Let go Nam Giao Esplanade, Hue

Let go Nam Giao Esplanade, Hue

Location and history

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That's why Nam, Giao Esplanade was built by King Gia Long after being crowned, in Duong Xuan Village, south of Hue City. It was started constructing on 25th March, 1806. At the beginning of 1807, its first God worship ceremonies were held there. Among several offering terraces of previous dynasties, Nguyen's is the only one that still exists until today.

• thing to do in hanoi is This is a special place for many Vietnamese
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Architecture

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The open-air monument obviously reflects the old misconception of people about the universe (circular heavens and square earth), follows the principles of Yin and Yang and also represents 5 elements of the nature: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth (in order: Kim, Moc, Thuy, Hoa, Tho).

As well, the esplanade is designed to symbolize oriental theory of 3 agents: Heaven, Earth, Man (Thien, Dia, Nhan respectively). Each is represented by one terrace with distinctive color and shape: circular blue heaven, square yellow earth. The bottom terrace is square and red-painted which stands for Man, as there is a phrase “red child” (xich tu – con do) to call the normal people. The top terrace (Heaven) is the place to hold offering ceremonies to God, Earth and Nguyen Dynasty’s ancestors and also called Vien dan. The middle one (Tung dan) is for worshipping the Sun, Moon, Stars, Cloud, Rain, Wind, Lightning, Year and Month, Mountain, Ocean, River, Lagoon, Lake, etc. and all other kinds of holy spirits throughout Vietnam. The last terrace is where to offer sacrifice.

Along with the main esplanade, there are several other building sites to support the offering ceremony like “Trai cung” (where the king stays before the ceremony), “Than tru” (the kitchen to prepare sacrifice), “Than kho” (the warehouse to place ceremony’s tools).

In the past, Nam Giao Esplanade was surrounded by a thick basalt wall which has been destructed. Pine trees were also planted around, as Emperor Minh Mang has followed his father’s tradition and asked all his sons and mandarins to plant their own pines with their name card on it and take care of their own trees.

Nam Giao Esplanade plays a very important role in religious and political life of Nguyen Dynasty. It took the Protocol and Administration Ministries many months to prepare for the ceremony. Before the sacrifice offering day, all villages and communal in Thua Thien-Hue had to complete making triumphal arches, to put alters on both sides of the route where the Emperor would pass by from Ngo Mon Noon gate to Trai Cung. During the ceremony, big flags with different colors were hung on all four doors of the esplanade: black flags on the north door, blue on the east, red on the south and white on the west. The kings often had to operate the ceremony on his owns. In case he wasn’t capable, his son or one of his mandarins would be ordered to take this task.

Today, visitors can come here to understand about the religious and political belief of Oriental feudal society in general and Nguyen Dynasty in particular, which is completely different from that of Western people.

How to get there

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Follow Dien Bien Phu Street till the end. There stands the esplanade. Suggested means of transport include: bike, motorbike and car.

When to get there

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The site is open for tourists all the time, but it’s highly recommended to get there when the ceremony is held.

The royal ceremony is especially often restored on the occasion of Hue Festival (in 2002, 2004 and 2006 already), to pray for a peaceful country and prosperous people. This is a particular performance you can’t find anywhere else. Similar ceremony will be held again in Festival Hue 2012, which will take place on April.

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Hang market in Haiphong

At 5 am, on every Sunday, street of Hang market (Le Chan district) is crowded by motorcycles, passenger cars of all kinds of goods, domestic appliances from around sold at Hang market. The weird thing is the goods sealed and carriers are often thrown them from the vehicle without fear of damage. Each bag is opened and poured out on wrinkled available covering cloth.

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Hang market Bustling with sellers and buyers

Goods in this area are the old items. Secondhand goods corner of Hang market stretches on roads being less than 200 meters from the house no.465 to no.517 on Market street with diversify in types such as sophisticated electronics as loudspeakers, Karaoke machines, televisions, wireless computer mouse and compass, cross-head screwdriver screws, the wire supplying water to rusty automatic heater advertised as a Japanese goods carried by ocean vessels to Vietnam travel.

