From Duc Pho Town in the central province of Quang Ngai, we went west across seven kilometers of road through thick sugarcane fields.

We passed through a forest before the road let out into a poetic clearing of rocks and water. We had reached Da Giang Spring in Pho Nhon Commune.

We followed the spring that runs smoothly through rocks as the sound of crashing water grew louder and louder.

Then we hit the cascade, dozens of meters high. The waterfall created dazzling white spumes when it hit the spring.

It was easy to find large and flat rocks to use as small picnic tables. We were given shade by the leafy canopy of the old-growth forest.

My friend, who lives in the area, used a local trick to chill our beers: he placed them in a small hollowed out space in the rocks that filled with cool spring water. Ten minutes later, we were quenching our thirst with cold beer.

Orchids in yellow, purple, and pink jutted out from cliffs. Such a soft beauty in such a mighty forest!

Old Vietnam is alive and well at one of the country’s most sacred pagodas

Clay statues depict 18 Arhats (Buddhist monks post-enlightenment) at Chuong Pagoda

Chuong Pagoda, the centerpiece of Vietnam’s largest port in the 17th and 18th centuries, still stands as a tall reminder of Vietnam’s not so distant past: a time of spirituality, tradition and simple beauty.

Still the most scenic spot in the former town of Pho Hien, now a part of the town of Hung Yen, the pagoda has lost none of its historic allure.

Pho Hien was once the north’s premier port city and a vibrant commercial and cultural melting pot of Vietnamese and foreign peoples. It was second only to the capital city of Thang Long (now Hanoi) in terms of commercial activity.

Today, visitors to Hung Yen can see the unique historical and cultural remains of the past at Chuong (Bell) Pagoda.

Built in the 15th century under the Le Dynasty, the pagoda was then restored in 1707 in the architectural style of the post-Le period.

The pagoda’s name came from a legend:

In the days of myths and folk tales, a golden bell drifted to the shore of the Red River in Nhan Duc Village during a flood and when the waters receded it began to sink in the mud.

Throngs of residents of neighboring villages rushed to Nhan Duc to save the bell but they could not make it budge, it was too heavy.

Eventually a group of Nhan Duc villagers were able to take the bell home. Believing they had been granted the charm by God, the villagers then built a pagoda to worship the bell, whose toll could be heard for miles around.

Also known as Kim Chung Tu (Golden Bell Pagoda), the religious complex was built with meticulous attention to detail.

After entering the Cong tam quan (three-entrance gate), which has eight roofs, visitors cross a stone bridge over a lotus pond. The bridge will lead them to a brick patio made of bricks from Hanoi’s famous Bat Trang handicraft village.

Walking across the stone walkway in the middle of the patio is like walking through time. The path leads to a courtyard in front of the sanctuary compound. The bell tower and altar house, where local residents worship their ancestors, follow next

HOW TO GET THERE

 - Chuong Pagoda is located in Nhan Duc Village, Hien Nam Ward, Hung Yen Town, Hung Yen Province, 64 kilometers south-east from Hanoi.

 - From Hanoi, tourists can take buses 205, 208, or 209 from the Luong Yen and Giap Bat bus stations to get to the pagoda.

 - They can also book private buses at Hanoi’s Gia Lam bus station for the trip.

 - Another way is to travel by boat on the Hanoi – Pho Hien route from the Red River tourism wharf.

Cong tam quan (Three-entrance gate) at Chuong Pagoda in the northern province of Hung Yen

The pagoda, recognized as a National Architectural Relic by the government in 1992, has many carved Buddha statues, including the Tam The (three Buddhas of the Past, Present and Future), A-di-da (Amitabha), and four Bo-tat (Bodhisattvas).

Next is a startling wood relief depicting the Thap Dien Diem Vuong (Ten Courts Managed by the 10 Kings of Hell).

In it, sinners are depicted serving out punishments for their crimes: some are being dumped into a cauldron of boiling oil; others are having their tongues cut out.

But the Thap bat La Han (18 Arhats), made of clay, are much more peaceful. Each one depicts a wise monk expressing a different attitude.

The Arhats are Buddhists who have achieved full spiritual fulfillment. They have reached “Nirvana,” the state of absolute freedom from worldly cravings, and thus they are no longer subject to reincarnation.

Tourists can go up to the bell tower before contemplating a stele which dates back to 1711, built under the reign of King Le Du Tong. On the stele is engraved a picture of Pho Hien and the city of Thang Long.

The stele helped researchers locate the commercial road that once connected Pho Hien and Thang Long. It used to pass right by the Chuong Pagoda gate. The map also helped historians locate the borders of Pho Hien’s original 20 wards

The mad hatters of Chuong Village

Chuong Village has been the home of Vietnam’s famous non la (conical leaf hat) for centuries.

