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| Ta Van is located in Vietnam in the northern province of Lao Cai, about 5 kilometres from Sapa, at an altitude of 1, 816 meters. This province borders the province of Yunnan in south-west China, and the indigenous people here share many cultural features with their Chinese neighbours. Also located in the valley of Muong Hoa, Ta van is a village of Giay people, who look more like the traditional Viet living the Red delta. This village is normally a combination in the visit to Lao chai village on the trek to Muong Hoa valley. It is also a popular stop for those who would like to experience an overnight home stay with a family of Giay people here, sharing dinner with them as a member of their family. Ta Van is a small village set within a picturesque valley not far from the northern Vietnamese mountain resort of Sa Pa. The area is renowned for its colourful ethnic minorities, and Ta Van is home to two such groups. A stay with one of the farmer families here will give you a close-up experience of the life-style and culture typical of the area. Trekking in the surrounding area is most satisfying |
| Source: www.traveltosapa.com |
Showing posts with label Sapa Traveling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sapa Traveling. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Ta Van Village
Muong Khuong Market
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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 |
Bac Ha Market
Xin Cheng Market
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| On every Wednesdays, Xin Cheng Market offers the opportunity to discover a colorful gathering point of many local minorities such as the Flower Hmong, Tay or Giay. On the way to the market along the Chinese border, you will enjoy amazing mountain scenery, charming rivers and terraced rice fields. People from the area meet at the market to exchange tobacco, clothes, fruits, horses, buffaloes and many other local products. Xin Cheng is also a social gathering point for the villagers to meet and exchange the latest news. On the way back to Sapa, you will pass by the Hmong King Palace which was built in the early 20th century during the French colonial era. This tour departs early in the morning from Sapa or Lao Cai and finish around 4pm |
| Source: www.traveltosapa.com |
Can Cau Market
Lung Khau Nhin Market - Thursday
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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 |
| Source:www.traveltosapa.com |
Hoang Lien National Park
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Hoang Lien National Park Hoang Lien National Park, just outside Sapa town, is unique for experiencing nature at close hand. The Park encompasses approximately 30 km2 of scenic mountainous landscape, including Vietnam s highest peak, Fansipan (3143m). The Park contains temperate and sub-temperate forests which cover the Hoang Lien mountain range. The forest and surrounding vegetation provides habitats for a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects. Many of these are found only in north-west Vietnam and are of great biological significance. Hoang Lien National Park Hoang Lien National Park is located in the Hoang Lien mountain range belonging to Sapa and Than Uyen districts, Lao Cai Province and includes Vietnam s highest peak, Mount Fansipan (3,143 m). The park supports a wide variety of habitat types: elevations below 1,800m support lower montage evergreen forest; elevations between 1,800 and 2,500m support upper montage evergreen forest, elevations between 2,500 and 2,800m support sub-alpine forest, while the vegetation above 2,800m is dominated by stands of dwarf bamboo with scattered, stunted trees. Below 1,000m, the forest has been almost entirely cleared and replaced with anthropogenic habitats, including secondary grassland, scrub and cultivation. Secondary habitats are also found at higher elevations. The park supports a high diversity of animal groups. 347 bird species have been recorded in and around the nature reserve, including 49 species that are restricted in Viet Nam to north-west Tonkin. The park also supports approximately one third of Viet Nam s known amphibian species, the highest recorded amphibian species richness of any protected area in Viet Nam. Several amphibian species are currently known only from the site, and around 10% of the national park s amphibian species are globally threatened. Invertebrate diversity is also very high, and many species of invertebrate discovered at the site are known from nowhere else in the world |
Source: www.traveltosapa.com
Sapa Town
