Visiting Dai Tong Lam Pagoda

Visiting Dai Tong Lam Pagoda

Along National Highway 51 on the way to the coastal city of Vung Tau, Dai Tong Lam Pagoda is located in Tan Thanh District in the coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, 70km east of HCMC.

The pagoda is better-known as Van Phat Quang as its 10,000 statues of Buddha are red-lacquered and inlaid with gold mounted on the pagoda's walls.

Dai Tong Lam Pagoda, which was built by superior Buddhist monk Thich Thien Hoa in 1964, is located on a quiet 54ha plot consisting of many pagodas, Zen monasteries, Buddhist temples, and a junior Buddhism college, and is considered the Buddhist center of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

The pagoda has been recognized by the Vietnam Record Book for its four exceptional records, namely the biggest sanctum covering over 3,000m², the biggest granite statue of Bodhisattva Metteyya weighing over 40 tons, the biggest number of statues of Buddha in a pagoda - with over 10,000 - and the Buddhism training center with most learners -1,250 monks and nuns.

The splendor of the current architecture model of Buddhism bearing the hallmark of the national culture is seen via the complex of Dai Tong Lam Pagoda. The new main temple, or sanctum, overlooking four directions shows a splendid place like the elysium. Above the curved tiles are dragons cleverly carved that make them look like hovering over nine layers of cloud.

Attractions for tourists also include the charming landscape along with a lotus pond and fresh air. The entrance leading to the main temple is shaded with two lines of big trees, while under the old fig tree lays a huge statue of Buddha Sakya Muni being deep in religious contemplation. Overlooking in the distance behind the trees sits the Metteyya temple.

On the left side of the pagoda is a place where 48 statues of Buddha Amitabha made of granite 3.3m in height, 3.5 tons in weight standing under the open sky. A concrete 14.5m-high statue is arranged in the middle. The entrance is paved with red tiles to reduce the heat of summer days.

Especially, in the complex of Dai Tong Lam Pagoda, Thien Hoa nun monastery has been known as a "rice pancake pagoda" for many years. The pagoda serves vegetarian food such as rice pancake (bank xeo), vermicelli and sour imitated- crab soup (bun rieu), vermicelli made of cassava, and noodles soup (pho) from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. everyday.

Last but not least, pilgrims can cast off their affliction and tiredness to mingle themselves with nature in a tranquilizing space if they have a chance to visit Dai Tong Lam Pagoda.

Sailing on rivers in Quang Nam Province

Sailing on rivers in Quang Nam Province

Someday, when the love for rivers and lakes suddenly rises up, all what a visitor to Quang Nam Province has to do is to carry his backpack to a pier, wave for boat, and then have a romantic sailing along the river without having to book for the tour at any travel agent.

Although waterway is not the developed transport in the province, many vessels are still gliding on large rivers all day long.

Visitor can sail down to the South on the boundless and ever-blue Truong Giang River, or go upstream on the Thu Bon to explore the widths and depths of the height in mountains and the vast waters of the central land. While midway on the Thu Bon River, one can change his mind, steering their trip to the Vu Gia River, or Bung or Cai rivers to go through the land of a famous tropical fruit known as nam tran.

Visiting villages and piers along those rivers is worthwhile though some places have yet to be listed on any tourist maps. If Phu Thuan Village by the Thu Bon River reminds a peaceful dream, Ca Tang pier suggests travelers of the anger of sea-gods.

Therefore, people here love rowing along rivers to explore natural lessons of tolerance, bravery, tenderness, generosity, and then to understand other theories in their daily life.

Floating on a ferry, a visitor is really an eco-tourist without any worries of hotel accommodation or necessities. Each ferry is a small market and a ferrywoman is an enthusiastic tour guide. They will bring their guests a treasure of stories about rivers, life, daily burden, sadness and happiness.

Moreover, travelers will spend the most pleasurable time taking a nap in the summer breeze, dreaming of a fairyland among tender river weaves. In addition, local specialties such as boiled corn and peanuts, fresh fruits, and a tasty grilled meat roll are always ready on board or at some piers along the way at any time.

Traveling without a tour guide is trendy for people who love wild nature and adventures. With many mysteries and nice surprises, sailing on rivers in Quang Nam Province will be a trip like no others.

