health for you

I do have a lot of empathy for cancer patients," she said

2011-08-03T05:11:00.000-07:00

Photographs that appear to show that actor Michael Douglas is still smoking, months after diagnosis and treatment for Stage IV throat cancer don't surprise health experts who say many cancer-stricken smokers just can't quit.

Up to 18 percent of lung cancer patients and 12 percent of patients with colo-rectal cancer continued to smoke after a cancer diagnosis, according to a recent study by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center researcher Kathryn E. Weaver. Just as surprisingly, about 25 percent of their family members continued to smoke, even after watching a loved one's struggles.

"It just speaks to the incredible addictive power of nicotine," said Weaver, an assistant professor in the department of social sciences and health policy whose work was published this spring in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

Head and neck cancer patients may be particularly vulnerable to the pull of nicotine, she said. Half of patients with those kinds of cancers are smoking at the time of their diagnosis, compared with about 20 percent to 40 percent of people with lung cancer.

Scoop: Photos show throat-cancer survivor Michael Douglas smoking.

Plus, patients with head and neck cancers typically have to endure the stress of the diagnosis and surgery or other treatment that can cause changes in eating and appearance.

Some cancer patients continue to smoke because they think there's no point to stopping, but Weaver said that's just not true. Stopping smoking after a diagnosis has been associated with better response to treatment, reduced symptoms and even prolonged survival.

"I do have a lot of empathy for cancer patients," she said. "One message we need to emphasize is that it's never too late to quit."

( info)

Don't Let Food Names Fool You!

2011-07-30T04:57:00.000-07:00

The details: These perceptions can have unhealthy effects: According to study author Caglar Irmak, PhD, assistant professor of marketing at the Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, the study's findings show that dieters may actually end up eating more of these not-so-healthy foods. Says Irmak, "One of our key findings is that dieters rate foods with healthy-sounding names [for example, salad] as healthier than identical food items with less-healthy-sounding names [for example, pasta]." Dieters base their food decisions on the name of the food items, instead of the ingredients, says Irmak. So they may eat more calories than what their dieting goals prescribe. "In one of our studies, when a candy was called 'fruit chews,' dieters ate significantly more candies than when the candy was called 'candy chews'."

5 Ways food labels try to mislead you.

What it means: Irmak's advice is to be vigilant about a food's actual ingredients. "Dieters need to focus on the ingredients of the food items, rather than names only, as many food items are healthy in name only," he says. But the good news is that checking the ingredients can erase the misleading effects of the food's name."In one of our studies, when we asked dieters about the healthfulness of each ingredient in the food item before they evaluated the overall healthfulness of the item, the effect of the food name vanished," says Irmak.

It's possible to avoid being seduced by a healthy-sounding food, if you pay attention. Here are some tips for sorting the "health" from the hype:

6 Things food industry executives don't want you to know.

Salads aren't always healthy.

Often, dieters skip pizza and burgers and opt for main-course salads, imagining them to be the healthiest foods on the menu. And restaurants perpetuate the belief that their salads are nutritious, low-calorie options, even though many salads at chain restaurants can hover around (or top) 1,000 calories, thanks to gigantic portion sizes, fatty and/or fried toppings, and creamy dressings. These super-size salads can also contain almost a day's worth of sodium, so buyer beware. Fast fixes include having a half portion, if it's on the menu, or just packing up half of your order to take home.

All bottled waters aren't the same.

Some flavored waters or vitamin-enhanced waters can contain up to 200 calories per bottle. Sucking down just one of these a day could create a 20-pound weight gain in a year's time. A smarter substitution? Calorie-free flavored waters without added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Look for brands that contain just a hint of natural flavoring, or sip on naturally flavored seltzer water for hydration minus the additives.

Fruit-flavored snacks aren't fruit.

Gummy fruit treats, fruit roll-ups, fruit bars and other items with fruit on the label may contain some juice or fruit flavoring, but often don't actually contain fruit. But they can contain high-fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, and other unhealthy ingredients. A superior swap is pretty obvious—go for fresh fruit. Another portable option? Chewy dried fruit (remember to check the label for added sugar and calories). Both offer up the fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients missing from fruit-flavored snacks.

Veggie chips are still, well, chips.

While baked veggie chips might seem better for you than traditional chips, they can still contain up to 8 grams of fat per one-ounce serving—almost as much as a small bag of potato chips. Having actual cut-up veggies, even with a small amount of dip, is a better way to satisfy your craving for crunch. The fat in the dip even helps with the absorption of key nutrients in the vegetables.

If healthy eating, is important to you, watch out for misleading healthy-sounding food names. According to a study published online ahead of print in The Journal of Consumer Research, simply changing the name of a food item can influence its perceived healthfulness to dieters, who seem to rely more heavily on food cues—such as food names—than nondieters. Ambiguous names like "veggie chips," "flavored water," or simply calling a dish a "salad" can convince dieters that the item has nutritional value, whereas other names lead to the belief that the item is unhealthful.

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Cancer Found in Young 9/11 Cops

2009-08-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

(AP) Researchers say a small number of young law enforcement officers who participated in the World Trade Center rescue and cleanup operation have developed an immune system cancer.

The numbers are tiny, and experts don't know whether there is any link between the illnesses and toxins released during the disaster.

But doctors who coordinated the study, published Monday in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, said people who worked at the site should continue to have their health monitored.

"What we are trying to get out there is: Be alert," said Dr. Jacqueline M. Moline, director of the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

The researchers looked at 28,252 emergency responders who spent time amid ground zero dust and found eight cases of multiple myeloma.

Those findings were no surprise. Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematological cancer in the U.S. after non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Normally, researchers would expect to find about seven cases in a group as large as the one examined in the study.

However, four of the people who fell ill were under age 45, and multiple myeloma is thought to be more rare among people of that age. Under normal circumstances, researchers would have expected to find only one case of the disease in that age group.

Those four young multiple myeloma patients included one officer who was caught in the dust cloud on 9/11 and then spent months working long hours at the site. Another spent 111 days at the Staten Island landfill where the rubble was sifted. Two others had less exposure, working 12 and 14 days each in the pit and rubble pile.

The study said it is possible the monitoring program was simply more effective at finding the illness among people who wouldn't ordinarily be subjected to intense medical tracking.

Nevertheless, Moline said, "You shouldn't be seeing so many cases of myeloma in younger folks." The median age of diagnosis for that cancer in the general public is 71.

Several groups are studying New Yorkers exposed to toxic dust when the skyscrapers collapsed.

To date, no study, including the one published Monday, has established a link between that dust and cancer, said Lorna Thorpe, a deputy commissioner and epidemiologist at New York City's health department.

The timing of the four cases examined by the team at Mount Sinai also raised questions about whether they are related to their work at ground zero, she said.

Most research on multiple myeloma indicates that it usually takes 10 to 20 years for someone to develop that cancer after an environmental exposure to a carcinogen.

In these cases, the cancers were diagnosed in as little as three to four years after the attacks, suggesting that something else caused the disease.

health-Lose 9 Pounds in 11 Days

2009-08-12T02:41:00.000-07:00

one of the main reasons that people have troubles with diets is that their bodies seem to respond poorly to hardcore diets after awhile. Have you ever been on a diet that started out really well, but then after a few days you found yourself unable to keep the gains going no matter how little you ate? The main reason for this is the fact that the metabolism in your body ground to a halt due to the lack of input and as a result you were unable to burn fat in the same way that you did when you first started dieting. This is the bane of the existence of many diets and it is also why many really serious diets are only effective as short term measures.

Calorie shifting is a strategy that aims to correct this problem by allowing you to eat the right foods at the right time. For starters, it allows you to consume carbohydrates and proteins. The former will give you the energy you need to power your metabolism and the latter will allow your body to produce large amounts of glucagon, a hormone in the body that is responsible to a large degree for the burning of fat and calories. Along with the input of carbohydrates and proteins, you are also going to be eating a lot of high-energy foods at times that will allow your body to build up its metabolic rate. Once that happens, the foods are then going to be reduced so that your caloric intake is smaller, but the metabolic rate keeps going. The end result is fat-burning metabolisms that will help you take off some serious pounds at the end of the calorie shifting period.

This is basically how the principle is supposed to work and in theory it does sound good. Theory is the key word there, as it still remains to be seen how well the Idiot Proof Diet incorporates the principle of calorie shifting into the product that they sell.

Calorie Shifting within the context of the Idiot Proof Diet
The Idiot Proof Diet works in cycles. Each cycle is 14 days long, which basically means that you are going to run through approximately 2 to 2.5 cycles each month depending on where the previous cycle ended in the previous month. The cycle of 14 days is divided into two different areas. The first 11 days represent the period of time during which you are on the calorie shifting diet and the last 3 days represent a period of rest between the end of the previous calorie shifting time zone and the start of the next one.

What you basically need to do on the calorie shifting 11-day portion of each cycle is to use the Idiot Proof Diet generator to create a diet regimen that you will then follow through the 11-day period. With the Idiot Proof Diet, there are four meals a day that are created and placed in a way to maximize the calorie shifting benefits. Recipes are available for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian populations.

An example day for a non-vegetarian would be something along the following lines:

* First Meal: Start with a plate of tuna salad and a glass of low fat milk with apples for dessert
* Second Meal: Eat a combination of shrimp and chicken
* Third Meal: Take some ham cold cuts and bacon strips, eating them together with some baked beans
* Fourth Meal: Take some slices of roast beef, halibut broiled in a low-fat sauce and combine them with some mixed vegetables

For vegetarians, similar meals are possible, with protein substitutes such as nuts, eggs and soy products put in place of the meat and dairy products. As you can see a lot of the recipes are protein heavy and this is one again to help burn fat off while at the same time increasing the metabolic rate in an attempt to create a positive fat-burning feedback cycle that can be increased through each diet stage.

Final Thoughts
All things considered, the theory and practice behind the Idiot Proof Diet both appear to be on solid ground from a scientific basis. There have been many people reporting success with these particular methods as well, so there is at the very least anecdotal evidence that the Idiot Proof Diet does indeed work. The principle of calorie shifting is a sound one and that in turn means that the diet is based on firm ground from the scientific point of view.

Preparing the meals and following the diet exactly might turn out to be an inconvenient hassle at times, but if you want this program to succeed for you, following the meal outlines exactly is more important here than in just about any other diet. If you know right now you won’t have the discipline and/or effort to follow those plans, don’t purchase the product. It is as simple as that.

health-To protect kids from the H1N1 virus

2009-08-12T02:36:00.000-07:00

To protect kids from the H1N1 virus when they're at camp, Dr. Jeffrey Boscamp, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, recommends the following:

* Consider leaving siblings behind when visiting a child at camp. The H1N1 virus is particularly contagious among children.
* Check your temperature the night before and the morning of your visit. Bring some extra alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you.

* Confirm that the camp is doing regular screenings, promoting proper hygiene and updating parents on any reported cases of swine flu.
* Find out if any H1N1 cases have been reported at the camp and if it has quarantined areas for infected children.

Travel-video son dong cave

2009-08-11T07:28:00.001-07:00

Son Dong, a cave belongs to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang grotto system in central Quang Binh Province, has been discovered to be the biggest in the world.

Travel-Son Dong Cave the biggest in the world.

2009-08-11T07:26:00.001-07:00

Son Dong, a cave belongs to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang grotto system in central Quang Binh Province, has been discovered to be the biggest in the world.

Son Doong cave, discovered by a local 18 years ago, is more than 200 meters wide, 150 meters high, and at least 6.5 kilometers long, though the explorers said they were unable to explore it fully. Bristish explorers have recently discovered that So Dong is much larger than the world’s biggest known cave. The biggest section of Son Dong is five kilometers in length, 200 meters high and 150 meters wide, said Howard Limbirt of the British Cave Research Association team searching the area April 10-14, 2009. Son Dong is much larger than Deer Cave in Malaysia, currently considered the world’s largest, an explorer said (Deer is 90 meters wide, 100 meters high and 2 kilometers long). The Son Doong cave has replaced to take pole position as the world’s largest cave.

The Son Dong is situated below another cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang, though its entry passage is very difficult to traverse. The exploration team said they had set foot on just 6.5 kilometers along the cave, as there is a large amount of fast flowing water inside Son Dong. It takes explorers six hours of walking through a 10 kilometer long forest path from Truong Son Highway to reach the mouth of Son Dong cave. The explorer added that the Quang Binh cave has beautiful stalactites and stalagmites that are not seen anywhere else.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang grotto system belongs to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. It is a limestone region of 2,000 square kilometers in Vietnam and borders another limestone area in Hin Nammo in Laos. When describing the newly-discovered cave, the team’s spokesman, Haward Limbirt, said that it was a thing of overwhelming beauty and grandeur. He added that each grotto has its own beauty, but he is impressed by Ca Xai. This cave is near the Vietnam-Laos border. It is very deep and has a big lake inside. Explorers measured the depth of this lake, but they had only 200m of rope and the end didn’t reach the lake bed.

The British team suggested to the local authorities not to develop Son Doong Cave as a tourism site immediately to preserve its natural beauty.

Travel-Hue, Imperial City

2009-08-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

Still remaining its form of City underMiddle Age and the constructions of monarchic, a invaluable museum of Vietnam, this is Imperial City - the last remaining section of 19th-century Hue, and it is now a modern experiment in recreating traditional Vietnam. The Imperial City was recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO on December 1993. Let’s take a trip through the most important historical and cultural monument of Vietnam.

Dominating the skyline is the 37m (120ft) high Cot Co or Flag Tower, first erected in 1809. Cot Co achieved international renown on the morning of 31 January 1968, when communist forces seized the Citadel and ran their yellow-starred banner up its tall mast.

The lower part of the gate is stone, while on top is the "Belvedere of the Five Phoenixes" where the emperor appeared on important occasions, and where the last emperor abdicated to Ho Chi Minh's Revolutionary Government in 1945.

Just inside the gate is a lotus pond with a bridge once reserved for the emperor's private use. Across the bridge is the Thai Hoa Palace used for official receptions and other important court ceremonies. The columns supporting the roof are lacquered and inlaid with gold.

Behind the Thai Hoa Palace are a pair of smaller halls used by mandarins to prepare for court ceremonies. The halls form a courtyard, the fourth side of which was once a wall dividing the more public area of the citadel from the emperor's private residence, the "Forbidden Purple City." The name conjures up images of grand palaces like Beijing. Unfortunately, it takes quite a bit of imagination to picture the buildings that once occupied what is now a grassy expanse. What wasn't destroyed by a fire in 1947 was bombed in the 1968 Tet Offensive. The picture at above left was taken from the upper-most level looking back at the Thai Hoa palace and the Flag tower.

Off to one side of the central axis of the forbidden city, about midway, is the Thai Binh Lau or Royal Library. This small building stands in a garden and is fronted by small pond mostly taken up by a mountain-island well-grown with moss and bonsai. You will find similar ponds, fountains or even large bowls of water in many structures all over Vietnam.

Although you must enter the citadel through the main gate, you can exit it at several other points. Between the Thai Hoa palace and the halls of the mandarins, a path leads to the Hien Nhon gate (left). Leaving by this gate is the shortest route to get from the forbidden city to the museum at Long An palace. Along the path are a couple of buildings worth a look.

A visit to Hue might be considered incomplete without a boat trip on the outstandingly lovely Perfume River. Boats are readily available for hire, either for an exploratory trip in the vicinity of Hue, or for a longer journey upstream to the tombs of Minh Mang and Gia Long.

It's hard to explain the uncanny beauty of the river, though doubtless the irridescent, aquamarine waters, together with the profusion of colourful craft and boat women sporting non la--the ubiquitous cream-coloured conical hat of Vietnam--all contribute to the effect. On a clear, sunny day the Perfume River can indeed be magical.

Travel-The Citadel of Hue City

2009-08-11T06:44:00.001-07:00

The Citadel Complex of Hue, set up by Nguyen Dynasty from 1805 to 1945, is now one amongst the relics of the Hue ancient Capital – the World Cultural Heritage, capturing much of tourists’ attention.

The poetic and beautiful Hue of Vietnam was chosen to be the capital of the Southern Kingdom under Nguyen Lords’ Dynasty, and officially became the nation's capital under Tay Son Dynasty, King Quang Trung. The citadel palace complex is located on the North bank of Huong River (Perfume River), inside Hue city. It is a huge complex covering an area of 520ha and comprising three circles of ramparts, Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel). It was said to be protected by the two sand dunes: The Con Hen and Con Da Vien on the Perfume River, as "dragon on the left, tiger on the right". If you are in Hue, please join us in this small journey exploring the beautiful feudal palace, the inspiration for numerous artists ever stepping inside!

The very first stop-over is the exterior circle, the Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue capital citadel), which started to be constructed in 1805 under the reign of Emperor Gia Long and was completed in 1832 under the sovereignty of Emperor Ming Mang. Over the past 200 years, it has still maintained original with nearly 140 small and large constructions. With a square shape, it is almost 10km in circumference, 6m high, 21m thick, with 10 entrances. On the top of the walls, 24 bastions are established for defensive purposes. Besides, the Citadel has an ancillary gate connecting the Tran Binh Bastion called the Tran Binh Mon (Peaceful protector Gate).

Now we get further into the second circle, the Hoang Thanh (Royal citadel), also the most important part of the Citadel, which was built in 1804 but totally completed in 1833, under King Ming Mang’s reign. The Citadel, which is more than 600m long for each side, was built with bricks of 4m high, and 1m thick. Around the citadel is a protecting trench system. Tourists can get access to the Imperial Citadel through four entrance gates. In the past, Ngo Mon Gate was only reserved for the King. Royal Citadel consists of more than 100 fascinating architectural works divided into numerous sections:

* Section of the Ngo Mon Gate and the Thai Hoa Palace: used for various grand ceremonies.
* Section for placing shrines of the Kings under Nguyen Dynasty: Trieu Mieu, Thai Mieu, Hung Mieu, The Mieu and Phung Tien Temples.
* Section of internal affairs office: Storehouse for precious objects, workshop for manufacturing various useful articles.
* Section of the Kham Van Palace and Co Ha Garden: is where the princes studied or relaxed.

Passing through Hoang Thanh, we enter Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel). Situated inside the Imperial Citadel complex, behind the Throne Palace, the Purple Forbidden Citadel was reserved for Emperor and his family. Built in the early 1803 under reign of Emperor Gia Long, it was initially named Cung Thanh. In 1821, it was renamed into the today’s Tu Cam Thanh.
This citadel part was built with brick walls of 3.72m high, 0.72m thick, and about 1,230m in circumference. Its front and back sides are 324m long respectively, while the left and right sides are both more than 290m long. The whole site consists of 50 architectural constructions of different sizes and 7 gates for facilitating the entrance and exit. Dai Cung Mon (the Great Palace Gate) is in the front side, only reserved for the Kings. Can Chanh Palace was the place for daily working of Emperors. Can Thanh (Emperor's Private Palace), Khon Thai Residence (Queen's Private Apartment) were reserved for the Queens. There are still many other sections, for instance, Duyet Thi Duong house (Royal Theatre), Thuong Thien (the kitchen for the Kings' food), Thai Binh Lau (King's reading room), all of which are of great architectural value, luring uncountable visitors who are interested in feudal architecture.

Should you ever come inside the citadel, taking a look into the special feudal relics of immense architectural and cultural values, you will surely more or less love the traditional and classical side of Vietnam. As time goes by, thousands of changes have occurred, the precious historical and classical beauty of the nation would never be gone!

Other tourist activities:

* Xa Tac pavilion
* Flag tower
* The Hue National University
* Hue royal imperial fine art galary
* Bookstore palace

travel- Non Nuoc Beach - One of the World's Beautiful Beaches

2009-08-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Nuoc Beach gently slopes towards the calm, clear, blue sea; the clarity of the water attracts visitors who come to bathe and enjoy the seafood. This fine sandy beach with sunshine all the year round makes it suitable for tourism in all four seasons.
Da Nang has a coastline of 30 kilometres long, famous for many beautiful seashores stretching from the north to the south such as My Khe, Thanh Binh, Tien Sa, Son Tra and so on. Non Nuoc Beach also pertains to Da Nang Sea and has been voted as one of the most beautiful and attracting beaches of the planet, 2005, according to Forbes, the leading magazine of America. This beach has gentle slope, mild waves, and purely blue sea water during the four seasons. The unpolluted water source here has attracted a number of tourists coming to bathe, enjoy local special sea foods and take a rest for weekends. The beach Non Nước is also a place that exist precious and rare seaweeds such as gracilarias "yellow thread" and glacilaria "screw" that have high value of exporting.

With green water and white sand, Non Nuoc Beach stretches five kilometers along the shore of Hoa Hai Ward at the foot of Ngu Hanh Son (The Marble Mountains). The beach is famous for its seaweed, which reaches exportation standards. Many five-star hotels were built in Non Nuoc to accommodate the domestic and foreign tourists in the area. Together with its feature of wave degree, climate, weather and salinity, Non Nuoc Beach is suitable for water sports, especially surfing. In 1993, there took place an international champion with the participation of nearly 40 athletes from many countries around the world.

Along the beach, on the white sand is a forest of age-old casuarinas which is shady, green and is waving in the whistling wind. This is an ideal place for resting and camping. When the darkness falls and the moon rises, you can set yourself free on smooth benches along the beach to listen to melodious sounds of the waves and enjoy the occult space.

The beach is managed by the Non Nuoc Tourism Company that has three hotels with more than 100 rooms on the beach. They provide entertainment services including photographs for souvenir, handicraft shops, massage, restaurant, tennis and some gymnastics. A chain of tourism resorts is planned to cater for international tourists including seaside hotels and restaurants, especially an international standard golf court.

Besides convalescence and bathing, tourists to Non Nuoc Beach can also combine their journeys with traveling the relic Marble Mountains, which boast some ancient pagodas and sacred monumental caves, go around fine art stone handicraft villages right at the foot of the Mountains or go boating on Co Co River (Stork Neck River) to enjoy peacefulness of the Marble Mountains.

travel-halong bay video

2009-08-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

halong bay escending Dragon bay; Vietnamese: Vịnh Hạ Long) is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam. Administratively

travel-art-halongbay

2009-08-10T18:27:00.001-07:00

travel-halongbay

travel-2009-08-09 MACAU SENADO Square Final Flash mob MJ

2009-08-10T00:27:00.000-07:00

dance in square macau very interesting

travel-2010-Da Lat Flower Festival rescheduled for next year

2009-08-09T22:54:00.001-07:00

Tourists stroll a flower street at the 2007 Da Lat Flower Festival in the Central Highlands town
The third Da Lat Flower Festival will be delayed until New Year’s Day 2010 to coincide with activities marking Hanoi’s 1,000-year anniversary as the capital of Vietnam, according to local authorities.

The festival, initially scheduled for December 18- 23, will instead be held for four days beginning January 1, 2010 in the famous resort town of Da Lat, said the People’s Committee in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

The government has asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Hanoi People’s Committee to cooperate with Lam Dong authorities to organize the event, the first in a nationwide series of festivals kicking off the anniversary celebration.

Themed Da Lat, thanh pho ngan hoa (Da Lat, the town of thousands of flowers), the festival will overtake both the town’s center and Duc Trong District, just outside central Da Lat, organizers said.

The event’s General Director Nguyen Vu Hoang said Xuan Huong Lake at the center of Da Lat would be the focal point of the festival. Flower sculptures will be placed around the lake and a floating flower ceremony will be held on its waters.

The festival will also feature a flower market and an international flower and ornamental plants exhibition, Hoang said.

The biennial flower festival was first organized in 2005 and has since attracted thousands of local and foreign tourists.

Reported by Gia Binh

travel-legen-The edge of nirvana

2009-08-09T22:53:00.002-07:00

The giant Buddha statue on Ta Cu Mountain in the central province of Binh Thuan, the longest reclining statue of its kind in Southeast Asia
Nestled in central Binh Thuan Province’s Thuan Nam Town, Ta Cu Mountain is renowned for its lush forests and wild beauty.

In addition, the popular tourist attraction boasts the longest reclining Buddha statue in all of Southeast Asia – perched atop the mountain.

Ta Cu is located in Ham Thuan Nam District near National Highway 1A and 28 kilometers south of Phan Thiet Town. With its peak situated nearly 650 meters above sea level, Ta Cu finds itself ensconced in verdant flora and maintains year-round temperatures of 18-22OC.

To reach the mountain peak requires two hours of hiking along a path of rocky steps and steep slopes. But for the adventurous, the trip provides stunning scenery including overgrown ancient trees with creeping roots, trickling springs and jagged outcrops.

For those looking for a more gentle ascent, a 1,600-meterlong cable car system is available to whisk visitors to the mountaintop. The gondola also allows for spectacular bird’s-eye views of the rolling green hills and mountain foliage.

While passing Bang Lang Slope, visitors can see ancient trees with delicate violet flowers and flocks of diminutive butterflies floating over wild blossoms next to fresh-water springs.

Tourists may find themselves entering a soft white cloud of mist as they near the mountain peak, adding to the mystical feel of the area. From high above, visitors can also see down to National Highway 1A, along with the twisting road, houses with red-tile roofs, winding rivers, terraced rice fields, and breathtaking gardens.

