WHAT'S ON AUGUST 1-15 (DAILY UPDATE)

Exhibition “Vietnamese Village Communal House – Things Remained and Lost”

Opening: Sat 08 Aug 2015, 10 am

Exhibition: 08 – 23 Aug 2015

Heritage Space

Dolphin Plaza, 28 Tran Binh, My Dinh, Ha Noi

Exhibition “Vietnamese Village Communal House – Things remained and lost” introduces to the public the tangible and intangible cultural values of traditional communal houses of Vietnamese, at the same time acts as a bridge among experts, researchers and tradition culture lovers as well as honoring the cultural, historical values and the talents of many generations.

The exhibition mainly introduces Vietnamese communal houses’ cultural elites through more than 100 photographs taken at many Northern monuments and cultural space such as Tay Dang, Lo Hanh, Phu Lao, Chu Quyen,… It mentions the changing conditions of tangible and intangible cultural values in traditional Vietnamese communal houses, serious damages and modification of traditional values and the possibility of communal houses’ disappearance through exhibitions, seminars, sharing of leading cultural experts.

Also in the exhibition, village culture would be recreated through community activities such as: the meal “village festive” gathering many localities’ cultural cuisine prepared by members of Dinh Lang Viet; performance of unique traditional art like village festive oratorio, Xoan singing, sculpture, carving, mosaic of artists coming from traditional craft villages Chang Son, Dong Ky,…

Contact: 090 282 67 69 (Heritage Space)

-----------------

Young Virtuosos Concert “From the Baroque to the Broadway”

Sat 08 Aug 2015, 7 pm

HCMC Conservatory of Music

112 Nguyen Du Street, Ward 1, HCMC    

After an intensive week with a lot of fun and inspiration, 22 Vietnamese young talents and international artists who gave lectures at Saigon Chamber Music 2015 will perform at Young Virtuosos Concert “From the Baroque to the Broadway” to fire up your summer. Don’t miss it.

Ticket

Ticket price: 100.000, 150.000 VND

Buy ticket online at ticketbox.vn

For ticket enquiry, please contact: 096 514 0058  

Exhibition “Lặng – Pause”

Opening: Sat 08 Aug 2015, 8.30 am

Talkshow “Hanoi – Endless Source of Inspiration”: Sun 09 Aug 2015, 10 am

Exhibition: 8.30 am – 9 pm, 08 and 09 Aug 2015

Exhibition House, 93 Dinh Tien Hoang street, Hanoi

From the organizer:

You are invited to the exhibition “Lặng – Pause” which brings a different Hanoi – new and authentic – through the colorful eyes of young people who felt in love with this city.

The viewer will travel through small stories connecting present and future periods of Hanoi. In addition, the organizer also save a space for paintings and handmade products made by Phuc Tue children. You can participate in the auction to raise charitable fund for them.

Free entrance.

Tour of villages in Dak Lak

 – Visitors to Dak Lak Province in the central highlands have an opportunity to ride an elephants and learn how local people hunt and tame elephants.

The province is home to several ethnic minority groups: E De, M’Nong, Gia Rai, Lao and Thai.  Let's take on a tour of ethnic minority villages in Dak Lak.

In Dak Lak, the villages of Don and Jun are the most popular tourist destinations. In this region, the air is pure and life is calm.

The villages are famous for taming elephants. The Ede, M'nong or Gia Rai ethnic minority people live in stilt houses whose doors are open all day to tourists.

Ama Thanh who lives in Jun village said "In the past, only a few people came to visit us because the roads were bad. To get here, you had to walk or ride an elephant. There was no car”.

The Nha Rong or Communal House of the ethnic people in the Central Highlands is a venue for community activities. Located in the center of the village, the house is built entirely of wood.

The house is like a miniature museum of culture and customs of the local people. Among the items on display are bows and arrows, shields, spears, gongs, wine jars and items used in local sacred ceremonies like elephant worshiping and prayer ceremonies for bumper crops.

The communal house also hosts major social events in the village and serves as a place for the village elders to teach the younger generation about local customs and culture. Long traditional stilt houses with their unique architectural styles attract a lot of tourists.

H Nom, a tour guide in Don Village, said "If you want to explore the Central Highlands’ culture, you should begin with the long stilt house. The architecture of the long stilt house reflects the matriarchy of the M'Nong."