Plateau of imposing limestone mountains

Plateau of imposing limestone mountains

Ranges of limestone mountains and hills move up and down along winding roads on Dong Van Plateau in northern Ha Giang Province, making this tableland a destination of original stone landscapes that capture the eyes of all nature lovers once they travel to the province.

Every year, a lot of local and foreign tourists travel by motorcycle and car through more than 460km of passes and curving roads from Hanoi to the plateau to see with their own eyes the imposing natural wonders at more than 1,000m above the sea level.

The Quan Ba Heaven Gate leads visitors to this plateau of magnificent wonders. There, winds, sunlight and fog have carved limestone mountains and hills into magnificent natural works and whatever shapes that visitors can imagine.

It is hard to describe the beauty and magnificence of the open world. Many visitors call it a painting featuring shy ethnic lasses nestled in their traditional costumes in the morning when it is shrouded by clouds of thick mist and then burly mountainous men with strong muscles when they are shined under the sunlight.

The painting looks more beautiful on clear days in summer and spring when ethnic people, especially women in their colorful costumes, climb on the mountains to do the farming. Wild flowers blossoming from stone cracks also add liveliness to the painting.

No one knows exactly when the limestone mountains and hills came into existence. Geologists say they must be hundreds of millions of years as they provide links and clues to the development of the earth's crust and keep geological heritage values.

There are caves and grottos under the limestone mountains, where geologists have discover astonishing landscapes and biodiversity. These factors are the reasons behind a plan to establish a geological park from 2007 till 2012 to restore natural heritages of the plateau covering Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac and Dong Van districts in the province.

Dr. Vu Cao Minh of the Vietnam Institute of Geology says that the geological diversity and the restoration of stone sediments on the Dong Van Plateau will make this region a great destination for research, geological education and sightseeing.

Of course, the Dong Van Plateau attracts visitors near and far because it is home to not only ranges of mountains and hills but also streams, rivers and passes including Ma Pi Leng Pass located between Dong Van and Meo Vac in the northern province.

The 15km pass on the sides of magnificent mountain ranges runs along a certain section of the Nho Que River that weaves its way like a white silver ribbon through the limestone ravines.

A good time to visit the pass is from July to October, when the imposing views of mountains and rock walls shine under the blazing sunshine. This pass turns into a festive street in the early morning of Sundays when lines of Dao, H'Mong and people of other ethnic groups walk from all directions of the mountains down to the pass before heading for the colorful Dong Van Market on that day.

O Quy Ho Pass

O Quy Ho Pass

O Quy Ho is a pass connecting two northern provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau, an area home to the magnificent Hoang Lien Range including the Indochina's roof of Mount Fansipan with the height of 3,414m. It is also known as Hoang Lien Pass, but travelers having a strong love for the northwest region prefer using the name O Quy Ho.

Xe om or motorbike taxi drivers often tell a story of a bird whose tormented song that sounds like o quy ho is attached to an inconclusive love affair. Step by step, the bird's voice O Quy Ho was used as the name for the wild mountain pass that is 2,000m above the sea level.

The pass is nearly 50km long encompassing two thirds of Lai Chau's Tam Duong District, and one third of Lao Cai's Sapa District. Tourists will have to cover a few kilometers from Hoang Lien National Park gate to come to the top of O Quy Ho Mountain considered the border between Lao Cal and Lai Chau.

Tourists will also have opportunities to enjoy imposing and impressive scenes of mountains and forests on the top of the Hoang Lien Mountain Range or even a view of mountains going up and down like fingers of a hand, and the Fansipan Peak of course.

In addition, the weather is one of the interesting features of the northwest nature. In winter, if it is warm at a side of Tam Duong, it is foggy and cloudy at the side of Sapa. On the contrary, in summer, if the side of Sapa has cool weather, it is sunny and dry at the side of Tam Duong.

In general, O Quy Ho in the afternoon always brings peace to tourists. Regardless of the beginning place, Binh Lu or Sapa, tourists themselves are taking part in a seesaw with the sun and enjoying colorful sunset behind the mountains on the horizon.

Legendary sea on the mountain

Legendary sea on the mountain

Situated some 7km north of the center of Pleiku City, Bien Ho in Gia Lai Province, so named as the lake is as immense as ocean, is a nice destination for people who love both mountains and the vast of ocean.

Bien Ho, also known as To Nung or la Nueng Lake, indeed is an oval-shaped crater lake lying between a valley circled by thousands of green pine trees. The scenery there is so poetic that many artists usually compare the lake to the eye of Pleiku City or a turquoise of the Central Highlands.