As the cable car approaches the final station, visitors will be able to see the Ham Tan coastline far below in the distance. Located near to the peak is the Linh Son Truong Tho Pagoda and behind it lies the imposing 49-meter-long statue of Sakya Mouni Buddha, ready to enter nirvana.

Visitors too may feel as if they are on the precipice of heaven as they contemplate the awe of the great, arresting statue surrounded by nature in all its splendor.

Reported by Du Ky

travel-Central noodle dish in Can Tho

2009-08-09T22:53:00.001-07:00

A bowl of mi Quang, a famous central region dish served at Hoang Cung Restaurant in the Mekong Delta’s Can Tho City
A delicious treat not just for kids.

People from the central region visiting the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho might be happy to know they can get some home-style dishes 1,000 km away in the south.

Hoang Cung Restaurant has been serving mi Quang (Quang Nam-style rice noodle) for a few years. To make it authentic, the restaurant buys noodles from the central province through a supplier in Ho Chi Minh City. According to the manager, the restaurant also brings in cu nen (a kind of spice similar to garlic) and chili to maintain the original flavors.

The restaurant manager says mi Quang has all the elements to keep his central Vietnamese customers happy. Good quality rice noodles, peanut oil and cu nen are the three indispensable ingredients. The other ingredients such as pork, shrimps and egg can be changed at diners’ request.

A bowl of mi Quang consists of noodles, shrimps, boiled egg, pork, roasted peanuts, grilled rice paper, green chili and vegetables.

Compared with other kinds of noodle dishes, the traditional mi Quang is simpler. The noodles are big and a bit hard and there is almost no soup.

No-one knows the origin of mi Quang for sure, but some say the dish started out as a treat that mothers would give their children. The central region is quite poor, so instead of buying candy for their kids – moms would make them a special bowl of noodles and put in a bit of everything left over from other meals.

In fact, mi Quang is not just from Quang Nam there are versions in Quang Ngai, Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces as well. It is, however, usually regarded as a dish of Quang Nam.

To enjoy mi Quang in Can Tho, go to Hoang Cung Restaurant at 55 Phan Dinh Phung St., Ninh Kieu District.

Reported by Diem Thu

travel-World of wetlands -more brids

2009-08-09T22:52:00.000-07:00

A tourist fishes in U Minh Thuong National Park in Kien Giang Province
U Minh Thuong National Park, in the southwestern most province of Kien Giang, is an ideal destination for an ecotourism adventure.

U Minh Thuong National Park is among the most precious flooded forests of Southeast Asia and is a “green lung” of the Mekong Delta.

Situated 50 kilometers southwest of Rach Gia Town, the park has been open to tourists for almost five years and covers an area of more than 80 square kilometers with a 130 square kilometers green buffer zone.

In U Minh Thuong National Park, tourists can visit cajuput forests, situated on a stratum of muddy coal. Some of them are still recovering after a big fire in 2002. There are bird and bat sanctuaries, swamps with aquatic life and plenty of good fishing.

Hundreds of strange species of plants and animals are represented. The wet lands are full of water lilies and another type of water flower called convolvulus; packs of boars feed during the day and forest walks will reveal amazing birdlife and monkey colonies. The water world is its most magnificent in July and August.

It is great fun to sit in a vo lai (a kind of speedboat that has a propeller attached to a long drive shaft extending behind the boat) on a tour of the canals.

No trip to U Minh Thuong National Park is complete without trying the food specialties. You can find a wide range of dishes at Huong Tram Restaurant near the lake, or take food back to your tent in the camping ground. The restaurant even rents out tents. The food is very fresh as nearly all the ingredients come from the park. Dishes are made from eels, snakes, fish and field mice and forest vegetables.

From Rach Gia, the biggest of the two towns of Kien Giang Province, you can go to U Minh Thuong National Park by car or boat. If by car or motorbike, head for Rach Soi, cross Tac Cau Ferry and take National Highway 63. The trip takes about two hours.

Reported by Hoai Phuong

travel-The Cham villages of An Giang

2009-08-09T22:51:00.001-07:00

A Cham woman sells traditional clothes in her village in the Mekong Delta
Visit a Cham village in the Mekong Delta to learn about a rare culture.

The Mekong Delta province of An Giang is home to some of the largest ethnic Cham communities in Vietnam.

Some 13,000 Cham live in 2,100 households on Chau Giang Islet across the Hau River from the town of Chau Doc.

There are seven other major Cham villages in An Giang, each known by a Cham and Vietnamese name.

For example Chau Giang, Da Phuoc and Chau Phong villages are also known by their Cham names as Koh Taboong, Mat Chru and Koh Kaboak, respectively.

In Cham culture, men must cut their hair short and in line with Muslim custom they wear a black or white turban, depending on their age, during certain community activities. Women must cover their heads in public and they usually wear a sarong.

Cham people live in stilt houses. The homes, usually roofed with palm leaves or tiles, have a unique and traditional design. Each house usually has four rooms and a separate kitchen. The two front rooms are for receiving male guests while the two rear rooms are used for sleeping and receiving female guests. Between each room is a partition with a door and an intricately-embroidered curtain.

Guests to a Cham house are invited to sit on a mat and are served tea and cakes.

Outsiders often criticize the old Cham culture in which women were not allowed to go out and communicate with strangers, especially men. But nowadays women go to school, sell or buy goods at markets and interact with outsiders.

At most Cham villages, you can buy scarves, sarongs and clothes made by Cham women. You can see them weave brocade and learn some basic weaving techniques. In addition, you can try delicious Cham delicacies.

Reported by Diem Thu

travel-Communal experience - more...

2009-08-09T22:50:00.001-07:00

Co Vien Lau Village, nestled in the hills of northern Vietnam, is a collection of antique houses transplanted from across the region.
Co Vien Lau Village offers a unique glimpse into an older way of life in northern Vietnam’s Red River Delta.

Nestled amid the famous grottoes and karst landscapes of Tam Coc-Bich Dong in the northern province of Ninh Binh, the village’s twenty 18th-20th century houses have been transplanted from villages throughout northern Vietnam.

Facing the nearby Thai Vi Temple, Ngo Dong River and the Cua Quen Mountains, the houses have beautiful natural views of the stunning countryside: winding canals and rivers snaking their way through rice paddies and jagged limestone hills and caves.

Each house boasts the traditional architectural traits of its home village or district.

The Luu Phuong house is made of jack wood and bead tree, with a fish fin tile roof.

The curved beams of the Van Hai house are shaped like the neck of goose and chiseled with intricate carvings.

The Khanh Hoa house’s unique pair of lacquered panels engraved with Chinese characters display poems from the 18th and 19th century.

Most noteworthy is the Nghenh Tan Cac Royal House built by King Gia Long in 1820. Moved from its original home in Hoa Binh Province’s Cam Son region, the house’s famous lotus-like design has inspired generations of Vietnamese poets.

Then there are the majestic village gates of Tam Quan and Ang Ngoai, which along with the Thanh Liem Communal House are exemplary of northern Vietnamese architecture.

Inside the old houses are antiques and artifacts dating back hundreds or even thousands of years ago. There are indigenous Vietnamese tools from the stone age, the bronze age, the pottery age, such as hand shovels, saws and jars, as well as drums and other everyday items.

After visiting Co Vien Lau, take a boat trip along the rivers of Tam Coc-Bich Dong or a visit to the ruins of Vietnam’s first capital city, Hoa Lu.

The Co Vien Lau hotel rents rooms in replica of traditional Vietnamese homes, outfitted with modern amenities, VND300,000-800,000 (US$17.50-46.80) a night.

Reported by Kim

travel-Sail to Sunny Valley

2009-08-09T22:49:00.003-07:00

Tourists enter the Thung Nang (Sunny Valley) on boats in the northern province of Ninh Binh
En route to the famous Tam Coc-Bich Dong tourist site in the northern province of Ninh Binh is Thung Nang (Sunny Valley), a popular new destination for locals and tourists exploring Vietnam’s north.

The name “Thung” in Vietnamese means a depression inundated with water and surrounded by mountains. In Thung Nang, locals used to plant rice seedlings, but now, due to the increase in tourism, the local government has built a dam to prevent drainage and opened the tourist site all year round.

Thung Nang resembles Tam Coc Bich Dong with its caves, grottos and boat travel, but it’s considered wilder and is noticeably less crowded. Thung Nang is only five minutes by motorbike from Bich Dong.

To reach Thung Nang from Thach Bich wharf, tourists have to travel nearly three kilometers on a boat. During the ride, travelers will have a chance soak up the surrounding beauty. True to its name, Thung Nang is a water valley abundant in sunlight and breathtaking views.

Sitting on the boat and going through two grottos, travelers get a first-hand look at the local fauna and flora that Thung Nang is renowned for.

While traveling by boat, tourists can ask the captain to stop anywhere. It is highly recommended to park in front of the caves for a quick photo break. The grottos inside of the mountains and the stalactite deposits are a tantalizing sight, and if curiosity gets the better of you, follow these natural landmarks to nearby valleys.

The best time for traveling is February, March and April. In other months, the high water levels in the grottos sometimes prevent visitors from enjoying the exquisite views.

A short visit to Mieu Son Lam (Forest and Mountain Shrine) offers visitors a unique glimpse into the world of antique shrines, which are seamlessly nestled into their lush surroundings.

The price for each person for an hour-long boat ride is VND10,000 (US$0.50).

Reported by Kim

travel-Da Lat’s bushels of blossoms

2009-08-09T22:49:00.001-07:00

Minh Tam Flower Garden, a famous venue in the resort town of Da Lat
Renowned as a floral haven, the central town of Da Lat boasts unrivaled beauty.

Nestled 1,500 meters above sea level on the Langbiang Plateau in the southern area of Vietnam’s Central Highlands, the picturesque landscapes of Lam Dong Province’s Da Lat Town attract large numbers of tourists annually.

Thanks to its fresh, cool air, majestic waterfalls and thousands of brilliant flowers, the community is a favorite destination for both Vietnamese and foreign visitors alike. The name Da Lat originates from the ancient hill tribe people who once populated the region and means “stream of the Lat people.”

Arriving in Da Lat, situated 320 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, tourists are always astonished at the town’s overflowing bounty of flowers.

Blossoms can be seen everywhere in countless varieties including orchids, mimosas, pansies, wild sunflowers and roses. There are also many rare types of flowers found in few other places in the country.

The easiest to spot are the orchids, dubbed locally as “queen of the flowers.” Of the world’s 100,000 species of orchids, as many as 500 types are grown in the town.

Da Lat also boasts a unique species of orchid called lan hai, which received much attention and praise when it was displayed at an orchid exhibition in Tokyo, Japan a few years ago.

The flower was named for its resemblance to a type of embroidered shoe worn by noble women, known in Vietnamese as “hai.”

With the height of 60 meters, Dambri has become the most visited waterfall

Horses can be hired for a tour around the Valley of Love, known in Vietnamese as Thung lung tinh yeu

The picturesque landscapes of Da Lat attract large numbers of tourists annually

Another popular type of Da Lat flora is the mimosa, a six-meter-tall tree with small yellow flowers which grows only in hot countries.

The tree, which originates from Australia, comes into bloom three times a year during the dry season. Da Lat is home to two types of mimosa trees, one is a long-leafed variety and the other is short-leafed.

Local songwriter Tran Kiet Tuong found great inspiration in the mimosa and wrote a song based on the tree’s beauty.

According to folklore, Da Lat girls would often place mimosa flowers between the pages of a book, and then send it to their boyfriends. The pressed flowers would retain their sweet scent, and act as a fond reminder of the girls. Like the mimosa itself, this practice is said to have stemmed from Australia.

Among thousands of varieties of flowers, the Da Lat rose is a particular favorite nationwide. Aside from being sold in the town’s markets, roses are also transported to larger markets in other provinces and cities, including Hanoi and HCMC.

The flowers come in all sort of colors and shades including pink, violet and yellow.

The yellow roses are known locally as “Josephine,” after the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, while other roses are also referred to after famous movie stars and nobility.

Watercolor waterfalls and more

The town of Da Lat is also well known for its breathtaking waterfalls, including the Prenn, Cam Ly, Dambri and Pongua.

Prenn Waterfall, located at the foot of Prenn Pass and about 10 km from the center of Da Lat, is considered a symbol of the town. Behind the cascading water is a bamboo bridge where visitors can cross through a spray of refreshing mist. Tourists can also explore the surrounding area, home to a wide variety of animals.

Locals compare the scenery at Prenn Waterfall to that of a watercolor painting. The water pouring over the top of the fall creates a sheet of silver, which flows into a swirling pool of white foam at the bottom. A nearby photo shop allows visitors to have their photo taken at the falls to commemorate their trip.

Tourists can also take a horse or elephant ride while touring the area, or rent a canoe to discover the waterfall’s surrounding canals.

Nearby Xuan Huong Lake, spanning five square kilometers, is another picturesque area and popular with honeymooners.

This manmade lake, which was named after famous Vietnamese poet Ho Xuan Huong who lived in the 18th-century, was also a site where many indigenous people of Highland Langbian ancestry made their homes.

In 1984, scientists found many ancient relics at the bottom of the lake belonging to the hill tribes that once lived in this area.

Another well-known Da Lat lake is Tuyen Lam, located five kilometers south of the town.

Tuyen Lam is known as the lake where rivers, springs and forests converge. The immense area stretches over 350 hectares from the beautiful Tia Spring and Da Tam River to Voi Mountain.

Da Lat is also known for its Valley of Love, known in Vietnamese as Thung lung tinh yeu.

Situated about five kilometers outside of town and spanning about 242 hectares, the Valley of Love is filled with scenic, rolling pine tree-clad hills, perfect for picnics.

For those who love to hike, the 1,900-meter tall Lang Biang Mountain takes around three hours to climb. For others who would rather drive up, jeeps can be hired for around US$10.

Other tourist attractions in Da Lat Town include the Da Lat Market, Lake of Sighs, and the summer Palace of Bao Dai, the last king of Vietnam.

According to Sato Kohara, a Japanese fine arts student touring the area, “I have visited many sites in Vietnam, but still felt surprised when I arrived here. This site is peaceful, romantic and fresh.

“If I have a chance to visit Vietnam again, I will return to this site together with my friends,” she adds.

Reported by Hoang Kien

travel-A taste of the country life-

2009-08-09T22:48:00.001-07:00

Among the many places of interest in the Mekong Delta’s Can Tho City, Binh Pho B is a favorite destination for tourists.

The ecotourist area, located in Binh Thuy District’s Long Tuyen Ward, is a great way to experience local country life without ever leaving the city.

The Ba Bo Canal runs through Binh Pho B and boat tours are offered from Ninh Kieu Quay in the city’s downtown area. The boat cruises down the canal making stops at points of interest along the way.

During the trip, tourists can watch the locals going about their daily activities on both sides of the waterway.

One of the first stops is at the Bay Bo Ke Restaurant where guests can enjoy a homemade country breakfast. The eatery, located on an area of 5,000 square meters, is 50 meters from Ba Bo Bridge.

After breakfast, the boat continues on the journey past Thao Nguyen Ectourist Park and turns into Muong Khai Canal, also called Pho Tho or Long Cong Canal, to reach Ba Cong Orchard.

The two-hectare orchard contains several types of fruit trees including star apple, mango, and Nam Roi pomelo. The peaceful area allows visitors to enjoy cycling on paved roads or strolling across bamboo bridges.

Another place worth visiting is the nearby Ba Bo Flower Village. Over 300 households in the 100-hectare community cultivate dozens of species of flowers and ornamental plants. Currently, it is the busiest time of the year for the flower-growers, with many boats transporting bright blossoms to sell.

On the way back to Ninh Kieu Quay, the boat will stop at Thao Nguyen Ecotourist Park upon request. The two-hectare park, boasting both modern and traditional architectural styles, has cottages along the canal for guests to rest, relax and sample Mekong Delta dishes. Tourists can also opt to stay overnight. The rate for an air-conditioned room is VND120,000 (US$6.70) per day.

Visitors can sign up for a guided tour of the Binh Pho B area at the Can Tho City Tourism Management Center, 18-20 Hai Ba Trung Street, Ninh Kieu District.

Reported by Diem Thu

travel-Taking King’s Mountain

2009-08-09T22:47:00.001-07:00

Travelers take a break on their way to the peak of King’s Mountain at Nui Chua National Park in the southeastern province of Ninh Thuan
We set off from the tiny enclave of Da Hang Village at 8 a.m.

We could see Nui Chua, or King’s Mountain, in the distance, it’s 1,040-meter peak looming over the southeastern province of Ninh Thuan in the cool of the morning.

Nui Chua National Park, where we began in Ninh Hai District, covers nearly 30,000 hectares, including a protected sea area with a reserve for sea turtles and coral reef. On one side of us were the towing mountains, on the other side, the beaches and the sea. Chua’s highest point, our final destination, was a 10-kilometer, two-day hike away.

We passed six of Chua’s lower peaks before reaching the path to its roof. The higher we climbed, the more lush the jungle became. The forest seemed to change colors with every few dozen meters we climbed.

At 3 p.m., we were 800 meters above sea level. Mist gathered around our feet and a heavy rain began to pour. The winds picked up and the temperature dropped. The storm lasted for hours, through which we prepared a hasty dinner with food we brought along.

We were all grateful for the coconut wine we had brought as it warmed us before bed. We hung our hammocks by a stream and slept in our raincoats, which didn’t do much to protect against the cold.

The next morning we woke to the pleasant sound of the babbling brook. Butterflies flew around our camp and we heard birds sing and gibbons chatter as we rose and did our best to wring out our clothes and socks before the final 200- meter trek to the mountain peak.

We were asked by our guide to use walking sticks and watch out for leeches. The slopes became very steep and we had to hold tree branches and vines to pull ourselves up. The only way was to follow in our guide’s exact footsteps.

At about 10:00 a.m., we reached the mountain peak and rested on a large rock with a panoramic view overlooking Ninh Thuan and the sea.

We looked out at the beautiful Vinh Hy Bay over 10 kilometers away from where we were.

On the way down we again had to hold onto tree branches, roots and vines to avoid falling. The steep slope was extremely slippery. Many of us slipped several times and a few even tumbled several meters down the mountain.

When we saw the lamp light of a small ethnic minority community village and heard dogs barking, we knew we were nearing the end of our journey.

Sure enough, after the village, the forest opened up into the sea.

There we were on the beach, satisfied in what had been a rewarding and unforgettable adventure.

Reported by Lan Anh

travel-Cruising Hue-so cool

2009-08-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

Tourists explore the historic capital of Hue on cyclos
The historic city of Hue in a traditional cyclo.

As Vietnam’s former imperial capital and home to the Royal Court, the Hue Citadel’s small streets and lanes are perfect for the slow cyclo ride.

It’s not difficult to find a cyclo in Hue, as the town of 345,000 people is home to nearly 5,000 of the three-wheeled pedi-cabs. They can be found almost on any street and at any time of the day.

Cyclos in Hue are more comfortable than those in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, boasting wider seats and higher roofs.

Hiring a cyclo on the street for a city tour should cost tourists about VND70,000-80,000 (US$3.9-4.5) an hour. Cyclo drivers in Hue are friendly and can serve as both a driver and guide.

Entering Hue’s Citadel at Ngo Mon Gate, to the south, is like traveling into another world. Inside the citadel, formerly a “forbidden city” only accessible by royalty and members of the court – and their concubines – the old city is a world away from the more modern Hue across the Perfume River. A city still bustles inside the walled enclave, but amid canals, watchtowers and walls built centuries ago.

After the citadel, the Dong Ba Market, just outside the walled city on the banks of the river, is one of the best places to sample traditional Hue cuisine for bargain prices. The same food sells for triple the price at HCMC eateries.

After a meal, try che (sweet soup) for desert. Hue style sweet soups are known as some of the best in the country. After desert, relax with royal tea at an old-style restaurant.

And don’t forget that your cyclo driver is most likely ready to recommend tailor shops where you can have an ao dai (traditional Vietnamese long tunic) or any other piece of clothing made within 24 hours at a reasonable price.

Since 2004, the “An tuong Hue xanh” (Hue’s Green Impressions) initiative has worked to promote cyclo traffic as opposed to other vehicles that burn fossil fuels.

As an alternative to finding a driver on the street, tourists can book cyclo tours at 2 and 5 Le Loi Street or at big hotels including the Saigon Morin, Huong Giang and Century.

Reported by Diem Thu

travel-Stories flowing in the water

2009-08-09T22:45:00.001-07:00

The breathtaking Dray Sap is one of several Central Highlands waterfalls whose origins are steeped in mythology
Legends add a distinct sound to waterfalls in the Central Highlands.

Rivers and streams in Vietnam tend to flow eastward into the Gulf of Tonkin. There is one, though, that stands out as an exception. The Serepok flows west and drains into the Mekong River.

Springing up from the Central Highlands, it has an entourage of beautiful streams and waterfalls, and many of them come with legends attached.

Dray Sap and the story of an Ede girl

Situated in Dak Nong Province’s Krong Ne District where the Ede minority people live, Dray Sap is one of several Central Highlands waterfalls whose origins are steeped in mythology.

Legend has it that a pretty Ede maiden named H’Mi was pursued and proposed to by many wealthy men, but fell in love with a poor, but good-natured man.

One day, a giant monster with scorching eyes descended as H’Mi and her lover who were sitting on a rock and flirting with each other. The monster is said to have taken water from the river into its cavernous mouth and spit it out with force, knocking the young man unconscious and sweeping the girl away.

The grief-stricken man stood rooted in grief, and was transformed into a large tree clinging to a rock. The spot where the young lovers were attacked became a waterfall, the sound of which is the boy’s call for his lover and the mist around it, the tears shed by two pining hearts.

Dray Sap means “Smoke Waterfall” in the local Ede minority language. The crashing waterfall has indeed created a mist with a smoky effect. Dray Sap is also called the “Husband Waterfall” commonly known as “Thac Chong” in Vietnamese.

Seen from afar, the three-tier Dray Sap Waterfall is a striking picture against the backdrop of mountains and forests. The water flows especially strongly in the rainy season, when the fall is about 12 meters high and 120 meters wide. In the dry season, the landscape is just as vivid with the white water contrasting perfectly with the vast blue sky.

For visitors, a suspension bridge facing the waterfall offers great photo opportunities.

There are also many hiking trails through the surrounding forest that take travelers through dense foliage to small springs. The area is home to a variety of singing birds that provide soothing musical accompaniment.

Dray Nur and the golden bamboo rat

Not far from Dray Sap is Dray Nur, probably the jewel in the waterfall crown that the region wears with pride.

Dray Nur bisects Dak Nong and Dak Lak provinces. It is considered the most imposing waterfall in the Central Highlands, pouring from a height of over 30 meters and a width of 250 meters.

In the dry seasons one can go past the water into the large cave underneath.

Several auxiliary falls give visitors the option of bathing in the falls and refreshing themselves in body and spirit.

Dray Nur, needless to say, has its own story to tell.

Dray, in Ede language, means waterfall and Nur means bamboo rat.

The story goes that there was a prince named Nur, who enjoyed the scenic landscapes of the area, wandering through the forests. Nur was the son of Yang Ea, king of the water world.

One day, he came across two pretty girls whose father, a chieftain in the region, was killed in a battle with another tribe. Without any support from their family, the two maidens had to go to the forest to search for food to survive.

Moved by their plight, the prince used his magic powers to supply their house with enough food and other necessities

As the days passed, his compassion turned into love and the prince married the girls.

Shortly afterward, the prince left his two wives to return home and see his father, who, unhappy with what his son had done, forbade him to return to the forest.

The son refused and escaped. But he began to miss his father before long even as he lived a happy life with his two wives who were very devoted to him. They stuck by him wherever he went.

One day, the prince turned himself into a golden bamboo rat and dived into the waterfall next to the king’s palace.

His wives were sad and parked themselves at the site to wait for their husband to come up.

The waterfall was then named Dray Nur to commemorate the prince.

The Dray Nur waterfall is also known as “Thac Cai” or “Wife Waterfall“ in Vietnamese.

From the town of Buon Ma Thuot, Vietnam’s coffee capital in Dak Lak Province, it takes about an hour to get to the waterfalls by car.

Reported by Hoang Kien

Tranquil mountain hideaway

2009-08-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

A tourist poses at Tien (Fairy) Creek on Dinh Mountain in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau
Dinh Mountain, also known as Bong Lai (Heaven) Mountain, is located just over 30 kilometers from the famous beach town of Vung Tau, about 90 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City.

The foot of the mountain, situated along National Highway 51 in Kim Dinh Ward of Ba Ria Town, is covered in a dense forest of lush green foliage and rugged outcrops. The long roots of ancient, gnarled trees appear to smother the large rocks, making for great photo opportunities.

While it is possible to take a motorbike or car up the peak, hiking is also a great option, allowing for more time to take in the wild scenery and listen to the sounds of nature.