"When a girl gets married, her husband has to come live with her. The house is then extended. Normally, a longhouse can house a family of about 10 couples," he noted.

Riding elephants around the village attracts a lot of tourists. You can ride across the Serepok River or explore Yok Don national park.

Don’t miss the house of Ama Kong, the King elephant hunter. In this 120-year old house, you will find documents and photos depicting the hunting and taming of elephants.

Returning to Jun village, you can ride an elephant or boat around Lak Lake, the second largest lake in Vietnam. Travelers can also enjoy local specialties like com lam- sticky rice cooked in a small bamboo trunk - or grilled wild chicken.

Nguyen Khac Chinh, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, said “Visiting the village, I feel closer to nature. I love the forests, the streams and the river here. I feel really comfortable. At the same time, I can eat local specialties which are very delicious”.

If you stay overnight with a local family, the experience will be great. Staying in a stilt house, you can join traditional dances with the villagers or watch a gong performance. Scenic landscapes and cultural peculiarities make the ethnic minority villages of Dak Lak places that are really worth a visit.

VOV5

• Tags:
• Dak Lak,
• Central Highlands,
• Yok

This month, Natalia Martinez ventures away from typical street fare to sample the Vietnamese turn on Thai coconut ice cream. Photos by Kyle Phanroy

Living in the hot weather of Ho Chi Minh City might be overwhelming for some, but look at it this way: at least you have an excuse to enjoy refreshing ice cream any time of the year. Ask Canadians if they can do such a thing on Christmas.

Another perk of living in this part of the world is that you will be introduced to new flavours and unique designs. And kem dua Thai is a perfect example.

This icy treat became popular in Thailand a long time ago, and recently it made its way to Vietnam. Some shops have already been selling it for two years. And even though this ice cream remains a unique and hard-to-find treat, it has already reached the top of the Vietnamese foodie’s list.

What Makes it Special?

You may have never seen an ice cream quite so customised, and you might find it weird at first. But it’s a rich, cold treat that every sweet tooth should sample.

Kem dua Thai differs from other ice creams for many reasons, starting with the way it is presented. The coconut ice cream is served in a Thai coconut shell. These tiny coconuts, originally from Thailand, are grown in Ben Tre province.

Up till this point, you’re probably finding this completely normal. Except for the fact that it’s made with coconut milk, which contains the necessary fat to make ice cream. This will make your ice cream melt faster than the cow-milk kind, but it does more than that. It affects the flavour, and the way it’s digested. Take note, lactose intolerants: coconut milk doesn’t contain lactose, so eat all you like without worrying about those pesky side effects.

And now, the topping party is just about to start. Vendors make the dish even more enjoyable by adding roasted peanuts, kernels of boiled corn and sticky rice — which presents a vibrant purple colour extracted from the magenta plant. Besides all that, you also get shavings of crispy, deep-fried coconut. Depending on the shop or stall, you might find some other toppings such as pumpkin or palm fruit.

To complete this adorable masterpiece, a generous dollop of coconut cream is applied. In addition to the ice cream, the coconut water extracted from the coconut bowl is served alongside, rounding off the experience.

For coconut lovers this is definitely a must.

---

Our Go-To Spots

Ca-Rem

241C Cach Mang Tang Tam, Q3, HCMC

5pm to 10pm

VND30,000

This tiny and cosy establishment, which will double in size next June, opened last October to the delight of icy treat fans. Here you will find a richer coconut ice cream, which the owner makes using a special machine brought from Thailand. Its product is served with boiled pumpkin strips.

Kem Xoi Dua Bui Vien

106A Le Thi Rieng, Q1, HCMC

10am to 10pm

VND28,000

A veteran in the business, it offers a warm space open for long hours where you can find a few coconut ice cream variations, as well as other icy treats. This branch also has a stall at 103 Bui Vien, Q1, where you can find their ice cream for a cheaper price (VND20,000) from 6pm to 10pm.

Kem Xoi Dua Co Giang

89 Co Giang, Q1, HCMC

4pm to 10pm

VND19,000

A modest food stall with many street food options in case you want to get more than dessert. There is a sad lack of flavour in the ice cream here, but a notoriously large amount of toppings served with it.

