Ham Rong Mountain

Characteristics: Ham Rong Mountain is an attractive tourist area in the center of Sapa Town Legend has it that in the distance past, all animals lived together in a chaotic environment. One day, Jade Emperor gave an order that every species of animal had to find for them an area to live. Having heard the order, they scrambled for a place to reside. The three brothers of dragon who were living in a large lake hurriedly ran to the east but could not find any place; they then ran to the west. The two older brothers ran fast and came to the destination first. The youngest brother ran slowly and strayed into the crowds of lions, tigers and big cats. Fearing that these animals would attack it, the dragon opened its mouth to defense itself. At that time, the order of Jade Emperor was no longer available, so the three dragons petrified. The two older dragons, which were waiting for their brother, face Lao Cai City, and the youngest one raising its head and opening mouth faces the Hoang Lien Mountain Range. So the mountain is named Ham Rong (Jaw of Dragon). Visitors to Ham Rong have chances to climb up the San May (Cloud Yard) to enjoy the panorama of Sapa Townlet, visit the orchid gardens with beautiful and colorful flowers

Source: www.traveltosapa.com

Muong Khuong Market

Big market with a wide range of ethnic groups: Hmong, Dao, Nung, and merchants from other ethnic groups who come all the way from China to sell their products. Several Pa Zi women sell traditional incense made from the bark and resin of scented trees. Muong Khuong market takes place on Sundays and is located in a small border town, which is frequented by Flower Hmong, Tu Di, Tay and Giay ethnic minorities. They come from surrounding villages to buy and sell local products such as food and material for agriculture and fabric. Opening: 6 am of Sunday Closed time: 1 am The district is looking to develop into an eco-friendly destination Muong Khuong district is planning to remodel itself into a centre of community-based eco-tourism in northwest Lao Cai Province in its current period of development (2005-10), said the chairman of the district people committee Nong Van Hung at a recent tourism conference. The district, which has 13 markets and seven handicraft villages, has chosen tourism as the driving force that can better the lives of its population of 51,000 who s current capital per head is VND3.5 million (US$209). Muong Khuong District is about a 10-hour train ride from the capital and then approximately 50km east from Lao Cai centre. The district is then accessible by motorbike or bus from Lao Cai City, Vietnam. The locality is home to 14 ethnic groups including HMong (the largest group who account for 43 per cent of the population), Nung, Dao, Pa Di and Phu La. The mix in ethnicity lends the area a colorful character, visible in the market and the wares each group has to offer. "The market is one of the main tourist attractions which sees a lot of visitors, especially as the district also serves as a link to other famous sites like Sa Pa Town, Bac Ha (Bac Ha tour)and Si Ma Cai districts in the province and the border gate with Yunnan, China," said Hung. "The agriculture-based district will target community-based eco-tourism in a sustainable manner that will help develop future social-economic projects over the course of the next few years," he said, adding that the district is expected to open more border gates for increasing tourism traffic from China. Vibrant market Muong Khuong District is well-known to travellers for its many markets lining National Road 4D. It gives visitors a chance to glimpse into the life and traditions, not to mention goods on sale, of the HMong, Nung and Dao. "We want to transform tourism in Lao Cai Province into a powerful industry and Muong Khuong District is just one of the tourist destinations we want to focus on and improve upon. Currently, we are upgrading the infrastructure and landscapes in the district to make it more attractive to tourists," said vice director of Lao Cai Province s Culture, Sport and Tourism Department, Le Duc Luan. Challenges ahead During the conference, travel agents highlighted the problems tourists faced and how they needed to be rectified as it was important to ensure that travelers did not leave with bad impressions of the area. "We are fully aware that Lao Cai is famous for its sites, especially Sa Pa Town and Bac Ha District and how tourists are drawn to the area s weekly markets and lifestyles of the different ethnicities. However, we are afraid that an overload of tourist traffic could prevent visitors from travelling throughout the province," said Dang Thi Tho, head of the Hanoi branch of Phoenix Voyage Travel Company. "What we have learned from our 10 years of offering tours in the province is that authorities need to open more sites so that visitors have more options to avail of when they visit Lao Cai. Our customers, mostly from France, would visit Sa Pa and Bac Ha but never considered prolonging their stay in the province because nothing attractive was on offer there," Tho added. Tran Thi Huyen Thanh, director of Wild Lotus company, said: "I have seen just how beautiful Muong Khuong District s natural landscape is. That is its advantage but it needs to tap into it and explore creative ways to promote it so that the area becomes an ideal destination for travellers to Lao Cai Province." However, the 34-year-old director said that the District needed to revamp the markets to make them easier to access and browse through in a carefree manner. He said locals needed to be made aware of norms of social etiquette in their dealings with tourists. "At the moment, many locals do not even smile or turn their heads if tourists want to take photographs with them. Instead it is common for them to ask for a little money if they are asked to pose for photographs or they trail tourists, and harass them into buying their wares. This chaotic atmosphere needs to change," said Thanh. The district opened a lodge in centre of Cao Son Village, where visitors could stay overnight and then go on a trek the following day throughout forests and markets in or near Cao Son, Lung Khau Nhin, Pha Long, Ta Gia Khau, Ban Lau, Ban Xen and Lung Vai. Many spoke of their pleasure visiting brocade weaving sites and maize wine villages in Ta Chu Phung and Di Thang. Perhaps more such lodgings need to be opened. New plans In the current 2005-10 five-year plan for tourism development in the district, authorities in Lao Cai hope to complete work on a road that will link Muong Khuong and Si Ma Cai districts to Ha Giang next year. This should facilitate tourism in the area as it will give travellers opportunities to explore in a convenient manner. The road will also turn Muong Khuong District into a centre of tourism and provide a viable trade route from Hekou, Ma Guan and Yunnan in China to Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai districts in Lao Cai and Ha Giang provinces