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General info about Sapa Town: Sapa is located in Lao Cai province (formerly Hoang Lien Son province) in north-west Vietnam. Sapa means "town of sand" (Sa (sand), Pa (town) in Chinese characters). The town is situated at 1500 meters above sea level. Northern Vietnam was previously known as Tonkin, and the Sapa area was named “Tonkinese Alps” by French. The area was discovered by Europeans when a Jesuit missionary visited SaPain 1918. French colonists were attracted by the climate and scenery, and in 1932 began developing the town as a health resort. After moving minorities from the town, they built a church , some hotels, an aerodrome by Tram Ton Pass, tennis courts, the hydro-electric power station in Cat Cat village and over 200 villas in town and the surrounding area, which have since been abandoned or destroyed. They also established road links with Lao Cai and Lai Chau. The road was fixed in 1969 by the Chinese, many of whom were killed during the construction. The Silver Waterfall used to be host to a cemetery built in their honor. Since 1945, Sapa has been governed by the Vietnamese political system. In early 1979, there was an armed assault on Sapa which destroyed most of the buildings. Due to Vietnamese resistance this conflict lasted less than two weeks. Only a few of the original French buildings remain intact. Major population centers such as Lao Cai were razed to the ground. The ruins of the French villas are prominent on the route from Sapa to Sin Chai village. Sapa is the natural starting point for a unique experience in the mountainous area, which includes the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, Vietnam s highest peak of Fan Si Pan (3143m) and 5 different hill-tribes, each one colourful, distinct, and with its own language and cultural values. Some of the villages, especially the more remote ones, are still largely untouched by modern ways of life, and staying overnight privately offers an unusual insight into an otherwise unknown aspect of life in Vietnam. The climate: Frosts are frequent during the winter and mist shrouds the Fan Si Pan ridge and Sapa town. Foggy days are common, with an average of 137 per year.The mean annual temperature in Sapa is 15.4C (59.7F) with a maximum of 29.4C (84.9F) in July and a maximum of -3.2C (26.2F) in December. The coolest months are December to February and snow falls most years for 1-3 days. In December 1922, 12 cm s of snow fell in Sapa town so if visiting the area at this time of the year be prepared for cold weather! The mean annual rainfall is 2763mm, with a high of 4723mm and a low of 2964 mm . The rainy season is between May and September. Humidity ranges from 75-91% with an average of 87%. |
| Source: www.traveltosapa.com |
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. |
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| 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. |
| Source: www.traveltosapa.com |
Culture Ethnies
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The population of the Lào Cai province is a mosaic of ethnic groups. An incredible variety of peoples, some of them unique to Vietnam, are found on a relatively small area. In fact, visitors can meet 24 ethnic groups, each with its own language, culture and traditions. This cultural wealth is explained by the diversity of landscapes and of land available for farming. History also offers clues as to why the highlands in the Lào Cai province served as a refuge for certain ethnic groups during political unrest like the Taiping rebellion in 19th-century China. The seven most numerous ethnic groups in the Lào Cai province account for over 90% of the whole population. The following groups are found: the Kinh (the true Vietnamese) 35%, the Hmong 22%, the Tay 14%, the Dao (Mien) 13%, the Thai 9%, the Nung 4.5% and the Giay 4.3%. The other ethnic groups: the Phula, Hani, Latis, Tu Di, Pin Tao, Tu Lao, Pa Di, Sapho, Lolo and the Xa Mang are sometimes represented only by a few villages and a few hundred individuals. |
| Source: www.traveltosapa.com |
Tay Ethnic Minority
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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 |
Xa pho Ethnic Minority
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History: The Giay immigrated from China 200 years ago. They are strongly influenced by Chinese culture. Language: The Giay people speak a language of Tay - Thai group. They do not have their own writing. Costume: Like the Tay minority, the Giay women dress in simple clothes. They wear a five panel blouse split at the sides and buttoned on the right with dark indigo trousers. The blouses are different colors depending on the age - old women usually wear the darker shades. Women wrap their hair around their head and fix it in place with red threads. Giay, like other minorities, have adopted elements of Viet and Western clothing. Social organisation: Before the Revolution of August, 1945, the Giay society was divided into different classes. The upper class was composed of