Along the way, visitors can explore the hidden beauty of Da (Rock) and Tien (Fairy) creeks. These two creeks start from the mountain peak at nearly 500 meters above sea level, formed by smaller streams on the mountainside.

Many pools in the springs are large enough to accommodate up to 10 people. Nearby, smooth, flat rocks make for a pleasant area to relax after splashing in the cool water.

According to local residents, the mountain was named Dinh Mountain after a French governor built a mansion (known in Vietnamese as ‘dinh’) in the area, wanting to spend his holidays in a cool, quiet environment.

Dinh Mountain is part of a mountain range which covers an area of nearly 60 square kilometers and is the highest peak in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. It also boasts many mysterious caves and several Buddhist monks call the mountain home because of the great solitude the area allows.

While sitting in the shade of the mountain’s ancient trees and springs, visitors cannot help but feel a tranquil calm wash over them. The soft ringing of bells from distant Buddhist pagodas, the chirping of birds and the babbling of brooks, is a treat for the senses and a great escape from the chaos of daily life.

Reported by Nguyen Long

health-lose weight

2009-08-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

Despite the way it feels, losing weight isn't a mysterious process. It's a simple matter of burning more calories than you eat. But, if it were really that simple, none of us would have a weight problem, would we? Weight loss can be such a struggle that we start thinking we have to do something drastic to see results -- diets, pills or those weird fitness gadgets on infomercials that promise instant success. The true secret to weight loss is this: Make small changes each and every day and you'll slowly (but surely) lose those extra pounds. The key is to forget about instant results and settle in for the long run.Rules of Weight LossTo lose one pound of fat, you must burn approximately 3500 calories over and above what you already burn doing daily activities. That sounds like a lot of calories and you certainly wouldn't want to try to burn 3500 calories in one day. However, by taking it step-by-step, you can determine just what you need to do each day to burn or cut out those extra calories. Below is a step by step process for getting started.1. Calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate). Your BMR is what your body needs to maintain normal functions like breathing and digestion. This is the minimum number of calories you need to eat each day. Keep in mind that no calculator will be 100% accurate, so you may need to adjust these numbers as you go along.2. Calculate your activity level. Use a calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you burn while sitting, standing, exercising, lifting weights, etc. throughout the day. It helps to keep a daily activity journal or you could even wear a heart rate monitor that calculates calories burned.3. Keep track of how many calories you eat. You can use a site like Calorie Count or use a food journal to write down what you eat and drink each day. Be as accurate as possible, measuring when you need to or looking up nutritional information for restaurants, if you eat out.4. Add it up. Take your BMR number, add your activity calories and then subtract your food calories from that total. If you're eating more than you're burning, (your BMR + activity is 2000 and you're eating 2400 calories) you'll gain weight. If you're burning more than you eat, you'll lose weight.Example:Mary's BMR is 1400 calories and she burns 900 calories in daily activity with regular exercise, walking around and doing household chores. To maintain her weight, she should be eating 2300 calories but, after keeping a food journal, Mary finds that she's eating 2550 calories every day. By eating 250 more calories than her body needs, Mary will gain one pound every 2 weeks.This example shows how easy it is to gain weight without even knowing it. However, it's also easy to lose weight, even if the process itself can be slow. You can start by making small changes in your diet and activity levels and immediately start burning more calories than you're eating. If you can find a way to burn an extra 200 to 500 calories each day with both exercise and diet, you're on the right track. Try these ideas:Instead of... Do this...An afternoon Coke Drink a glass of water. (calories saved: 97)An Egg McMuffin Eat a small whole wheat bagel +1 Tbsp of peanut butter (calories saved: 185)Using your break eat sweets Walk up and down a flight of stairs for 10 minutes (calories burned: 100)Hitting the snooze button Get up 10 minutes early and go for a brisk walk (calories burned: 100)Watching TV after work Do 10 minutes of yoga (calories burned: 50)Total Calories Saved: 532 (based on a 140-pound person)How Much Exercise Do I Need?Exercise is an important weight loss tool, but how much you need varies from person to person. The ACSM's weight loss guidelines suggest at least 250 minutes per week, which comes out to about 50 minutes, 5 days a week. If you're a beginner, start small (3 days a week for 20 to 30 minutes) to give your body time to adapt. Don't forget, things like walking, taking the stairs and household chores can burn more calories as well. Learn more about getting started with exercise. (internet)

health-Are Eggs Healthy for Weight Loss?

2009-08-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

A new study in the online journal entitled Risk Analysis reports that eating one egg a day accounts for less than 1 percent of the risk of heart disease, the leading killer of American men and women. This, in my opinion, helps deflate the myth that all eggs are always bad for you and can never be included in a heart-healthy meal plan.The researchers cited lifestyle factors, such as a poor diet, smoking, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle as chief contributors (30 to 40 percent) of someone's heart disease risk, with men having higher risks than women. Risk factors that could be potentially treated, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, accounted for a whopping 60 to 70 percent of the risk. In this light, a single egg doesn't seem so big a threat.Eggs have gotten a lot of bad press of late. There seems to be a constant drumbeat, perhaps in the media, about eggs being off-limits if you want to keep your heart healthy. (Just today, I was seeing a patient of mine with young children and, coincidentally, one of his daughters asked me, "Are eggs bad for you?")Instead of worrying about an egg a day, I think we should turn our attention to the potential risks of stress (especially chronic stress), physical inactivity, and poor overall diet choices (like diets high in junk foods and low in fruits and vegetables).This research, which was (full disclosure) funded by the Egg Nutrition Center, serves to further substantiate the premise that healthy adults really can eat (whole) eggs without upping their heart disease risk significantly. And what's more, the authors noted that their analysis did not adjust for all the health-promoting benefits of eggs, which might decrease some heart disease risk.What is it about eggs that could actually help your heart?* Eggs are high in choline, an organic, water-soluble nutrient that's usually grouped in with the B vitamins. They are also high in betaine, a nutrient related to choline. Together these 2 are associated with lower levels of homocysteine (an amino acid that studies has shown to be related to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease). It's good to keep homocysteine levels under control because high homocysteine levels usually suggest chronic inflammation, a process that has been linked with heart disease, as well as to Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Treatment of a high homocysteine level usually involves supplementation of the B vitamin folic acid—but don't take more than 1,000 micrograms—1 gram—a day, or it can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency.* Eggs are a great source of high-quality (or high biological value, HBV) protein; in fact, they are considered to be the best overall source of protein.* Eggs provide 13 essential vitamins/minerals, including riboflavin, an important B vitamin needed to help your body get energy from food. Eggs also contain vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin lacking in the diet of many Americans. People who are overweight and/or have diabetes are at a higher risk for vitamin D deficiency.* Eggs also help you feel full, since your body produces a hormone called PYY when you eat high-protein foods. PYY tells your brain you're no longer hungry, so if you're trying to lose some pounds, opting for a high-protein snack like a boiled egg can really help you feel full (and it's only 75 calories). I personally like the organic eggs high in omega 3 fatty acids (the healthy fats), from chickens raised without hormones or chemicals. These eggs are higher in omega 3s because of the healthier feed given to the chickens. The high-omega-3 eggs add another possible benefit to a balanced diet.However, if, for whatever reason, you want to keep the fat and cholesterol content in your diet low, eat the egg whites and skip the yolk, since all the protein (and virtually none of the fat) is in the whites. There are even cartons of pure egg whites in the grocery store that make it easy. Or you could separate the eggs at home by discarding the yolks, or at least a few of them. This study, however, seems to be suggesting that even the egg yolk isn't anywhere near the health risk people have perceived it to be for all these years. They're also a very affordable source of protein, a big plus in today's economy!Bottom line: If you really like whole eggs, and your doctor or dietitian thinks they're fine for you, then go ahead and enjoy them, yolks and all!
(yahoo)

travel-Hundreds of hot air balloons take to France's skies

2009-08-08T23:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QVcMvKr4TI
and more

Reno Balloon Race 2006

travel-Phu Quoc – an ideal tourist destination

2009-08-08T05:03:00.001-07:00

Phu Quoc National Park in the southern province of Kien Giang has become an ideal eco-tourist destination. It has special and unique biodiversity values compared to other national parks across the country.

This biggest National Park covers an area of nearly 30,000ha, including more than 27,000ha of forest. It also has 6,000ha of buffer land and 20,000ha of surrounding ocean area, which help mitigate external impacts on the park’s fauna and flora.

According to director Pham Quang Binh, Phu Quoc National Park is located on an island that has a mixture of continental and coastal climate, creating a rich ecosystem of primeval, secondary and indigo forests. Its indigo forests are distributed in the wetlands, the lowlands that are flooded in the rainy season, and sloping hills.

The co-existence of the Malaysian, Burmese and Himalayan ecologies in Phu Quoc has created a rich ecosystem. There are more than 470 species of plants, 140 species of wild animals, and several types of coral reefs offshore. Phu Quoc is also one of the two places in Vietnam where the Dugong, a marine species on the brink of extinction can be found.

In 2001, the government decided to upgrade the park to preserve its ecology and recognise it as a National Park. The Park Management Board has coordinated with local residents and military units to implement forest protection measures, particularly fire prevention.

“The rainy season in Phu Quoc is short but the dry season is longer there. So we have established a forest fire prevention steering board and firefighter units which are on standby,” said Mr Binh. “Every commune and local military unit has worked out detailed fire prevention plans. We also have regular communications with local residents to raise their awareness of forest protection.”

Phu Quoc National Park is a good destination for tourists as it offers a wide range of activities such as camping and trekking. It’s also ideal for those who want to study the tropical forest. As Phu Quoc develops into Vietnam’s ecotourism capital, the jewel in its crown, the park will become ever more attractive to visitors from around the world.

travel-Notre Dame Cathedral shines brightly in southern city

2009-08-08T05:02:00.002-07:00

Located in the heart of the city, Notre Dame Cathedral is a "must-see" place for travelers, Vietnamese and foreign alike, on their tours to Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City. The elegant and ancient church represents not only a religious work but an architectural masterpiece of immense cultural and historical value.

In the early years of its colonial administration in Vietnam, the French Government intended to build a church when planning the construction of the city. In August 1876, the Saigon Bishop launched a contest for designing a cathedral. Architect J. Bourad's design surpassed 17 others and was selected for construction m 1877, which was completed in 1880. He himself was the successful bidder and directly supervised the work.

All necessary materials, from cement to steel rods and screws were brought from France. Especially, the tiles to cover the facade ordered from Marseille (France) were without any mortar coating, and always maintain a rosy-red brilliance, with neither dusts nor moss and lichens. Hence, the church’s overall radiance and resplendence against the background of the shady green perennials.

With a length of 93m, width of 35.5m and its height of 57m (from the ground to the bell tower), the cathedral, not as large as it may look, commands a great appeal, not only for its classical beauty of Romanesque gothic architecture but also for its original interior and uniquely rare antiquities.

First, its set of six huge bells, with a total weight of 28,850 kg, sounding the six musical notes, so, la, ti, do, re and mi, were manufactured in France and carried over to Saigon in 1879. In the tower on the right are hung the four bells so, do, re and mi, and in the tower on its left, the two bells la and ti.

The decorative designs on each bell are very delicate, and the so bell is among the biggest in the world with a weight of 8,785 kg, diameter of 2.25 m and height 3.5 m (up to its hanger). The so bell, like the bass in the choir, resounds only once a year on Christmas Eve.

To sound the bell, it is necessary to have three or four robust men to stamp the starter that it can swing as high as its hanging bolt, then turn on the three-phase electric device for the motor to go on. On Sundays and at festivities, three bells are tolled, but on week days, only one bell is, the mi or the re, at 5am and 5.30 pm.

Despite the lack of the bell fa, when the five bells sound together at the same time, it is a marvelous concert, with low and high melodies unlike any other church bells. The melodious tunes can be heard as far as 10km as the crow flies.

The giant clock under the vault between the two bell-towers is another rare antiquity. An R.A., it was made in Switzerland in 1887, weighing more than 1,000 kg. This rough old-timed apparatus has told exact time for 125 years now, however, its sounding device is not operating due to its old spring.

The Cathedral's interior is composed of the central nave and two aisles, with two chapels attached. All its ornaments and decorative patterns are in the Romanesque and Gothic style, elegant yet solemn. Its high altar is made of monolithic marble featuring engravings of six angels supporting the canon table and the pedestal of three compartments, each being a carving describing a religious relic. Each chapel, stained glass window, or vault is a work of art and all these are engulfed in gentle light that gives you a sense of holy peace and devotion.

In front of the cathedral lies a large park, with two paths cutting each other to form huge cross. In the centre of the park stands a marble state of the Blessed Virgin, 4.2m high, weighing 3.5 tonnes. Her arms embrace the globe with a cross, her feet stamp on a snake, expressing a wish to bring peace to all humanity. For this very reason, the statue is also called the Virgin of Peace.

A work of art by artist G. Ciocchetti, it was displayed in 1959, hence its name of the Notre Dame de Saigon (its maiden name used to be the State Church, which had been erected and managed at the expense of the French Government).

In 1960, the Vatican Holy See established the Vietnamese Religious Orders, with three bishop residences in Hanoi, Hue and Saigon. This cathedral then bore the name of Saigon Bishopric Cathedral, and in 1962, the Vatican promoted it to Basilica, hence its full name Basilica Notre Dame de Saigon.

For 125 years, Notre Dame has been not only a place for the Catholic congregations to perform services and celebrate ceremonies, but has also turned into a homely icon of the Saigonese as well, a favorite destination for visitors to this southern city which features abundant sunshine all round the year.

travel-Conical hats draw many visitors

2009-08-08T05:02:00.001-07:00

Visitors to Phu Cam village in the former imperial capital of Hue will be instantly impressed by its traditional way of making conical hats. Poem-hat is a distinctive feature of culture in Hue. Locals say they like to do the job not only to earn money but to preserve their age-old tradition.

Hat-making village Phu Cam (also Phuoc Vinh) lies on the southern bank of the An Cuu River in the centre of the former imperial capital of Hue. It’s a village famous for its traditional way of making conical hats for hundreds of years.

Phu Cam-made hats look graceful, soft and thin as silk. Hue landscapes or even poems can be seen clearly through the hats in the sunshine. It takes woman much time to make the frame and iron leaves before young girls start sewing. The beauty and grace of a hat depend much on the frame (made of 16 brims from the hem to the top). Artisans use sharp knives to prepare the brims and make the frame that needs skills, techniques and experiences, as well as mathematical calculations which have been handed down for generations.

Leaves to make hat play a vital part, leaves have to be blue-white, neither too young nor too old. Collected leaves are to be put to dry in the sun, then put to be moistened by dewdrops, then to be ironed flat on a steel- plank above a kiln, cleaned with a towel. After all this, leaves are cut to fit the frame.

How to arrange the leaves on to the frame is not easy. Each hat needs 50 leaves and between the leaves are coloured papers with pictures or paintings of landscapes, or even poems. Hat-makers are hardworking and careful and diligent. Hats are served with silk-threads and the chin-straps are made of coloured silk (black, white, yellowish, purple, violet…) to harmonize with Hue climate and beauty.

Poem-hat is a distinctive feature of culture in Hue. Locals say they like to do the job not only to earn money but to preserve their age-old tradition as poem-hats have been absorbed into folk music and songs. Today hat are still used by young girls to shade their heads in the sun and to make them look more graceful in the traditional Ao Dai (long dress).

travel-Ancient architecture stands test of time in king’s village

2009-08-08T05:01:00.001-07:00

The ancient village of Duong Lam on the outskirts of Hanoi is also known as a museum of laterite, home to many houses built three or four centuries ago with lateritic bricks. It is also the birth village of two Vietnamese kings.

Many have said a visit to Duong Lam, some 60 kilometers north of Hanoi, is a trip tracing the origins of Vietnam's culture and traditions due to the large amount of well-reserved ancient architecture in the village.

Duong Lam has also been described as the last stronghold of northern Vietnam's wet rice farming culture. The only noticeable change that has taken place in the village over the past 400 years is its division into nine hamlets, including Mong Phu, Cam Lam, Cam Da and Mia. Of these, Mong Phu is its biggest and the most famous.

There are around 300 houses still standing in Duong Lam, 50 of which date back 300 years and the rest about 200 years. The interesting thing is that most of these houses were built from laterite and mud, both abundant in the area. Laterite was used for house walls, gates, wells and temple walls.

A typical example of laterite architecture is the Mong Phu communal house, which was built in 1638 to honour Son Tinh (God of the Mountains). The house's roof frames and beams are carved with complex designs and images.

Tourists to the village can wander along its narrow alleyways, visit temples dedicated to the two kings born there, and most interesting of all, chat with locals living in the ancient houses.

Mong Phu is the only hamlet whose original village entrance gate remains intact. The laterite-brick gate is roofed with yin yang tiles and has two iron and wood doors four-to-five centimeters thick.

Duong Lam village is also distinguished because it was the birthplace of two kings - Phung Hung and Ngo Quyen - both venerated for their staunch struggles against invasions from China.

Phung Hung (761-802) was the leader of a resurrection against the Duong Chinese dynasty in the eighth century. Wealthy and prestigious, he was reputed for his benevolence and extraordinary strength. In 791, he besieged and occupied Tong Binh (present-day Hanoi), liberating the country. He died after seven years in power and was respectfully called Bo Cai Dai Vuong by the people.

Ngo Quyen (897-944) was the hero that brought independence to the Vietnamese people after more than 1,000 years of Chinese domination. In 938, Ngo Quyen advanced troops from Ai Chau in Thanh Hoa province to beat Nam Han (Chinese) troops on the Bach Dang River. After ascending the throne, Ngo Quyen set up the royal capital in Co Loa.

It comes as no surprise that there are many temples in Duong Lam village dedicated to these two national heroes.

Mong Phu hamlet is a site recognised by the Ministry of Culture and Information as a national cultural and historical heritage. The Mia Pagoda, also known as Sung Nghiem Tu, sits on a small hill in Dong Sang hamlet. The pagoda, which was constructed before 1632 and has been restored and upgraded many times, houses 287 Buddha statues, the most beautiful of which is Quan Am Tong Tu, or Kwan Ying Bodhlsattva.

To reach Duong Lam village from Hanoi, drive along National Highway No.32 or Lang-Hoa Lac Expressway, turn right on National Highway No.21 and continue for another 50 kilometres.

travel-Palm Garden - Hoi An’s beach heaven

2009-08-08T05:00:00.002-07:00

Buried in quiet surroundings, with yellow blossoms covering the wooden one-story condominiums looking out over the sea, Palm Garden, in the new Hoi An resort area, is nothing less than idyllic. Surrounding the resort is a palm garden bursting with over 400 palm trees, tilting and swaying over green grass.

A shot 40-minute drive from Danang International Airport, Palm Garden greets guests with a cocktail, a cool towel, and friendly smiles from the moment you drive in.

Elegantly decorated rooms done in a "tropical style" boast a variety of local materials, like silk, pottery, tiles, bricks, and soothing, natural open-air baths. Just a few steps away is a 220-metre shoreline stretching along Cua Dai Beach, over which the sun rises majestically.

Late in the afternoon, guests have the option of a leisurely bike ride from the garden to the ancient streets of Hoi An. This quaint central Vietnam getaway is famous for its beautiful and quickly made silk apparel, sold in stores, with tailors who speak French and English. Visitors may also join a traditional lantern workshop, or order stunning European-style silver jewelry at remarkably low prices.

Sports fans will relish Palm Garden’s beach volleyball, sailing to Cu Lao Cham (Cham Island) to observe the ancient landscape, and diving for a glimpse of underwater ocean life. The rush of the waves beats against the sailboats, lightly spraying passengers along the way.

Boaters may enjoy going up to Au Thuyen, where a major storm in 1989 swept away a number of ships and local residents. In 1990, with assistance from local and Hoi An people, a stone shelter was built for boats to take shelter from violent storms.

Visitors may also enter Hai Tang Pagoda, where Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese traders once stopped while passing by Cham Island. They often burned incense at the pagoda, praying for a safe journey, profitable trade, and lots of wood and water for the trip. The pagoda reveals the typical features of Hoi An architecture. Currently, the pagoda still preserves five major treasures, including four old statues and a large copper bell made from gold mixed with copper, said to have been ordered by ghosts. Legend has it that one may become a clever and successful person when placing one’s head inside the bell and ringing it.

Just beyond Hai Tang Pagoda lies a bay beneath rocky mountain cliffs, where red flowers blaze from full trees. Following the white sand, next to Hon Chong (Husband Island) is San Ho (coral) Bay. Swimmers are sure to love the tranquil waters and colourful coral branches beneath the water. Blue starfish, as well as red, yellow, and white coral branches reach upward in the ocean like vibrant sea sculptures.

Back at the quiet Palm Garden, guests may enjoy hanging out at the Contino Bar, where a live Philippino band rocks the night away, or walking along Cua Dai Beach. It is said that Palm Gardens is Hoi An’s new heaven on the beach.

travel-Tu Van Pagoda - a world

2009-08-08T05:00:00.001-07:00

A magnificent, mysterious realm of dry coral and shells distinguishes Tu Van Pagoda on the central coast from Vietnam’s many other pagodas. With its distinct origins, the pagoda, located in Cam Ranh Municipality of Khanh Hoa province, has become a popular stopover for many tours from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang, the capital of Khanh Hoa.

Tu Van Pagoda was built in 1968 on Ba Thang Tu Street, some 60 kilometres south of Nha Trang. For many years now, monks at the pagoda have been using dead coral and seashells to build many different works, turning the pagoda’s space into a museum of coral and shells.

The first thing visitors encounter is the Thuyen Bat Nha (Prajna Paramitta Boat), resting at the main entrance of the pagoda. According to Buddhist theory, it is the boat navigated by Mitreya Buddha to carry people of great righteousness and generosity across the ocean of misery after death. On the boat’s sails are extracts from the Buddhist book of prayer, which are intended to calm visitors so that they may enter the pagoda with tranquil souls.

Passing through the front gardens, visitors reach the 40-meter-high Bao Tich Tower, built with cemented coral and shells. Hundreds of statues of Buddha and deities are planted on the tower itself, while inside the tower stands a statue of the Goddess of Mercy, with a thousand arms and a thousand eyes on each palm.

Next to the tower is Bat Nha Hoa Vien, a garden full of big shady trees and statues of animals and sea creatures, resting in beautiful harmony with their surroundings.

But what really arouses visitors’ curiosities is the work called Duong Xuong Dia Nguc (Pathway to hell). Still in progress, it takes several years to complete just one kilometre of the winding road leading to a cave that symbolises hell, both constructed using dead coral and seashells.

Before stepping foot on the pathway, it is recommended that visitors light candles and fasten their safety helmets for protection against the cave’s rough ceilings. Once inside, the path is a narrow and windy one, sometimes curling into a spiral shape.

There are 12 gates in the cave that symbolise the 12 layers of hell in Buddhist theory, and at each gate is a description of the sins that a person may commit during his/her lifetime.

Those who do not wish to brave the journey by themselves may ask for guidance from one of the children living nearby, who know the path like the back of their hands. Upon emerging from the cave, don’t forget to give the little guides a tip for their assistance.

travel-Mau Son Mountain

2009-08-08T04:59:00.002-07:00

At 1,600m, the peak of Mau Son in Lang Son northern border province offers a bewitching view of the surrounding valleys. Through the clouds, visitors can see the rugged countryside of Lang Son, with China to the north, Na Duong to the east, and Dong Dang to the west.

It is this panoramic vista that first attracted the French to Mau Son, which lies some 170km from Hanoi. To take advantage of the mountain’s views of the north-east gateway to China, the French built a military base here at the start of the 20th century. This site’s original inhabitants, members of the Dao ethnic minority group, were moved away from the French settlement. Only authorised personnel were permitted to enter the French base.

Later, French tourists were also welcomed at this hill station. In January 1936, Dr O.Pilot, a student of the famous bacteriologist Dr Alexandre Yersin, visited Mau Son. Some local people say that the doctor first came to Mau Son to collect traditional medicinal plants, which used to be cultivated in this region.

Dr Pilot was so impressed by what he found that he petitioned the northern governor for permission to build tourist villas at the site. In 1936, he got the go-ahead to buy land and start construction. For six or seven years, thousands of local people worked on this project, mining, breaking and carrying stones to build a number of massive villas.

Today, these villas have crumbled to ruins. Blocks of moss-covered stone are scattered throughout the site, and lie among the old foundations, where it’s still possible to identify the houses’ former kitchens, fire place and staircases.

Like Sleeping Beauty, the fairy tale princess placed under a spell, Mau Son has slept, all but forgotten, for almost five decades. Until 1987, motorbikes were not even allowed onto the torturous road that wind, like a snake, up the mountain.

Finally, Mau Son is waking up. Residents of the surrounding area first came to admire the views, followed by visitors from China and lowland Vietnam.

When the French built their villas, they did not imagine a day when Mau Son would be free to welcome all visitors. Today, Mau Son’s residents want to share their home’s secluded beauty with the world. They want tourists to explore the pristine Tam Thanh Cave, shop for woven fabrics in the colourful ethnic minority market, and hike the mountain’s many trails.

