After Rong house... Here come other traditional traces of Vietnamese house - the empire era in Hue, where there is also an art of traditional tea serving

But the real "supposed to be a tourist-visiting place" is where the King used to stay.

Well, we need to mention the city of Hue - where is famous with so many attractions and traces of the empire history... There you can also find the special way of drinking tea (not wine, but tea.)

Hue is also an important center of Buddhism. The city and its surrounding area still contain dozens of pagodas constructed more than 300 years ago.

Hue still retains its original layout from the Middle Ages and therefore the whole city is in effect a vast and invaluable museum. The historical sites of Hue have been classified by the Vietnamese government as very precious property and in December 1993 Hue was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.

World Heritage Site : The archaeological sites of Hue are the remains of the capital of Nguyen, the last Vietnamese dynasty that was prosperous from the early 19th to the mid 20th century. Although based on an architectural style from China, these structures incorporate both Baroque and traditional Vietnamese architecture. Now recognized for their historical and artistic value, they were included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1993.

The citadel with the emperor city is the most well-known object of interest Hues. 

Hue was dramatically affected during both wars with the French in the 1940s and later with the Americans in the 1960s and '70s: Most of the structures in the centuries-old citadel were severely damaged. Some of those royal buildings have been repaired and rebuilt, including the Forbidden Purple City, the emperor's private residence.
The city is bisected by the Song Huong, or Perfume River (named after a scented shrub that grows there), and along its banks south of Hue lie the many and impressive tombs of the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). Today are the relics of this emperor residence in the citadel and the surrounding emperor tombs one of the touristiest attractions of Vietnam.

A very unusual place here is the burial place of the emperor Khai Dinh (1916-1925). The grandiose reinforced concrete construction shows a synthesis from Vietnamese and European elements, even the faces of the stone-sculptures shows a mixture from Asiatic and European style.

The most majestic emperor tomb is the tomb of Minh Mang (1820-1840). The famous Buildings are surrounded by a beautiful garden and we were more than fascinated of it.

Tea in Hue

Tea is no less important in Hue. For the Vietnamese in Hue, drinking  tea is an art form; an intellectual, aesthetic and sentimental activity. In ancient times, a man was judged by three things: his view of life, his capacity to appreciate beauty - and the way he drank his tea.

No one in Viet Nam is unfamiliar with tea, but only in Hue did tea-drinking become elevated to a level that matches that of China and Japan. For in the 19"' century. Hue became the new capital of a new line'of kings, and the home of a nobility whose forms of entertainment and pursuits of pleasure were different from those of the noble classes of the previous dynasty in Bac Ha (Northern Viet Nam). During the Nguyen Dynasty, the noble class sought to create a cultural, political and social style different from that of their dynastic predecessors, especially the Le and the Trinh. The new nobility modeled itseif on the Chinese court, though the customs and beliefs were altered somewhat to suit the geography and the character of the people of Hue. Thus there are many similarities as well as significant differences between Hue's tea culture and that of China.

Tea parties are often held in beautiful and elegant tea rooms. The most solemn room or space in a house is generally chosen to be the tea room, its walls hung with ink paintings, poems written in Chinese characters, scrolls, ancient statuettes and so on. Flower pots are hung by the window to give the room a more idyllic atmosphere.

Sometimes tea parties are held in gardens in the shade of large trees, the revelers seated on porcelain stools around large stone tables. The latter setting is considered to be especially conducive for poetic inspiration, and at garden tea parties one often finds the guests strolling together among the trees and flowers, reciting verses from famous poems or creating their own. A harmonious setting is crucial to the creation of a harmonious overall atmosphere for a tea party.

According to the customs of Vietnamese people, on moonlit nights, devotees set their boats on the lake and ponds when the lotus flowers are in bloom. They open the about-to-bloom lotus flowers and place a lot of tea inside each blossom, then close them with ribbon or string. Then they get the moonlit dew from the lotus leaves . By dawn, the living scent of lotus impregnates the tea , and the gatherers have enough dew to add to their teapots. After a few hours of sleep, they enjoy a blissful afternoon of tea.