administration officials who owned the land. They paid soldiers and housekeepers to take care of weddings and funerals. Farmers working on their land had to pay taxes as well as doing the hard labour. Birth: Pregnant women have to avoid many things - wood is not burned from the top to the bottom to avoid difficulties when giving birth, and they are not allowed to attend funerals or visit a place for worshiping for fear of losing their spirit. When it is time to give birth the pregnant woman makes offerings to the Mother spirit. When the baby is one month old, they make offerings to the ancestors. At the same time they give the child a name and establish his or her horoscope, which will be used later when it is time to choose a partner for the marriage, and the right time to be put in a coffin when he or she dies. Marriage: The procedure for marriage is based strongly on Chinese traditions. A go-between is very important as they help propose the marriage to a potential bride. Once this has happened, the groom s family gives the bride a necklace and a bracelet to show their intentions - a kind of engagement. For the wedding, the groom s family must offer the bride s family food and money, and give close relatives a chicken, a duck and a silver coin. Once married, the bride is carried to her new house on the groom s back, as if she walks her spirit will find its way back to her parents. Funeral: Giay people believe that if a funeral is well organized, the dead will go happily to heaven with their ancestors. If not, the dead will be forced to live in hell or become animals. In a rich family, the funeral can last from five to seven days with extra rituals such as running along the river to lead the spirit on a procession. The children must mourn their parent s death for one year. Beliefs: The Giay altar is located in the middle of the house. There are three incense bowls set from the left to the right to worship the Kitchen God, Heaven and Earth, and the family ancestor. If the master of the house is a son-in-law who wants to worship his real parents, he must set up a fourth incense bowl to the far left. If a family has no altar for the Mother spirit, they set a fifth incense bowl to the right. Some families set up a small alter beside the big one to worship their parents-in-law. | |
| Source: www.traveltosapa.com |
Sapa History
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The Sa Pa plateau was identified in 1901 during the first topographic plotting of the area. A military post was built in 1903. In 1906 the first westerner to settle in Cha Pa, named Mr. Miéville, worked with the department of agriculture. The number of French permanent civilian residents was never very high, only twenty odd people in 1942, plus a small colony of English-speaking protestants of unknown origin.  Originally, Cha Pa was created for medical purposes: the bracing climate of Cha Pa was beneficial to westerners exhausted by a long stay in Vietnam, especially «people with chlorosis, post-infectious anaemia, previous history of malaria, and a whole array of neurotics: people with neurasthenia, phobia, overworked people or hypochondriac women». Certain diseases, such as «chronic bronchitis with associated emphysema or asthma and certain skin diseases» could  also be cured. The military sanatorium, completed in 1913, was built on the hill on which the municipal cistern and its pumping station now stand.As of 1914, the main purpose of the civil authorities was to create in Tonkin a veritable summer capital in the mountains. In the summer of 1914, the offices of all the local services were moved from Hanoi to Cha Pa. The works had started in 1912, the tourist office was created in 1917 and in 1925, there were already 80 kilometres of footpaths offering a great variety of hiking trips. The forestry service planted evergreens, some of which are still standing today. In 1922 the building of the most sumptuous hotel in the station, the Résidence du Tonkin started on «governor’s hill».  In 1909, thanks to Miéville, the « Sapa Hotel » was inaugurated to the east of the station on the road to Lao Cai, while the «Fan Si Pan» hotel was only built in 1924. The « Métropole », a luxury hotel with 50 rooms and ten suites sited at the foot of the Ham Rong on the bank of the lake, was inaugurated in 1932. The «Hôtel du Centre», a more modest establishment, was built in1937. The first villas were built in 1918 by the Hong Hai Coal Board and by the Haïphong cement factory (at the place where the Victoria Hotel now stands). A hundred or so other villas  were built between 1920 and 1940 on neighbouring land given for free, some specimens of which can still be seen. In the lower area are located the private villas, administrative buildings and hotels. In the higher area, one finds the big military sanatorium and the governor ‘s summer palace. The church was