In the early 1930s, the only way to reach Mau Son was on horseback. Today, local people still use horses to carry goods up the steep mountain slopes. However, visitors can leave Mau Son by car, driving 30km to Lang Son town from where it will take another six hours to reach Hanoi.

The narrow road twists along steep mountain ridges, offering views of the emerald valleys. Some Dao girls, dressed in festive embroidered clothes, flag the car down for a lift. With their traditional dresses and bright smiles, they are as naturally beautiful as their mountain homeland.

travel-Non Nuoc marble artists carve a place in history

2009-08-08T04:59:00.001-07:00

Eight kilometres from Da Nang city is the picturesque rock outcropping of Ngu Hanh Son (Five Marble Mountains). Consisting of five large hills riddled with caves dedicated to Buddha and Budhistavas, the Marble Mountains were already serving as religious sanctuaries for the ancient Chams in the second century.

Apart from their charming beauty, they represent a valuable source of red, white and blue marbles for the artisans at the foot of the mountain in Non Nuoc village. Non Nuoc serves as an authentic brand name for marble carvings from the area, and is a great source of pride for the people of Da Nang city.

According to an epitaph kept in Pho Khanh Pagoda, the art of marble sculpturing in Non Nuoc Village originally came from artisans immigrating from Thanh Hoa (150km south of Hanoi) early in the 17th century. It is of course not chance that led them to this region, but rather the recognition of the rich source of materials they could use for their art. They settled and soon started putting to good use the ancient Ngu Hanh Son. They also found inspiration in its aura as well as its mysterious and captivating sights.

Today, the village buzzes with activity, and the melodic sound of carvers working day and night mixes with the regular rhythm of the waves nearby.

In the old days, artisans only produced simple functional items such as grinders, mortars and anchors to meet the demand of locals living in neighbouring villages. But throughout the middle of the 19th century, when the first tea sets – teapots and cups – were carved out of marble, craftmen thought of venturing into more artistic areas and started expanding the range of their products. These included domestic objects such as flower vases, plates, white marble tea sets, and traditional familiar figures of elephants, lions, dragons, unicorns, tortoises, and phoenixes. Up to the first decades of the 20th century, Non Nuoc marble works were regularly displayed at international exhibitions.

Visiting Non Nuoc today, you will discover artisans absorbed in chiselling, whittling, carving and polishing a whole variety of coloured marble pieces. People admire and praise their talent, skill, and creativity when they see rough marble blocks slowly coming alive in the form of a statues such as Vietnamese girls with graceful long dresses and lovely "Bai tho" conical hats. Marble products fall into four different categories: statues of Buddha and gods; statues of people, especially woman or loving couples, animals, and household amenities such as lamps, chairs, tables, flower vases, teacups, bowls and plates often imprinted in oriental styles. Non Nuoc also produces items that can be used for Western architectural style decoration such as marble balconies, pillars and water fountains. But there is no doubt that artisans take the most joy and pride carving the artistic pieces imitating the Champa style.

Marble sculptors in Non Nuoc village are passionate about their work and proud of their creativity. Many of them have dedicated their lives to the craft. Among the most famous are Le Bien, Nguyen Sang, and Nguyen Viet Minh. Young artisans such as Nguyen Long Buu and Nguyen Hung became renowned early in their careers after making a breakthrough in modern marble art with the typical works comprising figures of Vietnamese mothers in the season of spring. These artists have now risen to fame through local and overseas exhibitions.

travel-Basket boats intertwined with Ngan Ha village’s history

2009-08-08T04:58:00.001-07:00

Ngan Ha villagers, both male and female, have got used to rowing the thuyen thung very early since childhood. Many still remember clearly the first day of learning how to row out from the shore without spinning around and around in a circle.

Basket boats, locally called thuyen thung, dot the more than two-kilometre-long beach of Ngan Ha Village in Ninh Thuy district, south central Khanh Hoa province.

The small, round bamboo boats put out to dry in the sun look like mushrooms growing on the sand. If you travel there for the first time, you may wonder why such a small fishing village has so many basket boats.

To satisfy your curiosity, you should backtrack in the history of Ngan Ha, now located along the road from Hyundai Vinashin Shipyard to Doc Let, one of the most famous tourist parks along Khanh Hoa’s coastline.

You can find the tale about the history of thuyen thung in many documents and books. Hundreds of years ago groups of people from across the country moved to settle down around Ngan Ha and make a living by catching fish, oysters and shrimp.

When the French ruled Vietnam, they levied taxes on many things, including boats. Many poor villagers could not pay the tax imposed on their small boats so they invented a new type of boat called thuyen thung to evade taxes because the thung (round basket) was not considered a boat.

Since then, the thuyen thung has been intertwined with the history of not only Ngan Ha and its people, but also many other fishing villages on the central coast.

Nguyen Thi Dau, a 66-year-old Ngan Ha resident, says many of the current thuyen thung in the village are older than her.

She says each of the more than 200 households in Ngan Ha has one thuyen thung, which is their property and tool to earn a living.

A thuyen thung costs some VND1 million. Many households make thuyen thung by themselves, while some buy a boat from others.

The villagers make thuyen thung from bamboo and cover it with chai (a waterproof material made from a plant).

First, people select quality bamboo plants and split them into thin strips before drying them in the sun. Then they skilfully bent and knit the strips into a round shape. After knitting, they coat the boat with many layers of chai to make the boat waterproof.

Ms Dau says Ngan Ha villagers, both male and female, have got used to rowing the thuyen thung very early since childhood. Many still remember clearly the first day of learning how to row out from the shore without spinning around and around in a circle.

When bigger fishing boats return after a long journey on the sea and anchor in Ninh Thuy commune, the experienced Ngan Ha villagers row their thuyen thung to the ships to buy fish, shrimp and squid for sale on the mainland.

In that, Ngan Ha differs from many other fishing villages because its residents do not make nuoc mam (fish sauce) and weave fishing nets, which are considered traditional occupations of a fishing village.

Without the pungent smell of the fish sauce, visitors to Ngan Ha are at ease to observe the villagers bob out to sea in the basket boats and return, carrying back baskets of fish and shrimp to the shore for sale.

travel-Lam Dong province lures visitors with adventure tours

2009-08-08T04:57:00.002-07:00

The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong offers plenty of opportunities for adventure. Coming here, visitors can choose from a wide variety of tours, from elephant riding, mountain biking, and trekking, to bird watching.

Tuyen Lam translates as "Jungle Spring", an apt name for this pristine lake surrounded by lush jungle just seven kilometres from downtown Da Lat. I take a boat across Tuyen Lam Lake to Da Tien (Fairy Stones), where visitors can rent stilt-houses, some of which are big enough to hold large groups, and some made just for couples. As Da Lat is Vietnam’s favourite honeymoon destination, I imagine a lot of newlyweds come here to enjoy the romantic views. If you want privacy, houseboats are another good option. In the mid-day heat, it is pleasant to stay on the boat and fish. Come dusk, birdwatchers can venture into the forest that surrounds the lake.

Coming here, visitors can ride elephants for sightseeing. Bordered by ferns as tall as a man, the track through the jungle is just wide enough to allow my massive mount to pass. I feel as if I entered a scene from the film Jurassic Park. Sitting on a padded chair atop a towering elephant, I enjoy the breeze and the sense of being at the same height as the treetops. Here and there I have a view of K’ho villages, and the smoke from distant cooking fires rising into the air.

After rolling along for two leisurely hours I reach the eco-tourism resort of Nui Voi (Elephant Mountain). The view is heavenly with the surrounding slopes covered with thick foliage rustling in the wind.

Guests can stay in stilt-houses or, if they have no fear of heights, in tree houses made from wood and bamboo. Some of the houses are shaped like baskets, with a dome-shaped roof. They are even equipped with electricity and modern plumping.

Communal showers are set in a cave in a hillside.

As darkness falls, it turns cool. The cold air and the strange noises of the jungle seem to melt away as I move closer to the fire. I join people from Darahoa village in roasting corn, beans and dried venison over the flames. Some K’ho children sing and perform traditional dances. It is cosy inside the house and the darkness of the surrounding jungle makes this gathering seem even warmer.

Visitors to Lam Dong can now choose from a wide variety of tours. They can ride elephants, mountain bike, trek, and bird-watch. There are even specialised tours for hunters, who pay big money for the privilege of shooting deer, hippos, wild boar and jungle fowl around Pang Pa-Lam Ha, some 92km from Da Lat.

travel-Keo pagoda honours talented doctor, monk

2009-08-08T04:57:00.001-07:00

Located 130 kilometres from Hanoi in Duy Nhat commune in Vu Thu district, Keo Pagoda was built in the early days of the 17th century under the direction of Buddhist monk and renowned physician Duong Khong Lo.

Born in Giao Thuy village in present-day Nam Dinh province, Khong Lo became a Buddhist monk at the age of 29. He made friends with two other famous monks, Tu Dao Hanh and Giac Hai, and in 1060, the three went to India to learn more about Buddhism.

Returning to his homeland one year later, Khong Lo built a pagoda named Nghiem Quang and then travelled throughout the country to preach Buddhism and treat patients, including King Ly Thanh Tong.

Khong Lo is credited with curing the king of a serious illness. To show his gratitude, the king bestowed the title of Quoc Su (Prince’s Master) on the doctor. In 1167, King Ly Anh Tong issued an imperial edict to give money to repair Nghiem Quang Pagoda and renamed it Than Quang.

But in 1611, a hurricane destroyed the left Red River bank and swept the pagoda away. The locals, who moved to the river’s other bank belonging to Thai Binh province, were determined to build another pagoda.

But because the Nguyen Lords and Trinh Lords were waging war in the country, it took Tuan Tho Hau Hoang Nhan Dung, a mandarin, and his wife Lai Thi Ngoc Le 19 years to call for and collect money to construct another pagoda in Keo Village.

Work on the pagoda was finally completed in 1632 after 28 months of construction. The 5.8ha pagoda complex at the time consisted of 21 houses with 157 compartments. It now has 17 houses with 128 compartments, covering more than 2,022m2.The complex’s main entrance near the lake has three arches, which are shrines to the Buddha and his disciples. Keo Pagoda boasts almost 100 statues, making it a veritable museum of Buddha statues.

In the pagoda grounds is a special area dedicated to Khong Lo, as well as shrines to Gia Roi, Thien Huong Phuc Quoc, Thuong Dien and others.

The aloe-wooded statue of Khong Lo stands on an altar made of red lacquer trimmed with gold. It is said that when he died in 1094 at the age of 79, the Buddhist monk turned into the statue.

Visitors can also see many objects that Khong Lo used in his life, such as three shells used as teacups and a string of beads.

The compound’s three-level bell tower has curved roofs and three bells. The bell on the top level weighs 300 kilograms; the next is 700 kilograms heavy; and the last one weighs 1.3 tonnes.

Next to the bell tower is an old well surrounded by 36 broken stone mortars, which the workers who built the pagoda allegedly used to grind rice.

The highlight of the year is the Keo Pagoda Festival from the 13th to 15th day of the ninth lunar month, or October 15 to 17 this year, which commemorates Khong Lo.

The festival begins with a morning procession, symbolising the 100 days of Buddhist discipline that the monk underwent. Boat races follow in the afternoon, and a drum-beating competition takes place at night.

The next morning Khong Lo’s birthday is celebrated with a procession.

In the afternoon, the "Gathering of to the Buddhists" worshipping ceremony is held at Gia Roi Temple within the pagoda confines. The final day is busy with more ceremonies and fun after the "Back to the Palace" procession.

travel-Garden houses bloom with beauty in Hue

2009-08-08T04:56:00.001-07:00

The former imperial capital city of Hue is known not only for its ancient citadel and extravagant tombs, but also for its historic houses, with their beautiful gardens, or nha vuon. Each nha vuon boasts a rockwork and a lotus pond, and the whole garden area is arranged in line with eastern geomancy rules.

Nha vuon and the diversity of the gardens, reflecting the house owner’s life style, is a characteristic trait of the city by the Huong (Perfume) River in central Vietnam.

A Hue nha vuon usually consists of main and back entrances in the surrounding fence, and a small wall, rockwork and plants in the front yard and the house itself.

A tree often grows in front of the home’s entrance gate. The rather high gate is topped with a small roof, large enough to give passers-by temporary shelter from sun and rain.

In the middle of the garden, a binh phong (a brick wall) rises in front of the house, serving as a defence and protection of the altar in the main room of the house. The path leading around the wall from the entrance gate is lined with tea bushes or apricot trees.

The first row of flowers farthest way from the house is made up of decorative plants, according to the taste of the owner. The second row includes slim fruit trees, such as thanh yen (a type of citrus tree), arena and lime trees.

The third row is composed of large fruit trees carrying jack-fruits, longan or guavas. Then come rows of aromatic herbs or medicinal plants. In short, there is a bit of everything, even in smaller gardens.

The typical house is a nha ruong made with a timber frame, and roofed with brick tiles.

The whole house stands on big pillars placed on a round or square stone base, which is sometimes decorated. The altar of the ancestors occupies the central room.

The home’s frames and pillars are usually made from precious, solid wood, such as lim (iron wood), gu (sindora), gie loi (Vietnamese oak) or song xanh (Teranthera pine).

Among the most famous garden houses are Lac Tinh Vien, An Hien, Ngoc Son, Ty Ba Trang and Tinh Gia Vien.

Poet Hong Khang built Lac Tinh Vien in 1889 on an area of 2,070 square metres. The garden has a beautiful and cool setting, with two symmetrically arranged rows of hibiscuses, roses and laurel along the path leading to the house.

Under the trees are small tables and chairs to rest and drink tea. At the end of the path is a wall shaped like an open book.

An Hien was built in the late 19th century and covers 4,608 square metres. Originally the 18th daughter of Emperor Duc Duc lived in the building.

After 1895, it was transferred to Pham Dang Thap, a son of a high-ranking mandarin under the Gia Long reign. Then, in 1920 the house went to Tung Le, before Nguyen Dinh Chi, a provincial chief, bought it in 1938.

An Hien garden has all the traits of a perfect nha vuon - a long alley, a magical brick wall, a court-yard, many different flowers and trees of all colours. It also features great variety of ornamental plants, a water-lily pond, and orchard fruit trees from the three parts of the country. At the centre, a decayed timber house stands with 48 columns for the cult of the ancestors and Buddha, a reading pavilion and other buildings.

Ngoc Son was the residence of Princess Ngoc Son, daughter of Emperor Dong Khanh. When she got married, her father granted her an area of 2,370 square metres to build the house, and descendant generations have preserved it well.

The nha vuon boasts a rockwork and lotus pond. The whole garden area is arranged in line with eastern geomancy rules.

Built in 1949, Ty Ba Trang was the private residence of Professor Nguyen Huu Ba, former director of Hue National Conservatory.

The 1,000-square-metre garden house has been turned into a museum for traditional music from the country’s north, south and centre, including Hue. On display in the house is a collection of ty ba, a Chinese pear-shaped guitar with four strings made of braided silk that was mainly used in the royal court orchestra.

A princess first lived at Tinh Gia Vien, which was transferred to a mandarin under the Nguyen Dynasty. In 1979 Nguyen Van Huu Van, a musician and Prof. Ba’s nephew, bought it.

An adorer of bonsai, Van made his residence into a bonsai garden, with more than 300 different species, and embellished it with a spectacular rockwork. The highlights include 150-year-old apricot bonsai and 200-year-old cycad bonsai.

travel-customs and culture of the Central Highlanders

2009-08-08T04:55:00.002-07:00

Those who take time to not only fleetingly glance over the landscapes and lives in the Central Highlands will discover that local people have many interesting and special customs.

For one, the region, which consists of Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Kon Tum, Gia Lai and Dak Nong provinces, is home to many ethnic minorities, including the M’Nong, E De, Gie Trieng, J’rai and K’ho.

When thinking of ethnic minorities in the region, one might evoke images of their more famous customs and traditions - their dresses, dances, epics, gong beating performances and festivals.

Another typical feature of ethnic minority culture is the nha mo (grave houses), where the souls of the deceased rest according to the group’s ancient customs. After the burial, family members erect a hut on the new grave to provide shelter for the dead person under ground.

The hut, covered with iron sheets, leaves or tiles, is usually stocked with the deceased person’s belongings, such as water bottles, hammocks, pots, gui (bamboo baskets) and even statues.

Two or three years later, family members remove the maker-shift hut and build a new larger wooden house in a ritual called le bo ma (grave-leaving ceremony). The ceremony is usually organised in the spring and is considered a festive day. Villagers gather at the cemetery grounds, and the family members bring offerings of food.

After the offerings are presented to the deceased, villagers sing songs, dance and enjoy the food and drinks taken from the altar, in the belief that the deceased returns to join the feast with them.

One of the main rituals in le bo ma is carving wooden statues, which are than placed in front of the grave house, surrounded by a fence.

The various statues, often resembling humans or animals, especially birds, are seen as original sculptural work of Central Highlanders.

After the le bo ma, relatives of the deceased no longer care for the grave, so many statues and graves decay.

In addition, many locals have started to build brick grave houses and have paid little attention to preserving the custom of carving wooden statues.

Although visitors to Dak Lak can still find many wooden grave houses and statues, the Dak Lak Museum, fearing the tradition may die out, began to collect grave house statues for preservation three years ago.

Because the statues are holy to the ethnic minorities, and nobody is allowed to carry them away from the graves, the museum pays artisans to make replicas of the ones they create at the le bo ma. Now the museum has a large collection of statues to display to the public, but many tourists still prefer to make excursions to grave houses to learn about the local culture and sightsee the original statues. Some even get a chance to attend a Le bo ma.

travel-Nha Trang in a different light

2009-08-08T04:55:00.001-07:00

Should you ever get tired of diving, swimming and sunbathing on Nha Trang’s beautiful shore, you can set out to explore the capital of the central province of Khanh Hoa in a different way, taking a horse-drawn carriage to rural villages on the outskirts of Nha Trang.

Nha Trang Villa Tour Company offers such a one-day trip. The company now has seven carriages and plans to raise its fleet to 15 soon to meet the increasing demand. The tour not only teaches tourists part of Nha Trang’s history but also is imbued with a romantic atmosphere, particularly for young couples.

Decades ago, horse carts carried goods and people from Dien Lac, Dien Son and Dien Dien communes in the suburban district of Dien Khanh to downtown Nha Trang via present-day October 23rd Street. Now, few people remember those times.

Villa Tour’s trip takes people back in time, letting them enjoy the peaceful rural scenery as the horse trots along the small paths. In the morning, the company picks visitors up and transports them to Ngoc Son Wharf by the Cai River, about one kilometre from downtown Nha Trang.

Then visitors board a small boat that takes them to a small wooden bridge, from where they walk some 300 meters to the 150-year-old house of Nguyen Xuan Thanh in Vinh Thanh Commune.

After going through the house and learning more about its history, tourists receive fruit and tea from a teapot covered with a coconut lid to keep the tea warm. Then, they take the well-decorated horse carriage, waiting in the shadow of a big mango tree in the front garden and start the journey.

The horse, guided by an experienced postillion, pulls the carriage along roads lined with rose-mallows on both sides. Here and there are betel trees, vegetable gardens, orchards, and tile-roofed and thatched houses.

The first stop is Lu Cam, a former pottery-making village. More than a century ago, the village was famous for its fine pottery, which was sold in many central provinces.

However, the villagers now are specialised on making earth ovens. Visitors can see rows of ovens of different sizes, drying along the bank of the Cai River, and can buy a few tiny ovens as souvenirs.

The next destinations are villages that make sedge mats, incense and bronze products. If visitors want to finish the journey, they can take a boat upstream to Song Tranh Restaurant on the riverbank for lunch.

Those who want to go further can take the horse carriage across Vinh Phuong Bridge to Cai Road, then to Dien Son Commune, where they stop by Dai An Mountain for an excursion to Am Chua.

The pagoda on the mountain is dedicated to Po Nagar, the goddess of the Cham people and the wife of Shiva, the god of war. She’s also known as Ba Chua and as Thien Y A Na.

Legend has it that the child Po Nagar descended to earth here and went to live with a couple of woodcutters.

To honor the goddess, the locals hold a festival on the 22nd day of the fourth lunar month. In addition to rituals and a procession, the festival features the Flower Offering Dance and other dances connected to the legend of Thien Y Ana.

After Am Chua, the journey continues to the murmuring Lo O Stream, where tourists can rest before eating lunch.

travel-A mountain of many names

2009-08-08T04:54:00.002-07:00

In the northwest of Ha Nam province there is a limestone mountain range along the banks of the soft flowing Day River. However, without a signpost saying it is a historical site, you might be forgiven for missing it.

The mountain is not used to having a low profile, but we must look at the different names it has had over the years to help us tell its story.

Once, it was known as Cuon Son (the Swept-away Mountain). In 1069 Ly Thuong Kiet (1019-1105), one of Vietnam's most renowned generals during feudal times, brought his troops and warships down the Day River to fight an enemy in the south.

When the troops passed the mountain, a strong wind came across and Kiet ordered his troops and the ships to shelter at the bottom of the mountain. But, a mast on one of Kiet's ship snapped in the wind and a flag was swept away to the mountaintop.

Unsettled by this strange omen, Kiet conducted a ceremony on the river’s bank to pray for victory and named the mountain Cuon Son.

Kiet was victorious in battle and before returning to Thang Long Capital Citadel (now Hanoi), he stopped at the mountain, threw a feast for his troops and invited the locals to a month-long festival. He also sent troops to help the locals with rice cultivation and silkworm breeding.

To commemorate his merit, the locals set up a temple to worship him where the festival took place. Still, every year on the sixth day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar, the locals hold a festival in his honour at the foot of the mountain with traditional games and music.

The temple is named Den Truc (Small Bamboo Temple) as it was placed among thousands of small bamboo trees that once grew at the site. The temple faces the Day River and standing in front of it one can appreciate the tranquility of the area.

Not long after the visit of General Kiet in 1069, the name Cuon Son was changed to Quyen Son.

This is most likely because the word "Cuon" appeared only in spoken Vietnamese and therefore, the locals had to use the word "Quyen" so that the name of the mountain could appear in official documents written in Sino-Vietnamese characters.

Since then, the mountain has also been known as Thi Son (the Grass Mountain), as it is said on the mountain there is a special variety of grass called co thi that can be used as a medicinal herb or for telling one's fortunes.

It has also been known as Cam Son (the Forbidden Mountain), as the locals believed it was very sacred and nobody was allowed to take a tree or even a dry branch off it. Consequently, the mountain is still quite lush.

At the top of the mountain, there is a flat stone that looks like a large chessboard and locals say at night fairies come down to play.

However, today the mountain is best known as Ngu Dong Son (the Mountain of Five Caves) and is open as a tourist attraction.

Inside the mountain, there are five limestone caves connected together by a natural tunnel over 100 metres long that goes through from one side of the mountain to the other.

The atmosphere in the caves is cool and each of the caves, all filled with stalagmite, have their own beauty. In the first cave, there is a statue of the Lord of the Holy Mountain featuring an eagle and a lion. It is connected to the four remaining caves by a long tunnel, only 1.6m high and 1.2m wide, large enough for two people to walk side by side. It is quite eerie entering this tunnel, although it is well lit.

The fourth cave is the biggest one. A statue of Buddha is placed in front of a stalagmite that looks rather like a large shark. In this cave, there is a small well from the Day River.

The fifth cave has a statue of Duc Thanh Long (the Dragon Saint), who is believed to report all human sins to the Ruler of Heaven to judge one's afterlife. That is why he has a book and a pen with him.

Dinh Cong Tan, the keeper of the caves were discovered one day in 1901, when two children herding buffaloes saw a bat flying out of a small hole in the mountain. They crept into the hole to chase the bats and found the caves.

Tan says there are two other caves in the mountain but a passageway to them has yet to be opened. But does that mean it will one day be known as the Mountain of Seven Caves?

travel-Ngang Pass - an ideal destination for tourists

2009-08-08T04:54:00.001-07:00

Ngang Pass spans Hoanh Son Mountain, linking Quang Binh and Ha Tinh provinces in the central region. Many cultural and historical sites and natural scenery are located near the pass.

Coming to Ngang Pass, tourists face Hoanh Son (a chain of mountains separating the two provinces) gate, where a couple of parallel sentences can be seen on two pillars written in the Nguyen dynasty.

A temple to worship Princess Lieu Hanh is about 300 metres southwest of the gate. The temple, built in 1557 (the post-Le dynasty), faces the East Sea. During Tet (lunar traditional New Year Festival), local fishermen burned incenses at the temple and pray for luck.

When leaving the temple, tourists can take boats to La Island, where there is a fairy well with transparent and fresh water all year round.

Tourists can then call at a natural stone chessboard nearby and sunbathe on extremely beautiful beaches.

La Island is considered "a big house" for local fishermen. There is an old pagoda called Hang (cave) on the island built by the locals. The pagoda is a place where fishermen share their happiness after they capture a great deal of fish and shrimps.

Gio (Wind) Island is located southeast of La Island. Tourists can get sea snails with strange shapes and sparkling colours.