Source: www.traveltosapa.com

Cao Son Market

Departing early from Lao Cai or Sa Pa for about 130 km, you will enjoy beautiful scenery and visit Lung Khau Nhin and Muong Khuong markets. We then take a dirt road which leads up into the mountains through Pine Tree forests and villages that surround the tiny markets. Flower H'mong, Tu Di, Tay and Giay ethnic minorities come to trade local products such as food, agricultural supplies and fabric. After exploring these markets your car will take you to Cao Son - the most stunning part of Lao Cai province. Here you will visit the most secluded, peaceful villages and have the opportunity to observe traditional practices such as distilling wine from corn and making bacon. You will be offered a special corn cake when you drop by local houses. You will be transferred to Sa Pa or Lao Cai at your request

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Lung Khau Nhin Market - Thursday

Taking place every Thursday, Lung Khau Nhin Market is a small market hiding itself amongst the mountains and forests of the far north Vietnam about 10 km from the border with China. Although not being so big or famous among visitors as Coc Ly and Can Cau, Lung Khau Nhin market, be side a normal shopping place, play an important role to spiritual life of local ethnic peoples Flower H’mong, Black Zao, Zay, and especially to those who come from very small ethnic groups such as Pa Zi, Tou Zi, Tou Lao who live in small and isolated villages around this corner of the country, come for meeting, socializing... From Lao Cai: 65Km and takes nearly 2 hours by road; From Sapa: 102km and takes about 3 hours by road

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Lao Cai History

In the 19th century, the Lao Cai area served as fighting ground for various armed groups, among which the famous Black Pavilions and White Pavilions. These gangs of plunderers had taken refuge in the mountains of Vietnam after the Taiping rebellion in China.

A little history In the 19th century, the Lao Cai area served as fighting ground for various armed groups, among which the famous Black Pavilions and White Pavilions. These gangs of plunderers had taken refuge in the mountains of Vietnam after the Taiping rebellion in China. Their main purpose was to control the shipping trade on the Red River. Sea salt from Vietnam, opium from the Yunnan province, new rice, fabrics, manufactured goods were to be their primary objectives. Between 1850 and 1886, the town of Lao Cai was taken, destroyed and fortified several times by different groups. On March 30th, 1886, Colonel de Maussion and his troops arrived in Lao Cai. Their objective was to pacify the area in order to create a stable border with China and to open a trade route to China via the Yunnan province. The French wanted to be the first to reach Yunnan before the British managed to open a trade route starting from Burma. At the time, the French thought that Burma would be a new eldorado, especially because of its luxury silks and ore reserves. As of the 1910s, Lao Cai made it possible to control the opium trade, from which the colony derived the best part of its resources. For this purpose, the Foreign Legion set up military posts in Bat Xat, Muong Khuong and Bac Hà and militias were created in the villages. Until 1945, then again from 1947 to 1950, the town was administered by a French resident. Traditionally, the shipping trade on the Red River has always been done by sampans capable of carrying up to 12 to 15 tons of goods, which sailed from Hanoi to Lao Cai in 35 days. In 1898, China granted the French government the right to build the Yunnan railway. The first works started in 1901 and the railway track reached Lao Cai in April 1906. The overall cost of the project was 78 million gold francs for 384 kilometres. The railway line cost the lives of 12.000 Chinese and Vietnamese workers and 80 Europeans. In 1913, the road from Lao Cai to Cha Pa was but a mule track, only practicable on foot or on horseback. Today’s paved road was not marked out until 1924. As of 1925, the connection was established between the road and railway networks. At 9:00 p.m., the traveller could board the train in Hanoi and got off nine hours later in Lao Cai, after which a two hours’ drive took him to Cha Pa. The trip back was just as easy: leaving Cha Pa at 5 :00 p.m. one was back in Lao Cai at 7 :00 p.m., in time for a meal at the Hôtel de la Gare before boarding the night train at 8:30 p.m.