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Because there aren’t a lot of goods, the owner of booths don’t need to ship or sale goods early as flowers and domestic animals corners. Mr. Nguyen Hong Quan having sold old items for nearly 2 years old at Hang market said: “Although my house is near Sat Market, with small capital source I only retail some old and sundry furniture, and irregular volumes, I do not dare to hire booth here. Every Sunday morning, I sell old items at Hang Market”.

Each fair, people selling old furniture pay 5,000 VND for the local market ticket and extra cost of renting seats in doorstep of households in fairgrounds. The owners of stalls pay fees depending on are of stalls and the agreement. Averagely, one old items stall is under 2 square meters, with about 100 -120 thousand per month. For those stalls selling electronics using power of the household will have to pay more.

At 8 am, as usual, Hang market is crowded. Previously this road was only the space to park vehicles since there is corner for old items; each market session, streets in Hang market are always filled with people. The cars accidentally “falling into” this way can not move, despite loud honking.

Both buyers and sellers are happy
Because it is a market selling old items and do not pay too much money for business surcharge, so commodity prices here are much cheaper than in other business stalls. A new California karaoke machine is about VND 2 million, but the price of used goods being intact stamp of manufacturer is sold for nearly VND 500 thousand.
Apparently, you get what you pay for. However, this is a notable choice for customer groups with average incomes. Besides traders, some people aged nearly 70 still sell to enjoy their life. Their commodities are items, components seemingly only seen in black and white films of the last century as pedals, chain axis, fenders Phoenix bicycle, mechanical clock.

Mr. Hoang Van Duy, an owner of shall in front of the house no. 507 in Hang market said: “The highest commodity is only VND 20 thousands, the stall has about 50 items. Even, bicycle pedals are usually sold in pair, sellers ask to buy one piece, so there isn’t any profit. I am sitting here to sell, mainly looking for a place to exchange and talk with people. At home is so sad”. Mainly supply source of owners of second-hand stalls here are from people who sell junk, or purchase of acquaintances.

Mr. Hoang Van Duy added: “In the corners of old items, there are many salesmen used to be a mechanic, they can recognize items are still able to use. Many items which seem to be broken, but they pick them up, repair and resell”

However, the old and fragmentary items which no one wants to buy sometimes are difficulty to find. Nguyen Van Hung, who likes to collect antique bikes, in No. 229 of Mieu Hai Xa street cheerfully: “I’ve just found an intact motors generating power for bicycle lights, with VND 15 thousands. After long time looking, finally I found it in my “village market”. Maybe some people those in need to find old things like Mr. Nguyen Van Hung. And the area of market selling secondhand goods is increasingly wider, creating more jobs as well as attracting many people to the unique market session of Hai Phong city.

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American habits to help you save in Vietnam

American habits to help you save  in Vietnam

Never carrying cash

Haggling 101: Tell the seller you don’t have that much cash on you, tell them you live there, stick to that strategy. That feeling when you know all those amounts of stuff you can buy at ridiculously cheap rates because you’re “out of cash” is almost like highway robbery. And if you’re genuinely an American, maybe you don’t have to lie because you actually don’t have the cash on you for real.

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Sincere and friendly smile of Vietnamese people

Speaking your mind

“No, I’m not gonna pay 100k vnd for these coconuts. No, please don’t try to sell me any cocaine. Yes, I can see you staring at me? Would you like anything? Want me to kick that cute little ass? No? Ok, then let’s move on, shall we?”

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Showering more than necessary

If it’s April through October, you’re sweaty. If it’s October through April, you’re wet and sweaty. Luckily, you’ve got this hygiene thing down to an art.

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Watching your six

You’ve watched way too many episodes of The X-Files, and wherever you go, you “trust no one”. Your eyes are in your back watching for that motorbike pulling a U-turn and driving up to you a little too slowly. You take a second to summon your ninja skills and BAM! You’re wrestling for your bag and some karate chops later, they drive off empty-handed.

That relentless optimism and can-do spirit

You don’t even bat an eye when that man on the side of the road patches your tire with an old piece of rubber and a lit cigarette. Crazier things have happened, say Kim Kardashian being taken seriously. And you think handing over that 50 cents is totally worth it. Will this tire stay good in the next six months> you bet. However, 50 cents for a story and a tire is not bad.

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At Night, where to eat in Hanoi?