To the west of Ngang Pass, tourists should visit Yen (swallow) Island, where fishermen earn a lot of money from swallow nets.

Canh Duong fishing village is also an ideal destination for tourists to enjoy the special dishes of Ngang Pass such as Ham Duong fish sauce, dried octopus, lobster and swallow’s nests.

travel-Cham island’s beauty attracts growing numbers of tourists

2009-08-08T04:53:00.001-07:00

Cham Island, a group of eight islets off central Quang Nam province, is a romantic tourist spot. One of the islets is home to salanganes - the bird whose nests are nutritious and expensive. Of the seven other islets, two have residents and are named after Lang and Huong villages.

Three generations of old man Tam, an offspring of the Le family, have been living on Lang Islet for a long time. Le’s family has a large graveyard on a hill facing the west. Tam lives alone in a thatched hut on the hill, next to the graveyard. He has a house in Lang Village but he likes to live on the hill because, he says, it is more tranquil.

The owners of Dan Tri Restaurant have been in Lang Village for about 15 years. From the ancient town of Hoi An, Tri and his wife, Dan, bought land in the village, intending to make their living by fishing.

Their land is now at the front of the village and welcomes visitors arriving every day by hydrofoil.

This has turned Tri from a fisherman into a tour operator. He provides guests with sightseeing tours by boat around the islets, fishing and diving gear, and lobsters meals at reasonable prices.

The Cham Island group was bustling last summer when a travel company in Da Nang City put the hydrofoil - Greenlines 5 - into operation to transport guests from the central city. A trip to the island group takes about an hour. Every weekend, the hydrofoil carries 150 passengers to the island, not to mention the same number arriving by speedboat from Hoi An.

Lang Village seems to be crowded. After a short visit to the exhibition room featuring artifacts found on sunken ships off Cham lsland, guests flock to the small fishing village. Almost all villagers can catch cua da, the crab that lives in springs and is tastier than marine crabs. Crabs are for sale in iron baskets in front of every house, together with dried and spiced fish, dried squid and banh it, a local specialty that is made of sticky rice flour and green beans.

lslanders have learned how to provide hospitality services rapidly. Tour guides often take guests to the large coral reef located off the eastern part of the island. They show them how to dive to see coral, catch lobsters, spear groupers, and look for rare shellfish and small, colourful fishes. It costs just VND50,000 and an adventurous guest can be taught how to dive to catch lobsters.

However, on the eastern beach of Lang Village lie some pieces of coral that were left by tourists. In the afternoon when the sun is about to set, tourists go back to their boats with plastic bags of the fish that they have caught around the coral reefs. The Cham Island Natural Reserve Authority has had to tell islanders that picking coral, catching lobsters during the reproduction season, and hunting ornamental fish, rare shellfish and groupers is strictly prohibited.

Tan, an amateur tour guide on the islet, recalls that he has not found big seashells for a long time. It is because such big, beautiful seashells have been sold to tourists for years. Tan says vu nang and vu sao, two kinds of shellfish that are Cham lsland's specialty, are on the verge of extinction. Big crabs have become scarcer and scarcer because they are caught when they are and can be sold for VND15,000-50.000/kg. Holothurian and abalone, two more of Cham Island's specialties, are also on the brink of extinction.

A big guesthouse is under construction on a narrow beach on Chong Strip. Palm-roofed huts have been built on the other beautiful beaches, where mountains run closer to the sea. As mountains and forests cover most of the area of Cham Island, and residents have built their houses on every available piece of land, a big guesthouse seems to make the village narrower, and the number of visitors to the island at the weekend makes it crowded. This is why travel companies have to build hotels or guesthouses on deserted islets, such as Chong beach, and on Hon Dai in the near future.

travel-Dalat : the city of love

2009-08-08T04:52:00.001-07:00

Maybe it is the flowers that make Dalat such a haven for lovers. Situated halfway between heaven and earth on a plateau that separates it from more mortal places, this honeymooner’s heaven is nestled amid immense pine forests and rolling hills.

Its ancient villas, tinged a graceful yellow or somber ochre, are ringed with flamboyant violets, grand old cherry trees and lithe mimosa. Its streets are lined with tall trees and in street markets, people offer shrubs and bunches of flowers for sale.

Dalat is one of the few places in Vietnam where the temperature rarely exceeds 25 degrees Celsius, even in mid summer. In the winter, it seldom drops below 10 degrees. This mild climate makes it ideal for flowers that fail to flourish in other parts of the country.

And so, Dalat has become a haven for horticulturists. It is home to over 40 different species of chrysanthemum, 15 species of rose, and an astonishing 300 varieties of orchid. Since the early 20th century, Lang Bian Plateau, on which Dalat rests, has lured amateur orchidologists. They came from as far away as London and Paris to study the region’s orchids. Many take clippings, which they carry home and nourish lovingly so that botanical gardens across Europe can later enhance their own orchid gardens. Tulips, for example, arrived in Vietnam.

When dusk falls, young couples prefer strolling in the streets, with their arms round each other, while other people gather in small shops or open markets to buy flowers. Their love of horticulture is legendary, part of the nature-loving character of local residents.

Perhaps it is not just the beautiful flowers growing in Dalat from where so many Vietnamese composers and poets have found inspiration to write love songs and poems that that tug at listeners’ heartstrings? Maybe the myriad of lakes and waterfalls located around the city have something to do with it. After all, which star struck lover doesn’t dream of a romantic stroll through majestic scenery, arm in arm with the object of his or her affection?

Tuyen Lam Lake is one spot where springs, rivers and forests meet. Rain forest water come down from Elephant Mountain through the beautiful Tia spring and Da Tam River into the lake which covers 350 hectares.

Other waterfalls flow like shining walls of gems. Droplets the colour of sapphires and emeralds spiral to their deaths, forming fine sprays and dews as they fall. Visitors to Dalat can walk the hazardous bridge below Prenn Waterfall and listen to its waters as they drum to the eternal rhythm of the forest. Those looking for adventure can climb the near vertical path up to the top of the Datanla Waterfall. Each slab of stone is smooth and slippery, rubbed to a fine polish by the footsteps of fairies who were believed to walk around there.

Cam Ly Waterfall is just three kilometers from the centre of Dalat and has inspired many poets. One poet describes it as beautiful as in a dream. Charming amid the pine forests and fog.

Another famous spot is Da Thien Lake. Its deep, mysterious waters draw visitors to a charming place called Valley D’Amour by the former French colonists who discovered Dalat. Far beyond the valley, often shrouded in an enticing mist, is the Lang Bian Mountain. Lakes, mountains, mist. It would be difficult to find a more romantic combination.

Dalat’s best-known lake is Xuan Huong Lake, which locals treasure as a gem in the heart of their flower city. It is so beautiful that poet Han Mac Tu once uttered the words:

Don’t talk. Just keep silent

Listen to the water as it speaks from its depths

Listen to the trees as they whisper in the breeze

Listen to the words of love

Other scenic spots in and around Dalat have inspired lovers over the years. Although young couples come to these places only once to experience a whirlwind romance, they will never forget about having a good time together.

travel-Hue urns feature royal artwork under Nguyen kings

2009-08-08T04:51:00.000-07:00

In 1802, the ruling elite in Vietnam changed. Nguyen Anh came to the throne and became King Gia Long, the founder of the Nguyen Dynasty, which reigned from Hue until 1945.

During their 143-year rule, the Nguyen kings ordered the construction of a system of citadels, royal palaces, mausoleums, temples and pagodas, as well as houses with gardens to serve as kings' and mandarins' residences in Hue and adjacent areas.

The architectural works stand in harmony with the poetic Huong (Perfume) River and Ngu Binh Mountain - the symbols of the imperial capital of Hue - and many are considered some of the country’s most impressive sights.

Among the particularly praiseworthy ones are the nine dynastic bronze urns, better known as Cuu Dinh, standing in the shadow of Hien Lam Pavilion in front of the Mieu Temple, which was dedicated to 10 of the 13 Nguyen kings.

Vietnam's greatest urns were cast from 1835 to 1837 under the reign of King Minh Mang to symbolise the dynasty’s sovereignty.

The three-legged urns are of the same design but have different sizes and weights. The largest is Cao Urn, measuring 2.5 metres in height and 2,601 kilograms in weight. The smallest, Huyen Urn, is 2.31m tall and weighs 1,935kg.

Each of the urns carries the birth name of one of the kings worshipped in the Mieu Temple. Cao Urn is named after King The To Cao (Gia Long) and Nhan after King Thanh To Nhan (Minh Mang).

Chuong commemorates King Thieu Tri, Anh King Tu Duc, Nghi King Kien Phuc, Tuyen King Dong Khanh and Thuan King Khai Dinh. The last two urns, Du and Huyen, still have to be matched with the names of kings.

The nine urns are placed in line with the disposition of the altars in the Mieu Temple. Cao Urn stands in the centre, alone in the first row. The others are lined up behind it, symmetrically on both sides.

Each urn is engraved with famous landscapes and specialties representing the country’s different parts. There are three rows of pictures. The top row features mountains, forests, animals and fields. The middle row shows images of weapons, such as bows and arrows, swords and canons. The lower row focuses on ships and valuable forestry and sea products.

Many experts say the 162 carvings on the nine urns constitute a real encyclopaedia of the country. For example, if one urn depicts a mountain in the north, the next urn features a river in the south and the next an estuary in the central region.

Besides pictures of wild animals in forests, the urns also carry images of marine creatures. Other motifs include dragons, peacocks, elephants and horses standing together with domestic fowls and rare forest vegetation appearing next to ordinary plants, such as onions, rice, beans and corn.

Each relief is considered an original artwork, attesting to the country’s beauty and the talent of Vietnamese bronze-casting artisans in the 19th century.

The precious cultural heritage is incredibly well-preserved, withstanding harsh weather, and so provides a good chance for visitors to Hue to discover more about the history of the Nguyen Dynasty.

travel-Phong Nha - Ke Bang a World Cultural Heritage Site

2009-08-08T04:50:00.002-07:00

Located 40 kilometres from Dong Hoi city and near the legendary Ho Chi Minh trail is Phong Nha-Ke Bang, one of the World’s Cultural Heritage Sites which is the pride of central Quang Binh province.

Not far from the road, visitors will reach a big boat pier where dozens of boats with one design are waiting for them. The pier management board say they receive as many as 3,000 visitors every day.

Travelling along the blue, peaceful and quiet Son River, visitors can call in Thien cave. The 538-stair cave lead to a giant cavern which can house hundreds of people at a time. Looking up, visitors can see a multitude of stalactites twinkling in the dim sunlight.

Perhaps, the most beautiful scenery is the Phong Nha Cave first discovered by British explorers. The cave, featuring 30 kilometres of underground passages, is really one of the most a grandiose sightseeing spots in the world.

Once deep inside Phong Nha Cave, visitors have a chance to enjoy a multitude of stalactites blazing in the colourful light. These long, pointed pieces of rock, together with a vaporous atmosphere, inspire visitors with image of the various shapes they resemble.

A visit to Phong Nha is such a good idea for any Vietnamese visitors, as well as foreign tourists to Vietnam.

travel-Bach Ma National Park boasts diverse ecosystem

2009-08-08T04:50:00.001-07:00

Bach Ma National Park protects a unique natural forest stretching from the East Sea to the Vietnam-Laos border. Located at the end of the North Truong Son Mountain Range, Bach Ma's highest mountain peak is 1,450 metres above sea level. Other mountains over 1,000 metres include Nom (1,259 metres) and Truoi (1,154 metres).

Long, narrow valleys with complex stream and river systems surround the mountains. The eastern part of the national park has a large system of salt-water lakes and lagoons offering spectacular scenic view.

During the 1930s, the French used the site for a resort, which had 139 villas, a swimming pool, tennis courts, a market, post office, and a road system connecting the mountain range to National Highway No.1. Today, Bach Ma remains an ideal holiday resort, thanks to its natural beauty and cool climate with summer temperatures between 18-23°C. The park has Vietnam's highest rainfall - nearly eight metres annually.

Bach Ma National Park boasts a diverse ecosystem, including species endemic to both northern and southern Vietnam. It has 1,406 recorded plant species, of which 30 are listed in Vietnam's Red Book. These include Fokienia hodginsii, Adenia banaensis, Aquilaria banaensae, Erythrophloeum fordii, Dipterocarpus hasselti, Dipterocalpus and even several species new to science, such as Elaeocarpus bachmaensis and Cissus bachmaensis.

The park also has a diverse range of fauna: 83 large mammal species from twenty-three families and nine orders. Among the species, 68 appear in Vietnam's Red Book, including the Sao la (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), Vu Quang muntjac (Megamuntiacus vuquangensis), Truongson muntjac (Muntiacus truongsonensis), and the white-cheeked gibbon (Hylobates gabrillae).

Other animal species include birds (333 species), amphibians (21), reptiles (31), fish (39), butterflies (256), beetles (178), and termites (28). Data on small mammals is still incomplete.

Surveys conducted last year show that Bach Ma has an especially diverse composition of bat species compared to other Vietnamese reserves, with 59 species recorded (not including some other unidentified specimens). Eight of its species appear in Vietnam's Red Book 2000, and five are listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) red list of threatened animals 2000.

Among these species, the long sella horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus paradox-olophus) has only about five populations, with at most only from 150 to 250 bats per population. Captured bats include a Thais evening bat (Thainycteris aureocollaris), recorded only for the second time in Vietnam. Scientists first recorded this species in 1999 in southern Vietnam.

Other species include the Old World fruit bat family (Pteropodidae) belonging to the suborder Megachiroptera. The Bach Ma fruit bats (with 10 species and seven genera belonging in its family) have the most diverse species composition compared with Vietnam's other national parks or nature reserves.

With its advantages in biodiversity and natural beauty, Bach Ma is becoming an important eco-tourist destination in central Vietnam.

travel-Dalat Golf Course shines in the Central Highlands

2009-08-08T04:49:00.002-07:00

When the zoning plan for Dalat was mapped out in 1936, Doi Cu was designed as a "green lung" in the middle of the city, which is the capital of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

However, that 65-hectare hill was later developed into a nine-hole golf course to serve French and Vietnamese golfers. It was the first golf course in Indochina and the Dalat Golf Club welcomed many members from home and abroad, who went there for golf tournaments held annually at the New Year and the Easter. At the time, Bao Dai - the last monarch of Vietnam - used to play golf with French officers at Doi Cu.

After 1975, the Dalat Golf Course suspended operations and became a public park. Local residents and visitors used to stroll on the hill for relaxation under the shade of pine trees, viewing the scenery of the nearby Xuan Huong Lake, while children found the hill an ideal place for flying kites and playing during summer vacations.

In 1992, the joint venture Dalat Resort Inc. (DRI) started developing Doi Cu into an international-standard 18-hole golf course. It is noteworthy that the golf course is designed in harmony with the scenery of the Lang Biang Plateau, making it one of the most beautiful golf courses in Vietnam. Many people say it looks like a Chinese ink painting, as green lawns are intersphered with artificial and natural lakes and bunkers of yellow sand. The evergreen pine trees provide shade on the smooth greens and reflect off the smooth surface of the lakes. In addition, the Dalat Golf Course is distinctive from other golf courses in Vietnam as it is covered with Bent grass, which was imported from the US and has grown well in the temperate weather conditions.

The US paper, Golf Digest, in November 2003 recognised Dalat Golf Course as the best in Vietnam in terms of scenery, quality of service and scale, and one of the 50 most beautiful in Asia.

When building Dalat Golf Course, the designers decided to upgrade the former Golf Club built in 1936 but kept its architecture unchanged. The present-day Dalat Palace Golf Club features comfortable facilities and is now the rendezvous for more than 200 club members, who are mostly foreigners.

The Dalat Golf Course management has recently launched a promotion programme to offer locals the chance to play golf in Dalat. The program includes opening courses for the beginners that cost VND300,000 for a one-hour lesson in how to play golf. Those who want to practice playing must pay VND45,000 for 30 to 100 balls. For professionals, the cost is VND100,000, including the cost of renting golf clubs and balls. The programme is available after 3pm on weekdays only.

travel-Heading upstream on the Red River

2009-08-08T04:49:00.001-07:00

A weekend boat tour on the Red River (Song Hong) is a wonderful escape from the noise and dust of Hanoi. Visitors can choose to travel upstream or downstream on the river. Each direction reveals a piece of the history, geography, and people of the rural countryside in northern Vietnam. The upstream route offers fewer stops, but the landscape along the way is more picturesque.

The boat tour starts at eight in the morning, when the mist has just cleared, the sunshine is mild, and the wind blows gently. Elderly Vietnamese prefer to sit on soft leather chairs on the main deck of the boat, admiring the scenery on the river and its banks through glass windows. Most younger people and foreigners prefer to climb onto the upper deck to have a broader view and enjoy the fresh air.

Passengers first see a corner of Hanoi from a new perspective. Travelling under the Chuong Duong and Long Bien Bridges while vehicles are bustling overhead is an amazing experience. On the left bank, newly built skyscrapers mushroom on the extended city’s skyline. The mossy tiled roofs built under the French administration in the Old Quarter are overshadowed by beautiful trees, creating a nostalgic sight for Hanoians and Hanoi lovers. On the right bank are tranquil rural villages bordered by bamboo hedges and orchids.

After two hours, the boat turns right into the Duong River and anchors at the suburban village of Phu Dong in Gia Lam District, Hanoi, the home village of the legendary hero Giong, who defeated the Yin enemy on an iron horse and flew to the heavens after the victory. Giong Temple in Phu Dong is one of four temples in the area worshipping this cultural icon. Next to Giong Temple is Kien So Pagoda, where King Ly Thai To (974-1028) spent his childhood. Built in 820, this is one of the oldest Buddhist pagodas in Vietnam.

At two in the afternoon, after lunchtime, the motorboat leaves Phu Dong Village to return downstream. On the way back to the wharf, it stops at Ghenh Temple and Bo De Pagoda. A day's floating on the river water and a stroll into the countryside ends the tour at 4.15pm.

Although the services provided during the tour are not luxurious, tourists find the trip pleasant and relaxing. One teacher from New Zealand said: "My country has many beautiful landscapes, but I find nature in Vietnam to be very special. So are Vietnamese people."

travel-Tram Chim National Park preserves rare and endangered species

2009-08-08T04:47:00.002-07:00

Tram Chim National Park comprises 7,600 hectares of protected wetland in Tam Nong District, Dong Thap province, 240 kilometres southwest of Ho Chi Minh City. The Vietnamese Government recognised Tram Chim as a national park in December 1998, thus preserving one of the last extensive remnants of grasslands and freshwater swamp forests in the Mekong Delta.

Tram Chim (Bird Marsh) is in one of the lowest areas of the Mekong River floodplain, and monsoon floodwaters inundate the area four to six months every year. Peak floods may reach five metres. During the wet season (June to November), Tram Chim looks like a huge lake dotted with islands of melaleuca, a species of the paper-bark tree, Melaleuca cajuputi. During the dry season (December to May) visitors can find vast grasslands intermingled with melaleuca.

The grasslands and forests of Tram Chim harbour a diverse large of lush, freshwater wetlands ecosystems with more than 160 native plants, over 200 bird species, and 60 species of freshwater fish.

Tram Chim is now the only place in the Mekong Delta with extensive areas of wild rice (Oryza rufipogon) and lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). Above all, Tram Chim is famous for its birds. Twelve species of birds recorded at Tram Chim are classified as globally threatened or near-threatened, including the sarus crane, Bengal florican, greater adjutant, lesser adjutant, greater spotted eagle, black-headed ibis, black-faced spoonbill, painted stork, Asian openbill, oriental darter, grey-headed lapwind and Asian golden weaver.

The eastern sarus crane (Grusantigone sharpii) is the park's most important species. The discovery of a large flock of sarus cranes in 1984 attracted attention from conservation groups and government agencies, resulting in the site's declaration as a provincial protected area and, finally, as a national park. The magnificent sarus crane is the world's tallest flying bird. It migrates between breeding grounds in northern Cambodia and southern Laos and non-breeding areas in northwestern Cambodia and the Mekong Delta.

Sarus cranes start to move to non-breeding areas in December and return to breeding sanctuaries in May-June. Tram Chim grasslands provide a key non-breeding area for cranes. The number of sarus cranes flying to Tram Chim is highest during March and April.

Visitors wishing to see the cranes close-up should wake up very early in the morning and hide behind the blinds built near the cranes' feeding areas before the birds arrive at day-break. The cranes' fantastic dances and unison calls are well worth the effort! Visitors who paddle small wooden canoes around the quiet and peaceful grasslands and swamps of Tram Chim find themselves among thousands of wandering water birds. Those who love fishing can ask the Tram Chim staff for a special catch-and-release permit for designated park areas.

Release all tension in Quy Nhon

2009-08-08T04:47:00.001-07:00

Life Resort Quy Nhon seems on the right track to become a favourite among tourists travelling to central Binh Dinh Province, offering a variety of treats for the body and mind.

After a day of touring the province's capital of Quy Nhon, some 16 kilometers from the re- sort, tired travelers often can't wait to get to their final destination - the Life Spa of the four-star resort, which recently received the "Vietnam's Best Wellness Resort" award from Vietnam Economic Times.

The spa oasis in the garden across a wooden bridge has five outdoor treatment bungalows, three indoor suites, six bathtubs, showers, lemon-grass scented steam baths, dry sand and salt sauna, and outdoor ponds.

Manager Ronald Ganswindt waits at the spa to advise guests on the treatments they need. The dry sand and salt sauna may be a priority to detoxify the body and revitalise the skin.

The therapist digs a hole to cover guests neck-deep in a mixture of sea salt and white sand. A heater underneath the mixture helps the body release toxins, leaving guests with a refreshed feeling, despite the heat.

A steam bath with lemon-grass scent and a body massage follow the sauna and shower. For the massage, two or three therapists often move in a synchronized fashion.

A bath with milk, Vietnamese green tea and natural herbs helps guests relax more. Afterwards, they can opt for some aromatic, deep-cleansing, revitalising or lymphatic treatments.

A new day at the resort continues with the wellness theme. The day starts with a free yoga session by the pool. Free taichi lessons on the beach follow in the afternoon.

German Ulrike Ganswindt, the resort's senior duty manager, shows participants the basic positions of yoga and the breathing and moves of tai chi to improve their blood circulation and flexibility.

In addition to massage, yoga and tai chi, the resort is also renowned for its scenic location by the sea on the foot of a hill, and its architecture's combination of nature and Cham culture. Inside and outside the 63 rooms are statues, carvings and paintings of Cham women dancing and fulfilling their daily chores. From the rooms' balconies, guests can watch fishermen casting nets from their boats and pulling them on board after the sun rises and their boats' glittering lights dotting the black ocean after the sun sets. Guests also have a panoramic view of the uninhabited islands in the sea and the rocks and cliffs on the beach.

Life Resort Quy Nhon has a poolside bar and a 160-seat restaurant that serves Vietnamese specialties and cuisine from other countries around the world.

The resort also offers a beach picnic of Western, vegetarian, Vietnamese or seafood dishes and beverages. Beach mats and candlelight enhance the romantic atmosphere. Apart from dining, the resort has many recreational activities, such as basket boat rides, sand castle building, tug-of-war, volleyball, jogging, mountain biking and snorkeling. Life Resort Quy Nhon also organises tours to villages specialising in carpentry, rice pancakes, pottery and conical hats; the Cham towers; the Bana ethnic group village; the Ham Ho tourist site; Nui Mot Lake; Ba Mountain; Linh Phong Pagoda; Hoi Van Hot Spring; Genh Rang Hill; and the tomb of Vietnam's famous poet Han Mac Tu.

Beautiful churches in the Central Highland city of Da Lat

2009-08-08T04:46:00.000-07:00

Beautiful churches in the Central Highland city of Da Lat

Da Lat city in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong is not just a pretty respite from Vietnam’s sweltering lowlands, it also has beautiful pagodas and churches. Here’s a brief rundown of two of the most visited Catholic churches.

Nha Tho Chanh Toa Da Lat

Reaching the top of Prenn Pass, the gate to downtown Da Lat, visitors can see the high bell tower of Nha Tho Chanh Toa Da Lat (the main church in Da Lat) in the distance.

However, the church on Tran Phu Street near the city’s post office is better known under the name of Nha Tho Con Ga (Rooster Church), because on the top of its bell tower sits the statue of a rooster.

Historical documents show that the church started out as a small chapel built by the French in 1920 and named Hic Domus Est Dei. Two years later it was rebuilt into a 26-metre-long, eight-metre-wide cathedral with a 16-metre-tall bell tower.

From July 1931 to January 1942 the church was enlarged again to turn it into the largest cathedral in Da Lat. Currently, it is 65 metres long and 14 metres wide and boasts a 47-metre-tall bell tower.

The bronze rooster statue on the top of the tower is 66 centimetres long and 58 centimetres tall. The rooster replaces the customary displays the cardinal points and is a favourite animal of the French.

The cathedral’s architecture also recalls the French influence and mimics European Catholic churches in the Middle Ages. It has 70 French-made stained glass windows which colour the sunlight falling through them.