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H'Mong Ethnic Minority

History: The Black Hmong immigrated from China approximately 300 years ago.  Language: The spoken language belongs to the Hmong - Dao language family.  The Hmong writing was romanized in 1961 but is not widely used today. Costume: The Black Hmong women are famous for making cloth from hemp and dying it a deep indigo blue. They wear long blouses decorated with batik flowers over short trousers, and wrap long scarves around their legs. They wrap their long hair around their head and wear a blue turban. The men wear long jackets with shirts and a long waist coat embroidered at the collar, and a small hat. Today some Hmong wear Viet or western clothes. Social organisation: Hmong women are respected in their community as being equal with Hmong men.  Husbands and wives are very affectionate and do many of their tasks together like going to the market, working on the field and visiting relatives. In this way, they help each other to develop a strong community life.  Marriage: For the Black Hmong it is important that a girl knows how to embroider and work well in the field. These skills are more important than her beauty. Boys and girls are allowed to get to know each other before they get married. They go to the love market where they eat and sing songs together. After this time, the boy can propose marriage and if the girl agrees, she goes to live in his house.  She is put in a small room and visited by the boy’s mother and sisters who give her food to persuade her to accept the marriage.  The boy must give the bride s family silver coins, pigs, chicken and rice wine for the wedding ceremony.  The bride has some time to decide if she accepts the marriage - even after living with her husband for a few days, she can choose to break their agreement. If the boy doesn’t have a dowry to give to the girl’s family, he lives in her house until he is able to marry her.  Funeral: When there is a death in the family, the deceased’s children fire a gun to let everyone in the area know.  People in the village come to deceased s house with anything they have -  chicken, rice, a small pig or rice wine -  to help the family.  Everybody sings and eats until the deceased is wrapped in a mat and carried to a grave by one group, while a coffin, which has been kept in a cave somewhere near the grave, is carried by another. Both groups have to run very fast to meet at the grave to make the deceased forget the way home. If the deceased’s family is not able to supervise the funeral rituals, they can wait for a few years before organising a special one called ma kho. They invite people in the village to a place by the grave for the funeral for a celebration, at which they sing and dance. Beliefs: Many places are reserved for worshipping in a Hmong house – there s a place for ancestors, for the house spirit, for the kitchen spirit, even the door spirit. There are different rituals which forbid people to walk into the Hmong house or their villages.  For example, a green tree branch on the front door indicates that entrance is forbidden.  Artistic activities: The Black Hmong are very good at making agricultural tools, wooden furniture, musical instruments and jewelry. They are also famous for their handicraft and embroidery.  They generally only make such items to meet their own needs, but other minorities in the area buy their produce because of its high quality.  Since the advent of tourism in Sapa, many Hmong women make decorated cloth to sell on the town s main streets. Festivals: Like the other minorities, the Black Hmong have lots of different festivals during the year. They ensure that there is always time for community activities, which play an important role in their life. One of the most important festivals is the New Year, which they celebrate for an entire month. It happens about one month earlier than Vietnamese Tet. During this time, boys play flutes and girls play an instrument made from two leaves. They all spend time together playing traditional games.  The Blue Hmong minority The Blue Hmong share the same origin as the Black Hmong.  Most of their rites and rituals are the same -  only their clothes are different. The Blue Hmong women wear long skirts over long trousers, with a blue bib worn over the top.

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Tay Ethnic Minority

History: The Tay are the earliest known minority in Vietnam, who are thought to have arrived from inland South East Asia about 500 BC. They settled in valleys in the north west part of Sapa. Language: Tay language belongs to the Tay - Thai language group. Their alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet devised in 1960, similar to the Viet alphabet. Costume: The traditional dress is made from indigo dyed cotton. It is usually plain, with little embroidery or other decoration.  The women wear a simple shirt with silver buttons down the front teamed with black trousers.  Both sexes wear colorful head scarves. Nowadays the Tay are often seen wearing Viet and western clothes. Social organisation: The Tay social system used to resemble a feudal society.  One man in each village owned the land, forest and rivers.  He ruled over the people living on that land. This regime appeared very early and ended in 19th century. Tay now live in villages of mixed ethnic groups, enter into mixed marriages and leave their traditional settlements to work in other areas.  They have adopted other elements of Kinh culture and of the Tai speaking people, are considered the most integrated into main stream Vietnamese culture. Birth: While pregnant and even after giving birth, the mother and father have to avoid many different things in order for both mother and child to be healthy, for the child to grow up quickly and strongly and to avoid evil spirits. When the new born is three days old, there is a ritual in honor of the midwife.  One month after the birth, there is a celebration and party to name the baby. Marriage: Young Tay men and women are free to love, but the decision to become husband and wife rests with their parents. The boy s parents need to know the potential bride s fortune so they can compare it to their son s.  To do this, they consult an astrologer who judges how well matched they are.  If the signs look favorable, the marriage can take place. After the wedding, the wife stays with her parents until she is pregnant. She will only go to live at her husband’s house in the late stages of pregnancy. Funeral: The funeral rituals are quite similar to Vietnamese. The funeral brings deceased s spirit to the world of the after life. Three years later, there is a ritual to bring the spirit to the ancestors and to end the mourning period. There is an annual day in honor of the deceased. Beliefs: The Tay worship ancestors, the house spirit, kitchen spirit and the midwife. Housing: The Tay live in houses built on stilts originally designed to protect them from wild animals.   Nowadays, they use the first floor for storage and cooking. When building a new house, the owner has to choose the right place very carefully.  Many factors are considered, including his age and horoscope. On the day that he and his family move to the new house, the head of the family must start a fire and keep it burning all night. Food: The Tay used to eat sticky rice most of the time, but now eat regular rice. For festival occasions, they make many kinds of cakes such as square rice cake (banh chung - symbol of the earth), round rice cake (banh day  - symbol of the sky) for the New Year Festival and pounded young sticky rice that is roasted (com) for the Mid Autumn Festival. Production activities: The Tay use traditional wet rice cultivation.  The rice is grown on the hills with very little water, which is well utilised using irrigation methods like digging canals and laying water pipes.  They produce high quantities of food by practicing such intensive cultivation methods.