Can we have this beautiful flowers pond next to the tea field :) 

The traditional house Vietnam - Rong House in Highland where there is coffee

There is no such traditional house in Vietnam


Minority has special house. Like...

Rong Houses are the traditional communal structures of the Bahar minority group in Vietnam's Central Highlands, where important events, such as weddings and festivals, are held.

Similar to the communal house in the Viet village, the communal house in the highlands is the place that all community activities of remote ethnic groups in the highlands take place, and the headquarters of the administration of the highland village, the place of religious belief activities, guest house…… ; the place expressing the spiritual community festivals and the place that the old artisans impart the traditional cultural values to the young generation...,the place keeping traditional objects on display: Gong, drum, weapon, heads of immolated animals in holidays and is the place of birth of children from early childhood gathering around the fireplace and being told stories, and is also the place that adults meeting at night to tell each other the stories of mountain and forests...

The ridge has two roofs; the top of the sloping roofs has a couple of horns. We should view very carefully to recognize different features compared to houses: Going along the wave of the roofs is a special decorating range. The floor is joined with bamboo and neohouzeaua knitting pieces. In the middle of the house, there is a straight banister. This banister is the support of small jars of Ruou Can when the village holds festivals. The patterns decorating in the walls have two colors: red and green. Bahnar peple usually use couples of buffalo’s horns, pillars in the middle space are sculptured skillfully (sun), eight-swing-star, lozenge, birds, humans...This is the collective architectural and artistic works of the village community.

The Rong house is often 10m long, 4m wide, 15 - 16m high, but some houses are only 7-8m high.. The diversities in the architectural styles of each ethnic group in the Highlands is also the structure of the house.  The Rong house of the Highlands’s people does not use iron and steel. The joins are cut very carefully and then use the rattans and bamboo strips to bind. Each binding part of each ethnic group is different. For the stairs to go up the Rong house, ethnic groups usually cut from 7 to 9 steps. On the top of each stair of different ethnic groups, Ba Na people’s is the shape of Don vegetable, Ja Rai people’s is gourd containing water,  Xe Dang, Je Trieng people’s are gongs’ knobs, hoods, in some Rong houses, on the top knob of the stair, there is the shape of the chest of a young unmarried girl.. From the inauguration of the Rong house, unmarried men have to sleep here to protect. Therefore, the folk architecture of the Rong house is unique and each ethnic group own their different style. Very skillful hands, intelligence, and efforts of the whole community build all. The Rong house is attached to the mentality, sensitivity and social activities, religions of the Highlands’s people. We will miss a lot when going far away from the Rong house and when we visit the Rong house, it is very happy. The Rong house is the heart of the mountain village that will never be fainted in the mind of the Highlands’s people. 

Highlands’s people regard the Rong house, or the house on stilts as the brave soul of the heaven and earth accumulating to protect the village people, therefore, in each communal house there is one holy place to worship holy things, sometimes only a knife, a stone or a buffalo’s horn…

The Rong house is one of the important elements forming the highlands cultural character. It is important because beside its material values, it is also the place keeping the sustainable cultural spiritual soul of the highlands people. It is not only the spirit but it is also the blood, sweat, tears, the glory, pride, repercussion of great desires of humans before the nature, universe. People assess the prosperity of a highlands village through the Rong house. The Rong house only attaches to villages because there is no communal house at provincial, district levels or inter-village communal houses because it attaches to the daily activities and religions of a fixed community.

The Rong house is the place where folk festivals take place and welcome honored guests to visit the mountain village. The Rong house is the gathering place of village patriarchs, judging suits, disputes related to the community. The Rong house is the place for the youth (girls and boys) to meet, declare their love to each other, and join in wedlock. According to the customs here, young single man and women, even the widows, or divorced women have to sleep at the Rong house at night. Although being close to each other, stealthy love affairs among village mountain girls and boys have never happened because of the strict customs and being punished heavily by local laws. People often call a village without the Rong house the “woman village”, in other words, it is similar to mention an unfinished village. This is only a very simple collection of unspiritual houses, in which there are people with souls, they are not really humans, because people only become humans when souls are thrown into bodies but as for Highlands people, the human soul means the village soul.