The main door of the church, itself located on a hill, looks toward Langbian, the highest mountain in Da Lat.

Nha Tho Chanh Toa attracts not only churchgoers but also local and foreign tourists. Daily services start at 5:15am and 5:15pm on weekdays. On Sundays, the services are held at 5:15am, 7am, 8:30am, 4pm and 6pm.

Domaine de Marie

Built in 1938 and located on a high hill some eight kilometres northwest of downtown Dalat, Domaine de Marie is a Catholic monastery for nuns.

The church bears the European architectural style of the 17th century. Its noteworthy feature is that it was built mainly with limestone and molasses.

Unlike many other churches, Domaine de Marie has no bell tower and its façade has triangular shapes decorated with small arches.

Beautiful designs line the main hall inside the church and the most salient point is a three-meter statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a one-ton globe.

Suzanne Humbert, wife of the then French governor in Indochina Jean Decoux, donated the statue. The nuns say Humbert used to visit Domaine de Marie and contributed to upgrading the church.

Unfortunately, in 1944 she died in a car accident on Prenn Pass while she was on her way to Da Lat to reconcile Queen Nam Phuong with Mong Diep, a concubine of Vietnam’s last monarch Bao Dai. Humbert was buried behind Domaine de Marie, according to direction in her will.

In spring Domaine de Marie seems to be even more beautiful as cherry blossoms planted around the church and along the road leading to it embellish the area with vivid colourful displays.

The hill, where the church is located, offers visitors a panoramic view of Da Lat.

Daily services at the church start at 5:15pm on weekdays and at 6am and 4:15pm on Sundays.

heath-People 'get happier as they age

2009-08-07T19:05:00.002-07:00

Most people get happier as they grow older, studies on people aged up to their mid-90s suggest.

Despite worries about ill health, income, changes in social status and bereavements, later life tends to be a golden age, according to psychologists.

They found older adults generally make the best of the time they have left and have learned to avoid situations that make them feel sad or stressed.

The young should do the same, they told the American Psychological Association.

Ageing society

The UK is an ageing nation - in less than 25 years, one in four people in the UK will be over 65 and the number of over-85s will have doubled.

And it is expected there will be 30,000 people aged over 100 by the year 2030.

According to University of California psychologist Dr Susan Turk Charles, this should make the UK a happier society.

By reviewing the available studies on emotions and ageing she found that mental wellbeing generally improved with age, except for people with dementia-related ill health.

Work carried out by Dr Laura Carstensen, a psychology professor at Stanford University, suggested why this might be the case.

Dr Carstensen asked volunteers ranging in age from 18 to mid-90s to take part in various experiments and keep diaries of their emotional state.

She found the older people were far less likely than the younger to experience persistent negative moods and were more resilient to hearing personal criticism.

They were also much better at controlling and balancing their emotions - a skill that appeared to improve the older they became.

Dr Charles explained: "Based on work by Carstensen and her colleagues, we know that older people are increasingly aware that the time they have left in life is growing shorter.

"They want to make the best of it so they avoid engaging in situations that will make them unhappy.

"They have also had more time to learn and understand the intentions of others which helps them to avoid these stressful situations."

Dr Carstensen said the young would do well to start preparing for their old age now.

This includes adopting a healthy daily routine and ensuring some social investment is spent outside of the workplace and family home.

Andrew Harrop, head of public policy at Age Concern and Help the Aged, said the findings were encouraging.

"For many people, older age and later life is often looked upon with dread and worry.

"Far too many younger people assume that getting older is a process that will inevitably mean sickness, frailty and lack of mobility and greater dependence. However, this is far from the truth in very many cases.

"Many older people lead active, healthy lives enriched by experience and learning.

"This positive advantage can be brought to bear across so many aspects of daily life which - in turn - hugely benefits our ageing society.

"It's vital that there is growing acceptance that just because someone is getting older, it doesn't mean they no longer have a significant contribution to make.

"This study is one of many which shows that later life can be a enormously positive experience."

(bbc)

health-Men with angina 'at greater risk'

2009-08-07T19:05:00.001-07:00

Men with angina are much more likely than women to develop further serious heart problems, a study suggests.

Researchers found male patients were twice as likely to have a heart attack and almost three times as likely to suffer a heart disease-related death.

Angina, a type of chest pain, is common and can be the first sign of heart disease - but the risks are unclear.

The study of UK patients, led by the National University of Ireland, Galway, appears in the British Medical Journal.

Angina is caused by insufficient supply of blood to the heart muscle.

Recent estimates suggest that 4.8% of men and 3.4% of women aged over 16 in England have angina.

In Scotland, the figures are higher: 6.6% of men and 5.6% of women.

The Irish team identified 1,785 patients in Scotland who were diagnosed with angina between January 1998 and December 2001, and tracked their progress for five years.

They found being male, older and a smoker was associated with an increased risk of having a heart attack.

The same factors - along with obesity - were also associated with a higher risk of dying from heart disease.

Men were also more likely than women to undergo angioplasty to open up blocked arteries, or to have coronary artery bypass surgery.

Lead researcher Dr Brian Buckley said the reasons why men appeared more at risk were unclear.

Some believe the problem could be that men are less likely to follow medical advice following diagnosis.

Others suspect that men do not go to their doctor until their condition is more advanced.

Women are also thought to receive some protection from the sex hormone oestrogen.

Dr Buckley said: "We need to look at what the hell is happening here rather more closely than we have in the past.

"Hopefully, our study has demonstrated that men are at more risk -so indisputably, that more research will take place looking at why."

He said the main message from the study was that people with angina should take steps to improve their lifestyle to minimise risk of more serious disease.

He said: "If you are diagnosed with angina, you should not panic - it won't necessarily end up in a heart attack - but you ought to take what the doctor says to you seriously, both in terms of taking medication and adopting a healthier lifestyle."

Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said the study was important because it was based on large numbers of people living in the community, rather than in a hospital setting.

He said: "It confirms that smoking and being obese greatly up your risk of dying from heart disease.

"This is good news for people living with angina, as it shows that it's never too late for them to change their lifestyles, or to stop smoking."

The research was carried out in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen.(bbc)

heath-Dead' baby wakes before funeral

2009-08-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

A premature baby declared dead by doctors at a hospital in Paraguay was found to be alive hours later when he was taken home for a funeral wake.

Jose Alvarenga said he had discovered his son was alive after he heard crying from the box in which he was placed.

The baby is now back at the same hospital's intensive care unit and reported to be in a stable condition.

The head of paediatric care at the hospital said a doctor had not properly checked the infant's vital signs.

"This is a very unusual case," Ernesto Weber told the AFP news agency, adding that an investigation into the incident would be carried out.

A doctor who works at the hospital's maternity unit said staff had tried to revive the baby for an hour before declaring him dead.

"His pulse was so low that it was undetectable," Aida Notario said.

According to medical records, the baby weighed only 500g (17.6oz).

The smallest on record was an American baby who weighed just 280g (10oz), born at less than 22 weeks.(bbc)

travel-Hanoi’s Quan Thanh temple continues to pull crowds

2009-08-07T18:55:00.001-07:00

Quan Thanh (Holy Mandarin) temple is an important historical and cultural place in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh district.

Built during the reign of King Ly Thai To (1010-1028), the temple is dedicated to Huyen Thien Tran Vu, the saint who guarded and administered the north of the country. Thus, the temple is called Tran Vu Temple, or the temple of Quan Thanh Tran Vu.

Saint Tran Vu is a combination of a character in Vietnam legend and a mystic character derived from China. In Vietnamese legend, he helped Thuc Phan (King An Duong Vuong) get rid of the ghost plaguing the construction of Co Loa Citadel. In Chinese legend, Tran Vu was a saint who protected the northern border.

Situated in large and beautiful grounds next to the West Lake and near the northern gate of the former feudal capital of Thang Long, Quan Thanh Temple was one of the Four Guards of Thang Long Citadel.

The temple has been renovated many times, the latest being in the 19^th century when the three entrance gates, yard, main chambers and the shrine were redone.

In front of the temple stands a screen carved with a tiger, considered to be the guard of the temple. Passing through the gate, visitors enter a large yard shaded by a giant banyan tree before reaching the main hall.

Inside the temple is a 3.95-metre bronze statue on a stone pedestal dedicated to Huyen Thien Tran Vu. The four-tonne statue was cast during the reign of King Le Huy Tong in 1677 to replace the old wooden one. It is one of the oldest and largest statues in Hanoi.

Another object of no less significance is a smaller black bronze statue of Old Trong, the chief of a team of artisans from Ngu Xa village who cast the giant statue of Saint Tran Vu and the 1.15-metre bell atop the entrance.

Hanoians usually come to Quan Thanh Temple at the Lunar New Year Festival (Tet) and on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month to worship and pray for health, luck and happiness. The temple is one of the most visited places together with other famous and beautiful pagodas in the capital such as Tran Quoc, Quan Su, Kim Lien and Ba Da.

travel-A world of hybrids in a valley of peach blossoms

2009-08-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

The Thung Lung Dao Hoa (valley of peach blossoms) nursery draws local visitors and even foreigners into its shaded enclosures and belongs to master grafter and hybridist Bui Van Loi.

Located in a bowl formed by two sloping hillsides and hidden behind an alley off Le Hong Phong Street in the Central Highlands city of Da Lat, Mr Loi’s nursery is home to some strikingly original and strange varieties of plants.

The distinguished horticulturist, whom the locals like to call their "Barefoot Scientist", is only too happy to talk about his profession, his calling, and likes to point out the distinguishing characteristics of this or that plant as he escorts visitors around his garden.

The man, also known as Muoi Loi, rose to prominence seven years ago when he produced some magnificent combinations of well-known cherries from Da Lat (Lam Dong) and Nhat Tan (Hanoi).

It’s not just cherries alone, Mr Loi will graft anything that shows promise or about which he has a gut feeling, and his instincts are usually proved right.

Inside the nursery, visitors can buy Mr Loi’s reddish purple plums and taste the sweetness they bring. "This variety is the result of grafting man tam hoa (a famous plum strain in the north) to a Da Lat cherry tree," Mr Loi said. "It’s very popular and costs VND15,000 per kilogram for freshly picked plums."

There are also some nice Da Lat cherries grafted onto descendants of the famous Huong Tich apricot trees of the northern province of Ha Tay, and Mr Loi has grafted Japanese cherries onto Da Lat cherries.

He calls this latter plant Nhat Chi Mai, which roughly translates as "one apricot branch". Its blossoms are white and violet instead of the usual pink you see on cherry trees.

Another graft, mixing the Australian plum variety Naterin and Da Lat cherries, bears two types of fruit: one with white flesh called White Naterin, and one with yellow flesh called Golden Naterin.

Mr Loi has also succeeded in grafting the pomelo varieties Hanoi, Nam Roi, Bien Hoa, Thanh Yen and Phat Thu onto the trunk of a single tree. The "five-region pomelo tree" has been thriving and bearing good fruit for five years now. Next to it is a tree created by grafting a Thai pomelo onto a Hanoi pomelo tree.

Mr Loi’s crowning achievement would have to be his success with tung bach tan, a type of conifer that is hard to propagate by grafting. Before starting, he went to the Mekong Delta seven years ago to Sa Dec in the southern province of Dong Thap to learn the special grafting technique from Tu Ton, the only master of grafting sin Vietnam.

Two years later, Mr Loi’s efforts with the conifer bore fruit, as it were, and he’s since cultivated 10 plants, six of which now stand in the grounds of Bui Thi Xuan High School in Da Lat.

Mr Loi also supplied 100 cherry seedlings for planting at the Cu Chi Tunnel Traditional House in Ho Chi Minh City, 60 for Nui Cam Tourist Park in An Giang Province, and some for the resort on Ba Na Mountain outside Danang. All these plants are thriving and should blossom soon.

Another quarter of the nursery houses seedless lemons and seedless Mediterranean mandarins, while at the entrance stands a four-year-old avocado tree created by grafting an Australian avocado strain onto a Da Lat avocado root.

Though the latter is blossoming for the first time, a grower in Bao Loc south of Da Lat has begged Mr Loi to supply him with 100 grafts from the fast-growing tree.

A rather different world is created by the nursery’s ocean of hybridised epiphyllums sporting huge blooms and buds full of promise.

Currently Mr Loi has 500 pots of epiphyllum, some of them with 100 or so pink, white, violet, red or yellow blooms measuring 20-centimeter across and boasting 20 petals.

Seeing is believing, so make an excursion to Thung Lung Dao Hoa and feast your senses on magnificent plants in a beautiful setting.

Saigon Times

travel- Nui Cam Mountain

2009-08-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

The 710-metre Nui Cam is the highest peak in the mountainous region of That Son, or Bay Nui (seven mountains), in southern An Giang province.

Nui Cam (Forbidden Mountain) overlooks the Mekong Delta province and is steeped in legends, ancient relics and historic places.

To get to Nui Cam from the provincial capital of Long Xuyen, you just drive 70 kilometres along National Highway 91 westbound, then turn to Provincial Highway 948 and pretty soon find Nui Cam, or Thien Cam Son (Heaven’s Forbidden Mountain), in An Hao Commune in Tinh Bien district.

Many streams originate on the peak and flow into local canals, which form the main hydrological system in this part of the Mekong Delta.

Standing on top of the mountain, you can see a large valley surrounded by other smaller mountains belonging to Thien Cam Son such as Vo Dau, Vo Bo Hong and Vo Thien Tue.

Endowed with such spectacular mountainous terrain, Nui Cam is considered "Da Lat" of the Mekong Delta. Da Lat is a famous highland resort town in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

The Forbidden Mountain’s year-round cool climate contrasts with its natural sights associated with heart-warming legends and myths that lure an increasing number of holiday-makers.

Why is the peak called Forbidden Mountain? According to a folk tale, the rugged mountain was once the home of many ferocious beasts and only deities and invisible spirits lived there. The local people were too scared to climb it.

Another legend said a prince named Nguyen Anh, who later proclaimed himself the first emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), sought refuge in the mountain from the Tay Son insurgents. Anh forbade anyone to come to the mountain, hence it was called "Forbidden Mountain".

With neither Anh nor ferocious beasts still hiding on the mountain, tourists can now visit it and the Nui Cam Nature Reserve, located nearby.

The reserve is home to 178 species of flora. Secondary and plantation forests are very common. The globally critically endangered tree specie Anquilaria crassna also grows in the reserve.

At the foot of Cam Mountain towards to east, the 100-hectare Lam Vien Nui Cam Tourism Park offers recreation facilities while Kaolin restaurant serves up specialties of the Bay Nui area to hungry visitors.

While trekking on the trail from the park up the mountain, don’t miss the poetic Thanh Long (Blue Dragon) stream. Afterwards, resume your trip until you reach a fork, which marks your arrival in the Forbidden Mountain area.

Turn right for about one kilometre to see the Vo Thien Tue peak, then go back to take the other path, which winds up to the Phat Lon (Great Buddha) pagoda. One the way there, you can rest at Thuy Liem cavern and Vo Bach Tuong, a giant white elephant-shaped rock.

Then you can continue your trip to reach the Great Buddha pagoda, Van Linh pagoda, a grand bull-shaped rock called Vo Bo Lon, and finally Vo Bo Hong, the highest point of Cam Mountain.

From there, you can see as far as the coastal region of Ha Tien in southwestern Kien Giang province if the weather is clear.

travel-Life on the rocks -Ha giang

2009-08-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

The Meo Vac district of Ha Giang province is just 150 kilometres from Ha Giang town. High passes, deep abysses and razor sharp turns transform our coach into a cautious turtle as we creep up and up, at times touching or crawling through the clouds.

Looking out onto the terrain from the ridge of a mountain, Meo Vac looks just like a chessboard, with the H'mong peoples' new steel-roofed houses dotted across the landscape.

The houses were built under the policy of ha son, or moving down from the mountain, which helps relocate the locals from crags to lower lands.

My visit coincides with the middle of the dry season, so the dearth of water in this area is evermore apparent. The dry season, which lasts from October to April, turns the entire area into an arid landscape. Until recently, the only way the H'mong people could bring water to their homes was by carrying baskets on their backs from small streams. It could take several hours just to bring a small can of water back home. Nowadays, many families in Meo Vac have built water tanks, but when we arrive at their village, most are empty. Cultivable land is also no less scarce.

There's a brief respite between the dry reason and the rainy season that arrives in June and lasts for three months. Then, heavy downpours in the mountains sweep away the few patches of dirt that are nestled between the steep rocks. This forces the H'mong and Day people to lug soil and dirt from the lowlands so they can grow corn among the rocks.

Like the Kinh people (the group to which most Vietnamese belong), the H'mong people view Tet as the most important festival of the year. To prepare for the event, each household will try to have two pigs, killing one late in November or early December. The pork from the first pig will be cut into large pieces, mixed with salt and kept in the kitchen. On the 27^th or 28^th day of December, the second pig will be killed to use in other dishes. Besides pork, H'mong people also make cakes from glutinous rice and sweet potato.

The first through to the third day of the New Year are most important to the H'mong. The biggest gathering takes place on the third day, when all H'mong get together to look back on the past year.

Our next stop takes us on the road to Sang Pa B village, a pass that has been greatly improved with the recent addition of stone stairs. Our bus stops right by the side of the village and we're all received with curious stares from the children. Some years ago, the place only had a few houses, but with the relocation programme, it has become a rather crowded village. The availability of electricity and TV have increased people's expectations for Tet.

"On normal days, there are many interesting films on the television," says villager Thao Mi Thung. "But during Tet, there are so many more, my whole family loves it."

Meanwhile, Vua Mi Su is making maize wine to sell at the market to get money for Tet. He said that a 65-millilitre bottle of the wine can sell for about VND4,000 (25 cents). Some say this strong, hot spirit helps fend off the chill of the region. Others say it provides escape from the poverty and sadness. But to H'mong people, wine is as indispensable as water. It's something you have to drink with your whole body and soul, no matter if you're at home or at the market. Night seems to fall earlier in this mountainous town, turning the already cold air into frosty darkness, save for a few lights illuminating the road. From some spots, Meo Vac looks like a replica of Sapa.

On the way back, our bus nearly crashes into a truck, struggling with a turn that's too narrow and a view limited by the rock walls. Reaching the Quan Ba "heaven gate," the driver breathes a sigh of relief, because he feared we'd have to sleep on the bus due to the heavy fog.

The fog looks thick enough to put a knife through it, prompting the local saying, "I know you're near, but it will take half a day to meet you."

Time out/vov

travel-Huyen Khong pagodas offer tranquility calligraphy lessons

2009-08-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

The former imperial capital of Hue has many pagodas, each designed differently, and all offering tranquility and an escape from the bustling former imperial city in the central region. At one of them, visitors can even get some valuable lessons in calligraphy.

Besides Hue’s well-known pagodas, including Thien Mu and Tu Dam, Huyen Khong and Huyen Khong Son Thuong are well worth the trip. They are both in Huong Tra district, some 12 kilometres from Hue.

The road, located upstream the Huong (Perfume) River, first leads to Huyen Khong, or Huyen Khong I, a Nam Tong Buddhism pagoda in Nham Bien hamlet.

Nam Tong is a small, conservative branch of Buddhism following the Pali scriptures and the non-theistic ideal of self-purification to nirvana.

Huyen Khong is built with concrete, iron and steel, in harmony with the architectural styles of the ancient capital, as well as the picturesque scenery of the suburban area where it is located. Bas-reliefs featuring images of the four supernatural creatures – dragon, unicorn, tortoise and phoenix – decorate the main temple.

Next to it is a lush green garden called Thanh Tam, which can be roughly translated as "pure mind". On the main temple’s right is a Japanese style house called Yen Ha Cac, decorated with pot plants and orchids.

The second Huyen Khong pagoda is Huyen Khong Son Thuong, or Huyen Khong II, a complex of cottages located on Hon Vuon mountain, 309 metres above sea level in Huong Ho commune. Residents of the pagoda have planted 60,000 pine trees, creating a 56-hectare evergreen forest at the foot and up the slope of Hon Vuon - a mountain with thousands of pine trees called Van Tung Son by locals.

Almost 20 monks who study at the Huyen Khong Buddhism Institute can mediate or practice Buddhist contemplation at the cottages scattered in the forest.

Visiting Huyen Khong II, visitors can not only enjoy the tranquil and warm atmosphere but also talk to experienced monks about the art of calligraphy, painting, photography and poetry.

Monk Gioi Duc, an expert on literature and poetry, published poems and articles on Buddhism in the Song Huong magazine and other local newspapers.

Visitors to Huyen Khong II can see calligraphy works by Gioi Duc, Thich Phuoc Thanh and many other calligraphers in Hue, which are displayed at a thatched cottage named May Tia (purple cloud) on Minh Duong Lake in front of the main temple.

Poets and calligraphers from Hue and many other parts of the country also meet at the cottage to recited poems and create calligraphy works on different materials, such as giay do (poonah paper), silk or wood.

travel-Mother of the nation stands firm in restored temple

2009-08-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

Mother of the nation stands firm in restored temple

Most people who have been in Vietnam for any length of time will have heard of Lac Long Quan. Legend has it he was the dragon prince who came from the oceans, married a fairy princess and fathered the descendants of Vietnam.

This much we know, but who was his mother? Well local historians claim his mother is none other than Ngoc Luong Than Long Hong Dang Ngan, wife of King Duong Vuong (the nation's founding father), mother of Lac Long Quan and grandmother of the first Hung king. In short, she was the first lady of Vietnam.
The anniversary of her death was commemorated earlier this month.

Falling on the 10th day of the 10th Lunar month, the anniversary of Queen Than Long's death is celebrated by a myriad of people in northern Vietnam. It was previously considered a national festival. This year, dozens flocked to Phu Tho province in order to visit Den Tien (fairy temple).

Tien temple was first built by King Kinh Duong Vuong as a present for his wife, Queen Than Long. He originally named it Tien Cat palace (palace of the fairies).

When Queen Than Long passed away, Lac Long Quan changed the name to Den Tien and ordered three of his sons (Cu Tinh Lang, At Tinh Lang and Linh Thong Thuy) and two princesses (Thuy Tinh and Bach Hoa) to guard it.

The temple stood for thousands of years until it was destroyed during warfare in 1949. In the 1960s, the Viet Tri concrete plant was built on the site of the ruins.

Personal crusade

Khanh Hoai has spent the past 30 years researching the history behind Den Tien. As principal of the first secondary school in Viet Tri, he first became interested in the temple after stumbling across some ancient relics in the area.

He has since collected more than 100,000 documents relating to the temple, including a variety of poems, legends and folksongs.

"One of the country's most important temples has disappeared," Hoai said. "And so have the relics. Younger generations may have already forgotten about the sacred place, but the images linger on in the elderly."

Hoai has spent the past few years trying to raise funds to restore the temple to its former glory. Work on developing the new site finally began in 2000, with cultural officials giving their seal of approval in July this year.

Built on 7,000 square metres of land, the new temple looks over the Red River towards Ba Vi mountain in the southwest.

The construction was overseen by Thich Vien Thanh, chief monk of the Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong).

"People have said the total cost of rebuilding the temple stands at US$448,000-641,000," Hoai said.

Despite the enormous task still in front of him, Hoai hopes that Vietnamese people will visit the temple and pay homage to their country's first lady.

"During the feudal dynasties of Vietnam, kings used to hold ceremonies at Den Tien before going on to the Temple of the Hung Kings," he said. "I hope every tourist visiting the former Van Lang capital will come here first."

vov/Timeout

travel -Phu Quoc – an ideal tourist destination

2009-08-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

heath -Vietnam confirms 39 new A/H1N1 cases

2009-08-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

Vietnamese health authorities on August 6 confirmed 39 new cases of A/H1N1 influenza and warned the public not to buy Tamiflu anti-viral medication without a doctor’s prescription.

According to the Department of Preventive Health and Environment, of the new cases, 20 were reported in the southern provinces, 8 in the north, five in the central region and six in the Central Highlands.

To date, Vietnam has experienced 1,043 positive cases of the disease including one fatal case. More than half of the total, 608 patients, have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

The remaining 434 are under quarantine and being treated. All are in stable condition.

The Ministry of Health has issued a public warning calling on people to protect themselves and the community by strictly following the preventive measures provided through broadcasts and leaflets.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), as of August 6, 199,034 people have been confirmed to have contracted the A/H1N1 virus in 168 countries and territories, resulting in 1,444 deaths.

Meanwhile, the Hanoi department of Education and Training said in an urgent message on August 6, all schools in the capital city should stop all their activities to ensure health and safety for students and pupils before the new school year is due to open on August 17.

VietNamNet/VOV

heath: flu total tops 1000

2009-08-07T18:44:00.001-07:00

A day after it recorded its first death from the A/H1N1 virus – the so-called ‘swine flu’ – Vietnam counted its 1000^th case on August 5.

The country did not record its first case until May 31, when a student returning from the US tested positive, over a month after the epidemic erupted in Mexico. By early July, the number of cases passed the 200 mark. It was not until late in July that Vietnamese authorities confirmed that the flu was no longer confined to international travellers from infested regions, but had begun to spread in the population at large.

