Dalat Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Vietnam

On the way from National Road 20 to Tuyen Lam Lake, tourists in Vietnam travel have to run right onto a zigzagging tar road at the mountain side to Phoenix Summit, on which stands beautiful famous Truc Lam Zen Monastery in an open poetic natural environment. 

Established in special social conditions, with the aim of restoring Truc Lam Yen Tu Xen School founded by the King Tran Thanh Tong, this Zen school has harmoniously combined different Zen schools with culture in Vietnam and tradition into Vietnamese Zen. Truc Lam Zen Monastery lies on a protected forest of 23,2 hectares, of which 2 hectares is the building area.

Besides the Main Hall in the middle, on the right are the consulting room, the belfry and displaying room on the right; on the left are the sitting room, library, abbot’s room and contemplation hall. Before reaching the Main Hall, tourists travel to Vietnam may take two ways. They may start at the bus stop, take the side gate up 61 steps or, from the lake, climb the 222 steps through the triple gate onto the court in front. 

Inside the Main Hall, statues are displayed simply but meditatively. In the bright spacious sanctuary is the only statue of Sakyamuni Buddha raising a lotus in his hand – a symbolic image of Buddha in Linh Son Dharma Conference, expressing the philosophy of ‘existence in nihilism’ in Buddhist Zen.

Zen helps you to live in "full awareness" and bring your soul back into peaceful state. Truc Lam Buddhist Zen emphasizes on every one’s interior concentration, either a religious or someone in your family. This introspective soul training process leads to personal purification, builds a care-free mind and help one’s good nature to show up; this is the real peace in everyone’s interior, not in a certain paradise in a faraway world.

Thus, visiting Truc Lam Zen Monastery in the quietness of hills and mountains, tourists are free from everyday worries and seem to be able to regain themselves in the greatness of the nature.

O Quy Ho – the legendary pass in the Northwest Mountains of Vietnam

Coming to O Quy Ho, tourists have opportunity to contemplate and conquer one of the four greatest passes in the Northwest Mountains of Vietnam.

O Quy Ho Pass or Hoang Lien Son Pass is one of both the highest, longest and especially the most dangerous and majestic passing roads in the Northwest Mountains of Vietnam. Truly so, located on the Highway 4D crossing the magnificent mountain range of Hoang Lien Son, O Quy Ho Pass connects two Northern provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau and especially its top as the boundary of these. Being more than 2.070 meters above the sea level, this Pass winds in and out around the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, where Fanxipan –the windy roof of Indochina lies on the top at altitude of 3.414 meters.  And thank to the length of approximately 50 kilometers with two thirds of that belongs to the territory of Lai Chau’s Tam Duong district and one third that is in the side of Lao Cai’s SaPa district, this famous passing roads is worth being called “King of passes in the Northwest region”.

Also known with the name of Hoang Lien Son Pass but for many travelers who have a strong love for the Northwest region, the name of O Quy Ho has almost been a legend. According to many people who drive taxi or motorbikes in Sapa, the name of O Quy Ho derives from the story of a bird whose torment and stirring cries that sounds likes “O Quy Ho” every time when the afternoon sets down on Hoang Lien Son Mountain is associated with an unsuccessful love story many years ago. On the way to Bac waterfall, tourists often reach the top of this pass to contemplate the spectacular and imposing landscape of Hoang Lien Son which has been glorified as “Asean Sa Pa heritage park” with many rare species of sub-Asian tropical climate.

 

One of the most intersting features in O Quy Ho Pass is that the big different in weather among its two regions. Specifically, in winter, if it is warm at the side of Tam Duong, it is foggy and cloudy at the side of Sapa. In constrast, in summer, is the side of Sapa has cool weather, it is sunny and dry at the side of Tam Duong. Especially, O Quy Ho Pass is also the place the appearing the tropical snowy rain and ice. Moreover, O Quy Ho Pass peak is covered by the beautiful cloud and mist all year round that makes it is also called “Cloud pass”. 

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Pa Thom Cave - Full-of-Fairies Cave in Dien Bien

The spectacular Pa Thom Cave is situated in the West of Dien Bien District, adjoining the border between Vietnam and Laos. Interestingly, the local people usually call the cave as “Tham Nang Lai” which means the Full-of-Fairies Cave in Vietnamese language.