The Rong house is regarded as the village soul where gathering the brave soul of the heaven and earth, mountain and forests and keeping the holy values of the village. The village has the Rong house as being added vitality. According to the traditional mindset of the ethnic people, the communal house is an indispensable element in the community life (village culture). The Rong house covers every quintessence of cultural creativities of humans in the natural ecosystem. It is both mighty and contains latent spiritual elements and is the symbol of forest culture and the strong attachment between the human community and the nature. The Rong house is the miniature of traditional cultural components of a village and a group of people. It plays the most important part in the people’s mindset and the real daily lives of the entire people in the community. 

Village - the Rong house - festivals of ethnic minority people have a strong attachment. The village culture produces festival and Rong house cultures and traditional folk festivals, which honor the power of the Rong house while the Rong house is the condition and the climate to show festivals. Both exist and decide each other. Meanwhile, festivals are the living places of almost every type of ancient folk cultures, arts from rituals, customs to folk performances, national music instruments, clothes, languages behaviors…...therefore; the Rong house plays the more important role in the cultural activities in the community. The Rong house both has tangible (appearance) values and intangible (contents, place showing festivals) values. The images of flickering fireplaces, jars of wine drunk out of through pipes ( Ruou Can) bound in lines in two sides of the fireplaces. The strong and moving sounds of gongs, and rotary dances and radiant faces of village patriarchs, girls and boys at the festivals in the communal house present a warm, ordinary cultural space, gathering in the strong attachment of the community to form the unique, diversified cultural character under the roof of the Rong house.

Going along the myths of ancient epics, I take pains to the highlands to wallow in the space of the Rong house where gathering the entire spiritual culture of the village, which is considered the holy element in the daily life of the ethnic people in the highlands both spiritual and physical life.

Two type of Rong houses appearing in the Highlands include: male Rong house and female Rong house. The male Rong house, in Jarai language called Rong to nao, has big towering roofs. Some houses are 30m high. The male communal house is decorated very carefully. The female Rong house being called Rong Ana, is small and has low roofs. The appearance outside and inside the Rong house is simpler. The columns of the house are decorated with colorful patterns expressing the religious, worshipping features, myths of ancient brave men, stylized beasts, things, daily activities that is close to the village people. The outstanding feature in the decoration of the Rong house is the image of the bright sun. The more beautiful and bigger the Rong house is, the more prosperous and stronger the village is.

The Rong house is one of the typical cultural heritage, closely attached to the history of ethnic groups of the Highlands with simple techniques, diversified architectures to create special beauty of manners, it is not only impressed by its beautiful manner and special decorations but it is also fascinated by its habits of using, and containing special spiritual values which are holy, deep in the mind of each member in the whole community.

The Rong house is an outstanding and unique cultural design, which has very important meanings in spiritual culture, social life and belief, spirits of the ethnic people in the Highlands. It is a precious heritage today and in the future. If the Highlands’s people can keep the Rong house – the heart of the village people where keeping the myths of epics and stimulating the creativity of new myths , the ethnic groups in the Highlands can keep for themselves a diversified spiritual life which gets close to the tradition but also achieve the new values suitable for the tendency of social development. 

the jim thompson house in thailand

jim thompson?

(info collected from other sources)

Jim Thompson, an American who was born Greenville, Delaware, in 1906 practiced architect prior to World War 11, he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army, campaigned in Europe, and came to Asia as part of the force that planned to liberate Thailand. However, the war ended before the operation. He arrived in Bangkok a short time later as a military intelligence officer attached to the O.S.S. After leaving the service, he decided to return and live in Thailand permanently.The hand weaving of silk, a long neglected cottage industry, captured Jim Thompson's attention, and he devoted himself to reviving the craft. Highly gifted as a designer and textile colorist, he contributed substantially to the industry's growth and to the worldwide recognition accorded to Thai silk. He gained further known through the construction of this house combining six teak buildings which represented the best of traditional Thai architecture. Most of the houses were at least two centuries old and were easily dismantled and brought to the present site, some from as far away as the old capital of Ayudhya.