The World Health Organization, counting 1154 swine flu deaths worldwide by the end of July, and 162,380 cases in 160 countries, confirmed that the swine flu virus has spread to every corner of the globe.

Compared to some Southeast Asian neighbors, Vietnam still has been lightly touched by the virus. Thanh Nien newspaper reported on August 5 that 8879 cases and 65 fatalities have been recorded in Thailand, 3207 cases and eight fatalities in the Philippines, 1371 cases and eight fatalities in Malaysia, and 1217 cases and six fatalities in Singapore.

At a meeting of the National Steering Committee on Human Influenza Prevention on August 5, Deputy Health Minister Trinh Quan Huan said that the virus is developing rapidly nationwide and, if health agencies are not vigilant, is at risk of becoming widespread in the community.

Voice of Vietnam radio reported on the morning of August 6 that the nine new cases on August 5 raised the official count to 1004.

heath: h1n1 WHO tells Vietnamese public to keep track of swine flu situation

2009-08-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

Children at Asia Primary school in Ho Chi Minh City wear facemasks in class as a precaution against swine flu.

VietNamNet Bridge – As swine flu spreads in Vietnam, it is important for the public to remain aware of the latest situation and of protective measures, the WHO’s Vietnam representative said.

Dr. Jean-Marc Olivé also warned of the possibility of the swine flu virus combining with H5N1, since bird flu is still prevalent in some provinces, to mutate into a more virulent strain.

Following the death of a 29-year old woman in the central province of Khanh Hoa on August 3, Ho Chi Minh City residents rushed to hospitals for tests. At the general Hospital in District 8, for instance, around 450 people asked to be tested for the flu.

But Dr. To Song Diep of the Tropical Diseases Hospital said the tests are only conducted when doctors an infection. The hospital tests 40 samples a day on average.

Dr. Phan Cong Hung of the Pasteur Institute said the tests should be done selectively to avoid waste of money and doctors’ labor.

Those tested should have been in close contacted with infected people, visited disease zones and suffer flu symptoms like fever, cough and running nose, he said.

People with diabetes and high blood pressures and children under six should also be tested, he added.

The hospitals said, however, they have enough kits to do the test for everyone who asks for it.

Dr. Phan Van Nghiem of the city Department of Health told participants at a meeting with the steering board for the flu August 6 about a new treatment that takes only five days instead of the earlier seven.

Dr. Tran Tinh Hien of the Tropical Diseases Hospital said since there have been no instances of resistance to Tamiflu in Vietnam yet, the virus has not mutated.

The Ministry of Health on August 6 reported a further 39 cases, taking the country’s tally to 1,043 infections and one death.

The director of the District 10 Department of Preventive Health, Nguyen Van Tung, said an 11-year-old studying at the Asia Primary School tested positive for the virus. Health authorities have tracked down his 21 classmates to monitor them and disinfected the school.

The Tu Liem District Department of Health in Hanoi said a teacher at Lomonoxop High School has tested positive as has a second grader at Nam Thanh Cong Primary School in Dong Da District.

The city Department of Education and Training has ordered schools not to reopen for the new academic year, due in mid-August.

heath :Pity body art

2009-08-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

VietNamNet Bridge – For the first time body art was used at a traditional festival in Vietnam, the Lanh Giang temple festival in the northern province of Ha Nam. This event created controversy as some have called the use of body art disrespectful to saints.

Contemporary art in folk festivals

Contemporary art in folk festival: impressive, strange

Art critic Nguyen Hung, who has suggested organising a body-art festival next month, presents a view about this contemporary art.

As an art critic, what do you think about body art at the Lanh Giang temple festival?

Not too impressive, just like illustrations.

What is body art’s place in the history of art in your conception?

Body art can be simply seen as an art that employs human bodies as the means of expression. It is extremely difficult to track the origin of body art, but as an art trend, body art appeared in the US in the 1960s. It quickly spread everywhere along with movements to liberalise personality like hippy and women’s rights movements.

In many countries in the world, many people were afraid of body art because of the above “things” that accompanied it, which challenged the so-called traditional values. Body art, however, has become very popular today.

What are the relations between body art and tattoos and body painting? Some say that tattoos and body painting are major forms of body art. Tattoos appeared in Vietnam in ancient times, so body art is not so strange to Vietnamese culture, is it?


Body-art at the Lanh Giang temple festival.

Tattoos and body painting appeared a long time ago as custom. The tattoo is close to the water civilisation. Body painting is attached to aboriginal culture. Roughly, they were the ancient people’s disguise arts to adapt themselves to the challenging living environment.

Neither of them have relations to art in the past. They are only seen as art when they are expressed as art by artists.

In Vietnam, many people don’t understand about the origin of body art, installation and performance art.

Is body art too sexy? Do you think that supporting body art is paving the way for bad behaviours in society?

Which aspect of body art is seen as overly sexy? Because the body is revealed? Firstly, showing bodies is not always sexy. There are many examples in art to prove this opinion. To be sexy, in many cases, bodies are not exposed. Briefly, it is dependent on the viewpoint and the way of expression to determine whether body art is sexy or not.


Body-art works.

Secondly, is sexy bad? Frankly, sex is a part of life and sex is indispensable. No cultural institution or even religion can eliminate sex, but only control sex.

In Vietnam, body art is popular in the forms of tattoos and painting on bodies. Before it became an art phenomenon, it was a social phenomenon. Supporting body art at this moment is not paving the way for wrong behaviours.

Thirdly, it is easy to see through body-art performances that artists display their unique creativeness. Body art looks even less sexy than swimwear fashion shows or swimwear competitions in beauty contests.

You suggested holding a body-art festival this year. Do you think that it will be a success in this situation?

I hope that the festival will be a big show that can draw a panorama about the conception and practice of body art in Vietnam. I’m sure that once we have an open play ground, the “face” of body art in Vietnam will be different.

Could you tell more about this event?

I only raised the idea and sketched the contents. I have to find an organiser. I want to hold it in Hanoi but some partners proposed Nha Trang. I cannot disclose more details about the programmes, but I can say that it will be very attractive!

health:Psoriasis

2009-08-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

So - the disease difficult to treat, easy to recurrence
At present, causes disease is not clear. Therefore, treatment is difficult. The drugs used are non-performance is not sustainable and prevent the recurrence.

Depending clinical symptoms, the doctor's part So much can: dots, drops, money, array, red skin, acne blind, match ... Be slow, drops, money, or stay the array of often good, do not influence to the health, only that uncomfortable itch, affecting patients' psychological relationships in family, society. That separate the skin, acne blind, inflamed skin often accompanied by damage viscera, or of the play, if not treatment, care actively, properly it can cause death.

Currently, the disease causes So is not clear. Disease may be related to many factors individually or combined depending each patient: cold, infection, infections (ear nose sore throat, flu), emotional suddenly nervous (stress) disorder transition in sugar, fat , Endocrinology, allergies, genetic ...

Because the cause unclear so treatment is difficult. Can say, almost all drugs have been used in the treatment So. This is the classic drug (asen, bismut, DDS, novocain, vitamins), modern (antibiotics, corticoid, or drug inhibitors enhance immunity, cyclosporin, Interferon, interleukin ...) or the drug combination of anti-inflammatory, no horns, make the skin (creams with salicylic, gudron, corticoid, diprosalic, betnoval ...). We carry only the results are uncertain, is not sustainable and most still can not prevent recurrence.

Method of treatment So the most popular is PUVA (psoralen pill cause you to light, then the extremely purple ray wave length UVA), the management can reach 80-90%, but the recurrence rate of 40 % or more.

Including the method body medicine and modern methods of PUVA (alone or in combination with vitamin A) have the ability to cause side effects, sometimes serious: damage liver, kidneys, blood, free of disorders and, skin cancer ... It can be said that the existing Western medical drugs is ideal, the specification for So.
The drug also Agree to limited results (70-75% cases the disease can be mild cleaning damage, not prevent recurrence).

Therefore, for patients So, be especially broad and heavy, doctors should encourage their patient treatment, even accept "peaceful living with the disease." Anxiety, pessimistic, nervous tension, as it made the disease more complicated, limited results of treatment.

Patients should avoid chafe damage within the wash tub and swimming medications (can bathe with warm water, soap, so help bong). Not the drug to prevent skin inflammation, irritation. The drug as fat salicylic, crisofamic, gudron ... if large swimming may cause poisoning. Corticoid and the fat, flucinar, xinala ... original may result in the abuse but if it will cause more severe recurrence. The corticoid large pool, a long time can cause side effects like using sugar body (skin shrink, fish eggs, free surface, porous bone, disorders electrolyse). Nor should accidentally inject to avoid this catastrophe.

In addition, the person So should not use stimulants, limited alcohol, coffee, tobacco. The activities that, work, sports, swimming, sunbathing appropriate ... very beneficial for treatment.

health:Treatment

2009-08-06T18:07:00.001-07:00

Nizoral anti-fungi is common.
Hắc treatment to Laos and the fungi, can swim the draft BSI 1-3%, ASA, and the xịt econazol, clotrimazol, the open, as benzosali cream, funga ... Cases have large or recurrence, the combination with anti-fungi are taking.

Patients with Laos hắc fungi indicate that đám damage at first reddish, clear boundaries, with borders, on the border with acne small, healthy trend in the middle, gradually spreading spare many rounds supply. As many thorns, chafe, by drug MISCELLANEOUS, damage may be the first infections (slide, straw hat, loan information, swelling ...) or inflammation of the skin. Manifestations of acne is broken across the water surface đám damage, no member of the ... more Disease can prolong refractory annually, causing more itch.

In the mushroom disease, injury typically create an array with clear borders, so there, between the healthy tend to have acne and do good in small areas around the shore border. Đám damage have sam color, diameter of a few centimeters, causing itch on very uncomfortable, often appear in both the 2.

Other fungi that dragon with hắc Laos with only troc scale and form of the contract within the heart like flowers or image scale (no acne border country), do not tend to heal in the center, very itch. Damage at the residence in a region, can then spread the entire body. Disease spread from person to person.

To treatment, need bathroom warm soapy water for swimming and that the drugs such as BSI or 2% on the ASA, benzosali fat, creamy substance that contains lead imidazol. Combination pill against fungi like nizoral, sporal ... with doses of 1 g/50 kg per day condition can, drink in 4-6 weeks.

Next chân fungi often occur in the rainy season and in the right puddle. Patients begin in the middle of toes 3 and 4. Blade of the bong xước skin, yellowish color, and flow, may appear acne water. Disease spread to the next ngón, or want to spread your feet up or down to your feet. Vulnerability vulnerable to infections cause acne blind, nề feet swelling, fever may, in the testing. Disease causing itch on very uncomfortable. Treatment by the drug 2% BSI, ASA, nizoral ... When damage is severe combined pill against fungi.

Disease or having ben lang age up should be as large lang ... Position damage or meet people in the top half (face, neck, chest, back), rarely encountered in đùi and as legs. Infected skin where fungi often wishy-washy type of stain color page, have nearly the same as powdered chalk or colored slightly pink, often associated spare squirm, on the surface of the skin scaly cám appear. When the sun or when sudoriferous the itch on shady Iran, as unpleasant needle prick. Patients often are, easily come back many times. Treatment by the BSI and 1-2%, 1-2% ASA, in combination with fat benzosali time 2-3 weeks. Patients who need medication against fungi; use bath soap work against fungi as Sastid, Kelog, Nizoral ...

health:Allergies jellyfish

2009-08-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Repairs powerful toxins.
Many people go swimming to accidentally touch jellyfish. Where is click edit in redness, itch. Patients may be crayon shock and die.

jellyfish are animals no spine, or in the sea salt. Mồi invaluable when they use both legs and tum râu get new information and also the toxins cause the animals died immediately. If milk invisible or not to accidentally hit, people will be allergic.

At the maximum possible level, catastrophe occurred immediately after the toxins of jellyfish penetrate the blood victims. Victims hangover, headache, chest, heart re, and smelly, difficult breathing fast, nausea, non-alive, colic and liquid several times, fast circuit, a small, blood pressure dropped. Victims into obscurity, much as CONVULSIONS, can comatose; bring immediately to the hospital to combat shock shares.

Terrestrial or semi-level, after about 15 minutes to touch the milk, the victims black hands, feet, on said each map area, in May Day body, in accordance Quineke eyes, each, face, larynx should end breathing, fast circuit, mostly. Heart beating fast all, blood pressure lowering, or khan, difficult wheezing. Thanh Phu cause difficulty breathing. Victims nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, running eyes, running nose, and smelly. This is the shock of shares, it should immediately bring to hospital against shock.

Terrestrial light, the victim only outside skin reactions, in rát spot, redness and itch a lot. Body only feel uncomfortable, not too worried.

Of treatment, patients allergic jellyfish can level up, level and you need to immediately respond to a hospital in, anti-shock. The lightweight, drug resistance histamin, calcium, vitamin C in 10 days. If the victim many allergy, can be used or dimedrol siro phenergan. Local damage, it should be washed with water oxygen old, non-confidential.

health: sun and the skin

2009-08-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

The sun has an important role in our lives, it makes the trees green. Is a match is being effective. Under the action of the sun, vitamin D and money under the skin to vitamin D help us avoid horn bone disease. Where are the sunshine of life there becomes fresh better.

Sunlight include UVA rays, UVB, in the light and infrared rays in the UVA and UVB rays is an important role in causing skin damage.
Biology Effects of UVB TIA

a. Effect against bone whistle

Under the effect of UVB rays, the synthesis of vitamin D3 occurs in the depth of the epithelium, and liver vitamin D3 is retained and converted to form 25 Hydroxy - vitamin D3 (which is the transfer of work).

Lack sunlight in children causes a lack of vitamin D diseases create disorder in the development of bone and horn called bone disease. It can be prevented by the UV rays, sun exposure or oral vitamin D. To treat healthy patients, we used high doses of vitamin D2.

Regular treatments protect sunlight against UVB rays by theory may affect the synthesis of vitamin D.

b. Red by the sun

Common cause of red is in the UVB, causing effects of red maximum in the 308nm wave.

We divided the 4 levels of commission, the heavy increase from:

- The Red pink.

- Hong template age.

- Hong you find, accordingly nề, pain.

- Exfoliate (creating water burns).

Strength of the commission depends on the pace and exposure to light (season, wind, elevation, latitude, etc. ..).

c. Create color slowly or brown skin

The brown skin beginning 2 days after exposure and the most at about 20 days. It gradually disappeared after that, if not more exposed to sunlight. Create the color is due to meet the response of skin to increase the capacity of melanin in the skin due to the exposure of the skin and the effects of sunlight.

d. Increase horns

UVB rays and UVA have increased the role of the cells by Keratinocytes make up thick layers horns. In people with acne spawn, increasing the horns are very damaging because it increases the stagnant nature, the increase of acne considered (comedons) simultaneously appear to trade more than inflammation.

e. The aging skin by sunlight

Effect of sun glint in creating the aging skin has been proven through the Lauken Kligman of the mouse does not have hair.

In people, now people think of aging skin by sunlight is due to work and the agreement between UVA and UVB rays, rays and infrared rays to the light.

f. Effects of cancer by light

- Skin cancer (cells and prickle cells) and cancer effects of light to the cancer cells and cancer cells gai phenomenon is a cumulative dose depending on the amount of light.

- U color of evil

For this disease, and cancer effects of sunlight and do not accrue to that related to the exposure light and suddenly the dội in childhood.

g. Start or develop exaggerated skin diseases due to light

The exposure under UVB rays can do to start playing.

- Art in the light-sensitive drug is in place or swimming body, tertinoine, benzoyl peroxyde, amitriptyline, vinblastine.

- The sensitive skin diseases such as inflammatory skin light variety.

- Some skin diseases by sensitive lighting as first recurrence of each herpes, acne fish eggs, fish eggs red ...

Biology Effects of UVA TIA

a. Effects of the red

UVA rays can also effect the commission of the urgent need 1 dose 1000 times higher than necessary doses than UVB to cause the same effect as 1.

b. Effects of color

Create color immediately, this phenomenon is related to UVA rays and sunlight in the. Then create a fuzzy brown color temporarily, appear a few minutes to several hours and can maintain up to 36 hours.

c. The aging skin is light

UVA in common is the short UVA rays that cause aging rays. Tia this collaboration with UVB rays cause the damage but less heavily than those further damage by UVB.

d. Effects of cancer by light

- Skin Cancer

- In addition to UVB rays UVA rays have a short role mainly in the occurrence of cancer skin. For the types to the UVA rays used to propagate large brown skin that can aesthetic effects of cancer in mice.

- U color of evil

Exposure under UVA light can be a risk factor added to the color of evil.

e. Start or develop exaggerated skin diseases due to light

Skin exposure under UVA rays can do to start:

- The sensitive skin disease light by drug use by local or whole body psoralenes, cyclines, phiazine, quinolones ...

- Diseases of the skin as light skin disease by the healing light

- Some patients sensitive skin light as lupus, cholasma, red fish eggs ...

Over here we have found harmful effects of rays of light in the skin is quite dangerous. So if a lot of work to the sunlight, protection should cover them to avoid the unfavorable effect later.

health-Patients visiting burns in children

2009-08-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

Other diseases with itch visit by the visit, patients visit a burns skin infections due to bacteria's cause.

Visit interview (GP) disease is easily spread, not only from regions to other regions on the same patient, but also spread from it to the other. GP common disease in children and appear in many seasons with hot humid climate.

Source of infection

The bacteria GP from different sources. Long nails and thumbtack hate me land a place for bacteria inhabit and from which the disease causing the scratch re-establish outside the skin. Gum from nose throat inflammation be flowing out of the GP in disease spread around the nose and mouth of the baby. The animals in the house as dog, cat and a source of infection for children. in kindergarten, school environment is easily spread from sick children to healthy children.

Symptoms and complication

The first sign of GP is the red stain on the skin, since then traces this emerging acne and in countries such as the interview. Water balloon quick break and be back to dry May Day with yellow. GP Mày easily scratch when they troc gai. Of fluids in water containing various bacteria, the fluids will spread and create nốt GP in nearby regions of thorns, Altitude or spread through the other children wire sticking directly to this translation.

GP is mild infections on the skin surface and not from the back to seo. However the baby was re-GP to reload several times and especially in the GP skin around the nose and mouth, a baby may be inflammatory complication court level, the disease is much worse than the original disease ( GP).

Prevention and treatment

- Hygiene for baby skin, use all kinds of soap to kill the micro-organism to prevent GP.

- Cut your nails short, legs for baby regularly to remove drive containing bacteria.

- When baby is inflamed nose, throat needs to take the baby early treatment to prevent a skin infection, especially to prevent the inflammatory changes of the kidney level.

- In the kindergarten, kindergarten, elementary school, when children are detected with GP, the teachers need for parents to take baby baby doctor visit, and spread the disease to other students.

- Although GP is a mild skin infections can be treated easily with medication containing the swimming antibiotics or drug combination, but parents also need to examine the child to be assigned to drug treatment to correct way, because children's skin easily absorbed drugs through the swimming pool for the drug dose, by the wrong medication may cause harm to the baby.

health:allergic

2009-08-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Spring flowers of hundreds of place it is time for those who wear flowers in the view and enjoy the flavor of heaven. But the scenery looks like they want to color, allergic disease by hương grass, flowers nhuy factors and environment on the other.
WHEN pollen Road Go TO NOSE

The spring, many people often play like walking, camping in the woods or visit the garden, landscape plants, this is also the opportunity to spread flowers in the air into the nose causing sneezing status, weep nasal inflammation and allergies. Besides snot season was known to many, there is inflammation of nasal allergy to a variety not seasonal.

Allergic phenomena

When Man may be tempted to breathe Pollen, strange smell, due to exposure, drug through the digestive, food ... Static electricity is connected between histamin heparin in the body is disrupted, histamin be released freely to the cause allergies. Life growing civilization is allergic phenomenon occurs more often.

A staff for drugs during the period last year, just 10 people to purchase medicines have to find 4 people against allergies. Average approximately 20% of local people with allergies, in which most of the allergic respiratory road. Separate areas of inflammation in nasal allergy can include the nose to the regular season to year (in the same season) and inflammation associated with the wear the Pollen released. Besides the case inflamed nasal allergy chronic happen in the year, usually in combination with Asthma by the cause of allergies (called allergic resources), is the invisible enemy in the environment life and family.

Cause allergic

Two causes allergy common:

Allergies from the outside:

Weather, climate, wind bring Pollen, from strangers, from Mold to other ...

Allergies in family resources:

- Mùi or contact with animal hair, landmark moisture, dust ... BS. Annik Pons Guiraud, home to Belgium - allergies in France who also made the cause more new cause allergies such as cockroaches, or the smell of the bay from the air.

- The penetration of dust in the air as dust from industrial manufacturing, chalk dust, dust Pollen flight to, tobacco smoke ...

Life as civilized, modern and more human cause allergies. To find out the cause of allergies, we must seek to biological elements to determine.

There is also much cause allergies such as:

- Food:

Many factors cause allergies increasing the food sector: from changing the structure of bacteria useful for men on the street in bowel, the impact of the drug to the use of protein as strangers in the nurse food packaging.

- Medicine treatment: Status allergy medication happens a lot from mild (such as redness, itch) to severe can lead to death (shock shares).

- Asthma and allergy - relationship risk

Relationship between asthma and allergies in modern life that the more durable due to the mechanism of immunity similar. 20 years from now, the disease has not stopped increasing. Recently we also found a majority of the Asthma in children from allergies.
Forms Frequently Allergies

When histamin be released freely in the body, the allergy will occur and are denoted below the form:

- Man itch, hives

- The nose, eyes itch, red

- Blood pressure dropped by mao mạch be stretch bloom

- Asthma, difficulty breathing when waste management have been thắt

- Stimulating the slippery road can cause digestive thắt

- Vomiting

Case of severe allergies can lead to death.
Prevent Allergies

First principles to prevent allergies is to avoid contact with the cause of allergies. Local people have allergies is connected heparin - histamin poor durability should histamin released, and the allergic resources will promote the histamin released in the body.

- Spring to the vulnerable people allergic to dust should Pollen shampoo regularly to clean click on Pollen or hair fall on pillows, clothing, and limited to the garden is easy to distribute more chalk dust, from.

- With food and pharmaceutical products: avoid the use of food or medicines have been causing allergic ...

Milk also has been proven to prevent the allergy is best for children. According to a research project is posted on the magazine Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (Asian Institute of Forest Leather touches U.S.), thanks to impact protection from anti-allergy against raw milk by children should have a flat family allergies will minimize the condition eczema. The breastfeeding breast milk for 3 months to help reduce 32% of cases of allergic eczema.

health -Treatment of hair ram

2009-08-06T06:27:00.001-07:00

Wax - a type of hair effectively.
Common manifestation of this is more down on the surface, much room at all on, feel the hair or hands, legs, chest. Many women also have this disease. Although health is normal but they are affected rather to the psychological and aesthetic.

Hair, horn mọc more or less often due to genetic factors or race, such as the white room and have more hair than the yellow skin. In addition, the more hair mọc and vegetables also may be due to internal factors such as eggs buồng u, u nang thượng kidneys, prolonged use of many substances such as Corticoid, Durabolin, Sustanon ... (to treat disease, increase weight or achievements reached in Sport).

Of treatment, it should identify and eliminate causes hair as a ram buồng eggs, the upper kidney follicle, prevent abuse of the information to. Hair solutions vary by location. For hair in the limbs, body, there are many ways:

- Tuny small.

- High hair regularly with professional dryer machines or chisel.

- Wax hair types with specific sáp have sold in the Beauty Salon, you can buy on the self. Implemented several times, the hair mọc will gradually go thưa.

- Using drugs rụng hair swim, swim for 5 minutes. Shortly after the hair will mọc, so must be used frequently. Do not swim on the surface treatment for easy cause allergies.

- Using a laser to burn a few times, long thưa will go.

- Using IPL machine (Interse Pulsed Light) to burn germ follicle, hair or vegetables, as several times the number of horn or hair will mọc low. When gas does not cause pain, then back to seo. Average burning need about 3 times, 4-6 hours each week. Note that hair, hair goes through 3 periods: landmark, stopped mọc and forests. Laser or IPL impact on the best hair is mọc. Hair color sam meet better than nhạt types of hair color or natural gold. This method is new, fairly expensive, only in some few Beauty Salons Vietnam.

- Where can not remember, or gas dryer can make the hair color nhạt pool water by 15-20% oxygen-old once a day on the hairy.

If on the hair can tuny to get used to will only pile on the surface, IPL machine with gas (first gas will be more effective long-term) or wax

health:Trouble treatment, recurrence easy

2009-08-06T06:22:00.002-07:00

Treatment only discoloration can not really take advantage of the scar. In addition, patients have to accept more side effects and the risk of high recurrence after 1-2 years. Own beauty salon in the heart of Trung Vuong (HCMC), the number of recurrence should be back to treat is 30%. In that, many people return to many times.

