Thingyan Water Festival, Burmese New Year Festival

Thingyan is the Burmese New Year and usually falls around mid-April. It is a traditional festival celebrated over a period of four to five days culminating in the New Year.

Time for festival

Thingyan is a public holiday in Myanmar usually celebrated over three days beginning on 13 April. The public holidays given for each year will depend on which day of the week, 13 April falls on. Thingyan are the most important and the biggest festival in Myanmar. Formerly the dates of Thingyan would have been based on the Burma lunisolar calendar, but the dates have now been fixed on 13 April.

Origin of Thingyan

This is an ancient festival and when it was first observed, the movement of the sun into Aries would have been closer to the Vernal Equinox which marks the arrival of spring in the northern hemisphere.

The legend of the origin of Thingyan relates to an argument over a mathematical problem between two gods. The loser of this argument had his head cut off. However, when his head hit the ground, the earth would burn, if thrown in the sea, the water would dry up and if thrown in the air, it would explode in a fireball. To keep this from happening, seven goddesses took turns holding the head for a year each, changing over on Thingyan. The winner of the argument cut off the head of an elephant and stuck it on the headless body, thereby creating the god, Ganesh.

Celebration of Thingyan

Before festival begins, Buddhist people carry out an important ritual of “Bathing the Buddha”. In villages and towns, young people go the monasteries, temples and pagodas to clean all Buddha images with scented water.  During that time, monasteries, temples and pagodas are also cleaned by those groups at the same time.  In our more modern societies, people wash the Buddha images in the family shrine room with scented water.  In general, people start water throwing only after the 'Bathing the Buddha' ritual has completed.  Throughout the cleaning ritual period, groups sing and dance happily to Thingyan Songs, whilst others who cannot resist the temptation of fun begin to throwing water at each other once outside the monasteries or pagodas on their way home.

If you are in Myanmar during Thingyan, prepare to get wet. Everyone is likely to get soaking as people roam around with buckets of water or hose, spraying water on anyone they can. This tradition originates from the custom of washing away the bad luck and misfortune of the previous year, entering the new year cleansed from the past. Water cleansing is a custom common in many New Year festivals around the world.

Read more: Songkran Festival, wet or very wet!

Another activity

Another indispensable activity is going to the pagodas. Early in the morning, most of the local people gather in the central areas where traditional music and dance performances are played with lively and jubilant voices to welcome a new year. After that, they come to the temples and pagodas to pray for a lucky year for their family and relatives. On these days, the people do many good deeds such as offering to the monks, paying homage to parents, teachers and the elderly, setting the animals free.

Different from the other Southeast Asian countries, Myanmar has been open to the world recently, which helps it remain all of the uniquely traditional cultures. Let’s go and discover this remarkable land!

Source Internet

10 most beautiful islands in Vietnam

Vietnam owns some of the most beautiful yet underrated islands ever in Southeast Asia. Once visiting these islands, you would never regret your decision.

1. Cat Ba Island

Spending the night on a traditional junk boat floating through Ha Long Bay is a quintessential Vietnamese experience that you need to add to your agenda, especially if it means a visit to Cat Ba Island. With limestone pillars jutting out of the surrounding emerald waters, and jungle terrain protected by national park status covering most of the island, this island is a hot-spot for travellers, but don’t let its popularity deter you.

If you want to spend time lazing by the water, be sure to visit Cat Co 1 and Cat Co 2 beaches during your stay on the island. If active adventures are your calling, be sure to visit Cat Ba National Park and enjoy a day of trekking, caving, and rock-climbing.

2. Phu Quoc Island 

Phu Quoc is a Vietnamese island where you come to do absolutely nothing. This dreamy island is located near the coast of Cambodia and is home to the very best marine life in Vietnam, and Phu Quoc is the ideal place to get acquainted with puffer fish, crustaceans, anemones, moray eels, and other sea creatures found below the surface.

The options are to snorkel or dive, or you can laze about on the powdery white sand beaches, especially those at the north of the island that is far less crowded than those in the south. And let’s not forget about the must-try seafood dishes that will delight food lovers.

3. Con Dao Islands

This archipelago of 16 islands might be famed for its crystal-blue waters, superb hiking trails, and scuba diving spots, but the islands’ other claim to fame is the infamous Con Son prison that housed multiple political prisoners from the colonial and wartime years.

Today, the prison stands as a sombre reminder of the past, yet the combination of flawless scenery and dark history make Con Son island a must-visit destination.

4. Ly Son Island

If you’re not a beach-goer, or if you prefer visiting smaller towns and uncovering unique cultural experiences, make sure you check out Ly Son, also known as The Kingdom of Garlic thanks to its most famous crop. Across Ly Son, you’ll smell garlic everywhere, you’ll see garlic growing in neat little rows planted in the volcanic soil, and you’ll undoubtedly taste garlic in most dishes, as it’s a feature of almost all meals on the island.