The small village, around 30 kilometers from downtown Hanoi, is often crowded with people buying non la and also watching local craftswomen make it.

The village’s Non Market is open from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., six times a month, on the 4th, 10th, 14th, 20th, 24th, and 30th days of the lunar calendar.

Most non la are made from palm leaves. The leaf is cleaned with sand before being left in the sun to whiten. It is then evened by a blade.

The hat makers of Chuong Village, all women, then place the leaves over a frame made of bamboo circles. The leaves are tied into place with string and sewn from top to bottom. The excess leaves are then trimmed. Strong sewing makes the most durable hats.

Finally, to make the hat whiter and protect it from mold, the hats are singed with burning matches.

Southern food is sweet and succulent, but it would be a sin to neglect these delicious northern novelties

Vietnam’s three major regions are as different as earth, wind and fire.

The people, landscape, weather and yes, even the food, change in almost every province, but the most pronounced differences come between the northern, central and southern regions.

Southern food is often sweet and filled with fruit while central food is known for being spicy and a bit salty.

But northern dishes are known for their subtlety and are often prepared in a minimalist way without losing out on flavor. Northern chefs concentrate on freshness and focus more on vegetables and pure fish sauce rather than on fruits and sugar like in the south. Spice is added to dishes by diners, not by the cooks.

Ho Chi Minh City has a cornucopia of restaurants from every region and sub-region in Vietnam and the world and many locals frequent northern eateries to get the rawer, simpler flavors of Hanoi and its surrounding areas.

Banh cuon (rolled rice cake) is one of the most popular northern dishes in HCMC.

The meal, which is often taken for breakfast, starts with a thin sheet of freshly cooked rice paper. Though these are normally prepared beforehand in HCMC, in the north they are made fresh to order. The papers are super-thin, sticky, wet, stretchy and chewy.

Skillfully rolled in the silky smooth paper is a delicious combination of ground pork and spices.

The cake is placed on the plate and sprinkled with tiny shrimp, chopped peppermint and coriander for a dash of freshness. The rolled cake is served with fish sauce and two kinds of Vietnamese cold-cuts: cha lua (lean pork paste) and cha que (roasted cinnamon pork paste). Northern banh cuon is served with a straight fish sauce, while southern eateries mix the sauce with sugar. Diners can add red-hot chilies to the sauce if they like.

Other northern foods popular in HCMC are pho ga Ha Noi (Hanoi chicken and rice noodle soup), banh da cua (rice pancake with crab soup), cha muc (squid cake), bun rieu cua (shrimp crab tomato soup with rice noodle) and canh bun (round noodle crab soup).

Many people in HCMC love eating canh bun with rau nhut (water mimosa) and rau muong (water spinach). The green, crispy leaves blend perfectly with the sharp broth and savory crab meat. This soup is also often a breakfast dish.

Other popular northern meals not usually taken for breakfast include canh cua rau day (jute plant crab soup) and ca phao muoi (salted egg-plant), which is served with mam tom (shrimp paste).

To get a taste that brings you back to the old historic streets of the northern capital, try the dishes listed above or go for ga rang muoi (fried chicken with salt), rau lang luoc (boiled sweet potato bud), and ca ro kho tuong ban (stewed anabas with bean paste) at any of these HCMC eateries specializing in northern delicacies:

Goc Ha Noi Restaurant
24/8 Pham Ngoc Thanh Street, Ward 6, District 3

Huong Xua Restaurant
222 Ly Tu Trong Street, District 1

Dang Xua Restaurant
33 Cao Thang Street, District 3

Nga Restaurant
23 Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1

Bun Cha Hoang Tuan Restaurant
T11 Hong Linh Street, Bac Hai Quarter, District 10

Banh Cuon Restaurant
127 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, District 3

Reported by Nguyet Anh

From Hai Lang Town in the central province of Quang Tri, we drove across 6 kilometers of dusty roads bordered by tall grass and eucalyptus trees.

Before we reached Tra Loc Lagoon, we were refreshed by a drive through a dense forest.

Arriving at the lagoon, we could see the tall trees reflect perfectly in the still, ripple-less water.

Clear water, cool wind, pristine beauty.

Parts of the lagoon were blanketed by water-ferns, lotuses, and water-lilies.

The fragrance of cajuput flowers wafted from the forest and over the lagoon.

Monkeys gazed at us as they jumped from tree to tree in the forest.

The four-meter-deep lagoon is home to freshwater fish, including carp, snakehead fish, thac lac fish, and even wild ducks.

Groups can rent huts on stilts at the lagoon’s edge to stay over-night, singing, playing guitar and feasting all night. Food at the lagoon, mostly made from local fish, is delicious and cheap.

Some prefer to just sit silently, listening to the songs of singing birds in the forest.