In his quest for authenticity, Jim Thompson adhered to the customs of the early builders in most respects. The houses were elevated a full story above the ground, a practical Thai precaution to avoid flooding during the rainy season, and the roof tiles were fired in Ayudhya employing a design common centuries ago but rarely used today. The red paint on the outside walls is a preservative commonly found on many old Thai buildings. The chandeliers were electrified as a concession to modern convenience, but even they belong to a past era, having come from 18th and 19th century Bangkok palaces.

The house is often touted as being typically Thai-style, however the reality is that it is a mish-mash of styles and features. Six traditional teak houses were cannibalized, dismantled, and floated downriver to create this one. Although he had trained in architecture, the houses were more difficult for Thompson to reassemble than he had counted on, and apparently he had to go back to Ayutthaya to find a group of carpenters who still practised traditional building methods to solve the problem.

Some of the features he included were the turning inside out of some wall and decorative panels so as to be able to appreciate the carving better from the inside, the staircase being inside rather than outside the house as is traditionally the case, and the use of an intricately carved Chinese pawnshop wall to separate different living areas. Despite all of these, the house comes together beautifully well and must have been a joy to live in. My favourite was the living area (pictured above) facing wall-less onto the garden and the klong, with the perfect daybed in the centre.

Buddha statues ranging from 8th to 13th and 14th centuries, Chinese ceramics, Thai paintings and other antiques can be seen on display in almost every room and recess in the house.

Upstairs in the room that used to be the kitchen is an exquisite collection of 19th century Chinese ceramics.

This form of ceramics later developed into the renowned Benjarong porcelain, made with the five principal colours, black, white, red, blue (or green) and yellow. Benjarong in Thai, is the collective name for these five colours.

The houses are designed broader at the base and tapering to the top. The same feature is manifested in the doors and windows. This tapered structure adds to the stability of the house and also to ventilation, as cool air is drawn in and hot air channeled upwards and out through the vents at the top of the walls. 
No nails were used, only wooden joints and pegs, a standard feature in the traditional Thai house.





A luxuriant Thai garden weaves its way around the house, making it virtually a jungle maze. Jim Thompson fondly referred to the garden in his house as the "jungle." The thick foliage interspersed between the wings of the house, almost obscures parts of the house from view, giving the place a cool and peaceful atmosphere. 





The terrace fronting the main house overlooks the boat landing which is shaded by a 100-year-old tree. Beyond the garden wall, the busy riverboats flow along the Saan Saab all day long taking people to work or school and back. 



Besides his house, Jim Thompson is best known for bringing hand wovenThai silk to the fashion capitals of the world. For visitors to Bangkok, his name is synonymous with Thai silk.


And the Jim Thompson House is a repository of antiques and Thai handicraft.

Back to the children at Sapa

During the trip, we visited 2 schools and gave 100 children/school some gifts. Not until I came did I realized that those 100 children are from more than 5 different schools. They gathered together for this "important event." 

Happy moment - many children are cute. They even prepared a dance performance to welcome our group. Look at the girls in the photos - they are truly performers with props, blushing cheek and red lipstick :)

And the important event -  making many children walk for hours under the hot hot sun. One boy in a torn up shirt was throwing up at the moment he came to this school. He had a 2nd round when standing in front of every other students when receiving the gift. 


The gift - guess what they get? Can be quite surprising for some people. It's not the huge amount of scholarship that can be wired directly to student's accounts, or a check with many zero written, or a certification of free tuition plus free books. They receive: 20 notebooks, 5 colored stories, 1 pack of pen, 1 pen holder, one backpack (with Barbie picture for the girl and superman picture for the boy. :) I bet they have no clue who is Barbie girl or superman), 1 cap, 1 shirt, and a small amount of money given to their parents.


Question - is it best to force them to go to school and learn what other children learn (history, geography, math, etc, where they might have no chance to apply) or is it actually more beneficial for them to learn something else... 

Where to visit in Vietnam... for 2 weeks... tough question

Highlights from North to South Vietnam

The North

Hanoi, the northern Capital city, stands out against many of its larger Asian cousins, maintaining an authenticity of national character that is becoming harder to find. No ubiquitous shopping centres, 24 hour western fast food outlets or anonymous mass transit schemes, you know you’re somewhere different, somewhere special.

