Tet reminds Vietnamese customs

Tet is from “Tiet” it means a season or “weather”, or understanding in other meanings Tet is a festival. Tet is the occasion of family reunion, visiting relatives, ancestor worship. Tet is also an opportunity to rest, to play to prepare for a new year.

Tet tradition reflects the particularities of culture Vietnam through many generations, and will depend on the region of the country. But we can still divide into two main types: Tet with family and Tet with village.

Tet is the time as all family members gathering. Whoever is going far for studying will be home around December 23 to welcome the New Year with family. Typically 1 Vietnamfamily spent half months to prepare for the New Year, such as housekeeping, shopping, decorating house... Normally Tet customs with families include: visiting ancestral graves, grandparents shadowy procession, fireworks, exodus, stormed the house, good life, taciturn, visits, and continuous abstinence.

We also welcome Tet traditions from ancient villages because society is organized according Vietnam village system, in which the village is the smallest unit. Welcoming New Year with villages include: up yet, Lucky early spring, the crowd singing the Spring Festival as they sing, then wrestling, rowing competition, competition for food.

The spring recreation include: pen spring opening, Festival couplets, New Year paintings, knife sharpener, rated chess lion dance.

Food is very much spring day on the altar but usually always have 4 fruits (bridges, coconut, papaya, mango) stands for " spending enough bridges " in the South, also in the North often green bananas, grapefruit, blueberries, persimmons, eggs, Buddha's hand fruit. Especially some indispensable on ancestral altars that pair’s rice cakes, jam box.

Some cultural practices:

Visiting ancestral graves: From 23 December to 30 children in the family gathered together enough east to visit, remodel ancestral graves and bring fruit aroma lamp to cozy, inviting ancestral spirits to eat Festival for children.

Give the kitchen god to heaven also known as king kitchen. Legend each year to theHeaven god gives kitchen god 1 time, on December 23 to report to God what's happened in that time of year. So on that day people usually worship Vietnam is a precursor to Apple solemn adoration of the Creator and to 30 re-offered to invite grandparents and military Apples spend the holidays. According to custom, practice outside of Kitchen god  also coat crown tray of rice paper, double- hia, and carp drop in the water bowl to create military ride to heaven. Generally this ratio in order to keep the commandments we should preserve behavior, because everything would ship up to the Jade Emperor.

His torch shadowy third: the festival invited him to spend the holidays with her children and grandchildren.

On the afternoon of 30 December, on the ancestral altar was presented first feast included fruits and food. The chief offered incense on the altar, begging ancestors witness and bless the family many blessings in the new year. By then everyone in the family are respectfully invited to join hands and shadowy grandparents spend the holidays.

Fireworks: firecracker believed to be able to drive out evil spirits and bring blessings for the new year. There are legends that among teenagers Na 2 Asian couple or vandalism Vietnam harm people, they are just afraid of light and noise, and the people we laid out loudly dazzling fireworks to chase the 2 teenagers. New Year's Eve fireworks right (time between 12 midnight reconciled December 30 of the previous year and the first of the new year), people set off firecrackers at the same time, all sorts of wild crunchy crackers main gun and the burning smell firecrackers mingled scents of incense on the altar lights create a very special festival atmosphere of our nation.

Today not many people still believe the fireworks to banish evil spirits, but firecracker explosions today represents the day the jubilant excitement of spring, determine crimson fireworks symbolize good luck for the new year . But now this is no longer customary for the production and fireworks have caused too many tragic accidents.

Choose a family member passed out in the first minute of the new year. The exodus to view the calendar, choose a good direction, steamed with lucky old to look forward to in the new year when stepped out of the house.

There are so many people believe that the first step in his house at the beginning of the year will bring luck, bad for families throughout the year. Should one or inviting people have luck (thriving, happy family) stormed home to Dum. The bath house had dressed, walked into the front door and went around the house, the kitchen, implying bring luck in every corner home.

In the morning first day of Tet, the children in the show filial piety through good old congratulated for their parents and grandparents. Good old as the Vietnam notion that each person that day to 1 year old, regardless birthday as Westerners.

Li xi word means: is the transliteration from Cantonese to Vietnamese, formerly the “marketing margin “in kanji, which means money, benefits. To celebrate the age of the children, the adults in the family donated the money and wished them a small fast growing, reaching that learning in the new year. It is placed in the red bag, because red symbolizes luck.