Source: traveltosapa.com

Red Dao Ethnic Minority

History: The origin of the Red Dao is uncertain. It has been surmised that they arrived not long before the Hmong during the 18th Century. Language: The Red Dao spoken language belongs to the Hmong - Dao language family. Their writing is based on Chinese characters adjusted to accommodate their own spelling. Costume: Red Dao women usually wear a long blouse over trousers. Their clothes are colorfully embroidered with designs that appear on both sides of the material.  The men typically wear a short shirt with long trousers, and a head-scarf.  Both men and women have a square piece of fabric on the back of their shirts which represents that they are children of God.  They wear similar hairstyles - long on top, with the rest smoothly shaved.  Many women shave their eyebrows as well.  Women also wear a distinctive red triangular shaped turban decorated with silver coins and red tassels. Social organization: The Red Dao men play a dominant role in the family, community and the economy.  They also play a major role in ceremonies such as marriages, funerals, and building new houses. The Dao people have many different family names. Each lineage has its own system of different middle names to distinguish people of different generations. Birth: The Red Dao women usually give birth in their bedroom with help of their mother and sisters. The new born is given a bath with hot water. The family hangs green tree branches or banana flowers in front of the door to prevent evil spirits from bringing harm and wickedness to the baby. When the baby is three days old, they celebrate a ritual in honour of the mother. Marriage: Parents select partners for their sons.  When a boy is fourteen or fifteen years old, his father takes him to have a look at a girl he thinks is fit and healthy and can help  with the housework.  The couple chosen to be married then have to consult a diviner who judges their compatibility based in a ritual using a chicken leg, and their horoscopes. The girl s value is shown by how many silver coins, chickens, pigs and jars of rice wine the boy s family have to give her family. During the marriage ceremony, it is customary to stretch a piece of string in front of the procession.  The groom carries the bride on his back, and she must step over a blessed pair of scissors to cross the threshold into his house. When a family has no son, the parents can buy a groom who will live happily with his bride s family.  However, if a boy is so poor that his family can’t afford a dowry,  he has to live in his bride s house - which causes him great shame. Funerals: When there is a death in the family, the deceased s children have to invite a man called thay tao to supervise the rituals and find the right piece of land for a grave. The deceased is wrapped in a mat, placed in a coffin inside their house and carried to a grave built of stones.  In the past, if the deceased was over 12 years old the body was cremated. The funeral rituals celebrated ensure that the deceased rests in peace. The ceremony, which lasts for three days, usually coincides with initiation rites for Red Dao boys.  The first day liberates the spirit of the deceased, the second day is a time to worship the deceased in the home, and the third day is the boy’s initiation rite. The boy has to sit on a throne at the highest place in the village until he falls into hammocks hanging below him.  This represents him falling down from the sky to be born on earth, another symbol of the Dao belief that they are the direct descendants of God. Housing: The Dao ritual to select land for a new house is very important  At night, the household digs a bowl sized hole and fill it with rice grains that represent people, cows, buffalo, money and property.  The family will know where to build the house based on the dreams that follow during the night.  In the morning, the family inspects the hole to see if the rice remains - if not, the house will be built elsewhere.   Beliefs: Dao religion has elements of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.  They worship the ancestors of the family together with the legendary holy man Ban Vuong, who is considered the earliest ancestor of the Dao people.

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Handicrafts in Sapa

Handicrafts in Sapa Until the 1980s, most of the mountain populations in Vietnam used to produce nearly all their everyday life objects. Clothes, basketwork, metal and wooden objects, jewellery, pottery, etc. were made locally according to techniques that were often specific to an area or an ethnic group. These objects are still made today for family use and occasionally offered for sale. Fibres: hemp, cotton and silk dyed with natural dyes : The Tày grow cotton, spin it, weave it, and dye it to make the traditional blankets for the wedding dowries. The Hmong grow hemp and use its strong fibres to make their clothes, which they dye with indigo. In certain villages, people raise silkworms to make the beautiful silk thread they use to embroider their clothes. The Dao (Mien) women and the Hmong make veritable pictures with their incredibly precise embroideries. Lots of traditional fabrics can be found in the Sa Pa and Bac Hà ethnic markets. Most of the patterns embroidered by the Hmong and the Dao or woven by the Tay and the Thai carry a meaning. They often symbolise a baby, a tree, a bird, a snail, the moon, etc. Basketwork: from forest to kitchen : Rattan and bamboo are the raw materials used for basketwork. Each ethnic group and each area has its own techniques and own patterns. The Tays’ are square-shaped, often decorated with floral patterns, while the Dao’s (Mien) and the Lao’s are raised designs with colour strokes. For their domestic use, the Nung and the Tay make very fine baskets for sorting rice or legumes. In order to protect them, they store them over the wood fire where the smoke makes them more resistant. The Vietnamese shoulder piece is the most popular carrying device in the lowlands, while the back-basket is found everywhere in the mountains. Wood, steel and silver: traditional skills, still unrecognized : Thanks to the wide diversity of wood species and to the carpenters and joiners’ know-how, the houses, furniture and all the wooden objects are still made locally. One of the most famous wood species in the Lao Cai area is peumou (Fokienia Hodginsii), a species of slow-growing cypress whose wood is rot-proof. Chinese buyers have been paying a heavy price for it for over a century. Using reclaimed materials, blacksmiths used to make ploughshares, knives and trivets. Despite the competition of industrial products, the high-quality knives and pruning knives made by the Hmong are still much sought-after by farmers from all ethnic groups. Silver jewelery is still made by numerous ethnic groups. The Hmong from Sa Pa and the Dao are renowned for their necklaces consisting of several silver circles put together – the weight of the jewel is also a wealth and status symbol as silver metal used to be one of the main ways of hoarding wealth. The Tày from Van Bàn make beautiful silver bangles. Depending on the area and on the subgroups they belong to, the Hmong and the Dao are distinguished by the shape of their earrings. Incense : Virtually all ethnic groups produce their own particular sort of incense. The Tày from Van Ban (Van Bàn), use powdered cinnamon bark to make a brown incense with a warm, sweet fragrance. The Pa Zi from Muong Khuong make pale green incense out of powdered wild leaves, whose fragrance is greener and a little sharp. The Hmong from Bac Hà gather tree bark to make ochre-coloured incense with a powerful scent.