Travelers to Bien Ho are often lost in admiration of the natural picture within their eyesight, like when standing before a giant water-color painting. They will feel comfortable in the cool air from pine forests surrounding the lake. They can enjoy themselves by floating on dug-outs on the wavy ever-blue lake. Besides, it is a nice pleasure to walk to fishing villages and hamlets around the great lake to learn more about their distinctive daily life.

Local residents call the lake Bien Ho because of its immensity of around 230ha and depth of 20-40m. Moreover, the legend has it that the water from the lake flows directly into the Eastern Sea through it unfathomable depth, and wood exploiters in the highlands only have to drop timber into the lake then catch them at the Quy Nhon Sea the following morning. Besides, legendary stories about the lake's names remain mysterious to tourists.

Elderly people of the Jrai tribe will tell tourists a sad story of their nice village named To Nung of the Jrai tribal group in the Central Highlands a long time ago. The great lake reminds them of a mild countryside with a beautiful spring murmuring down the hills. The water was so limpid and the wharf there was an ideal place for young people to date, sing together, and make promises of marriage under the moonlight.

One day, the highest mountain next to the village suddenly went up in flames, broke into pieces, and buried the village. Then, the lake was created from mourning tears of survivors for their beloved village and relatives, and they named the lake To Nung in commemoration of their peaceful homeland.

Nowadays, Bien Ho is both a water supply source for Pleiku City and a tourist attraction for local and international travelers. The lake can be reached by walking or riding motorbike from the city along the National Highway 19.

Vinpearl with an underwater world

Vinpearl with an underwater world

The image of Vinpearl Underwater World is different from what was seen on the inauguration day in late January 2008. The country's largest aquarium exhibits a lot of fish species.

The aquarium is divided into two sections for a trip to watch 200 species of fish, many of them extremely rare and bought from foreign countries.

The exhibition area for weird and wonderful marine creatures is designed according to climate zones such as North Asia, South Asia and Amazon.

In the huge fish tanks are fish which you cannot find anywhere else. Moreover, you will be excited when you see scuba divers arranging corals in the tanks as well as weird snakes, turtles and geckos.

It is an exciting journey underwater to move some hundreds of meters down to the seabed. You can be really amazed by the magnificent wonders created by man, such as an escalator where you can watch the ocean and the glass dome bring you an experience in a tunnel.

On top of the dome, the sea seems to ripple and sparkle that making marine life more active. And also, at the bottom of the ocean are the wrecked ships that are home to fish.

Tay – a pristine beach in Khanh Hoa

Tay – a pristine beach in Khanh Hoa





Diving into the turquoise waters and lying leisurely jay on a quiet beach during the daytime and at night are what holidaymakers may think of in their summer vacations. Tay Beach in the central province of Khanh Hoa is a recommended destination.

As the white-sand beach is nestled in the Van Phong Bay, it is a hide-away for nature lovers to indulge themselves in tranquility and greenery. There, vacationers can relax on deck chairs underneath umbrellas along the beach to enjoy sea breezes and the soft sound of ripples lapping against the shore.

Kayaks are available on the beach for those who love to take pleasure in riding on the ripples and the blue waters of Van Phong, which is one of the few bays in the central region.

What makes Tay Beach different from others in central Vietnam is the Tay Stream that winds its way through lines of mangroves from the inland part of Lon Island and discharges its freshwater into the sea. The area at the stream mouth is shallow and flat so it is a good place for swimming.

When the sun is about to set behind the green islands of the bay, tents are set up and a barbecue party is ready. Fresh seafood caught in the bay is steamed, grilled, sauteed or cooked to order. Beer and wine are served on the beach to whet diners' appetite for more of activities at night.

There are four rooms and many tents for lease in Tay Beach Tourist Area at VND250,000 and VND60,000 each respectively. But tents might be the right choice for vacationers to spend overnight on the beach in the summer as it is the dry season and breezes and ripples will lead them to sweet dream.

To reach Tay Beach, vacationers should board a boat of Van Phong Travel Co. and go by many attractions of Van Phong Bay. The company offers a one-day tour around the bay at VND900,000.

The tourist area also prepares lunch and dinner for visitors, and charges at least VND50,000 per portion. The price of the barbecue party depends on how a party vacationers order and the price of seafood during the day.