Nha Trang Festival

Hung Temple Festival
“ The people who live or travel everywhere

Remember to worship the anniversary day of our ancestor on the 10th day of the Third Lunar month”

The Hung Temple is tied to the historical legend of the Viet ancestor: Mr. Lac Long Quan got marriage to Lady Au Co who gave birth to 100 eggs, from which 100 children came into being, of whom 50 followed their father Lac Long Quan to the sea; while 49 others followed their mother, Lady Au Co to the highlands. The eldest son of Lac Long Quan stayed here to become the first king of Van Lang State. During Van Lang State, there were 18 Hung Kings.In Khanh Hoa Province, the festival is organized annually on the 10th day of the third lunar month at Hung Vuong Temple, which situated on Ngo Gia Tu Road, Nha Trang City. This temple was built in 3 years from 1971 to 1974. This festival includes of respected joss-sticks offerings and offering flowers. All leaders of the province, departments, offices, and the representative religious, people within province attend the festival. The solemn and unique ritual of the festival expressing the notable and beautiful tradition of our nation “when drinking water, remember its sources”, “when eating fruits, think of the person who planted the tree”, “birds must have nets, human must have their birth places”.

Am Chúa Festival
The Festival is held on the 1st day of the third Lunar month at Am Chúa Temple on Dai An Mount in Diên Điền Commune of Diên Khánh District in commemorating Lady Goddess Thiên Yana who is honoured as Lady Goddess. According to the legend, this was place where the Goddess descended on earth and lived together with an old firewood couple in her childhood. There is a temple and statue of Lady Goddess dedicated here. The Festival consists of two parts: the rituals and the procession. After the traditional solemn rituals, there is an Offering flower Dance, Vãn Bà song, and other dances connecting to the legend of Thiên Yana performed here.

"Cầu Ngư" Festival
This is a unique folk festivity held by fishermen along the Southern Central coast. In the communal house of the fishing village, besides the altars worshipping the forefathers, there is also the alter worshipping Mr. Nam Hải (“Mr. Whale”). The whale is regarded as a prime God by fishermen, often holding out a helping hand to them in sea accidents. In Khánh Hòa, the Cầu Ngư festivity (“asking for good catch”) is often solemnly held in the 3rd or 7th lunar month in the communal house. The festivity often consists of the Rituals in the communal house and the Festival in the village. The rituals include solemn rites of welcoming Mr. Nam Hải; welcoming the Mountain God ad Spirits onto the shore; presenting offerings to the forefathers; presenting offerings to Mr. Nam Hải; presenting offerings to major Gods; etc. The rituals are followed by a festival, featured by the performance of the Bá Trạo (Oarsmen) team, in which the oarsmen, holding stylized oars in the hands, dance to the rhythm of the drums and sing the folk songs of Region V, illustrating the fishing activities off shore and asking Mr. Nam Hải to grant the fishing population a peaceful life.

Tháp Bà Festival
The Festival is held every year from 20th to the 23rd of the Third Lunar month at Ponagar Cham Tower in Nha Trang City. Thap Ba Festival is the largest festival celebrated in this region to worship Lady Goddess Thien Yana (Holy Mother). According to the legend, the Goddess is credited with founding this homeland, maintaining the race, discovering the rice tree, and teaching the local people how to cultivate. The main procession includes two parts: The rituals of changing clothes: (on the 20th day) consists of putting off clothes, old crown hat, bathing the Goddess statue with fragrant water and putting on every thing new; The worshipping ceremony (on the 23rd) is carried out solemnly to praise Holy Mother’s virtues and to wish for a peaceful, happy, and prosperous life. After the rituals ceremony is Bong Dance (the dance like Champa dance), Offering Flower Dance and Boi song performances held on front of the main temple. In the old day, there had basket boats competition. Thap Ba Festival not only attracts great number of Viet and Cham people to attend but also attracts people from other provinces.