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What is Tet?

The passage from one period to the next may cause climatic disturbances (heat, rain, mist) that must be exorcised by ritual sacrifices and festivities

Tet What is Tet?"Tet" is a word of the China origin and a phonetic transcription of "Tiet", a Sino-Vietnamese term which means "the joint of a bamboo stem" and, in a wider sense, the "beginning" of a meteorological period of the year." The passage from one period to the next may cause climatic disturbances (heat, rain, mist) that must be exorcised by ritual sacrifices and festivities. Thus, there are many Tet"s throughout the year (Mid-Autumn Tet, Cold Food Tet, etc.). The most important of all is "Tet Ca" ("Big Tet" or simply "Tet"), which marks the Lunar New Year. Tet occurs somewhere in the last ten days of January or the first twenty day of February, nearly halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox. Although the Lunar New Year is observed throughout East Asia, each country celebrates Tet in its own way in conformity with it own national psyche and cultural conditions. For the Vietnamese people, Tet is like a combination of Christmas, Western New Year"s Day, Easter, American Thanksgiving, and everyone"s birthday. It is festival of communion. Purity, renewal, and universal peace. How is the Vietnamese zodiac calculated? The calendar in Vietnam"s ancient agricultural society was based on the regularly changing phases of the moon. Most Vietnamese, even city dwellers and overseas Vietnamese, have a lunar calendar in their homes to consult for the dates of festival and auspicious days. The date of the New Year varies from year to year, because it is based on the on the lunar calendar. The equinoxes and solstices that mark the beginning of the European seasons are taken as the midpoint by the Asian calendar, with the result that each Vietnamese season begins six weeks earlier than its European counterpart. Each year is "sponsored" sequentially by one of twelve animals of the Vietnamese zodiac: the Rat comes first, and then the Ox or Buffalo, followed in order by the Tiger, Cat, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Goat or Ram, Money, Cock, Dog, and last of all, the Pig. Of these animals, one is mythical (the dragon), and four ( rat, tiger, snake, and monkey) are wild, shunning contact with humans. Seven are domesticated. Every twelve year, the sponsorship reverts to the same animal. For example, the years 1976, 1988, 2000, and 2012 are Dragon Year. In addition, the Vietnamese use another set of ten heavenly or celestial signs, usually called "stems". Combining the ten heavenly stems with the twelve earthly animals results in a sixty-year cycle, similar to the Western century of one hundred year. The celestial "stem" attached to the zodiac animal provides a modifying influence on the characteristics of the animal. For example, the year of the dog sign can be "modified" by five of the ten different associated "stems". Each year has import for humans who have converging or diverging signs. The following examples are given in the order that they occur in the cycle. Each of the twelve animals also "sponsors" a two-hour period of time of the day. What is your character if you are a Rat? A Rat year prophesies a year of chaos. Rat people are charming and attractive to the opposite sex and have a fear of light and noise. They are active and dynamic but can be fussy a bout little things. Rat can have a positive side since rats are sign there is grain in the storage bins; thus, rats represent a bountiful harvest. Because the rat is a nocturnal animal and can be heard scurrying about at midnight, the period of time between 11 PM, and 1 A.M are the Hours of the Rat. What is your character if you are a Buffalo? The Buffalo symbolizes industriousness and patience. Its year is one of slow, steady progress, patient strength, traits suitable for a scientist. The buffalo is a traditional symbol of spring and agriculture because of its association with the plow and its pleasure wallowing in the mud. People of this year are thought to possess the characteristics of that animal: steadiness, placidity, but stubbornness when crossed. The Buffalo Hours are from 1 to 3 A.M. When buffalo ear in preparation for the day"s farm work. What is your character if you are a Tiger? Tigers are quick to anger and indecisive, but they can be flexible and accommodate their personalities to suit circumstances. The tiger is king of the jungle and, nocturnal, evokes images of darkness and stormy weather. The period from 3 to 5 A.M is the of the Tiger, when the tiger returns to his lair after prowling at night. A woman born in a Tiger Year will be unhappy in marriage, but a man will often be talented and suited for high position. What is your character if you are a Cat? Cats are smooth talkers, talented, and ambitious and will succeed in studies. They are in conflict with rats. A Cat person has a supple mind and patient personality and is one who knows how to wait for favorable conditions before taking action. Cat Hours are between 5 and 7 A.M. when cats begin their prowling? What is your character if you are a Dragon? Unlike the dragon of the West, the Dragon in Asia mythology can be protective and is a symbol of the male (yang) principal of the universe and of royal authority. The Dragon liver in all the elements: under the water, on the ground, and in the air. The Dragon is a water sign and a propitious sign for agriculture. Dragon is sincere, energetic but short-tempered and stubborn. They are symbols of power, wealth, prosperity, and royal power. There is a saying, "In the Year of the Dragon and of the Snake, everyone keeps food for him or herself". Famine is apt to appear in these years. The Dragon Hours are between 7 and 9 A.M. What is your character if you are a Snake? Snake speak little but have tremendous wisdom. They are associated with the dap earth. Snakes symbolism the eternal revolution of the ages and the succession, dissolution, and regeneration of humanity. Snake people are considered calm, gentle, profound, and compassionate and persistent. The snake Hours are from 9 to 11 A.M. What is your character if you are a Horse? Horse people are smooth tellers and given to compliments and generosity; therefore, they are popular, but they rarely listen to advice. The horse"s propensity to kick evokes images of a quick-tempered personality. The horse"s speed leads it to be compared with the sun, which traverses the earth daily; in legends, the sun is associated with fiery steeds. The horse is invested with purity, nobility, strength, and its friendship with humans. Noontime, when the sun is highest, is the Horse Hours. What is your character if you are a Goat? Goat people are calm and shy, unassertive and self-effacing. They are clunsy in speech so they make poor salespersons, but thay are compassionate regarding the less fortunate and tend to help others. They are often taken advantage of because of their natural kindness and timidity. The Goat Hours are between 1 and 3 P.M. What is your character if you are a Monkey? The Monkey is an erratic