Travelling to Vietnam and come back to the Great Victory of Dien Bien Phu

According to myths about love and loyalty, Pa Thom Cave is not only a natural wonder but also a holy place in the belief of Dien Bien people. Located up high on the side of a mountain, the cave has a 12m high, 17m wide, arch-shaped mouth. At the middle of this special entrance stands a giant stone resembling the head of an elephant. Along the 350m length of the cave, there are 9 arches of different sizes. Impressive stones, stalactites, and stalagmites are ubiquitous.

Right after you enter the cave, you will see a block of three huge stones that looks like a giant snake. Stalactites and stalagmites come in a variety of sizes and shapes, sparkling mysteriously under the candle light. The cave is extremely spacious. Decorated with majestic block of stones, the ceilings looks like that of a luxurious palace. The beautiful curtains made of soft-looking, colorful stalactites hang themselves beside the silver waterfalls inside the cave.

Besides its magnificent look, the local tales about love make Pa Thom Cave an attractive and romantic destination for travelers in Vietnam travel. Travelling to Dien Bien, never forget to pay a visit to this wonderful natural site. Surely, it will never make you disappointed.

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Tra Co beach - an important stop-over in Vietnam

Based at the first point of the S-shaped Vietnam, Tra Co beach, one of the most beautiful beaches, is an important stop-over when tourists arrive in Vietnam from the north.

Briefings
Tra Co beach is located in the Northeastern extreme of the “S-shaped Vietnam”, in Quang Ninh province. It is by the border with China, and around 8 kilometers from Mong Cai mountainous town and some 170 kilometers far away from Halong Bay. With its advantages in terms of location,  the beach is the destination of  a number of travelers, especially those who come from China.

To the west, the province borders an extended forest and mountainous region. To the east, it is adjacent to the Gulf of Tonkin. It features a meandering coastline, numerous estuaries and tidal flats, and more than 2,000 large and small islands. Of which 1,030 have been named. The local annual temperature is around 22.7^oC with two main seasons (Hot and Cold). The best time for swimming is summer season from April to September.



How to get there?
From Hanoi, going there by bus is a bit tired because of a long and uneven way of about 300km, and a long time of 7 hours. However, it is worth that you can enjoy the scenes of the Red river delta and will be surprised at different natural beauties from time to time and from plain to mountainous area.
Getting there by marine seems to be much easier and faster. After visiting Halong tours or Cat Ba island, we can take an express boat and reach to the beach after about two hours. By this way, you can also have a chance of enjoying the feelings of floating on the sea.

Why should you spend time here?
A fine and fresh sea environment
Tra Co is considered one of “the most lyrical beaches in Vietnam” with a wide and plain beach, white and smooth sand, and blue sea water all the year round. The beach is about 15 kilometers long, on the edge of Tra Co peninsula, which was created by waves and flows. As a result, it covers some 3-4m sand-banks. Just nearby you can see a shadowed casuarinas forest, used to protect the inner village from hurricanes and the sand from erosion. It is neighboured to an original eco-system of mangrove forest is the zone lung. Known as one of the most beautiful beach in Vietnam, Tra Co is occasionally put in comparison with Nha Trang beach. Accordingly, if Nha Trang is as beautiful as a modern girl, Tra Co is a coyly rural girl since it has not yet been much exploited for tourism. Tra Co beach is much far from the city, industrial zone and harbour, which make it possess a cool and pure air, and a quiet and pristine environment.

A place of easy-to-buy seafood

If you would like to enjoy fresh seafood, Tra Co fishermen can surely meet your requirement. The fresh sea foods are always available on the seaside after fishing time. You can buy what you want at very low prices. Staying here, you still have a very good opportunity to taste every sea delicacies of your interest, such as lobsters, sea crabs, etc., while you can still save your money.


Just 6 kilometers from the beach, there is a place where tourists could relax by watching the romantic sunrise and sunset. It is the beautifulCon Mang sand-bank, whose sand is fairly smooth and so solid that you can ride a motorbike on it. Imagine that you are sitting on the rocks, listening to the sounds from the sea waves. This will make you feel free, relaxed, and harmonized with the nature.

