Kite-flying in Ba Giang - Hanoi

Every year when comes the 15th of lunar March, Bá Giang villagers, Hồng Hà commune, Đan Phượng district, Hanoi province get merry and happy participating in the kite-flying contest, that entices visitors far-and-wide.

It’s closely related to a legendary story that Nguyễn Cả, a famous man in the village and a general of emperor Đinh Tiên Hoàng who refused high rank for his merits to return to home village and instructed his home-villagers in cultivation. In his life’s last days, he lived in modesty and taught young people games and sports, of these kite-flying is still exciting.

It’s told that one day when he and the village children started flying kites, a fairy man appeared, he bowed and then there came a white cloud that flied the stone, then a five-colour cloud came and there was poem-reciting. Suddenly, there were lightning and thunder and wind and rain, Mr. Nguyễn Cả also disappeared after that event. 

Villagers set up a temple dedicated to him and today Bá Giang temple is nationally classified as historic-cultural relics. The temple overlooks the rice-field and the dikes of redriver. It’s also venue for every year kite-flying contest.

The contest takes place in March but right from previous August, participation was ready. People chose bamboo, bought paper, made flutes, ropes… The rope to fly kites is made of good-quality bamboo, washed in banana water, then in boiling-water to make it tough and soft. The flutes are made of specific bamboo that give good sounds and the kites are covered with rice paper.

The contest is started by a procession of round cakes or bánh dày to commemorate the super-men. A man picked out to make the biggest sample kite (5m long and 1,5m wide) covered by pink papers and a poem was written on. Contestant bring their kites to the temple and there are about 50 or so participants from Bá Giang, Hạ Mỗ, Tân Hội, Liên Trung villages. The kites might be 3m long or at least 1m long.

In the cool afternoon of Southern wind, all kites high fly, people sitting in dykes or on ground of communal house watch the flying kites and listen to the merry sounds of flutes. Now and then, a rope breaks and watchers start flying their smaller kites, that make the scene more dynamic and merry.

Alter about hours, more ropes break and they lose, only few could fly high and in the final, there are just ten flying kites. The organizers meet in Châu Trần temple and the kite-fliers tie their ropes in front of the temple. Prizes (first, second and third) are rewarded to kites that fly high and get balanced. Prizes are presented to village gods and kites still fly until mid-night. The village seem more tranquil and poetic with flute-sounds.

If you are interested in exploring Vietnam travel you can visit Vietnam travel guide, Vietnam travel company, Halong cruise, Halong Bay, Halong tours site to know further attractive places. 

Mu Cang Chai's Autumn

Yen Bai Province’s Mu Cang Chai District in autumn becomes a major attraction as people come to experience the amazing landscapes created by brilliant gold-green rice terraced fields with their ripe rice harvests.

Mu Cang Chai has 13 communes and one town, crowned by ranges of terraced fields.

It would take days to trek through these villages in order to explore this ingeniously crafted landscape, lovingly moulded by local Mong people.

Photos taken from Mu Cang Chai in autumn:

Terraced golden rice fields

Highland town bathed in a ‘golden autumn’

A harmonious picture

Spotted yellow from a far distance

A closer look offers more brilliant yellow

Mong people preparing for the harvest

Good crops

A hut on the terraced fields

A tortuous stream adds to the beauty

Children greeting visitors

Mong people create a natural ‘masterpiece’

If you are interested in exploring Vietnam travel, you can visit Vietnam travel company, Halong cruise, Halong Bay, Halong tours site to know further attractive places. 

T’Nung Lake – Climbing to the mountain to contemplate “sea”

T’Nung lake is the precious pearl of the mountainous city of Pleiku that make anyone having ever put his foot on Central Highlands even once unforgettable

 A flat-asphalted road leads up the whole way through narrow passages of steep rocks, which raise the bush of brightly yellow honeysuckle to T’Nung Lake. This lake is the crater of a volcano that became extinct millions of years ago. And it has the oval shape and especially is divided into 2 parts by a piece of land stretching away to the center of lake; therefore, it is considered as peninsula. 

The lake’s area is about 280 hectares and an average depth of about from 16 to 19 meters, reaching 40 meters at its deepest. Perhaps, due to being situated on the top of an old extinguished volcano that isn’t hidden by the surrounding range of other mountains and immense pine forests, standing on the banks of lake makes tourists have the strong feelings of being at the sea-side and fully immersed in the cool sea wind. T’Nung Lake that makes its water increases dramatically in the rain season. Thus, the name of T’Nung was born with the meaning of “sea on the mountain”. Or people still usually call it with the second name of “Sea Lake”.

 

Perhaps the name of “ Sea lake” itself expresses the desire of locals here. Because Pleiku Plateau is located nearly 1000 meters above the sea level, there isn’t any droplet to exist in this mountain according to the principle. And this is real reason why people here have a strong desire for water and sea. Therefore, the existence of T’Nung Lake in the high mountain makes it have the second name of Sea Lake.

Anyone having ever come here even once agrees that T’Nung Lake has a strong attraction thank to not only the charming beauty of a vast expanse of water together with the blue sky and white cloud but also the rendezvous place of flowers, birds and fish, from the most humble to the most precious species. In spring, they all bloom and bring vivacious colors and life to the greenness of the environment and the softness of the blue sky. Wandering the narrow tracks around T’Nung Lake, visitors will encounter many species of birds, from the most ordinary to the most exotic. At sunset, the lake becomes even more alive with the familiar noises made by flocks of birds in their rush back to their nests.

T’Nung Lake is also called the fish basket of the Central Highlands. The lake is home to various kinds of carp, from red-eyed carps to black carps. Through the limpid water of the lake they can be seen gliding swiftly and gracefully along among the algae.

Visitors can discover T’Nung Lake by boat, but they can also choose to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of T’Nung from the back of an elephant. In the evening, they can share a dance, a song, or some can wine with some of the local ethnic people, while listening to their traditional gong music.

If you are interested in exploring Vietnam tourism, you can visit Vietnam travel agency, Halong cruises, Halong Bay, Halong travel site to know further information.