For me, the most unique thing about Hanoi is women selling flowers on bicycle. Very beautiful.

Halong Bay is the natural wonder of Vietnam. Majestic and mysterious in equal measure, over 1,600 limestone karsts dramatically dot this UNESCO World Heritage site. Back on dry land the mountainous northern border provinces attract those looking for dramatic scenery, traditional hill tribes, fabulous markets selling art and crafts, embroidery and silver and the chance to explore a little by foot or bike. 

World Heritage Ha Long Bay

One of the most popular options is to take the Victoria Express train up to Sapa, the picturesque old French hill-station that nestles high in the Tonkinese Alps, beneath the shadow of the mist shrouded Fansipan Mountain, the highest summit in mainland SE Asia. Alternatively Mai Chau is a little closer to Hanoi or to really get off the beaten track head up to Ha Giang on the Chinese border. 

Ha Giang - I've never been but it was supposed to be very beautiful

Photo at Noong Lake taken by Stanley

Sapa

Sapa is an ideal add on to a stay in Hanoi or as part of a Vietnam tour. The most popular way to travel is by the overnight train that takes approximately 10 hours and is a great holiday experience. We recommend the Victoria Express which is the most comfortable option with two or four berth cabins that, while not en suite, are tastefully decorated and provide the best facilities for the journey.

The ability to interact with the various hill tribes and experience everyday life in a beautiful setting is one of Sapa’s main draws and to this day it remains a major trading post for more than 30 local ethnic groups that live among the rice paddy covered hills that carpet the region. Make sure you’re in Sapa over the weekend as the Saturday market brings the tribes together and many will be wearing their colourful local costumes. Nearby Bac Ha offers a less crowded alternative and arguably a better experience at its Sunday market.

Sapa rice terrace view

Sapa view from Topas Ecolodge hotel

Moc Chau tea hill (Moc Chau is one province few hours from Hanoi)

Mai Chau - also one province in the North

Mai Chau Valley.

Other gems lie to the south of Hanoi. For example Van Long or Tam Coc are areas of extreme beauty just a couple of hours (1& a half hr) away. Limestone pinnacles soar skywards from wetland reserves to create "Halong Bay on the Rice Paddies" and can be explored by sampan. Combine these with a trip to Vietnam’s first national park, Cuc Phuong, one of the country’s most important protected areas and home to the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre, which is fighting to re-introduce langurs and gibbons to the wild. This is also a great area for hiking amongst the impressive forest and bird watching.

Tam Coc

You will be on a tiny tiny boat. There will be a Vietnamese lady skillfully taking you through the route. The route takes only 20 minutes on the boat, but worth to visit.

Another place that is very nice is Perfume Pagoda. 

The Perfume Pagoda is located 75km south of Hanoi. This is the biggest pagoda complex, which hosts Vietnam's longest annual Buddhist festival (from the first month of the lunar calendar to third one). En route, marvel at the breathtaking mountain scenery interlaced by cool clear streams. You will be on a tiny boat for 1-2 hours, visiting  various temple. Not recommend during high season as there will be too many Vietnamese visit and pray here. 

Central Vietnam

History buffs love central Vietnam and its heartbeat has to be the Imperial City of Hue. Straddling the Perfume River this was the Nguyen capital, the last dynasty in Vietnam. Hue is dominated by The Citadel, a moated fort whose walls protect the forbidden Purple City, the former home of the royal family. Take your time wandering through the fascinating tombs, temples and museums and past pagodas, lakes and pavilions. You’ll also see the scars still visible from its prominent role during the Tet Offensive.

This region was also the heartland of the Champa who flourished from the 2nd-15th century and whose brick sanctuaries (Cham towers) bear testament to their power and Hindu beliefs. The major site at My Son is an easy day trip from Hoi An.

Hoi An is the perfect place to base yourself for a couple of days and take it easy. This bustling town on Vietnam's central coast was a busy port during the 16th & 17th centuries, used by silk and spice traders from around the world as a convenient stop-off point on their journeys. This confluence of cultures created a town full of eclectic architecture that has been beautifully preserved and is now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town is car free allowing visitors to enjoy the mixture of shops and watch local artisans working with silk, ceramics, paint and wood. The cobbled streets with their fine colonial architecture also house some atmospheric restaurants. Like Hue and her imperial past, central Vietnam offers some of the country’s best food. If you fancy a few days on the beach with evenings in Hoi An, some great beach resorts are just a few minutes away. 

