great anniversary of Hanoi approved Journey to mark 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long Hanoi Chatting with 1000th Thang Long – Hanoi anniversary plan writer Screenplay Award to mark 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi Documentary series about Hanoi on television 2.66 million USD for historical movie Activities to celebrate 1000th Thang Long – Hanoi anniversary Hanoi asks for $144.5 million for 1,000th anniversary projects "Hanoi – A Living Space" photo exhibition extended Hanoi ready for 1000th anniversary Vietnam's latest historical film slated for April Hanoi's millennial anniversary causes disagreement with city planners Australian gifts for the 1000th Hanoi anniversary Filmmakers salute Ha Noi anniversary "1,000-Year Flow" to celebrate 1,000th Thang Long – Hanoi Anniversary Famous singers perform for Hanoi's 1000 years Heroes to join Hanoi's 1000th anniversary Pigeons to be released for Hanoi's great anniversary Thanh Chuong Residence to celebrate Hanoi's 1000th anniversary Large embroidered painting celebrates Hanoi's millennial anniversary Italian cities' preparations for 1,000th anniversary of Hanoi $5.5 million for Thang Long – Hanoi football cup Danish composer wants in on Hanoi's 1,000th Parade to celebrate Hanoi's millennial anniversary Famous singers perform for Hanoi's 1000 years Hanoi's Old Quarter looks untidy as millennial anniversary approaches Hanoi prepares gifts for millennial anniversary guests Hanoi Craft Week 2010 scheduled in August How many visitors are invited to Hanoi for the 1000th anniversary? Foreign capitals to celebrate Hanoi's anniversary Hanoi to build five gates worth $2.6mil Hanoi preservation Hair design contest launched to celebrate Hanoi's great anniversary VNN

A typical pavement tea shop in Hanoi

VietNamNet Bridge – This "tea shop" opens from 5am to 6.30am and customers sit on plastic chairs to see the Turtle Tower and the Hoan Kiem Lake.

This "tea shop" has opened along the Dinh Tien Hoang street sidewalk for many years. Its customers are people who go to the Hoan Kiem Lake to do morning exercise.

It is special because the "tea shop" opens for only 90 minutes a day.

Customers serve themselves ice tea, hot tea and Artemisia tea. A glass of tea and Artemisia tea is priced only 2000 dong ($0.1).

Though the "tea shop" opens for 90 minutes, it serves a hundred of customers each day. "I can only sell tea for 90 minutes in the early morning, because police begin work at 6.30am," explained the old woman who owns the shop.

The "tea shop" had more customers during the recent heat wave as many Hanoians woke early to get some fresh air at Hoan Kiem Lake.

Hanoi Craft Week 2010 scheduled in August

VietNamNet Bridge - With the theme "Thousand Years Quintessence," the second annual Hanoi Craft Week will be held from August 4-9 at the Hanoi Friendship Cultural Palace to celebrate Hanoi's anniversary and the national tourism year in Hanoi.

60 craft villages show off skills at Da Nang festival

Lifespan of polluted craft villagers shorter

Farmers need to be trained as tour guides

With thousands of years of history, Hanoi is known as a land that epitomizes Vietnam. With the famous name "Land of One Hundred Jobs", Hanoi produces about 80 percent of the fine arts and handicrafts in the country. In recent years, traditional craft villages such as Van Phuc silk, Bat Trang pottery, Phu Vinh rattan and bamboo, Chuyen My mother-of-pearl and Ha Thai lacquer are more widely known both inside and outside Vietnam not only for their cultural achievements, but also for their social and economic values.

The upcoming Hanoi Craft Week 2010, held by the Hanoi Department of Trade and Industry and Abix JSC, will introduce the heart of Hanoi's craft villages. continued>>

A First Person Account On A Vietnam Visit

By: Channel 2 Action News employee John Smith

ATLANTA -- Vietnam -- what a country of contrasts.I just returned from my last trip there. It was the occasion of a reunion of old (and getting older) news people who covered the war. The gathering was a 4-day event in Saigon (none of that Ho Chi Minh City stuff for me.) It was mostly former and present wire service reporters, but included news photographers like me, and others associated with the conflict.