When the lights on street turn on, the night is coming and not easy to find a crowded street vendor for you in Hanoi such as: Cam Chi street, Lan Ong or Cau Go street.

As you know, Pho Hanoi is very very famous and delicious, you can see Pho everywhere from suburbs or in the city but if you want a really Pho, i think no place to eat could be delicious as Old Quarter. They are Pho Mau Dich on Ly Quoc Su street, Pho Tu Do at Cau Go street, Pho Thin at Lo Duc, Pho at Hang Ma and Hang Dong. If you are finding a supper, should be come to Hang Buom or Tran Quang Khai.

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There are also some cheap and delicious suppers such as: Bun bo ( beef ), Bun Mang Ngan ( duck ), Chicken porridge… at Cua Nam or nearby Tran Quy Cap train station, on Hai Ba Trung street or To Hoang.

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Hot Pho for cold days in winter

If you have a chance to visit Hanoi or you are being in Hanoi, you shouldn’t forget the cuisine street named Cam Chi. I still remember the feeling of hot porridge with spice, onion and pepper will take the cold of Hanoi winter far away. How could I forget the delicious fried rice on this street, Ma May and Hang Dau street are also famous with it. For a snack at night, why don’t you try Nom Bo Kho ( dried beef salad ) at Hoan Kiem street. Simple ingredients: fresh papaya, carrot and beef fibers with some herb or chopped fried peanut.. Hmm… It’s so cheap, about 15.000 VND – 20.000 VND.

Do you know grilled dried squids? Like them? Visit Hang Gai and Luong Van Can street . You could find about 20 vendors there. How about grilled Chicken leg ( could it this thing? OF course! ), I love this food, enjoy with special sauce. They are sold on Hang Dau str and Mai Hac De.

Banh Troi Tau with ginger taste

Walking along Lan Ong street, Cau Go to taste food on foot: Bun Thang, Pho Tron, Van Than vermicelli and breads. Step to Gam Cau street, there’s full of smell of BBQ organ and beef. Don’t like them huh? Walk for a while to Tam Thuong to taste Nem chua ran, walk through To Tich to enjoy some fruit juice or Hang Than street for Caramen.

At the winter, Hanoi is also full of popular foods at night such as: corn, snail, Quay or banana cake… Step out! And walking along street, see crowded street in the cold air of the winter in Hanoi. Take a breath and listen the sound of bikes, the smile of people who in the street vendors. There are some “cheer”. Walking around and smell foods, and talk to your self what is it? It’s Hanoi! Unique cuisine and culture of this city for a long time as its age. Find the lonely feeling on crowded street in cold days, find the warming of the fire at BBQ street vendors. Find the smile of couple who are happy!

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Pho Ganh in Ha Noi Old quarter

Talk to Hanoi and food, of course the first image that you are thinking will be Pho. Pho is sold in Hanoi for a longtime, it’s a image of pass in the present with full of original  tasting and smell.
Hanoi is famous with many brand of Pho as Pho Thin, Pho Lo Duc, Pho Xa Dan, Pho ganh… Pho exists not only as a rustic but also a culture to enjoy. There are also many kind of Pho, they charm the customers with their own special and unique taste. But not many people know about Pho Ganh at night!

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Pho ghanh for breakfast

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Calling this dish as “Pho ganh at night” is not exactly because it is only sold in the period from 4 am to 6 am. The location is in Hang Bac Street and the reason why there is a unique presence in the streets is because of this street, in which people buy and sell jewelry in the daytime, so Pho should be sold at the time seemed unconventional. Yet, Pho ganh shop is a lovely place inside the old quarter which is in silent sleep. There are many people startle to think “it is not time for people to enjoy food, right?”, because that’s the best time for sleeping… For those who go early business, or do morning exercise and all the staff on night shift, Pho ganh brings to them more ideal and energy for a new day…

Pho and ” Quay”

There are no signs, under lightings of ancient streets are in silent sleep, Pho ganh appears simply with attractive  smell. Still bearing the unique appearance of Pho ganh, seat of customer is just a small plastic chair and a little higher one is used as a table. Pho ganh is so delicious, its broth looks like pure water, but it is has bold flavor with soft sliced ripe beef, add much spring onions to make Pho bowl more attractive aromatic flavor. Pho ganh is sold with well-fried “quay” and iced tea. The blending of delicious naive with the each other makes clients be amorous.