 

And quiet flows the Perfume River

People no longer design hotels as huge concrete blocks, because such architecture is rarely wanted these days. (Those who love Bauhaus-the rational, functional, international style from post-World War One Germany, which has recently regained attention-would beg to differ with this opinion). Beyond dispute, however, is that The Century Riverside Hotel, which occupies the longest stretch of the Perfume River of any hostelry in Hue, is an imposing edifice. Yet one should not judge a book by its cover. Once through the doors, the coldness of the Soviet-era exterior immediately melts and you are enveloped in the culture of Vietnam and the timeless warmth of this most friendly of Vietnamese cities. ‘The Century' has a great deal to recommend indeed.

Firstly, this is a full-service hotel. There is no need, if you do not wish to venture outside the premises. It has five restaurants, one of which is a Hue Banqueting Hall, where guests can enjoy dishes invented for the Imperial Court whilst being serenaded by musicians dressed up as imperial courtiers and playing classical Vietnamese music. On the terrace, there is a beautiful swimming pool, whilst further back are the tennis courts.  Furthermore, there is a spa-cum- massage service as well as a tour desk and travel agent. The hotel has recently become independent from the Chinese Century chain and adopted the slogan, ‘Towards a New Style of Service’, which is clearly displayed high on the outside walls. My experience of the service was that it was courteous, attentive and very friendly.

Another reason to choose this four -star hotel is its superb location. From the terraces, the entire sweep of the city's riverside can be enjoyed. To the east lies a large island famed for 'hen', the small river mussels that form the basis for the famed Hue dish that can be eaten with rice or vermicelli noodles. Turning to the west, you can see the Truong Tien girder bridge with the citadel's flag post behind it and the river running all the way to the railway bridge with the Western Hills as backdrop. Streetside, the hotel is in an interesting quarter bustling with cafes, restaurants, tailors’ booths, souvenir shops and general stores.

Even if you are not staying here, even if you do not come here to dine, there is one thing I would recommend to anyone coming to Hue. Just as those who go to Singapore come home to boast of partaking of a 'Singapore Sling' in the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel, so you should be proud of your experience of imbibing this hotel's signature cocktail- the 'Hue Shot'. Sit yourself down in the gardens by the pool or at a table in the long corridor terrace and order some snacks and this sundowner. It resembles a 'Screwdriver' (vodka and orange juice), but with rice wine and lime juice added. It really is a great tangy drink. It deserves to be world-famous but the sales manager Mr Duong explained to me that citrus fruits from Hue, with its very wet climate and super-rich soils have unique flavour, so you may not be able to replicate this with supermarket Florida orange juice and lime cordial.

There are one hundred and thirty rooms, eighty of which face the river. The remainder affords garden and lotus pond views. The walk-in starting price of around fifty US dollars (which I paid during Tet) represents an amazing value for money. The corridor has photographs and paintings of Vietnamese scenes and there was one in my room too.  My spacious white washed Deluxe Riverside Room was simply but tastefully arranged with dark red tropical hardwood furniture. There was inclusive tea and coffee-making facilities, as well as sweet-smelling toiletries in the bathroom. One beautiful touch-the bed was adorned with purple orchid petals. I was to make full use of the balcony area and its quoin of vantage over the river.

Now, please allow me to wax lyrical. I sat out on the balcony to watch a classic sunset. Tinges of blue, orange and tangerine, broken by wisps of fluffy white clouds, slowly intensified in colour as the great ball of fire gradually descended over the Western Hills and down over the flagpole. For a full fifteen minutes, the sun cast a golden roadway under the Truong Tien bridge, right up to furthermost bank of the hotel. Shadows and darkness slowly invaded the scene as the last night of the Year of the Snake commenced. Then man took over from nature in the delivery of the light show. The bridge illuminated, changing colour every three minutes. Street lights reflected amber streaks over the river. The neon lights of advertising efforts also shone orange, white and grey over the waters. The largest of these connected the banks with a carpet of royal purple. Later, the balcony provided a ringside seat as the Year of the Horse rode in with a fifteen-minute firework display. Finally, nature took over again as I was left figuring out the constellations in the night sky.

Not only the rooms, but also the dining is very affordable at 'The Century'. No need to take just my word as to how good the chefs are. As I sat at reception waiting for my room to be ready,a party of cruise tourists on a day trip from Danang was emerging from the adjacent restaurant. Many of them commented on how delicious their buffet lunch had been.