The biggest, immediate impression is WOW -- what a change ! The streets are clean, the tourists are here, and the building boom is outstripping space. There are new, bigger, taller skyscrapers.I was here three years ago and the construction was mind-boggling, but now the buildings are taller, bigger, and there are more of them.

They appear to love Americans, English is spoken everywhere. They are even taking English lessons. Prices are in American dollars and the people are friendly. A lot of money from all over the world is being invested here.There are new hotels, (Sheraton, Hyatt, Marriott) designer stores (Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Mark Jacobs, etc) department stores, night clubs, and banks.

The colonel in this town is KFC. Other American franchises are well established and doing well. The entire cab fleet has been re-conditioned with new sedans. The hotels will be glad to supply you a driver and a new Mercedes limo, for a price. Tourism is big here. There are a lot of Americans but also tourists from all over the world. The Vietnamese are taking full advantage of the influx. The famous tunnels that plagued American soldiers, with their hidden combatants, are now a tourist attraction. The Chu Chi tunnels are high on the list of treks.  continued>>

Satsuki festival to take place in Hanoi for first time

The Japanese Satsuki Festival will take place in the capital city of Hanoi for the first time. The two-day event, starting on May 8, will include Yosakoi dances performed by four famous Japanese troupes and seven Vietnamese troupes, tea making, sword performances, Japanese cuisine and traditional games.

Several Vietnamese and Japanese firms in healthcare, foodstuffs and garments will also display their products at the festival.

The Happy Town Lap Joint Stock Company, the event organiser, said that it will hold the event annually in Vietnam and part of the proceeds from this year's event will be donated to disabled children in the Peace Village.

Previously, in 2007 and 2009, several Japanese dance troupes came to perform at cherry festivals in Hanoi.

(Source: VNA)

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Sai Gon Giai Phong marks 35th anniversary with Legend Night

The opening of the 4-night Dem Huyen Thoai (Legend Night) gala marked the 35th anniversary of Sai Gon Giai Phong (Saigon Liberation) newspaper with a series of musical and artistic performances on May Day.

The Legend Night Gala, a four day event commemorating the founding of Sai Gon Giai Phong (Saigon Liberation) newspaper, tells Vietnam’ history of the country’s many independence struggles (Photo: SGGP)

Through song and dance, the gala in Ho Chi Minh City tells the stories of Vietnam’s numerous wars of national defense, from early battles against northern invaders to the anti-colonial and imperialist wars against the French and Americans.

The performances are also being held to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi

The image of President Ho Chi Minh, who led the Vietnamese people on the path to achieving their historic victory on April 30, 1975, appears throughout the event

Over 300 singers, models and dancers are performing at the gala, which will play through May 4 at the Hoa Binh Theatre in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City.

Sai Gon Giai Phong was first published on May 5, 1975.
Source: SGGP

The life of the eldest man in Red River’s floating village

VietNamNet Bridge – Born and bred in Thailand, the oldest man in the Red River’s floating hamlet lives on a simple and deteriorating boat in the dry season.

For the last decade, Mr. Vu Dinh Bai, 77, and his wife has been living in a small boat, which is enough for a sedge mat, a wardrobe and a kitchen. The life of Bai’s family and 16 other families in this floating village has been affected by the drought.

Bai said his family owned a small house in Hanoi over ten years ago. “It is our fate to live on this boat,” he commented.

He sold the house for 45 million dong (around $3000-4000) to pay hospital fees and buy this boat. His two sons have become drug addicts.
Bai and his wife live on this boat. The woman collects plastic bags and paper for her husband to clean to sell. This is the only source of income for this family.
Bai was born in Thailand. “My mother is over 100 years old and she still lives in a pagoda in Thailand. I dream of having some money to visit her,” he remarked.
The old couple earns over 1 million dong from collecting plastic bags and waste paper a month.
When his wife goes out to collect waste, he stays at home with some dogs.

Their life is affected by the Red River’s water exhaustion. “When the water is high, I can catch some fish,” he explained.

A corner in the boat, which is used as a kitchen.
Bai showed his certificate of automobile repair skills.

Bai’s wife has to buy a jar of clean water each day. The couple has to pay several thousand dong for clean water every month.Source: VNE

Ceremonial singing at Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

Hanoians will have a chance to enjoy a ca tru (traditional ceremonial singing) show by UNESCO’s ca tru club at the outdoor stage of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology on March 28.