Hoi An people are very proud of their lanterns. Old bamboo soaked ten days in salt water is used to protect against insects, then dried and shaped. Cloth must be silk and must be tough enough for stretching. The lantern making process requires good skills and lots of patience. The materials are natural: 100 percent silk, bamboo frames and wool tassels. The colours, the shapes and the patterns on silk are meaningful. These beautiful handmade silk lanterns are the combination between the beauty of Vietnamese silk and the high skills of Vietnamese people. Hoi An's old-fashioned charm is always visible.

Dak Lak and Pleiku are the two places on the mountain. Tourists do not visit here as "there is nothing" for tourist here. It was historical place, and currently when we mention Pleiku/ Dak Lak/ Buon Me Thuat, we think of tea, coffee, rubber, and wood.

Sunset on the lake at Ban Me Thuot. Photo: Ngoc Dinh Trung.

South Vietnam

Just outside HCM city the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels offer a window into the horrors of fighting underground during the Vietnam War. However the real attraction is the Mekong Delta, with miles of inter-connecting canals and rivers, known simply as "the green lungs of the Mekong" because of the vast quantities of rice, fruit and vegetables that are grown here, much of which ends up in the fascinating, bustling floating markets. One of the most popular ways of experiencing delta life is to board a boat and join the morning crush of the floating markets and then explore the backwaters visiting local orchards, villages and local businesses. You can also cruise from Saigon all the way to Angkor using the Mekong as your gateway to Cambodia.

For the best beach options the south wins. 4 hours north of Saigon you’ll find Mui Ne a great place to escape the humidity of the delta as its micro climate makes it one of the driest places in Vietnam. Mui Ne has a unique white sand dune

Alternatively take an hour’s flight to the relatively undiscovered Phu Quoc Island, ringed by bays and beaches, filled with a jungle-covered interior and dotted with a handful of fishing villages. 

Or a short hop to the former penal colony islands of Con Dao, now at the forefront of Vietnam’s marine conservation and important for Hawksbill and Green turtles, as well as the very rare dugong. 

Another popular place is Da Lat - there is a direct flight from HCMC.

Da Lat town is most likely one of Vietnam's best well known holiday location. Since the beginning of the 21st Century, it has been named the honeymoon Mecca of Vietnam due to its temperate climate, beautiful sights such as waterfalls and lakes and its abundance of flowers and vegetables.

This city was spared during the Vietnam war-- the North Vietnamese agreed to not attack, in turn for a hands-off policy on their popular vacation spot in the north.

Once called “Little Paris” by the French colonists who founded it, Da Lat has a lot to offer to those interesting in trekking, natural sights, and motorcycle trips. This is a great place to get to know Vietnam’s highlands.

The land around Da Lat is a place of coffee farms and colorful small towns. Arriving via car or bus provides an opportunity to view the switch from tropical jungle surroundings to panoramic mountain views. Though the road is narrow, the ride offers enough scenery to distract riders from Vietnam’s famously dangerous traffic.

 Pongour Waterfalls near Da Lat

Other photos collected from various sources for your view

Baby, jumped into the river in My Tho in the red sun. Photo: Jamie Mellor.

Children playing on the dike slope of Phu Lang village, Bac Ninh. Photo:Shotgun911.

People in the trafficking Jun, Dak Lak, after a day of boating fishing. Photo:Vietnamese Tran Dung.

Lonely boat on Lake Lak when the dark sun. Photo: Vietnamese Tran Dung.

Keep my wife in Tha La River, Chau Doc, An Giang, the flooding season. Photo:Bienla.

Buffalo painstakingly returned home under sunny afternoon in Nhon Trach district, Dong Nai. Photo: Adegsm.

Hmong girls dreamy sunset light. Photo: NaPix.

Wingspan of the bird returned. Take in HCMC. Photo: Adegsm.