Tourism - List of Hotels
Vietnam is a country lesser known for tourism and more for the horrors of the Vietnam War. More recently Vietnam has also been known internationally as the home of the Nobel Peace Prize winner nationalist leader Aung San Su Chi. However, Vietnam today is emerging as an Asian nation with diverse culture, beautiful terrains, natural beauty and exquisite cuisine encouraging Vietnam tourism and developing various Vietnam tourist attractions.
Tourism in Vietnam is given a facelift today with an excellent blend of the new and the old. Vietnamese cities are influenced by the Chinese and French culture but have maintained their uniqueness by combining their ethnic lifestyles with the new external influences. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is the perfect example of this combination .It has retained its French colonial influences but has embraced capitalist reforms with great enthusiasm. The streets here are crowded with mopeds and scooters and the markets are chaotic and busy.
Juxtaposed to this scene is the Mekong delta where floating markets on paddled boats selling fruits and vegetables are a daily feature. There are huge patches of green paddy fields everywhere with cattle and farmers busy tilling and farming their land. There are several villages concentrated more in the mountainous regions of the country. Life here continues as it has been for centuries with proudly worn traditional costumes, traditional food and style of living. The coastal area is no less exciting with the chalk islands in the Halong Bay, Vietnam in the South China Sea, a great place for Vietnam tourism.
One of the major historical tourist attractions in Vietnam is Hue. Hue, Vietnam carries a legacy of being a capital of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-0945) with various artifacts and structures standing to tell the tales of its time. It lies in central Vietnam on Huong River (Perfume River). At present Hue is an important trade centre with Vietnam tourism and manufacture of textile and cement being its chief industries. Some other must visits with regards Vietnam tourist attractions are Hoi An, Vietnam and Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
Tourism in Vietnam is given a facelift today with an excellent blend of the new and the old. Vietnamese cities are influenced by the Chinese and French culture but have maintained their uniqueness by combining their ethnic lifestyles with the new external influences. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is the perfect example of this combination .It has retained its French colonial influences but has embraced capitalist reforms with great enthusiasm. The streets here are crowded with mopeds and scooters and the markets are chaotic and busy.
Juxtaposed to this scene is the Mekong delta where floating markets on paddled boats selling fruits and vegetables are a daily feature. There are huge patches of green paddy fields everywhere with cattle and farmers busy tilling and farming their land. There are several villages concentrated more in the mountainous regions of the country. Life here continues as it has been for centuries with proudly worn traditional costumes, traditional food and style of living. The coastal area is no less exciting with the chalk islands in the Halong Bay, Vietnam in the South China Sea, a great place for Vietnam tourism.
One of the major historical tourist attractions in Vietnam is Hue. Hue, Vietnam carries a legacy of being a capital of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-0945) with various artifacts and structures standing to tell the tales of its time. It lies in central Vietnam on Huong River (Perfume River). At present Hue is an important trade centre with Vietnam tourism and manufacture of textile and cement being its chief industries. Some other must visits with regards Vietnam tourist attractions are Hoi An, Vietnam and Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
Arts and Crafts
Arts and crafts in Vietnam have a close relation to the culture of Vietnam. These works of art by the Vietnamese have been used over the ages to decorate both temples and houses. Vietnam has been home to beautiful works of art and craft dating back to the Neolithic age. Ceramics from around this period have been discovered enriching the history of Vietnam. Ceramics had an important place during the 11th century as they were required for the religious rituals of Buddhism. The ceramic arts and crafts in Vietnam are tour de forces in the art scenes around the world. Their beauty and elegance drew the attraction of the royals who became their patrons. The making of these ceramics involved generous use of whitish ivory and jade green glazes for ornamentation. The 15th and 16th century witnessed more liberal use of ornamentation. Blue-white ceramics was introduced in Vietnam with the coming of cobalt blue.
Vietnam arts and crafts hold a prominent place in the international art arena. Vietnam is now regarded as the land to have introduced the art of woodcuts which were used for book illustrations and pictures. Another famous work of art from Vietnam is that of woodcarving. It is practiced on ironwood, ebony, reddish mahogany and rosewood. These woods have a beauty of their own which is imprinted on the work. They are colored to look more beautiful.
Vietnam arts and crafts hold a prominent place in the international art arena. Vietnam is now regarded as the land to have introduced the art of woodcuts which were used for book illustrations and pictures. Another famous work of art from Vietnam is that of woodcarving. It is practiced on ironwood, ebony, reddish mahogany and rosewood. These woods have a beauty of their own which is imprinted on the work. They are colored to look more beautiful.
Music and Dance
The rich heritage of the culture of Vietnam has given rise to the unique music and dance in Vietnam. It has both indigenous and foreign influences which has given it a character of its own.