Visiting customs: it's time to welcome all the dear friends to visit, and also visited paid holidays. Usually the first day is dedicated to the good life for elders, relatives. 2nd day for teachers, the 3rd is fun to visit with friends

In the first 3 days it is common to eat voices cautious words and actions because we believe that it may bring bad luck for the whole year. For example, do not sweep, scan identify most guns out of the money being considered to the door sweep. No drugs or knives gift of being seen as a sign of illness and conflict. Do not lament or weep smashing dishes because it is a sign of the breakdown of the family. Do not wear white or black because being seen as a sign of mourning.

 By Gray line Vietnam

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Delicious “Gio” fish in the Lan Ha Bay

On Lan Ha Bay (Haiphong),
Far from Viet Hai wharf about only about 20 minutes by ship, there are many seafood cages located close together in an awkward stage. Of these, perhaps the most special friends throughout the Navy with “soldier”.

This is a favorite location for fishing. You can fish by yourself or after the wave of delight in sea water, friends is right up fresh seafood dishes to enjoy with friends. Worth mentioning, the service costs are quite reasonable, trip time held just two days, one night.

In a sunny day, I go quietly between fish cages, a young soldier called to weigh fish. The fish were picked up from the cage rolls, tail thrashed wildly, and mouth open as if to bite always my camera lens is pointed at it. “8kg”. And the iPhone is ready to swallow it," the other a soldier, "warning", because inherently cobia fish are voracious.

Two soldiers had just done talking fish straw, hand scaling and singing. After cleaning, the cobia own cut heads, tails and fins, then cut pieces aside to sour soup with pineapple, tomatoes and herbs. The body then filters out most lean fish to fish lemon salad. The meat is sliced, no need to put up as much stone cold salad the other, do not over- water as well as salt itself so fresh and clean.

The process is quite simple and fast under the skilled hands of some young soldier shoots. Cobia salad when eating broccoli leaves washed with mustard dots are crunchy and sweet. Part stomach and heart fish are cleaned, sliced sautéed peppers discharge. A body mass leave to other fish in the bowl, then added steamed spiced ginger, pepper and red pepper. Fish skin very soft after steaming sweet and fatty.

After a two hour swim around purge, the group returned to friends, slam rushing water bath aisle near the cage. Look at hot lunch tray, attractive dishes on the table is waiting, hearts disk fried fish and sour soup hot evaporation, fresh red chili color on the back piece of steamed fish... oh it's impossible not to delight.

I put pieces of raw fish reform swept into the mouth, sweet, slightly spicy mustard burst of light on the nose, a very special feeling, delicious and fresh.
Lan Ha Bay is located in southeast Cat Ba Island Tingle would have known this if not adjacent to a “giant” of tourism destinations: Ha Long Bay.

This is a smooth Gulf arcs with approximately 400 islands make up a huge painting depicting the scene first. Ha Long Bay is a little different though which is just like a tiny island, the island oasis of Lan Ha and covered with trees and vegetation.

(By Gray Line Halong)

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New project on Vietnam’s east coast

Plans have been unveiled for a major new tourism and residential project on Vietnam’s east coast.

Local company Vung Ro Petroleum has joined forces with the Rose Rock Group, an investment management and real estate firm founded by members of the Rockefeller family, to create a huge new US$2 billion mixed-use resort development in Vung Ro Bay, in the Vietnamese province of Phu Yen.

According to plans, the development will divide the picturesque Vung Ro Bay into three sections: ‘The Marina’, ‘The Village’ and Bai Mon Beach, which will be connected by a 2.5km pedestrian path called ‘The Green Thread’.

The Marina will make use of Vung Ro’s natural deep water and sheltered bay to create a new luxury yachting complex comprising 350 berths, along with a waterfront hotel, retail outlets, bars and restaurants.

The Village will be the central part of the complex, offering residential accommodation and a main 650-metre-long retail street. Finally, the 400-metre-long Bai Mon Beach will be developed to offer a range of watersports and a boutique hotel.

In total the complex is expected to comprise 760 hotel rooms, 4,300 apartments and 100 townhouses, along with 200,000m² of retail, F&B, entertainment, education and healthcare facilities.

“We are extremely excited to be embarking on this mega project,” said Kirill Korolev, CEO & general director, at Vung Ro Petroleum. “Our plan is to create a vibrant community for Vung Ro around the area’s natural beauty and provide a world class destination for discerning residents and visitors.”

Vung Ro Bay is located approximately half way between Ho Chi Minh City and Danang. The closest airport is Dong Tac, which is served by Vietnam Airlines with direct flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Visit Gray Line Vietnam and check out more about Vietnam tourist attraction and our new Saigon day tours. Leave your feedback and enquiry at contact@graylinevietnam.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Tuy Van Son - Hue city

Far away from Hue city about 40km towards the east, stopping at the end of Vinh Hien commune, Phu Loc district. You will find a small mountain sides between the standing waves of the Tam Giang lagoon and the South China Sea. That is the keynote mountain; on the top of the mountain, the temple tower has a history of hundreds of years old.