Born in about the 15th century and reaching its golden peak in the 19th century, ca tru, an UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, like many ancient and highly developed arts, has many forms, but the most widely known and widely performed type involves three performers: a female vocalist, a lute player and a spectator (who also takes part in the performance). more>>

Hand-made 'films' a Vietnam man's passion

AFP photo / Ian Timberlake This photo taken on January 12, 2010 shows Nguyen Van Long talking with AFP during an interview at his home in Hanoi.

For half a century, Vietnamese artist Nguyen Van Long has been drawing "films" on paper and other media that he proudly screens, for one viewer at a time, with his own sound effects.

"My film is hand-made... that is the valuable thing. My film is not modern," Long, 63, says in an interview at the one-room wooden house where he has lived his whole life.

For 17 years, until illness forced him to take a break early last year, Long was a fixture at the city zoo in Hanoi, entertaining both children and adults.

There were no plush seats and no wide screen. There was not even any electricity, just Long in the open air with his collection of "films" for viewing by an audience of one. continued>>

Press Club celebrates Hanoi’s 1000th anniversary with superb new menu

Hanoi’s legendary Press Club is paying its own tribute to the city’s 1000th anniversary with an exciting new food promotion of national specialties and local ingredients.

The celebratory menu is a testament to the enduring popularity of Vietnamese food, and honors Hanoi’s reputation as one of the country’s best cities for eating – one where locals put their own special twist on just about everything.

The menu was devised by one of Vietnam’s most renowned, Western interpreters of Vietnamese cuisine, Marcel Isaak, who authored an authoritative 1997 book, Foods of Vietnam. Featured in the new menu will be the Press Club’s takes on famous Hanoi dishes like cha ca, marinated grilled fish with herbs and rice noodles. Local ingredients play the lead role in this culinary performance: prawns are cooked with Hanoi Beer, the sautéed green vegetables are grown nearby, and even the lotus tea is named after Hanoi’s famous West Lake.

“This anniversary is a landmark event for Hanoi and for Vietnam,” said Kurt Walter, the Press Club’s general manager. “We wanted to take this chance to pay homage to the incredible cuisine of the country, with special emphasis on the local favorites that have made Hanoi’s reputation as a town for foodies.”

more>>

Hanoi Sound Stuff to go on stage this month

As many as 80 artists from 16 countries and territories around the world are expected to participate in the Hanoi Sound Stuff Festival 2010, which will take place from March 26-28.

Entitled “Green space”, the festival will be co-organised by the Vietnam National Academy of Music and the Culture Production and Development Company M.A.M, in the lead up to the millennial anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.

Musician Tri Minh, a representative of the organizing board, said at a March 12 press briefing that this is the third festival of its kind to be held in Vietnam, with the participation of a larger number of Vietnamese and foreign artists. more on Hanoi News>>

Sights and Sounds of Viet Nam

If you've been there, and you watch this wonderful, soothing succession of slides, you'll be nodding in agreement as you recognize all the things you've seen, tasted and experienced. If you haven't been there, you'll want to board the first plane out!
Enjoy...

You'll catch a glimpse of the Museum of Ethnography...have I got a story and pictures for you...coming soon.

The Meaning of the APEC summit in Vietnam

The Apec Summit took place in Viet Nam for the first time November 18-19, 2006. We had missed it by about three weeks, but signs of it were all over Ha Noi when we arrived. This was the 14th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, which President Bush attended, so in a way, I'm glad we didn't cross paths. Some of the important things which came out of that meeting was the launching of a "Vision Of A Trans-Pacific Free Trade Area", among other ideas to promote and stimulate the economies of the regions. Walking around the capital, you could sense that Ha Noi did go all out to try to impress its visitors.

First, everything around Ha Noi was superclean; there were signs to welcome the various delegates of the Apec Summit, from Noi Bai airport all the way to Ha Noi. And of course, in and around the area of Hoan Kiem Lake, since this is where most everything happens. I happened to meet a woman who was in the capital with a group of French teachers, and I don't recall exactly what it was that made her stop to talk to me. But we ended up exchanging business cards, and I did tell her about the Ha Long Bay experience , as well as the exquisiteness of the Press Club in the French Quarter. 

what a splash of color!