Closed to Con Mang, it is Vietnam’s border point with China, Sa Vi, where nature starts to write the “S”-shape of the nation. Tourists can clearly see China from this point. Though the Border War was left behind long ago, people can find some underground shelters, scattered along the two sides.

For those who are interested in local historical vestiges, Tra Co communal house, the pride of Tra Co people since it was built long time ago in 1462, should also be a stop-over, if time is available. Though having been repaired many times, it still retains the original architectural style as well as the sculptural art.All of six people who are worshipped in the house came from Do Son, Hai Phong city. They were the first people to step in the zone and established the village 400 years ago. Besides, they worship Quan He (Nguyen Huu Cau), a leader of uprising farmers under Le-Trinh dynasty.

Notes: At the end of the fifth lunar month, local people always organize the Village festival. A group of activities, such as boat paddling from Tra Co to Do Son - the father land, from 25^th to 30^th, cooking competition, boat racing, and so forth.



Tourist activities

• Sea-entertainment typs: Swimming, sailing, paddling
• Relaxing in Con Mang sand bank
• Visiting Sa Vi
• Visiting Tra Co communal house
• Enjoying Village Festival in June

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Historical houses bring peace for tourists when traveling to Nha Trang

The coastal city of Nha Trang is located in Khanh Hoa Province in the south-central region of Vietnam, 440km north-east of HCM City. Known for the friendliness of its people, the city is flanked by nearly 10km of white-sand coastline, where the clear waters are warm all year round. 

Leafy: Nguyen Xuan Hai's house has been singled out to serve sightseeing tours.

Gnarly: Hai often entertains visitors with tables and chairs he sculpts from tree roots.

Shady: The house sits in the middle of a massive garden, providing a complete cool atmosphere.

But don't be fooled into thinking Nha Trang is just a beautiful beach-side location – there's so much more. You can check out the city's ancient houses, a fascinating example of the cultural heritage that is being preserved by local people. According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Khanh Hoa has around 50 old houses, mostly located in the districts of Dien Khanh and Ninh Hoa, and Nha Trang City. One-third of the houses are more than 100 years.
About 4km from the city centre, Phu Vinh Village in Vinh Thanh Commune, is well-known in the area for its old houses, many of which bear unique characteristics. The city's culture sector has singled out six houses that are almost intact, including old-style interior decor as well as vintage household objects.
Visiting these houses will give you an insight into old customs, worship practices and the way local people lived many years ago.
There are two different ways to Phu Vinh Village: by car or by boat. Under the August scorching sun, I decided to take a boat along the Cai River, which starts 900m above sea level in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak and runs through Nha Trang.
It turned out to be a smart choice. As I was heading up river to the village, I felt completely relaxed. Along the way you can see some quintessentially Vietnamese landscapes of palm trees on the river banks and makeshift bamboo bridges crossing the river.
About 30 minutes from the pier at the foot of the Po Nagar Temples complex, the boat stops at a small pier on the property of 72-year-old Nguyen Xuan Hai. His property in the village is open to visitors as an example of the area's traditional architecture. Surrounded by a garden, from the pier to the house you will stroll along a path filled with green trees blowing in the breeze.
This is one of the only six antique houses left in this village. The houses were all built according to a layout of three rooms in a structure supported by 36 pillars.
Hai's house has been extremely well preserved and he boasts that the house has never undergone major repairs during the six generations that have lived here.
Built 200 years ago, the house still has its original wooden doors, altars and pillars, which are carved with inscriptions. In accordance with tradition, altars for worshipping the family's ancestors take a central position in the house.

Like other houses in the village, Hai's faces the southeast and has a roof of yin and yang tiles. That's why Hai told me "you would feel like there is an air conditioner running inside the house even when it's hot outside".
The house is located in the middle of a massive garden covering more than 1,000sq.m and filled with fruit trees and indigenous plants. If you come at the right time, Hai may even treat you with some seasonal fruit in his garden.
The house's owner also spends his free time sculpting tables and chairs from tree roots from the area. He regularly entertains visitors to the house and garden, sipping green tea or a soft drink and enjoying the pleasant atmosphere.
It's easy to see why this part of south-central Vietnam attracts people from all over the world. From the laid back atmosphere of the magical islands and beaches to the old houses by the Cai River, all give you a sense of the diversity and beauty of Vietnam.

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