I ate dinner a la carte on the balcony of the Terrace Restaurant. I could have made it a three- course meal, but instead I opted for Asian-style service, having a number of both Vietnamese and Western dishes brought to the table at once. The chefs demonstrated themselves expert at both cuisines. At least one dish had to be Imperial Hue. I chose the 'banh beo'- literally translated as 'water fern cakes', which consist of shredded shrimp in little milky rice pancakes which are dipped in fish sauce. Then there was the grilled mackerel in lemongrass. More European were the succulent slices of chicken breast with honey. Chinese-style squid and roast pork completed the table. The latter is, of course, common to both Western and Eastern cuisines, except that here the crackling is much thinner. All of this I washed down with a glass of Hue Festival light beer and a chilled glass of white wine. Not only had the chefs done an excellent job, but I also complimented myself on my choices.

To sum up, this is a hotel that offers it all for a wide range of guests. With its years of service experience and large-capacity dining halls, it is excellent for tour groups. If you are a budget traveller or an aficionado of mini-hotels, this would be the one place in Indochine to broaden your experience without stretching the budget too far. If you are accustomed to four-star luxuries then why pay more elsewhere? As for the architecture, as the saying goes, if you have a great wife who takes care of your every need, then why does she have to be an oil painting? Anyway, as for beauty, here nature provides it with one of the world's most beautiful waterways, as right under your hotel room quietly flows the Perfume River!
                                                                                          
                                                                                       By Ritch Pickens

Century Riverside Hotel Hue

49 Le Loi Street, Hue

Tel: (84_54) 3823 390, Fax (84_54) 3823 394

Email: info@centuryriversidehue.com 

www.centuryriversidehue.com

Weaving houses of love

(Sourse: No.3, Vol.4, Apr-May Vietnam Heritage Magazine) Chim dòng dọc or weavers (Ploceidae) are a familiar sight from Central Vietnam down to the Mekong river delta. During the breeding season the males of the three different species (Baya Weaver, Streaked Weaver and Asian Golden Weaver) present in Vietnam, have varying amounts of yellow on their heads and hind necks. The females are brownish-yellow. They live in flocks and make nests on one tree. There are two kinds of nests, mistakenly called male and female nests. Actually, the weaver’s nest building is very complicated. To conquer the female’s heart on the first date, the male builds her a nest that looks like a cute hat, with a tiny bridge, bent downward, for her to stand on. If the beautiful one is satisfied, their married life begins. The male will then build a new nest for his wife to lay eggs and feed the hatchlings. The construction takes about two weeks, during which only the male works. His wife will just contemplate his work or wander around. This nest will have a cone shape, which swells on one side, connected to a peculiar sleeve-like tube that flares downwards to serve as the doorway. From afar, their happy home looks like a question mark hanging in mid-air. The nest finished, both of them will check its every detail. If satisfied, they will mate and lay eggs. If the nest is not sturdy enough, or its colour is not regular (made from many kinds of leaves), then the female will quickly bite off the stem to let the nest fall, and her man will have to patiently build another one. It may happen sometimes, that while the nest is under construction, a neighbour lady sneaks in to ‘consign’ an egg. If the wife finds that out, she immediately commands her hubby to seal the nest and weave a new one! *Le Hoai Phuong is a freelance wildlife researcher