genius. Monkeys are clever and skillful when making financial deals. They are cheerful, skillful, curious, and inventive, but they many drive people away by talking too much and begin contemptuous of others. Their weakness lies in their tendency to be erratic and inconsistent. The time between 3 and 5P.M. are the Monkey Hours. What is your character if you are a Rooster? The Rooster Year represents a period of hard work and activity since the hen and rooster are busy from morning to night. The Rooster"s comb is a mark of high intelligence and of a literary spirit, but an excess of these traits can lead to mental illness. People born in this year are considered profound thinkers. At the same time, the rooster is a symbol of protection against fire. For that season, people often hang pictures of a red rooster in their houses. People born in this year earn their living from small business, which they practice with diligence like a "chicken scratching the soil for worms". Crowing rooster drive ghosts away at sunrise. A white rooster is sometimes placed on the coffin of funeral processions to clear the way of demons. The rooster controls the hours between 5and 7 P.M. What is your character if you are a Dog? The Year of the Dog indicates future prosperity. The Dog guards against intruders the world over. Pairs of stone or ceramic dogs guard each side of the entrance to village and temples. The Dog Year will be secure and protected. The Hour of the Dog is 7 to 9 P.M, when people of rural Viet Nam have gone to bed and leave the dog to keep watch. What is your character if you are a Pig? The Pig symbolizes the wealth of the forest since the boar maintains its lair in the woods. Boar people are chivalrous and gallant, honest, courageous, studious, and well-informed but also headstrong, short-tempered, and impulsive. The Hour of the Pig is between 9 and 11 P.M. What is the origin of the Banh Chung and Banh Day? After he had successfully completed the war against the Yin(1600-1100 B.C) aggressors and after peace had been restored in the four corners of his kingdom King Hung the Sixth decided to relinquish his throne and entrust one of his twenty-two sons with the care of the kingdom"s affairs. One day, he assembles the twenty-two princes and said to them: "Go through the world far and wide and bring back to me recipes and materials for dishes that me palate does do not know and would relish. The one who comes back with the best recipe shall become heir to my throne. There ensued a flurry among the princes clad in their splendid garments. Followed by numerous escorts, twenty-one of them set out upon their journey. Some made for the far and immense southern seas of deep blue waters, the waves of which splashed yellow and blue sparks on moonlit nights. There, lived fish of all kinds and tortoises with yellow-flowered, red-brown shells. Some sons went north into the thick forests where centuries-old trees grew with trunks so big it took three men with outstretched arms to embrace them. There, the forests teemed with diverse game and fowl. Other sons scoured the wide and densely populated deltas, with their great variety of fowl and animals. Their minds contrived a host of delicious dishes. Full of excitement and anticipation and assisted by their numerous servants, the princes undertook a careful investigation: every one of them hoped the gem-studded gold crown would soon adorn his head. Only one prince did not leave the Royal Palace. This was Lang Lieu, the sixteenth in rank. His mother had died in the prime of her beauty and youth, and he had grown up in loneliness. Except for the care givens him by his few servants, he was not like his half-brothers, who"s grow up in the warmth of maternal love and has a large retinue. There no one to choose brocade for his clothes and to oversee the attendants in his service. Alone and without could find what the king asked. And so this son stayed at the palace, pondering his plight in loneliness day and night. One night, a spirit appeared to him a dream and said: "Be aware that without rice, humanity cannot cubist. Take some glutinous rice, some beans and some pork, both fatty and lean. Pick some dong leaves and white bamboo splints to make thin, flexible tape. Soak the rice with clear water and boil a part of it, and smoke the leaves. Cook the beans and the pork. When the rice is done, pound it into a dome-shaped plain cake, banh day, and thus give it the appearance of the sky. Wrap the rest of the rice with a stuffing of bean paste and some bits of lard and lean pork in the dong leaves. Bind it tightly and cave it a square shape, the shape of the earth. Stew it for a day to make Banh Chung. The suffing rejects what is inside the earth"s crust. Give these to your father the king, and you will ascend the throne". After the apricot trees had blossomed one, the half-brothers of the lonely prince returned with their weary escorts. The son"s garments were worn-out and dust-covered, but each of them was filled with anticipation and hope. With his own hands, each son at once prepared a dish of the most unusual kind, using the materials he had brought back and according to the recipe he has learned. Twenty - one times, ride delicious dishes were served to the king. But twenty-one times, the king shook his head. Then he asked for Lang Lieu, who brought him a white dome-shaped cake a steaming square cake wrapped in smoked dong leaves and bound with flexible bamboo tape. The prince unwrapped the leaves and uncovered a green, sticky, soft cake, which he cut into wedges with the bamboo tape that bound the leaves. The inside of the cake appeared white and yellowish-green studded with opaque pieces of lard brown bits of bean. The king picked up a lump and put it is his mouth. A feeling of unusual velvety softness pervaded his palate and stimulated a craving for more. He ate lump after finished the whole cake. Then he ate the dome-shaped cake. The plain and simple taste of which also filled him with unusual delight. He asked his son: "Your mother is dead, and you have few servants. How did you come to know the recipe and materials of these cakes?" The son told the king that a spirit had appeared to him in a dream, and ho told the king what the heavenly spirit had said. King hung the Sixth deemed the story most remarkable and in a voice ringing with deep affection said: "I declare you heir to my throne. Tomorrow, you shall be crowned". King Hung decided they the dome -shaped cake should be name "banh day" (plain cake) and the square one should be called "banh Chung" (atewed cake). Sine then, Banh day is make for festivals or ceremonies, and Banh Chung has been the cake made in the twelfth moon as a token of thankfulness to the good earth, which has fed people throughout the year. Why is a branch of beach blossoms in the home? At the approach of Tet, every Vietnamese home is adorned with a branch of peach blossoms. If the time is properly reckoned, a peach branch, slightly burned at the end put in a vase of fresh water, will blossom exactly on the morning of the first day of the New Year. A horticultural marvel, you may think. True enough, but remember that