built in 1934, followed by a protestant temple sitting on the hill overlooking the road to Cat Cat. By the end of the 1930s, Cha Pa had reached its peak and over a thousand colonials went there to rest and have fun. Until the mid-40s, Cha Pa was to remain the fashionable mountain resort of the Hanoi colonial society.In order to meet the increasing demand for food, the local authorities created agricultural stations. The aim of these stations was to feed the summer visitors and « put an end to the typical problem of hotels where bread is wanting because a party of six had the unfortunate idea of turning up without sending a telegram two days earlier ». Vietnamese people launched into agricultural production, providing the town with « all sorts of foods »... The Taphin estate produced pork, chicken, vegetables, fresh fruit, jam, milk, potatoes, cheese and… wine. Trade was flourishing in the hands of Chinese people and Vietnamese from the delta area.   The growth of Cha Pa was an incentive to modernisation and between 1924 and 1927 the public authorities had it equipped with running water, a sewage system and an electricity network supplied by a power station built on the Cat Cat waterfall, whose renovated buildings are still in operation, as well as a telegraph and telephone network. In 1942, untypically for such a small place, a complete town plan of Sa Pa was drawn, which included over 400 plots of building land. In February 1947, the Viet Minh attacked Cha Pa and destroyed the military installations and part of the hotels (among which the Métropole) as well as villas. In March, the Foreign Legion occupied Cha Pa again until October 1949 when the French troops left the region for good. In March 1952, the French headquarters ordered the air force to bomb the town. The Governor’s Palace, the sanatorium complex, public buildings and most of the villas were destroyed. The Vietnamese population fled the ruined town and did not return until the early sixties. Not until the early 1990s did Sa Pa start developing again. |
| Source: www.traveltosapa.com |
History of the Taphin Monastery
History of the TA PHIN monasteryAt the end of 1941, twelve nuns belonging to a congregation of devout Reformed Cistercians, « whose only purpose was prayer and penitence», were thrown out of the monastery of Our Lady of the Angels in Hakodaté (Japan). Eight of them as well as the prior wished to stay in Asia. On January 8th, 1942, the French ambassador in Japan wrote to the bishop of Hung-Hoa, Mgr. Vandaele, and solicited that they be welcomed on «missionary ground».On February 13th, 1942, for the token rent of one piastre per year, the Superior Resident granted a long-term lease over « the estate of the old fruit-growing station of Ta Phing (44 hectares of buildings and lands), uncultivated or fallow land ». On June 11th, 1942, the sisters arrived at Lao Kay railway station and were installed in a wooden building «in poor condition», «each had only the clothes she was wearing, and 200 yens». On June 19th, the French Resident in Lao Kay gave them « 8 milk cows, 9 calves, 2 oxen, 2 heifers, 1 bull, and farming implements » The aim was to start « large-scale raising of pigs and chickens» and to « usefully complement the dairy products, milk, butter and cheese produced by the Chapa station in insufficient quantity for the number of summer visitors both civil and military ». The sisters also « set about to grow black wheat, oats, barley, buckwheat… » and develop « fruit trees, potatoes, vegetables and vineyards ». As of September 1942, the sisters were producing peach, apple and other fruit jams and had difficulties satisfying « the numerous orders for butter and cheese of the Port Salut type coming from Hanoi ». As of August 1942, legionnaires were supervising the Annamite workers digging a platform on which  the new monastery was to be built. The foundation stone was lain on October 8th, 1942 in the presence of the Superior Resident, and a parchment was deposited in a cavity made in the south-east corner-stone of «Our Lady of Peace Monastery».In fact, only the first phase of the work was to be completed, and the rest of the convent, which was supposed to welcome « a hundred sisters, lay sisters and novices » was never built. Nor were the planned guest quarters and chaplaincy. Only the farmhouse buildings were ever built. During the 1947 unrest, the sisters hurriedly fled to Hanoi and the monastery was burned down. |
| Source: www.traveltosapa.com |
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
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 |
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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. 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 - 2010Time: 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 |
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