Uniquely, a street vendor has a noodle shop with a hot broth pot, spring onions, chilies and lime… Pho ganh shop is a place keeps traditional Pho flavors, tastes and smells which are too difficult to find in other daytime shops because Pho ganh is cooked so carefully. Behind its good taste and smell is a hard-working image of noodle sellers get up early, stay up late. There are many people who still go eat at night to know and enjoy gourmet’s hobby and know the way to comment. Therefore, for a long-time, Pho ganh has been existed and still crowded because of its taste. During the night, holding a bowl of Pho, sitting beside aromatic broth pot, enjoying frantically… are the most interesting.

Pho ganh at night is not only a destination, but also a place which has interesting culinary discovery because of its unique presence. Let’s try Hanoi Pho ganh once!

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Best Hanoi street foods, so cheap!

I’m pretty sure that almost youngsters like us all have days in which we are running out of money and must have a plan to eat as cheap as possible. Don’t be sad about it, even when you just have a near-empty wallet, you can always find something delicious to eat here in Hanoi.

There are many kinds of Hanoi street foods with price range just from 7,000 to 15,000 VND:

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Tofu

Such a light and cool treat for your summer days. It takes you only 7,000 VND to get a bowl full of bean curd, brown sugar syrup, black or green jelly and dried coconut. There are many kinds of toppings for you to add on, such as tapioca or sago pearls, egg caramel pudding, dried longan, etc. Of course, you have to pay more for these toppings but it’s still cheap. Nghia Tan and Bach Mai Streets are my recommended places for cheap and tasty Tofu.

 Tofu with black jelly and dried coconut

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Pork Rib Porridge and Clam Rice Porridge

Indispensable treats for every afternoon in Hanoi. Bach Khoa area is the best place for these dishes with the price of only 7,000 for a bowl of Pork Rib Porridge or Clam Rice Porridge, not including crullers. The sweet and fatty flavor from pork rib or clam combined with crunchy crullers makes the porridge tastier. So, enjoy your meal with just 10,000 VND.

Taste of pork rib and crunchy cruller

Clam Rice Porridge is the best for a cold day

Pyramidal Rice Dumpling (Banh gio)

A simple but healthy dish for you to enjoy at any time of day. It can be your breakfast, your lunch or your dinner.  This dumpling is made from several ingredients including plain rice flour, minced lean meat, onion and mushroom. Adding some chili sauce and sour vegetable pickles can make it tastier, the special smell of phrynium or banana leaf is also good. Hom market and Thuy Khue Street are 2 favorite places to have Banh gio with only 10,000 or 12,000 VND.

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Things to do in this autumn in Hanoi!

Autumn is a great time in a year when there is a chill  in the air, the sun is golden and cozy, the leaves light up the trees. So what to do in this autumn in Hanoi?

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Sipping a cup of coffee

Tasting a hot cup of coffee in incipient cold days when the wind picks up and the leaves start to tumble gives you a feeling of cozy. What could be better than a cup of aromatic coffee, sweet but bitter at all once in autumn? Some famous café scenes are located in Nguyen Huu Huan, Trieu Viet Vuong, and Nguyen Du Street, etc.

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Watching the early morning streets

Everyone seems not to want to get out of bed in these cold days, so streets are quieter than usual. A coffee shop with a balcony is a nice place to enjoy the early morning streets as well as to sip a cup of coffee.

Wandering around West Lake

It’s really a joy when riding a motorbike with your partner around West Lake. This landscape has become a popular destination to many couples.

Enjoying “oc luoc” (boiled snails)

Oc luoc is the most famous style of snail cooking. It has an extremely exotic taste. Snails after being boiled with lemongrass, gingers, lime leaves will be served with dipping sauce. Oc luoc has long been considered as a symbol of street food of Hanoi’s autumn. When the cool breeze gives distinctly autumnal feel to the city, it’s hard to resist a bowl of snails steaming with fragrance of gingers, lemongrass, and lime leaves.

Soaking in hot pot and steak with friends

Hotpot and steak are at their best in cold season. Gathering around a table, sharing a meal with your family and friends will warm your body when the chill is here.

Trying autumnal snacks

Com lang Vong, dracontomelon fruits are typical snacks that can be found in every street vendors in Hanoi.