                                                                                                         Text and photo: Lam Hoai Phuong

Going to the dirt

No 3, Vol.6, May - June 2015  (Source: Vietnam Heritage) Wrestling Festival in Sinh Village, Hue. Photo: Ha Nguyen Downstream from Hue to Thuan An, Huong (Perfume) River meets Bo River in such a glorious grandeur of water and sky that even the most indifferent ones have to utter ‘so beautiful!’ It was such a strategic point that since 1307, this junction had always been guarded by the most elite troops of the Viet. For centuries, there used to be shipyards and marine training camps here. To build ships, the locals needed wood. Big logs of wood (about ten metres long) had to be transported from deep forests. It took strong and smart men to do that. It took strong men to control and oar the ships. So they selected strong and smart men for the camps and shipyards. They introduced wrestling, very popular in the North, as a discipline for military purposes. For seven centuries, around the Thanh Phuoc junction, also popularly known as Sinh, villages were formed with the colour paper and worship painting trades. Again, strong and smart people were needed to get materials to make paper and colours from the forests and the sea. The wrestling training centre was moved from the Thanh Phuoc military zone to Sinh village on the south bank of Perfume River. Every New Year, Sinh villagers build a stage at the ancestral worship house next to Lai An bazaar. A wrestling competition takes place on the 10th of the first lunar month. The arena is a square dirt floor about a metre high, four arm spans long on each side, built in front of the ancestral house. Two persons control the fight: a young arbiter standing on the stage and a respected elder of the village in formal traditional dress sitting on the ancestral house veranda to judge the outcomes. Fighters come unannounced. They fight to represent their localities. Wrestling fans can tell immediately by appearance where the wrestlers come from. Doing both farming and trading, Sinh villagers have well-built bodies. Fair-skinned Hue people look like scholars. Thuan An shore people’s skin is like bronze. Reality shows that fishers have big arms, small legs, and farmers have small arms and big legs. A good wrestler should be well-proportioned. Strong legs mean strong base; strong arms can take down the opponent. But big is not necessarily strong, and strong does not always win. On the tournament day, morning is spent for the elimination rounds. Those who have three consecutive wins stay on for the semi-finals in the afternoon, and again those who have three consecutive wins will fight on in the final. Each wrestler can register only once. When a man’s back touches the dirt, one of his village fellows can retake the fight to save the village’s face. To be able to step onto the arena, young men have to train hard and nurture their morale. A strong man without a strong spirit won’t be able to hide rude behaviour when his body and honour are touched. Sinh village is as far south as the art of wrestling spread. Going further southward, one sees only non-wrestling martial arts. Today, Sinh village wrestling traditions are so popular that competitions are organized not only on the 10th of first lunar month in Sinh, but also in other big events of the nation or of Hue. Sinh, or Lai An village, is located on the southern riverbank of the Huong (Perfume) River in Hue. The village was formed in 16th century following the arrival of Nguyen Lords, whose descendants later formed the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). The village is reachable from Hue City centre on motorbikes or bicycles for 30km downstream. The village has become renown for the craft of votive paper paintings and traditional wresting bout in the 10th day of every lunar new year.                                                                                                                                             By Nguyen Dac Xuan

Into the Mangrove

In search of fresh air and wildlife, Kyle Phanroy, Francis Xavierand Nick Ross take a day trip out of Ho Chi Minh City by speedboat and get charmed by the often under-rated district of Can Gio

"Oh it’s so nice to get out of the city,” says Kyle with a yawn, as he stretches out on the boat.

We’re on our way back from a hot but well-worth-the-effort day trip to Can Gio, the mangrove swamps to the southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. Often called the lungs of Saigon due the abundance of untouched jungle, the islands of Can Gio act as a buffer between Vietnam’s largest metropolis and the sea. They are also home to a diverse array of wildlife.

Unfortunately for this outer district of Ho Chi Minh City, Can Gio is known by many for its waste-of-time beaches — mixtures of river silt and sand that are best left undeveloped. Monkey Island, although a typical stop-off point, should also feature low on the must-see list. The macaques are vicious, the penned-up crocodiles hungry. The place is so badly set up that rarely will you see a visitor leaving with something to write home about, unless it’s negative.

But our trip by Les Rives speedboat is different. Starting at the temporary port on Ton That Thuyet in District 4, we race past shanty houses before speeding along the canal towards Trung Son, RMIT and Phu My Hung. Then we head south into the Mekong Delta and the market town of Can Giuoc.

Leaving the road behind us is liberating. It allows us to experience a part of the city that you never see by car or bike. And with the wind blowing through our hair and the cooler air, you realise that Ho Chi Minh City is not just a growing mass of concrete, metal and glass.

 

The Market

Market trips for the over-initiated are of the been-there, done-that variety. In Vietnam, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. But this little excursion to Can Giuoc, the first part of our trip, is different. The reason? The people. The market area is clean, too. Surprisingly clean.

Unlike your typical, acerbic market trader in Vietnam, here the stall-holders are full of smiles and laughter. Not fake smiles, like you may get in other nameless nations elsewhere in Southeast Asia. This is real. Our visit excites interest. As we wander through the various sections of the market, our guide Kha points out a range of fruit and vegetables that most of us — even hardened Vietnamophiles — have never seen before. Quickly you become struck by the diversity of this country. It’s a diversity that is easily missed in the big city.