Sea festival in Nha Trang

The sea festival this year, named Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa Vietnam, Civilization and Friendliness, will be held from April 28 until May 4. This is a cultural event with many cultural activities and special festivals.
The event this year will introduce a street festival including pedicabs of flowers, tandems, carriages decorated with flowers which will parade the streets, a beer festival with the participation of the beer firms present in Vietnam.

In addition, a festival of picture (Vietnam picture, Nha Trang picture) embroidering will be held with unique rites by the XQ Nha Trang Company, which has built a house to worship embroidering ancestors at 64 Tran Phu Street.Kite flying with the participation of traditional kite clubs from Hue City, Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Dinh Province will also join the event at the April 2 Square.In addition, exhibitions on pottery, calligraphy as well as artistic performances and fashion performances will take place during the Nha Trang sea festival. Ending the Nha Trang festival will be the day of walking.

(Theo nhatrangtravelguide.com)

Nha Trang Introduction

Area: 250 sq km
Population: 350, 375 persons
Density of population: 1, 403 person/km2

Nha Trang City is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides: the North, the West, and the South. The City is bordered by the sea to the East. Cai River of Nha Trang and Cua Be River divide Nha Trang into 3 sections, consisting of 27 communes and wards.
To the North of Cái River are the communes of Vinh Luong, Vinh Phuong, and Vinh Ngoc and the area of Dong De consisting of Vinh Phuoc, Vinh Hai, Vinh Hoa, and Vinh Tho wards.
To the South of Cua Be River are Phuoc Dong commune and Song Lo, an ideal tourist location in the future. The inner part of Nha Trang City is located between two rivers, consisting of Xuong Huan, Van Thanh, Van Thang, Phuong Sai, Phuong Son, Ngoc Hiep, Phuoc Tien, Phuoc Tan, Phuoc Hoa, Tan Lap, Loc Tho, Phuoc Hai, Phuoc Long, Vinh Truong, and Vinh Nguyen wards and suburban communes to the West: Vinh Hiep, Vinh Thai, Vinh Thạnh, and Vinh Trung. Nha Trang has 19 islands with more than 2, 500 households and about 15, 000. The largest of these is Tre Island with an area of some 30km2, sheltering the bay from strong winds and waves.
Nha Trang is 1, 280 km from Hanoi, 448 km from Ho Chi Minh City, 630 km from Hue, 105 km from Phan Rang, 260 km from Phan Thiet, and 620 km from Can Tho.
Nha Trang is home to many famous beautiful spots and landscapes and is a major tourist center in the country.
With many universities, academies, research institutes, colleges, vocational schools, and centers for applying scientific-technological advances, Nha Trang has become a center for training and scientific research of Southern Central Vietnam.
A famous specialty of Nha Trang (and also of Khanh Hoa) is the edible swift let nests. All the islands hosting the swift lets are within Nha Trang’s territories.
Typical landscapes and beautiful sites in Nha Trang are Ponagar Tower Temples, Chong Rocks, Do Islet, Yen Islands, Noi Island, Ngoai Island, Mieu Island, Tre Island, Tam Island, Mun Island, Lao Island, Thị Island, Lo River, Tien Beach, Ngoc Thao isle, La-San Hill, Bao Dai Villas, Long Son Pagoda, the White Buddha Statue, Tri Nguyen Aquarium, the Water Palace, Da Hang Pagoda, etc.

(Theo nhatrangtracelguide.com)

HO CITADEL - THANH HOA

Location: Ho Citadel is situated in Vinh Tien and Vinh Long communes, Vinh Loc District, Thanh Hoa Province, approximately 150 km from Hanoi.

Characteristics: Ho Citadel is also called Tay Do Wall - a rectangle is surrounded by a deep dike.

The citadel was erected in 1397, during the Ho Dynasty. The stone citadel was built in the shape of a square with a gate on each side. The south wall gate is similar to the South Gate of Thang Long Wall. All four walls are surrounded by deep channels, protecting the Imperial Palace inside.

Upon completion of the wall, King Ho Quy Ly moved the capital from Thang Long to Tay Do. The citadel was eventually destroyed and abandoned. Over 6 centuries have passed since the wall was erected, and only ruins of the South Gate remain.