We did learn later on in our journey that HaNoi has a flower market second to none. Though I did not personally make it to the market, as it was going to be an all-male photography event, I have pictures of the vendors, the women and men who tirelessly grow beautiful flowers and make their living at this venue.  Interestingly, while Ha Noi is fast asleep around the wee hour of the morning, some vendors are hauling their goods to the Quang An night flower market  in Tay Ho District.  By sunrise, most of them will have packed up and gone home. 


It was a spectacularly sunny day in Ha Noi, and walking around the lake was invigorating. Aside from these chance encounters which are always so much fun, we were once again reminded of the love of beauty of Ha Noians. Though the Summit was over, some were still lovingly tending to the flower display on one of the lake's banks which spelled out the event in huge letters composed of yellow mums. We would find ourselves again, at another juncture of the trip, knee deep in Viet Nam's flower culture and the quaint way they preserve rose flower buds, with newspaper cones at the tips. In fact, that is just about everywhere they sell roses. 


Directly across the street from the poetry of flowers is a huge statue of Lý Thái Tổ. It's almost as if he is watching over Hoan Kiem Lake from his high post; who was he? He ruled as emperor of Viet Nam for a hair under two decades, from 1009 to 1028. If you are interested in the history of the man, click here. He stands on a very high rectangular pedestal, inside the gated area of a government official building, surrounded by a few steps, and manicured gardens. 
The seat of government is also at this location, and just to make sure I would not make a mistake, I went over to one of the guards outside the fenced property to ask. He was a bit bashful about this English, but nevertheless I encouraged him, and understood that this was official communist party business. Naturally the flag outside is a giveaway.

Thanh Long, Ha Noi's ancient name, will be celebrating its 1000th year founding anniversary in 2010. More specifically, it will be on October 10th of that year, and we are told that this milestone will be a cultural extravaganza like none other...is it too early to mark those calendars? No matter what they do, you can bet your life that a lot of it will be happening around Hoan Kiem Lake.

La Restaurant in HaNoi

I will venture to claim that while in Viet Nam, I cannot think of any meal I had that was not good. Some were exquisite, others were not so exquisite, but on the whole, it's really hard to find anything that isn't tasty.

Another interesting fact is that during both trips to Viet Nam, the majority of restaurants we went to were random. In fact, I recommend that you do the same. Just walk around, and when hunger strikes, stop and you're bound to find yourself not too far from an eatery.

We are now on Ly Quoc Su Street, in Ha Noi's old quarter, and there's construction going on around the sidewalk. It's hot as usual, and restaurants give you an opportunity to cool off and re-energize. We went into "La Restaurant" because it looked pretty from the outside. And it was just as pretty on the inside. It has an amber like atmosphere which came from the color of the walls, on which were hung all sorts of interesting art pieces. From the entrance, one can spot a well stocked bar over which they have hung the ubiquitous "Merry Christmas". It's quiet. A server appears almost immediately, and shows us to one of the empty tables. I love the settings!! Colorful, square plates, covered with crimson linen napkins, and the thoughtful combination of a fork and chopsticks reveals that we can expect a fusion menu. Small, ebony black vases hold fresh roses! 

We are looking at stuffed crepes, and they were ethereal. The photos will give you an idea, but it's impossible to describe the lightness of the crepe. In one of them, it is reminiscent of fluffy beaten egg whites, and the other is somewhat pasty, rice pasty, but extremely light. They stuff them with a combination of meats or fish with subtle spicing (I'm sure ngoc mam figures in there somewhere, as it does in most VN dishes), and though I am chewing very slowly, the crepe is disappearing too fast. 

By Viet Namese standards, the prices are a bit higher than normal. We actually snacked on appetizers for the cost of dinner. An excellent dinner with drinks for two should run about VDN300,000 (divide by 16,000). The menu is not very long, however, it seems that they have emphasized quality over quantity. Did I mention that they serve real butter? 


I have learned since I came back that the man responsible for that amazing atmosphere of "calm and soothing" and excellence in food is called Wayne Sjothun. The absence of screaming TV or very loud music is welcome. You can retreat to La Restaurant and let them pamper you for all it's worth. 