Jogging around streets

These chilly autumn days are perfect time to take a stroll around streets to admire the beauty of roads filled with golden leaves, and to smell fragrance of milk flowers.

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The beautiful Hanoi Opera House

The beautiful Hanoi Opera House was built in 1911 by the then ruling French. It’s a phenomenal piece of neo-classical French architecture featuring Gothic themes on the doors and domes with pillars, shuttered windows, balconies and a glass room. Musicians, actors and dancers play to a 600-strong audience delivering powerful operatic and classical performances, making it a very popular theatrical attraction.

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The Hanoi Opera House is the biggest theatre in Vietnam and speaks volumes as historical and cultural evidence of Vietnam under French rule. The interior is even more magnificent than the exterior with many arguing it is aesthetically even more appealing than the Paris Opera House. Visitors today will be entertained at this architectural landmark which features a range of events including local Vietnamese opera, traditional folk music, ballets and many international concerts.

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Hanoi Opera House Highlights

Following the end of the August Revolution in 1945, The Hanoi Opera House reverted from entertaining the French elite to becoming the centre of major historical events including the first session of the National Assembly of the Republic. The Hanoi building went into a state of decline prior to being renovated and brought up to date in 1997 which included the installation of state-of-the-art equipment and the renewal of some of the interior decorations.

These improvements returned the opera house to its former glory which now sees international artists including violinist Hilary Hahn and pianist Wolfgang Glemser take to the stage in addition to home-grown talent. Vietnamese entertainers perform songs, classical music, dance, drama and contemporary performances from superstars such as singer My Linh. The Hanoi Opera House offers a superb setting in which to see any live show. The stage is three metres high and there are three storeys in total so a wonderful experience is guaranteed regardless of your seating arrangements.

Good to Know about Hanoi Opera House

The Hanoi Opera House is located near Hoan Kiem Lake on August Revolution Square. There are superb views of the opera house at the Hilton Opera House hotel which is very close by.

You will need to purchase tickets to see the inside of the opera house although there are usually a host of concerts to choose from including drama, ballet and symphonies in addition to opera. The Hanoi Opera House is also the first choice for international meetings and conferences so check online when you are visiting to ensure a performance is scheduled.

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The Temple of Literature in Hanoi

The temple of literature vietnam is often cited as one of Hanoi’s most picturesque tourist attractions. Originally built as a university in 1070 dedicated to Confucius, scholars and sages, the building is extremely well preserved and is a superb example of traditional-style Vietnamese architecture.
This ancient site offers a lake of literature, the Well of Heavenly Clarity, turtle steles, pavilions, courtyards and passageways that were once used by royalty. Visiting the Temple of Literature you will discover historic buildings from the Ly and Tran dynasties in a revered place that has seen thousands of doctors’ graduate in what has now become a memorial to education and literature.
Originally the university only accepted aristocrats, the elite and royal family members as students before eventually opening its doors to brighter ‘commoners’. Successful graduates had their names engraved on a stone stele which can be found on top of the stone turtles.
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Temple of Literature Highlights

The Temple of Literature is a place of study rather than a religious landmark. There are five courtyards at the temple, two brimming with landscaped gardens, the third is home to a large pond known as the Well of Heavenly Clarity, the fourth courtyard is called the Sage Courtyard and features a statue of Confucius and a house of ceremonies, and the last courtyard is Thai Hoc in which stands a large drum and bell tower. This historic site is ranked as one of Hanoi’s most important cultural places and is steeped in Vietnamese history.
The layout of the temple is based upon the birthplace of Confucius with a magnificent main entrance and a path, once reserved solely for the king, running through the centre. The immaculate gardens are rich in ancient trees and are considered a serene place in which students can relax. There are stone statues and inscriptions dotted throughout the temple which has retained many of its original features as the most renowned landmark of academia in Vietnam.

Temple of Literature

The Temple of Literature is a short stroll from Ba Dinh Square and is also close to the Presidential Palace and Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. The temple is between Ton Duc Thang Street and Van Mieu Street which is about 2km west of Hoan Kiem Lake.

• Opening Hours: From 08:00 – 17:00 from November until March and 07:30 – 18:00 for the rest of the year. Closed on a Monday

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