in olden days, the peach branch was used as charm: it could ward off evil spirits that prowled by night. Legend has it that in the distant past, a peach tree of fantastic size grew on the slopes a mountain in China. It"s a abundant folia spread for hundreds of leagues around. Two powerful genii lived in it and few on the flesh of devils and other evils spirits. Naturally, the late fled, and the mountain dwellers sleep in peace without fear of having their dreams disturbed. But the end of every year, the genii had to go to Heaven to report to the Celestial Lord. Fearing that the evil spirits would do them harm in the genii"s absence, the inhabitants of this mountain cut a branch of the magic peach tree to decorate their ancestral altars. Some caution people went even further: They wrote the genii"s name or sketched their likenesses on a strip of red paper, which they attached on the peach branch. Very few devils dared come near. That is how the use of peach braches spread and reached Vietnam, where, for centuries, local inhabitants have rejoiced in Tet under the protection of these spring flowers. Why is peach blossoms so popular at Tet? Many villages in the suburbs of Ha Noi specialize in growing peach trees. When Tet draws near, each household in the capital city makes a point of procuring at least a small branch of peach flowers. Petals are single or double according to the variety, and their colors range from a delicate pink to carmine red. Connoisseurs like double petals and tender rosy tones, but popular preference goes to more vided tints. Peach blossoms owe their popularity to reasons that vary according to individual age and taste. Most people like them because of the beauty of their slender petals, but some see a symbol of prosperity and good fortune in the vividness of their colors. The order generation believes in the power of peach blossoms to repel evil. Scholars of classical Chinna culture call them " flowers of happiness", in remembrance of the legendary adventures of two young students of ancient times, Liu Huang and Ruan Zhao, who wandered along a river bordered with blossoming peach trees and, at the end, found themselves in a fairyland. Others see a symbol of faithfulness, recalling the brothers-in-arms Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, who swore fidelity to one Three Kingdoms in ancient China. The three remained true to their ouch until the end of their lives. Why do people pick a branch of greenery just after midnight on New Year"s Eve? There was once a blessed land where fairies came when they felt homesick for stay on earth. They could be seen dancing or chatting. Wonderful trees grew wherever they left a footprint or hand sprint. These trees lost all their laves on the eve of Tet and adorned themselves with new foliage on the morning of New Year"s Day. It was as though the trees were young women wearing new dresses in honor of Tet. To ensure a happy new year, the local people picked fresh branches to decorate their thresholds. The time of picking varied from between the eve of Tet and the dawn on the first day of the New Year. But the most auspicious times was assuredly the stroke of midnight, for it marked the division between the two lunar years and the beginning of the leave"s return. Picking a budding branch on the stroke of midnight on the night of Tet will ensure a happy New Year. Why do people avoid sweeping their house with a broom for the first three days of the New Year? A legend which no longer fits in win present-day requirements is the story of casting aside the broom during the first three days of the New Year. The story goes that in days gone by, a trader met a poorly dressed little girl while he was crossing Dongting Lake. Struck with pity, he adopted her. And from that day on had a amazing success in the most darling business deals. But one Tet, the little girl broke a valuable vase. To escape a beating, she hid in the refuse heap at the back of the house. The trader, who had grown cruel as he became rich, searched through the rubbish heap with a big broom. The heap as then pushed to the edge of a pond, but the girl was not found. The trader soon became poor: he has swept the Goddess of Fortune out of his house. Nowadays, hygiene prevail over folklore, but three are still old women in the trading streets of Ha Noi, who fear a warning from the Department of Health but who are even more afraid of brooms rest on the first day and sometimes even on the first three days of the year, just as they did in ancient time, when poets and writes had the gift of seeing divinities in human form walking on earth. Lunar New Year 2010"s activities in Sapa Time: From February the 15th 2010 to February the 16th 2010 (January 2nd to January 3rd Lunar calendar). Place: At the square of Sapa Center. Contents: Folk games (Lunar New Year pole, playing seesaw, playing at swing, and playing chess). Sport competitions: Time: From February the 17th to February the 19th 2010 (January 4th to January 6th Lunar calendar). Place: Tennis court, Tax stadium. Contents: Sports; Tennis, badminton, table tennis. Activities: projecting film in the villages, playing folk games. Planting trees activities in T?t Festival - 2010 Time: 9h00, February the 19th 2010 (January the 6th 2010 lunar calendar). Place: Sapa center. "Congratulating Vietnamese Party - Happy Lunar New Year - 2010" Activities in Sapa District: Time: From January the 29th to February the 23rd 2010 Place: Ban Phung, Thanh Kim, Su Pan, Hau Thao, TaVan, Ta Giang Phinh, Ban Khoang, Suoi Thau Commune. Content: Each commune projects film and propagates cultural information twice. Folk culture Festival in the villages: Thanh Phu Xoe Dance Festival: Time: 9h00, February the 18th 2010 (January the 05th 2010 lunar calendar). Place: Thanh Phu commune center. Content: Praying for bumper crop of Tay group, Music performance and Folk games. B?n H? Then Singing Festival: Time: 9h00, February the 19th 2010 (January the 06th 2010 lunar calendar) Place: B?n H? commune center. Content: Praying for bumper crop of Tay group, Music performance and Folk games. San Xa Ho/ Gau Tao Festival: Time: February the 20th 2010 (January the 07th 2010 lunar calendar). Place: San XA Ho commune center. Content: Gau Tao Worship, Music performance and folk games of Black Hmong people. T? Phìn Giao duyen singing Festival: Time: February the 21st 2010 (January the 08th 2010 lunar calendar). Place: T? Phìn commune center. Content: Greeting New Year, Giao duyen singing Festival of Red Dao group. T? Van Traditional Down to field Festival: Time: February the 23rd 2010 (January the 10th 2010 lunar calendar). Place: T? Van commune center. Content: Praying for bumper crop of Day people, Music performance and folk games of Day people. Participating Thu?ng temple activities in Lào Cai city: Time: From the 27th to the 28th of February 2010 (From the 14th to the 15th of January 2010 lunar calendar). Place: Thu?ng temple in Lào Cai city. Content: Taking part in incensing in January the 14th afternoon at Thu?ng Temple. On January the 15th attending some activities at turning back to origin festival celebrated in Lao Cai City.