Nowadays, inside the citadel are remains of the foundations of the royal places and two carved stone dragons.

HAM RONG - THANH HOA

Location: Ham Rong is situated in Ham Rong Precinct, Thanh Hoa City.

Characteristics: Ham Rong literally means the dragon's jaws. The landscape actually appears in the shape of a dragon.

Ham Rong is a well-known beauty spot and historical vestige site. It is located on the National Highway No. 1A, 4km four kilometers north of the provincial town of Thanh Hoa.

In English, Ham Rong literally means the dragon's jaws and there is a good reason why this place was given the name. The landscape actually appears in the shape of a dragon. The mountain range begins in Duong Xa Commune, Dong Son District and meanders along the Ma River. It ends at the Ham Rong Bridge with an elevated peak. The range that makes up the shape has the dragon's body and the peak next to the bridge forms the dragon's head. There is a grotto that pierces through the mountain. It looks like the two eyes of the dragon, hence, its name Dragon's Eyes. The grotto has a hole on top of it and rainwater runs through this hole. The rainwater is dark brown and is called the dragon's tears. The grotto also has a round hole on the left; it has a dark green texture around it; people compare it with the dragon's eyebrows and eyelashes.
Over the centuries many great poets have been attracted to this grotto. Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), who has been recognized by UNESCO as a great man of culture, used to visit this grotto. One day he was inspired to write a beautiful poem in Chinese characters to extol the beautiful scenery. Some poems can be found inscribed on the rock. One such poem has a flowery border. King Le Thanh Tong may have written this poem in 1478.

Opposite Dragon Mountain and across Ma River is Ngoc Mountain. It has many layers of rock amassed on top of each other. The mountain's top shines a brilliant red color in the sun like a fire blazing up from inside the earth.

Towards the southwest of Dragon Mountain, the rocks bear different shapes and have a variety of names according to their appearance. They are the five lotuses, a woman lying down, a sleeping man, two eggs, a crouching cat and the dragon's legs.

The vestige site of Dong Son in Ham Rong is known throughout the world. Archaeologists have found many artifacts of the Bronze Age here. Graves of inhabitants from that period have also supplied a wealth of artefacts. Archaeologists often use the name Dong Son to refer to the period of bronze tools.

Ham Rong area also suffered a lot during the US bombing, but it managed to maintain its strong character. Traces of the war can still be seen in different places with the craters and broken walls.

With all of these attributes and interesting sites, Ham Rong offers the visitor a unique chance to trace Vietnam's history from an early age.

BICH DAO GROTTO

Location: Bich Dao Grotto is situated in Nga Thien Commune, Nga Son District, Thanh Hoa Province.

Characteristics: Bich Dao Grotto is also called Tu Thuc grotto, where the scholar fell in love with the fairy.

You only need to travel about six kilometers along the north eastern route from Nga Son's district town before you see the majestic Than Dau Mountain ahead of you, the mountain is in Nga Thien commune. It is famous for the Bich Dao grotto, which is located inside.

Local legend says that this is the place where the scholar Mr. Tu Thuc met a beautiful fairy named Giang Huong. Mr. Thuc fell completely love with Miss. Huong and decided to follow her to her fairyland. He spent his most wonderful days in fairyland, but deep in the back of his mind he always missed his home village. One day he decided to go back to visit his home village, unfortunately, when he returned nobody recognized him. He didn't realize that the time on earth passed much more quickly than time in fairyland. He had been away much longer than he thought and all the people that he knew had long since died. Tu Thuc left his village and has never been seen again since.

In order to reach the grotto, you must cross a large field. When you arrive there, you will see a lot of shady trees nearby. Vines criss-cross to make natural hammocks for you to rest in before you enter the grotto, a stone path leads for some hundred meters from the foot of the mountain to the mouth of the grotto. There you will see two poems inscribed in Chinese script on the rocks outside the mouth. Le Quy Don wrote one of the poems. He was a well-known Vietnamese scholar from the 18th century. However, Le Quy Don did not inscribe the poem himself. A district chief inscribed the poem on the rock in 1905.