La Restaurant & Bar
Address: 25 Ly Quoc Su Street
Tel: (84-4) 9288933
Hours: 8am - 11pm (kitchen closes)
Prices: VND40,000 - 150,000
General comment: Gourmet dining in a relaxed atmosphere.

Baguettes, Croissants and Brioches?

meeting the owner of Pat'a'chou

The majority of Asian countries are not bread fanatics like the West, though we are beginning to see some of that influence creeping in; when I was in Japan, as far back as 1991, the Japanese were having a love affair with sliced bread, but it was sold in packages of perhaps 10 jumbo slices, and somehow they managed to make it taste better than ours. So what's new?

photo: French bakery on the Emeraude Cruise

One of the vestiges of French colonization of Viet Nam was its cuisine, and let me be the first to tell you: you will never miss any French foods while in this country. Especially the bakery part, which is everyone's weakness.

They have learned it so well, that if you closed your eyes, and walked into a bakery, you'd swear you might be in the heart of Montmartre. During our first jaunt to Sai Gon, our hotel, the Indochine, on Hai Ba Trung Street, faced  Pat’à Chou, - a bakery that produced on its premises the stuff of heaven. This was purely accidental, as we didn't have a clue about the street itself, only that it was in District 1, where the "action" is.  At one time, the owner of Pat’à Chou was looking to expand into franchises, but since it's been almost three years, I have no idea if that's still a plan.

Pat’à Chou on Hai Ba Trung Street in Sai Gon

Terminally jet lagged, after a voyage of almost 21 hours, we would wake up at 3 am ready for the world. The world did not return the favor, though, by all standards, Sai Gon does wake up very early. By 5 am, we begin to see bicycles and motorbikes zooming down the street, loaded with all sorts of merchandise to bring to market. The Bakery opened at 6 am, and of course, by that time, we were not only hungry, but salivating as well. The Indochine served a very nice breakfast on the main lobby floor, which we never missed, but sweetened the "pot" with goodies from across the street.

Why would you want to go anywhere else in the world, when the smell of these freshly baked French goodies would tickle your nostrils every morning? Don't panic at the price of the baguette. At the time, and it hasn't changed much since we were there, 15,000VDN was equivalent to one US$. Thus, the baguette is less than US$0.50; this is the price I pay for one Portuguese roll here in New York which is one fourth the size of the baguette. One could load up on brioches, croissants, sugared cookies (something like biscuits Marie, only larger and with more butter), miches and boules,choux à la crème, (cream puffs), madeleines and gâteaux for less than US$5.

The word Pat’à Chou so very interesting in that it can convey more than one meaning; the literal one, and most obvious, is pâte à choux, referring to the very delicate dough used to make cream puffs. The second, and perhaps not as well-known, is Patachou, a French songstress of the ‘50s/’60s who was quite popular in her days. Either way, one cannot escape the intention: this is as French as it gets. Only after we had left Vietnam did I find out that this patisserie is on the must-see list of the elite guidebooks.

photo: Croissants au chocolat, and plain croissants fresh out of the oven

The baguette has become part of the street market experience, which is very telling. I love to shop street markets, because they are one of the principal reflections of any local culture. The baguettes will be offered on the street, along with 1,000 other food items. It's one of those things that can never taste bad. 

And it is not only in the major cities, but just about everywhere we went. On the streets, in the market at My Tho, on the way to the MeKong Delta, you could find baguettes popping up around the Fruit Market, as well as the indoor market they have there.

It's not unusual for French Restaurants to display baguettes and other French bakeries in their windows as they know the kind of attraction this has on potential diners. Here, the woman at the cash register of the restaurant "Le Givral" peers out the window, through baskets filled with French breads. Their whole menu can be seen if you click on the previous link above.

I am not one to miss an opportunity to furnish our hotel room with goodies, just because of force of habit (I do it, no matter where in the world we are), and especially in Asia, where jet lag takes a while to go away, one has a tendency to wake up and feel hungry at odd hours. Below, I found a shop that had fresh baked goods in addition to other foodstuffs.

If you look very closely at the display window, you'll recognize the round containers of la Vache qui Rit cheese. To the right of the tomatoes. Pointing will get you what you need in the event you don't speak the language. And don't forget to smile; everyone here appreciates that.