According to the monks in the temple, yet it is still the old mountain named My Am Son, in which Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan in passing Tu Hien and found the charming scene where is the top of “My Am Son”. He should have chosen to establish My Am Son and to bless people safe. In the
6th Minh Mang (2826), on the occasion of the Tu Hien inlet, the King visited the My Am Son pagoda, rebuilt and renamed the pagoda is” Túy Bà”. In the 17th Minh Mang (1837), the temple was restored and up more stairs. Under Thieu Trị reign (1841), it is continued the restoration and renamed the pagoda is “Túy Vân”.

Ancient appearance, yet it is still peaceful temple.

Over hundreds of years, yet it is still has deteriorated temples, crumbling ruins but still retain features of an ancient temple with a history of hundreds of years.

This is the original temple has hundreds of ancient trees, the temple is surrounded by primeval forest system with two -diameter tree hugging Xue three people, tangled vines. The road is hundreds of stairs steps amidst ancient trees, forest leaves empty aisle who visit the temple that feels different from the other temples.
The most interesting is the tower climb three storey tower known as Dieu Ngu, from here take the eye away from the direction can observe all the panorama of Phu Loc district, overlooking the immense grandeur of Tam Giang Lagoon, Port sea fish and Tu Hien. Afternoon, outside boats from breaking the nose had herded together to create a painting as beautiful arrangement.

A  Monk said Van Son has been placed on the national landscape, located so far from the city so rarely visits, sometimes a few new temple to welcome the delegation from the city. Currently, due to time and the inadvertent use of visitors to the pagoda system has deteriorated much.

(Source: Things to do in Vietnam)

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Visit Vong Canh Hill

Vong Canh Hill is a well -known landmark in Hue. On the former is a place for kings to enjoy the pristine scenery of mountains and rivers, earth should not have permanent structures are built. Here we can see the Perfume River, two tributaries from the Ta Trach and Huu Trach merged quietly along the mountainside west northwest direction to eventually sweep downstream in the stream of dollars into Hue.

The war years before 1975, SG Army turned the place into a defensive outpost west of the city. Traces the few remaining fortified bunkers that lifting them is not easy as well. Five months have gone quiet, not only for the Vong Canh Hill but this Hue. Until 2005, when the province of something 2006 joint venture with Dutch conglomerate Life Resort, watchmen exploit a resort grand scale, this time for Advent scene as a poor maiden, silent in the garb of the peasant girl ... renovations will be made to become a model world. The debate from many aspects of culture, history, economic and spiritual development, the final girl being brought home for wealthy foreigners, many of whom are not exploited but also to help relay girls beyond the village pond. Vong Canh Hill is still so pristine.

Have friends from afar to Hue. Most of the palaces, temples, tombs he had been visiting. He thought very true that, if not the study of the history, culture, the monuments to visit him just as well as full panoramic corners once is enough. So he was happy to hear that you also want to visit the Vong Canh Hill. Put your fear to visit the hill but disappointed to discover if there is only a desolate hills, not beautiful as ever heard of mass media communication or imagine, according to his description expression decreased, contrary to or psychological typically pile up. Step up to the foothills, pine trees were planted seven years ago shavings, has covered hills, the pine tops immature flower buds and turquoise make more beautiful scene that afternoon although cloudy white light cover sun.

Small road leading to the winding rocky, easy for anyone to carry only sneakers. But no star, no steep hills, steps up the rolling green canopy helped inform the way. Go to top spot, according to his hands only, you see looming in the distance a river hidden in the shade of the trees. Questions are answered that it was near the stream upstream Huong Giang. Dan careful when you go forward, another step down the miles, the river appears clear or complete. Standing in this position will see the whole river full of Week southwest fork and cup upward electric northwest Hon. Other side of the river, the village of Sea Cat with green trees, shadow flickers cau small house. Panoramic view of the river, the mountains is beautiful vegetation. He gave up several times but despite always feeling poetic landscape for people here should you have, the more artistic soul fascinated, mesmerized by the place “Hope this scene”.

Unfortunately, that 's a sunny afternoon of the first day of spring moment not ideal conditions for photography: the red ball in the sky dimensional image on the blue waters, no more fancy machines with tubes telephoto to get a panoramic sharp so we temporarily satisfied with the photos, the camera's tourism product, however there are still flick pan, panorama, light panels down, backlit, ... with the flick of a macro to capture sim not blooming buds, the young shoots in full angular information ...

(Source: Gray Line Vietnam)

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