As we leave I regret not buying anything. After taking pictures of the betel nut seller, we moved on. Hundred-year-old eggs anyone?

 

Wildlife and River

We then boarded the boat and zoomed our way into the confines of Can Gio, passing swift farms — concrete and windowless, these air-conditioned buildings are used to harvest bird nests — before arriving at Vam Sat, the other and by-far-superior of the tourist traps in Can Gio.

What we saw in the two Vam Sat sites we visited went something like this:

— Poison mangrove trees

— Birds

— Fruit bats hanging upside down in trees

— More birds

— Mangroves

— More mangroves

— Long-tail macaques

— Fish that have gills and lungs and can walk on land

— More birds from a 72-step-high watchtower

— Crocodiles

— Deer

But let’s take a step back. Despite the amazing abundance of wildlife — and we were here only at the start of the bird season — the sites that make up Vam Sat lack organisation and are in need of repair.

Yes, we all know that Vietnam needs to work on its state-run tourist sites. It’s not a secret. Yet there is a weird kind of pleasure to the lack of slickness of here. Not every tourist attraction on this planet needs to be glossy and designed with space age precision to make it worth a visit. Vam Sat is typical of old Vietnam, the country we are losing so fast. Visiting it was like walking into another world.

Back to Reality

As we head back into town I am strangely tired. I lie down on the speedboat and try to sleep. But after 10 minutes I raise my head. Take your eyes off the river for just a second and you may miss something. The sites here are such a feast on the eyes that I don’t want to miss even the smallest rowing boat or the latest high-rise development.

We were only out of the city for seven hours. But as we return to Ho Chi Minh City, it feels like it could have been days.

---

On the Boat

We took our trip to Can Gio with Les Rives —lesrivesexperience.com. The speedboat-cum-tour company runs a range of trips on the Saigon River and along its tributaries, including sunset cruises, trips to Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta. Check their website for details.

---

Competition

Word is running a competition to win two (2) one-day trips for a family of four to Can Gio with Les Rives. The prizes are worth from US$200 (VND4.5 million) each. For information on how to enter, please go to wordvietnam.com/win/navigate-the-swamps

The Portrait: Le Van Se and Nguyen Thi Loi

 

Le Van Se is 91 years old, and his wife Nguyen Thi Loi is 83.

They have been together for 63 years. Se was Loi’s first and only love, at the age of 21. They were both born in the farming village of Tra Que, which provides locally-grown herbs and vegetables to Hoi An. Although Tra Que is part of Hoi An, for Se and Loi it is a different town — it is their town.

The First Photo

I first met them in 2011. While Se was working his land, I spotted him and asked if I could take photos. Se kindly smiled and posed for me.

After these photos, Se invited me to his home to have some Vietnamese tea and meet his wife. I’ll always remember the very warm welcome I received from this beautiful couple. After asking me many questions about my life, I asked in return. The story Se and Loi told was heartbreaking.

The Wars

During the Indochina War, Se was supplying the Viet Cong with food supplies when he was caught by the French army, imprisoned and then tortured for 10 months in Laos. At the time the French army were convinced that Se was part of the Viet Cong army, but once they found he was not, they released him and he returned home.

Unfortunately, his bad luck did not end there. During the American War, Se was once again captured — this time by the American army, which imprisoned him in an army jail in Hoi An for six months, on grounds of (once again) providing food for the Viet Cong.

Meanwhile, Loi was an officer in the women’s division of the liberation army, and was detained for four months by the American army.

Se lost two younger brothers during the American War. I asked him if he had any hatred towards the French and the Americans, and he replied that he lives in peace with the past, and in his old age has chosen to forgive.

Peaceful Retirement

Se wakes up every morning at 5am to work his land and sell his vegetables to the local market. Not one day goes by without seeing this lovely man out on the fields. They also receive a pension from the government for assisting Vietnam during the war.

The couple had five children, but sadly three have passed away. Se is the eldest man in the village of Tra Que and is well respected.

I see Se every day, and gave them both my book when they came to visit my gallery on a very rare trip to Hoi An. This couple will always remain in my heart.