Source: www.traveltosapa.com

Sapa Restaurants , Gerbera Restaurant

GERBERA RESTAURANT

Address: No. 31, Cau May Road, Sapa town, Lao Cai, Vietnam
Tel: (84-20) 871 064 ; Fax: (84-20) 871 064
Website: http://www.sapatravelguide.com/nha-hang-gerbera.htm

Welcome to Sapa! Welcome to Restaurant Gerbera! Restaurant Gerbera is a fine dining restaurant with Vietnamese and international cuisines. An excellent and wide choice of domestic and international wines is available. With its classical style and casually friendly atmosphere, Restaurant Gerberca welcomes you for breakfast or pre- and apres theatre dinner. Our restaurant was built with Sapa’s bamboo, it combines the traditional and modern architecture in an warm and comfortable atmosphere.

From Restaurant Gerbera, you can see the whole view of Sapa town in a magic beauty, and further is the Hoang Lien Son range with the highest peak in Vietnam and in Indochina, Fansipan.

If you want to see some of the traditional people who live in the area, want to know which excursions one can do from here, and want to see some nice pictures of the landscapes in the region, we can book a tour or hire vehicles for you.

Breakfast

Our restaurant serves some special dishes for breakfast including Vietnamese breakfast, Asian and European breakfast, and Pancake.

Starter

Customers can start with Soup, Salad, Spring Roll or Potato and Sweet Potato.

Main Course

Various kinds of special dishes are available for customers to choose namely Sapa chicken (with steamed rice), Sapa duck (with steamed rice), Sapa goose, Sapa rabbit (with steamed rice), Sapa wild pork (with steamed rice), Sapa pork (with steamed rice), Venison (with steamed rice), Sapa beef (with steamed rice), Shrimp (with steamed rice), Squid (with steamed rice), Sapa fish (with steamed rice), Curry (with steamed rice), Tofu, Sapa vegetable, Green bean sprout, Bamboo person shoot, Rice, Noodle, Spaghetti, Pasta, Hamburger, Special food, and Hotpot.

Dessert

Customers can enjoy some kinds of fruits and cakes

Source: www.sapatravelguide.com