Passing through the mouth, you will enter the outer section of the grotto. It looks like a huge upside down bowl. It houses many twinkling colorful stalagmites and stalactites. People have given them different names such as silver store, rice store, salt store and coin store. Some 10 meters further, you will step on a dragon-shaped stalagmite coiling on the ground. In the center of the coil are egg-shaped pebbles. People call this image, "The dragon brooding golden eggs".
The stalactites drop from the roof like leaves. If you beat them with a piece of wood, each one will produce a different sound. They sound very much like traditional musical instruments such as gongs, drums and bells. This area of the grotto is called, "the orchestra."

The middle section of the grotto is not so large, but long. It is almost round with a diameter of 35m and height of 20m. The stalagmites and stalactites here have all sorts of shapes and sizes. One looks like a chessboard. Another looks like shoes. Standing in this area you can see the images of flowery carpets, seals, caps and gowns. These objects make you believe that they must have belonged to the scholar Tu Thuc from the legend.

This section has a path leading upward. The incline is called "the way to heaven." It has another path leading downward which is called "the way to hell." Here there is also a pool of clear and cool water. You can see clearly the pebbles at the bottom. The stalactites hang like a loose curtain, from which water can be heard dripping continuously. This scene makes you think of the bathroom of the beautiful fairy Giang Huong.

The inner section is smaller. It is 12m wide and 8m high. Looking at the bottom of this section, you will see the rock form itself into an altar. The stalagmites look like candles and ancestral tablets. A huge rock in this section represents the grave of Tu Thuc.

BEN EN NATIONAL PARK

Location: Ben En National Park is situated in Nhu Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province.

Characteristics: This landscape is breathtaking, with its hills, mountains, rivers and the lake looks similar to Halong Bay.

During the 1970s the park was often empty as very few visitors frequented it. However, since it was made into a national park, scientists and tourists alike have frequented the place.

Its scenery is beautiful. The park covers an area of 16,634 ha. The water surface accounts for 3,000hectares of the park. With 21 big and small islands on its water, the lake looks similar to Halong Bay. Tourists and naturalists are interested in Ben En also because of its large bio-diversity. One can find a great range of plants and animals. Much of the wildlife found here has been categorized as endangered or rare.

Different ethnic groups including the Kinh, Muong, Thai and Tho live within the park. Each group brings its unique cultural features to Ben En, making the place an ideal destination for those interested in cultural ethnographic tourism.

The management of the park has several projects to make it a more attractive tourist centre. The islands are being made into ideal places for rest. Hotels are being built.

Transport is being made more convenient and comfortable. New tourism routes are being opened. Ben En is proving its advantages over several other tourism centers.

SAMSON BEACH

Sam Son beach is 16 km from Thanh Hoa city, Thanh Hoa province. In 1906, the French colonial government started to develop Sam Son into a holiday resort for French civil servants and officials based in Thanh Hoa and northern Vietnam. Sam Son is famous for its landscapes: Hon Trong Mai, Doc Cuoc temple, Co Tien mountain….

Sam Son coast line is 10 km long and is one of the most beautiful beaches in the north of Viet Nam. Impressive scenes, historical vestiges and hospitality of local people are always in tourists’ mind.

Weather:
Climate in Sam Son is tropical monsoon. In summer, it’s very hot and has a lot of shower. On the contrary, it’s very cold and has a little rain in winter. From May to September, it’s hot season and from November to March, it’s dry season. There are 4 seasons in the year: spring, summer, autumn, winter. The average temperature of the year is between 23 and 24oC.

Specialties:
Sea foods such as: crab, oyster, prawn, tuna…, fermented pork roll (nem chua).

How to get there:
Sam Son beach is 170 km from Hanoi. You can get there by train or by bus.
By bus: High-quality buses depart from northern bus station at 5h30 am every 4 hours.
By train: Thong Nhat express train (stop at Thanh Hoa station) or tourist train to Thanh Hoa, Vinh.