Réhahn’s gallery Couleurs d’Asie is at 7 Nguyen Hue, Hoi An. See more of Réhahn’s portraits at facebook.com/Rehahn.Photography

Another Green World

Hanoi city dwellers who don’t have space for gardening can now enjoy a different way of creating their own green worlds, through a class in terrarium making. Words by Hoa Le. Photos by Julie Vola

After first arriving in the popular consciousness last year, the terrarium — a way of growing small plants and creating an ecosystem in a glass container — has quickly become popular and attracted a wide range of practioners. One of the pioneers of this movement in Vietnam is Hanoi-born Nguyen Tien Dung, a 25-year-old architect.

On a Sunday morning in April, we visited Green Oasis, a coffee and terrarium shop owned by Dung, located in a quiet alley near the Opera House. This cute little green space is decorated with various kinds of ferns, sphagnum moss and succulents grown in “pots” ranging from used bathtub fragments to pretty glass containers — all were planted by Dung.

This morning he holds a class for 12 participants, who are about to make their own terrariums for the first time. “Please come up and pick your plants, and glass vessels if you don’t have one,” says Dung, holding up a pretty terrarium that he made recently. He has a small tattoo of a tree on his right wrist.
Every Sunday morning, participants in the weekly class are encouraged to bring their own re-used glass containers and be as creative as they want with their plant arrangements. They are provided with tools such as spoons, long tweezers and other materials — including several kinds of gravel, soil and even little pieces of wood for decoration.

Under Dung’s instruction, everyone starts the process in excitement.

From Eco-Architecture to Terrariums

Growing up in the southernmost reaches of Hanoi, Hoang Mai District — where there were once many trees, lakes and other natural features — Dung has always been comfortable living in green space. When he was an architecture student at the National University of Civil Engineering, he became interested in eco-architecture, participating in some design competitions, with most of his work focused on green buildings. One of his works gained him third prize in a competition — a tube house filled with trees in the city’s centre. His dream after graduation was to work for a Vietnamese eco-architecture firm such as Vo Trong Nghia Architects.

But life happened, and he ended up working for an interior design company that didn’t let him do what he had longed for. “There were many reasons that I couldn’t do green building as much there; the contractors didn’t want to do that because of the [high] expenses,” says Dung.

But that didn’t stop him from following his passion, and he finally decided to quit the job and set up his own green project.

A Green World in a Bottle

The story of an amateur gardener named David Latimer, who kept his plants healthy inside a giant sealed glass jug for over 50 years made headlines in 2013. As the plant absorbs light, it can photosynthesise, recycling nutrients and converting sunlight into all the energy needed for growth. Planted in 1960, and only watered once in 1972, the plant managed to stay healthy for 53 years. This was a perfect example of a self-sustaining ecosystem.

While the terrarium was created a long time ago — back in 1842 by English botanist Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward — Latimer’s story generated great curiosity and inspiration for many people, including Dung.

“When I read about his story, I became very excited,” says Dung. “I thought it would be amazing to be able to create a wonderful eco-system that doesn’t get affected by Hanoi’s pollution or weather.”

Promising Business

In January last year, he made his first terrarium with different kinds of moss. After that, he made more to give to friends as presents, uploading the photos to Facebook. His terrariums started to gain a reputation, and became so popular that people started ordering his products online.

“As Vietnam is a tropical country,” says Dung, “we have so many kinds of moss and plants that do well in medium-moisture environments, which are suitable for a terrarium.” His travels around the country at this time were motivated by his search for new kinds of plants. He mostly chose to ship native species from the areas around Dalat and Sapa.

In September of last year, Dung decided that he needed a space to display his ‘artworks’, so he opened the Green Oasis coffee/terrarium shop, which has quickly become popular, and now has nearly 20,000 followers on its Facebook page. He says the business brings him revenue of several thousands of dollars a month, and he’s aiming to expand it.

“Many people have come to me to learn about terrariums and have gone on to open their own businesses,” he tells me. “But I don’t take it as a pressure. In fact, I’m happy to see that terrariums have become the favourite hobby of so many young people.”

As he fills up a spray bottle for one of the class’s participants, he adds with a smile, “I’ll always try to create new designs to diversify my products and meet the taste of my customers.”

Green Oasis is at Ngo 6 Le Thanh Tong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, and on facebook.com/CayViet. Terrarium workshops take place every Sunday at 9:30am and are free of charge. You will need to pay for the plants and the glass containers. Call or send a text to 0948 588819 to register in advance