Music and dance in Vietnam has been strongly influenced by the trends in the royal courts. For instance, Nha Nhac is the kind of Vietnamese music synthesized by the Nguyen Kings of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam. It was played in the royal court. The court also had dances mostly on the theme of wishing long life for the king and prosperity for the country. These dances are even performed today.
Quan ho is the other form of music in Vietnam. It is most popular in Bac Ninh Province and Bac Giang Province. Many variations to this Quan ho exist especially in northern Vietnam. Sometimes it is also improvised and is used in courtship rituals. Ho is somewhat the southern version of Quan ho with love, courtship and the countryside as the common themes.
Post 1986, musicians like Pham Van Ty have played a huge role in reviving the rhythmic and trance-oriented hat chau van or hat van. This form of music in Vietnam is used to raise spirits during rituals. Another popular folk music in Vietnam, ca tru is mostly sung by female singers.
Another form of Vietnamese music is the nhac dan toc cai bien. It is a comparatively new form of folk music arising in the 1950s. It is a fusion of traditional music and Western musical notations. It has been strongly criticized for diluting the traditional music. Tan nhac, meaning modern music, was developed in the 1930s by Nguyen Xuan Khoat.
Music in Vietnamese theatre includes hat tuong, hat cheo and cai luong. Cheo is the oldest surviving form of Vietnamese opera. It began in the 11th century while tuong arrived in the 13th century from China for the entertainment of the royalty. The themes of tuong were historical or concening the laws of social decorum. Cai lu’o’ng originated in the 12th century. The theme of Cai lu’o’ng was historical and contemporary.
The traditional musical instruments of Vietnam include Dan bau, Dan gao, Dan nguyet, Dan nh?, Dan tam thap l?c, Dan tranh, Dan ty ba, and T'rung. Music and dance in Vietnam is renowned for the versatility and variety. Vietnamese dance forms today include the ancient Cham and Hmong dance, ballet and modern dance.
There is the Lion’s dance, a popular dance in Vietnam, that is celebrated in North Vietnam on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Year, and the Unicorn dance in South Vietnam on the Tet holidays. While in the north the dance takes place at night, the people in the south perform it during the day.
A sturdy of music and dance in Vietnam will help you understand the customs and traditions of the Vietnamese, their beliefs and aspirations and their dreams.
Music and dance in Vietnam has been strongly influenced by the trends in the royal courts. For instance, Nha Nhac is the kind of Vietnamese music synthesized by the Nguyen Kings of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last dynasty of Vietnam. It was played in the royal court. The court also had dances mostly on the theme of wishing long life for the king and prosperity for the country. These dances are even performed today.
Quan ho is the other form of music in Vietnam. It is most popular in Bac Ninh Province and Bac Giang Province. Many variations to this Quan ho exist especially in northern Vietnam. Sometimes it is also improvised and is used in courtship rituals. Ho is somewhat the southern version of Quan ho with love, courtship and the countryside as the common themes.
Post 1986, musicians like Pham Van Ty have played a huge role in reviving the rhythmic and trance-oriented hat chau van or hat van. This form of music in Vietnam is used to raise spirits during rituals. Another popular folk music in Vietnam, ca tru is mostly sung by female singers.
Another form of Vietnamese music is the nhac dan toc cai bien. It is a comparatively new form of folk music arising in the 1950s. It is a fusion of traditional music and Western musical notations. It has been strongly criticized for diluting the traditional music. Tan nhac, meaning modern music, was developed in the 1930s by Nguyen Xuan Khoat.
Music in Vietnamese theatre includes hat tuong, hat cheo and cai luong. Cheo is the oldest surviving form of Vietnamese opera. It began in the 11th century while tuong arrived in the 13th century from China for the entertainment of the royalty. The themes of tuong were historical or concening the laws of social decorum. Cai lu’o’ng originated in the 12th century. The theme of Cai lu’o’ng was historical and contemporary.
The traditional musical instruments of Vietnam include Dan bau, Dan gao, Dan nguyet, Dan nh?, Dan tam thap l?c, Dan tranh, Dan ty ba, and T'rung. Music and dance in Vietnam is renowned for the versatility and variety. Vietnamese dance forms today include the ancient Cham and Hmong dance, ballet and modern dance.
There is the Lion’s dance, a popular dance in Vietnam, that is celebrated in North Vietnam on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Year, and the Unicorn dance in South Vietnam on the Tet holidays. While in the north the dance takes place at night, the people in the south perform it during the day.
A sturdy of music and dance in Vietnam will help you understand the customs and traditions of the Vietnamese, their beliefs and aspirations and their dreams.