5. Nam Du Island

If you want to escape the modern grind, Nam Du Island gets our vote as one of the best places for an island escape. But be careful, as Wi-Fi is hard to find, phone service is almost non-existent, and electricity will not be available 24/7. So if you do make it to Nam Du, be prepared with a book and find yourself a spot under a palm tree to relax.

6. Binh Ba Island

Binh Ba Island, or Lobster Island, is the place where foodies go to enjoy copious amounts of fresh seafood while relaxing on the smooth, white sand beaches. Just 15 kilometres south of Nha Trang, this island has yet to be hit with a tourism boom so you can enjoy the local experiences without battling the crowds that other destinations struggle with combating.

During your stay, don’t miss the morning Binh Ba market, where you can find the best fresh seafood; a true culinary treat.

7. Cham Islands

This little cluster of eight islands near the coast of Hoi An was once closed to the public and heavily-guarded, but today they host many avid divers and snorkelers for both overnight stays and short day trips.

If an overnight stay doesn’t interest you, spend time in Hoi An, as it’s the only place in Vietnam where you can sample the oh-so-delicious Cao Lau and Com Ga.

8. Ba Lua Archipelago

Some might refer to the Ba Lua Archipelago as the Ha Long Bay of the South, but it’s just as impressive in its own right. The area consists of three large islands (Heo islet, Ngang islet, and Nhum Ba islet) and several smaller ones, and when the tide is low, visitors can walk over the sandbars to explore another island.

9. Whale Island

Either before, during, or after your next tour through Vietnam, you need to make time for a visit to Whale Island; especially if you are a scuba diver! Located just an hour’s drive north of Nha Trang, you’ll find the idyllic Whale Island, and it’s most famously known for its incredible scuba diving spots for all abilities.

Between April and July, whales and whale sharks make their way to the archipel ago to feed on krill and plankton, and the area is also home to an abundance of clownfish in their anemones, grouper, trevally, and snapper, to name a few.

10. Binh Hung Island

Remote, wild, and beautiful, Binh Hung Island is a place reserved for spirited adventures. First of all, there are no commercial hotels on this island. At all. If you want to stay a night or two, you’ll need to make friends with the locals to organise accommodation. It might be a little trickier to reach this destination that other islands on our list, but trust us when we say it’s worth it.

See more: The 11 Most Relaxing Island Getaways in Vietnam

Source: tourradar

Cu Da, vermicelli village in Ha Noi

Cu Da is located on the side of Nhue River, so Cu Da Village became very bustling villages by port and boats to get together here for buying and selling goods. The villages strongly developed at ending of 19th century to beginning of 20th, coming here traveler to see with a lot of gates as village’s gate and house family’s gates that are unique character of Red River delta’s culture.

There are more than tens of ancient houses these were built by French style architecture, the most house was made by precious wood and the roof covering by red tiles. Travelers can visit Mr.Pham The Sung’s house which was built in 130 years ago, the house to have been used for 4 generations. Although, his house was passed a lot of things to up and down because he wants to keep up the tradition and culture of his ancestor, therefore he does not break down for new house.

Vermicelli noodle paradise

Vermicelli noodles are called “mien” in Vietnamese and come in white and yellow versions. They are used mainly in noodle soup and in fried spring rolls.

In Cu Da, white and yellow vermicelli noodles dangle everywhere, covering rooftops and walls,pretty much any surface that noodles can be hung from. The unusual scene dates back about 60 or 70 years, when residents first started hand-making noodles for their own consumption. But the noodles' high quality attracted interest from all over Vietnam, and vermicelli soon became the village's calling card.

Both white and yellow versions are made with arrowroot. The arrowroot is ground and mixed with water to make a paste which is spread onto large bamboo trays and dried. It is then cut into thin strips, the vermicelli and dried again before being packaged. Although machines are now used for the spreading and cutting, it is still a very labour-intensive process. Half of the village’s income comes from vermicelli production.

Many people know the village is also because of the traditional handicraft village. Every day, 9-10 tons of vermicelli are produced, making the lives of the people here are extremely busy. On sunny days, the roads in the village are dyed yellow by the plates of vermicelli. Improved cars racing to sell vermicelli made Cu Da village bustle as bustling as old.

As a long-standing brand, Cu Da village is also famous for its delicious dishes. To have delicious batches need a lot of elaborate phases. Plates of sticky rice are scooped out and dried on each hot, placed on the rigs to prepare for the process of soy sauce.

Read more: A journey through peaceful villages in Hoi An

Ancient architecture

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the village benefited from a thriving economy, thanks to its position on a bustling trade route along the Nhue River. This relative prosperity enabled residents to build and maintain beautiful homes, gates and temples.

The ornate Cu Da Temple, for example, is a national heritage site that showcases precious stones and colorful motifs of dragons, unicorns and phoenixes. Also notable are the countless French-style villas, many of which were built as community centers where residents would gather to make decisions.

If you are looking for short vacation Ha Noi, Vietnam. So, spending a day trip to Cu Da Village should in your travel list.

Source Internet