Seo is the type of skin type seo development of excessive, often causing pain and itch sometimes breakneck drag. It usually appears at the sternum, on the back, then neck, ears, front chest, the bar ... Skin color who have the risk of seo benefits 15 times higher than white people.

Doctor Ngo Anh Kiet, District Manager aesthetic Trung Vuong said average daily basis this receiving 15-20 patients to treatment with the seo hope clean traces the clumsy type. However, in a lot of treatments now, methods have not reached any absolute performance, to prevent the side effects and the risk of recurrence.

Methods of treatment

- Method injected corticosteroids in place: It is done in about 4-6 weeks, for many months until the plane seo. This is a standard method for treatment. The side effects can occur are: skin shrink, lose color, stretch circuit.

- Method of cold: Using cold temperature to destroy cells directly Chips. Seo will benefit in the form blood volume, lack of oxygen, leading to death and hoại disposal model. Thus, for the seo become flat. This method reaches 51-74% effective.

- Method surgery: It is only when seo benefit not meet with the method of treatment or to trade too large. Doctors will remove seo and closed phases, skin transplant powerful pairing with the pairing or the skin to reduce the tension on the entire business is based. Recurrence rate of 50-80%.

- Ray method xạ: Often used after surgery cut the seo prevent recurrence within 1-3 years. Success rate of 88%. The side effects of the increase, can cause cancer.

- Method Laser surgery: This method does not prevent the seo benefit and progress of recurrence.

- With the pressure method: It is used in the treatment and after the burns seo.

To prevent the seo

Besides the cause of play, there are many other causes that benefit seo we can prevent infections such as wounds, burns. When the damage this, victims need to conduct the following measures:

- For normal wounds, should be washed with the same khử.

- To burn, to immediately water the water in 10-15 minutes to avoid burn deepen (the depth of burns, will benefit the larger cause). Not accidentally remove any of what areas to be burns as this can easily cause infection.

health-skin treatment

2009-08-06T06:22:00.001-07:00

Infections are one cause of tan. Inflammation after infection, increased skin color, becomes green gray, brown. This phenomenon will gradually disappear, fast or slow depending on the depth of the wound.

Normally, the skin can have sunlight on the swarthy much will a consistently. Evidence in the tan appear nốt or portions of the color than surrounding sam. That is the status of the infection increased. Disease risk but not the interest of not less aesthetic of many.

The different colors of human skin in relation to the number of melanin, oxyhemoglobin, hemoglobin, and carotene khử. Melanin is the main color to create color, hair and eyes. It is certainly reduce the harmful effects of extreme rays with purple skin, prevent skin inflammatory reaction due to the sun. Sam was able to body or defecate. Skin may or harsh, or spread to the array, the color brown gold (year), milk coffee or black, or associated itch symptoms of other diseases. There are many causes tan:

Because of the disorder, genetic: skin of the patient for being black, many black mole, reduce congenital birth, Cham traces on each surface, fingers. For example the disease is xơ nerve - a genetic disease excess, appeared at 3 years old. Trade Tổn based mainly in themselves, since read. They are dat color brown, yellowish or coffee milk, the size of the array 1-1,5 cm, with over 6 portions, accompanied by many small xơ u have legs with skin, particularly in residential areas only on the body, is accompanied by symptoms of the adjacent access route.

Causes of information: In the upper renal failure patients in the two sides, 94% where a tan. Skin exposed to the sun is spread sam, uneven, dry skin, please, to us poor, Mac sam list. The role of the other: the body weak, tired quickly, lowering blood pressure (up to 85-90 mmHg). Patients chán food, nausea, stomach pain each needle, causing rapid, kiệt think. Tan can also do the majority disorder yen line, gonad. The changes also cause the more tan in pregnant women. After birth, the disease will reduce or block, but may exist permanently.

Cause transform: manifestation in patients infected with the element iron stagnant due to excessive iron in the body, especially in liver and organizations, including the skin. Tan also met or pusher in the liver, the road removed.

Cause nutrition: Patients with malnutrition in school often have dat brown color throughout your body. This phenomenon also encountered in reducing the disease protein, the kidneys mạn inflammation, inflamed's website, a decrease of absorbed, sometimes hair color changes to red brown. In patients lacking vitamin B12, brown hair with gray color, skin color increased in the small joints of the hands.

Chemical causes: Diseases hắc Riehl met the workers in contact with the product gas, in hắc, the kitchen used for the gas, oil, frequently at age 30. Da sam as the sun, have the itch mild. Start on the tan, Tran, Thai Duong, cheek, feel, read on, abdomen, chest, read below; sam at first, then black, the dots or black portions, raw skin machines. Patients with poor appetite, headache, causing falling, weakness, slow heart rate. Patients often prolonged, dry. Tan also encountered in the abuse as cosmetic cream has hydroquinon; users in treatment time, avoid pregnancy drug, anti-malaria drug, tetraxyclin.

Cause of school: skin damage in the mechanical trauma or burns due to heat, ultraviolet rays do ... Usually tan areas except in those areas exposed to the factors above, may reduce color.

Causes tumor: The evil is in the last stage may increase as skin color, have black and blue. Dat the color brown, velvety, often in positions nách. Disease often associated with cancer of the digestive tissue sugar, respiratory tract.

Treatment tan

Melanin can be color or loss of oxygen by rapidly and khử old as oxygen, the purple, vitamin C. In addition to treating the cause, avoid contact with the factors causing the disease, it also can be treated with high doses of vitamin C, Methionine, vitamin B group, treatment of digestive diseases, tranquillizer.

Can use the electric water guideline stick blood, wasted du, du kidney in vitamin B12, vitamin H3, 1% Novocain. Treatment 1-3 times a week, each batch of 2-3 months. Results of treatment the 28%, moderate 41%, 26% not from. It is best when they are tan, patients must see a doctor specialists to determine the true cause for treatment and prevention properly

health-Son can do less than concentration

2009-08-06T06:21:00.001-07:00

Son can do less than concentration
Layer thickness can be made each "bottle".
If a man on to put a stamp on each nụ than that you still ... do not feel anything, do not jump think you have heart problems. Can cause you are too abusive son each.

Innovation is one of the most sensitive location on Second Body women by focusing a lot of pulp nerves Kinesthetic. The bowl over to each son, too often will accidentally create a class display tước certainly take the opportunity to "practice" of the pulp nerves. Time, lack of "cultural review, martial training, but this nerve will gradually take a charge sensitive, leading to feelings cùn worn. This can be a "disadvantage" for the girlfriend when nụ and sweeter than the water nhạt as real estate.

Each son can also cause a bad influence for health. Type cosmetics are the main components of oil, wax, color products and a number of other storage. The product color is "At Home items" to create the beautiful smile, but who is also the potential to cause trouble you.

Generally, people use a special type of acid (also known as acid red) to color but this is a type of color should not be present frequently in the body (in the liver, kidneys). Lanolin is also important components are usually in each son. Many researchers said they may be underground through the skin and features like a Vacuum Cleaner, the disruption of their dusting everything, solid elements (metal, silicon ...), Mold and the thicker BACTERIA special in the air. Damaging in places, the path from mouth to short "Tay gang" when you talk, eat, drink or lick one's lips ... those who are not invited to that there's no doubt that lot does not hedge around the mouth. If that is the cause of allergies or the bacteria does not bear his mouth is the first match (blister, itch now, chink, sore hands, bưng blind ...). Not all, when the toxins continue to "read over" by saliva du chu further to turn the stomach, circulatory, liver, kidney and ....

Some per son is able to increase the light-sensitive (to sun), causing each tan. Therefore, the fan "per trầm" South Korea may also remember a simple principle that objects sam color as the sun is as easy, to temperature.

Sometimes girls will each flat if they do not know how to us a little more colorful. But perhaps not entirely wings should see this commission as a defense of the senseless, to tha vision of a colored forgotten that the safety risk of your skin meat.

health-THE FOOD effects ANTI aging

2009-08-06T06:19:00.000-07:00

THE FOOD effects ANTI aging

Authors: BS. VU VAN HUONG

We need to eat more food, the food may be to provide sufficient nutrients. But there are some special food for the body against free radicals (the cause of aging) - which is against the aging long life.

Free inflect SHOULD KNOW

Some biological reactions in the body produced the free radicals. These elements, or debris of elements has a free electronic non-stop around orbital cycle outside of the oxygen atom (or an atom of oxygen) activity. Due to the presence of electronics, the free radicals have an attribute that is afraid to have the ability of oxygen and powerful. One of the components of the cell attacked first the cell membranes, because there are not many fatty acid saturation. The process by oxygen and free radicals involved make the peroxide, which is regarded as a retrograde reaction biology. The free radicals and products of our work leads to peroxide and after causing damage cell membranes will lead to more damage such as changing the structure of proteins, inhibitors of active men (enzym), variable change the structure and properties of hormon ... All that speed up the process of devolution and the aging body, leading to a variety of disease reduction as health, shorten life expectancy.

To protect itself, the body has many mechanisms against oxygen in the process of free radicals, especially the anti-oxygen and (antioxydant) in food. Currently, people known to have several possibilities of anti-oxygen (khử free radicals), but only 4 of the beta carotene, vitamin E, C and selen been proven certainly work khử free radicals in of work on people, but of the other experiments on animals, or method of birth, and management.

THE FOOD Hide BETA carotene

Beta carotene has many kinds of vegetable nature, the number miligam in 100g of food is food (mg%) is the highest Gấc record with 91.60 mg%. This is more carrots (5mg%), tomatoes, watermelon, being maize, fresh vegetables, vegetable jute, celery, spinach, vegetables hung, ripe papaya, tangerine ... Beta carotene is the money of vitamin A, when absorbed into the body it is converted into vitamin A to the rate 1mcg beta carotene is 0.167 mcg vitamin A. But besides the effect of vitamin A as it does not cause toxicity, such as the dose of vitamin A and especially of beta carotene khử free radicals better than vitamin A lot.

Over 50 works epidemiological study of money and logistics research is done in the recent decade have proven rate beta carotene in foods is associated with reduced risk of many diseases cancer. In addition it also helps make skin of children, reducing mortality by cardiovascular disease ...

SHOULD Eat plenty of vitamin E

Vitamin E is the anti-oxygen and the best strategy now - There are many studies focusing on vitamin E. The food source of vitamin E-rich materials such as green beans (4 - 6mg%), xà lách (3mg%), communications, wheat, maize seeds, roasted carrots ... Especially many of the germ all kinds of beans: green exchange rates, relative exchange rates, grain corn germ (15-25mg%), wheat germ (25mg %)... Vitamin E also in some foods of animal origin: egg chicken, beef, fish me ... Vitamin E has the role of anti-oxygen through the exclusion of oxygen in the lipid and the appearance of free radicals as the cancellation of less fatty acid saturation. In addition, vitamin E also are in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, reduce the fatigue, depression.

AND FOOD Hide Vitamin C

Vitamin C appears quite common in foods of animal origin: fresh vegetables (185mg%), celery (150mg%), vegetable jute (77mg%), cauliflower, tomatoes, wastage, nightshade, vegetables spoons ... It also has some ripe fruit such as pomelos (95mg%), mango (60mg%), label (58mg%), papaya (54mg%), orange, lemon, fans, tangerine ...

Vitamin C involved in many processes important to transform the body. Transfer of vitamin C are associated with many other vitamins, it also protects vitamin E and the avoidance of oxygen. Vitamin C hold important role in maintaining the resistance of the body - the lack of it, many reactions immune biology of the body down. Vitamin C is very effective in khử free radicals in the water, blood, cells interact.

SELEN - A SPECIAL minerals

Selen (selenium Latin name) is a chemical element of group VI in the circulatory system of elements Mendeleyev. Selen many fish in the sea and then the food: the red eggs, in-Liu, animal liver, the raw grain cereal grains (many in testa silk), and morel ...

Previously, in nutrition, people less concerned about selen. It is only knowledge in the last years of the 20th century. There are many studies on selen which is particularly khử role of free radicals. Professor G. Simonoff, French (teaching subjects nuclear physics under the university Bordeauc) has for von: "Selen is" hand massage report "ready lùng the" fruit bomb "of free radicals to" remove Ngoi no "effective Sun. Selen outside work activities and vitamin E (vitamin E helps "trap" of free radicals is very efficient), also present in some enzym cleaned lipo - prevent peroxide produced by the first quarter level.

The free radicals cause in addition to the aging body, It is also cause many other diseases (cardiovascular, bone joints, remove đái Road, German glass, the cancer ...) therefore needs eat more food and anti-oxygen.

However, we also say to those of other anti-aging diet, but in 4 of the anti-oxygen and above is more important than both. With active substances of each individual so if food is mixed with the 4 th they will have this effect the relative protection against the other destroyed, help regeneration, the ability to make oxygen and the anti-targeting high.

health:On spring beauty goatskin with vegetables

2009-08-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

Author: Master Hoang Khanh TOAN
One of the principle of beauty in traditional medicine is that "consent of the season", because the weather four seasons Dong Xuan Ha Thu many different points to the influence of meteorological factors to health general and the beauty of the skin in particular has many separate.

Spring is the time to be de da feeding and protection for the most damage to the skin through the winter is very large, and the request page to prepare for hot summer is no less important. In terms of material life more and improve the kinds of cosmetic rich today to beautify the skin is not very difficult. However, needs to learn and use all kinds of vegetables commonly used in daily activities to foster and protect the skin but not so reduced. So, what types of vegetables which are used and how to use specific how? Would be introduced to some readers may refer to and manipulate.
Squash

Also know as green through winter. The sweetness, the cool, with the profits appear, increase me, phì reduction (making profit and white skin, reduce fat). This is an ideal food for obesity. Book of a draft written: "If you want your body healthy, lightweight group should regularly eat squash. Health on the past as Red Cat, look Tu Ton, Le Huu Trác ... all squash are often used to treat some skin diseases and external beauty. For example use squash seeds (in winter over) 15g, tangerine peel and flowers 6g Training 12g dried powder dispersed, daily drink 3 times, each time 1 spoons of rice cultivation with water after meals, drink line in 1 month for maintenance skin, fair skin to help smooth; or squash 1 results, get more knives gọt deserted green, cut into pieces, boil in the pot with 500ml water and 500ml white wine. When nine triplet which collect water, then add 250g white sugar, heat for melting is, when does get a little mixed with the fresh white chicken eggs, are removed to face.
Cucumbers

As competent through, like last, sleep ... The sweetness, the cool, the bar with only the passion, the cold-water targets, than in mediation, often used in nursing, clinical and prevention of skin pucker. How to use: simply the best is to use cucumber clean, pound, pinch of water, to remove the skin several times a day, can also thái into thin slices and then paste onto surface. Cucumber or cleaned, in pieces, made with cooked fresh cows milk, then remove to cool on the surface, daily 2 times removed. Or cucumber water pressure, water pressure and he bồ, water pressure of fresh lemon and fresh cows milk, the amount equal, then mediation is removed on each side 2 times.
Carrot

Also known as beet row. The sweetness, the comments are the targets of the bill, profits, colon, and items can minh, thanh nhiệt detoxify. Commonly used supplements for skin, the skin of dry, fish eggs first black acne nhợt ... This food is very rich in vitamin A, B, C, for the transfer and skin regeneration. How to use: simply the best coffee is to use carrots washed, pinch juice drink or to remove all skin daily, 2 times per day. Or use half my coffee carrots, apples China (average of) half results, 20g coriander, fresh lemon 2 thick slices, take all the pressure get water every day. Or contents of carrots 50g, 50g vegetable needs, creating half of China, Chile 1 results, bring all the pressure get water, VAT 1 / 6 of lemon, drink every day, work detergent mole.
Region

Also called for the code, a code, Cu Thang, Me ... The sweetness, the comments have to be careful of, the interests blood, colon profits, making skin beautiful black hair. How to use: simply use the area as do ripe, eat 20g every morning, after increasing up to 40g to make the skin fair and fresh profits. Or use black area 10g, the 10g Training, 10g black beans, camellia 10g, 100g rice, all made into porridge cooked meals a day, with the help of light skin, black hair. Or region 30g black, 20 red apple fruit (remove seeds), take two well-done, slightly more harmonious honey, divided 2 times meals a day, with hand freaked and clinical skin. Or 20g black area, it received 30g, 200ml of fresh cows milk, soy bean milk 200ml. Take all the heat, add some air white sugar, divided 2 times meals a day.
Top nành

Also known as soya, beans competent, wild beans ... The sweetness, the average, with the proportion of the low utility of damaged blood, detoxify, maintenance of skin, hair as black. This oil is very rich in quality protein and fatty acid not it be beneficial for raising the skin and hair room. To use: Use soy bean 50g basement with liver pig eat 50g per day, each data is 14 days. Or soy bean 15g, 15g black beans, camellia 15g; three tunnels ripe, add a little red sugar, divided 2 times meals a day. Profit work and clinical da da. Or the soy bean milk to drink regularly.

Also some other foods also work in nursing and white skin as bank nhĩ (Nhĩ white wood), the white, fresh ginger, apple's, bolster, mushroom flavor, the grain fields, communications, hoài paint ( Cu Mai) ...

health:How do wounds heal faster

2009-08-06T06:14:00.000-07:00

How do wounds heal faster seo?
When an organization wounded, one immediate activities to heal wounds that dead cells are excluded, the new cells born, re-established the sovereignty of the body. Any outside intervention is affecting the line this seo.

The types of damage:

- Trauma surgery: This is a vulnerability is prepared, occurs in a specialized medical, wounds are cleaned, cầm good blood, the regularly. If no other factors involved, the type of wound usually heals promptly and without intervention.

- Injuries due to trauma: There are several levels, marking the skin, re-establish, to burn less severe body burns, large portions rách skin after an accident ... This type often risk infection high. These small injuries can heal after 2-3 days. Large wounds should be really good care, if not lead to death hoại, long time away.

- Blood vessel injury: There are causes of certain diseases, such as tumor insertion force, causing inflammation switch circuit organization is not water the blood feeding, resulting in dry hoại or ulcers on the spot. Diseases of skin manifestation in different forms such as the outside skin, itch products, in water.

Seo healing process took place over the period. The first is inflamed, it can react to chấn by bringing the cells to prevent the penetration of that work, encircle the cells die. Now, injuries are manifestations of the swelling, heat, red, pain clearly. To, the special cells are taken to areas of inflammation to destroy the strange elements such as bacteria or the three. Then, one produced the other cells to offset damage. The new cells are to be distributed very quickly, the collagen fibers of continuity. Finally, layers of packaging cells will be the lấp external vulnerability.

Some wounds heal slowly, possible causes are:

- Do not clean properly: When wounds are so excessive, or poor wound intelligent, deep, the body can not clean, then wound denude the county to replace tissue and not in the seo .

- Infections: When wound infections, may not be immediately cleaned wounds by activities of bacteria. The bacteria can lead to the outside, or dress does not guarantee the same variety, or from other areas to spread.

- Wound irrigation is not full of blood: lack of the number of cells, lack of nutrition, oxygen.

To line fast seo, wounds must be evaluated and treated in the right. First, to ensure hygiene and well, wash wounds with insecticide; if it does not have clean water to wash wounds, can be used to boil water or cooled water in sterility. Use of drugs in the same normal or mild soap to wash several times until the wound is completely clean. Not because of fear or pain with and without skip this stage, because it will decide the good seo.

After cleaning, can be wound with tape gác slim, clean, should not be closed because of ice can cause severe infections up. For injuries to, or so many serious burn, to go to health facilities for testing and treatment in full. When infection, drug use or local body by the doctors to decide. Absolutely not be themselves a pill can lead to the complication such as allergies, injuries hoại death, by infection, blood infection. In addition, the drug will not right to leave bad seo.

health: cream

2009-08-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

Since 1992, there have been many studies consider the effectiveness of the type of cream to help dissolve fat and smooth skin. However, in 2000, the most comment that they are not effective. While this number of people still use a day and increased revenues from these products also increase the number of levels. In 2004, the magazine Le Point (France) has interviewed more than 60 million readers and cosmetics specialist to find answers about the effects of this type of ice cream. By this is the secret of producing cosmetics that they should be outside, no one knows of any work cream melt fat and smooth skin. Besides the effect of the drug are also provided incomplete.

Any women at all, or even fat also tend to build fat in 2 side from time to time. With age, the aging of skin, normal skin old will be replaced by continuous cycle with new layers of cells (in the bottom layer film produced by skin), when aging cells will slowly change later. Therefore we seek to maintain the replacement of this tissue at regular intervals.

Survey results by Le Point showed that a woman can reduce the stomach within 2 cm within 14 days. 200 women aged 18-55 tested the 10 products dissolve fat, by the product of 2 times on a part of đùi and comparison with 20 other people swim anything. Results showed that use cream group has been effectively dissolve fat. However GS. Jean Paul Marty, Manager tested cosmetic medicine (University are Chatenay-Malabry in Les Hauts-de-Seine) was alert: "It is necessary to conduct research for a long time than women with normal cycle of 28 days is the size of the stomach can increase or decrease. Issues measured by ultrasound in different time periods is difficult to compare the child depending on the pressure head ultrasound to detect the abdomen. "
Role of the cafeine in cosmetics?

We know of cafeine work stimulates nerves causing renaissance section. A secret has been revealed as cafeine are manufacturer for the formula of creamy tan smooth skin and fat as a main substance. It is important to remove the outside skin cream is the ability to consistently thấm through its skin to promote work, and cafeine have to meet the requirements. It is a very good mix so quickly to the absorbent skin, and other substances taken to destroy fat (increased consumption of sugar). Cafeine help for the osmotic and quickly lose unpleasant taste of the additives. There are also many other substances are also effective, such as create index, chestnut India, creating the sea ...
Remove cream properly new effective

Through surveys and the opinions of the expert, the cause of failure in use is accompanied by use properly. Since they give advice to consumers to achieve maximum efficiency:

- Shopping facilities daily and regularly from heel to knee, hip and đùi.

- Day Cream in the morning when stomach hunger, hunger for the bodies in the body will use fat to create energy (lose less fat). The best cream to remove the tub, is when the leg holes to bloom and helps the skin to penetrate more.

- After the swim drug campaign, the sport to "burn" more of excess fat.

- After the swim, so chafe outside skin to remove dead cells, replaced by new layers of cells making the skin smooth, easy to waterproof.

Currently, we are implementing the extensive research of the effectiveness of the types of external skin cream removed, because users are increasing despite the recommendations have been published. But the best before using any products at all, we must also learn to use well in order to properly work out.

health- Keep skin smooth, soft in winter

2009-08-06T06:11:00.001-07:00

A skin soft, smooth and slightly wet gives you an attraction is very special and he will want to touch it to feel fresh and seemed appeased soft smooth way. In winter, to keep the skin mượt that, you have to marvel over.

Dietary prevention of oxygen-rich and a big xịt: The vegetables are older than yellow as red spinach purple, tangerine orange, tomato, roasted carrots, potatoes ... effect against oxygen and fighting disease and strengthening the immune system. And the fish recovered, tuna, walnut and seeds are rich in a deep-fat xịt, when the body will transform into the lipit, taking hold moisture to the skin. Also, use creams to keep skin moist if water is lost.

Using milk face wash: If your skin kind of skin oil, use milk face wash oil type not bring back fresh in cool, smooth. If dry skin, choose with detergent gently, increasing the bright white and smooth than in winter.

Mask for the skin: This is the essential and important than any time in order to provide moisture and renewable surface has brought beauty rạng ngôi, fresh tan. If skin is too sensitive, just đắp the fruit as fresh roasted carrots, tomatoes, cucumber about 15 minutes before sleep. If you do not have time, you try natural masks available. For the body, mud bath is the detergent to clean dead skin, increase and maintain skin's moisture.

Massage: How hot body, the blood vessel traffic better make sure the skin is ready, ruddy, that rỡ. Each day before going to sleep, you spend 15 minutes to massage the skin. First, use 10 dactylogram delete all around until the surface feels hot, then focus massage in the hearing, the eyes, the new code.

Duong Thoa cream: Select nursing skin cream and skin cream nursing body has high humidity to reduce dry skin, appear to remain soft, smooth. According to experts, beauty care, nursing skin cream used in the winter, there are 2 effects: hold moisture and remove unpleasant sensation on the skin. Besides the face, remember special note to rub cream over the area as dry elbow, knee, my ankle. Nursing cream to promote skin effect, osmotic further, before you rub cream should do the work chafe, glazed and dead skin irritation potentially lead to.

Care your feet: foot thick skin than other skin types should increase the amount of zinc supplements hydrat to osmotic effects further, more effective. The foot massage to speed up the process of removing dead cells and reduce production traces bottle.

Sometimes keep hands: rub cream supplements should contain ingredients alpha Hydroxy Acids on every evening. These types use day cream contains vitamins, butter, fat and plant oil seeds grapes also work to protect the skin hands within 18 hours. Before cleaning or washing up, or by a class nursing hand cream to protect against the chemicals have a strong detergent drying hands, football hand.

Innovation: Be gentle detergent troc the skin and in the fluid containing a small amount of Alpha Hydroxy Acids and pool maintenance as soft ice cream each. To protect the environment, please drink plenty of water and each son has to keep the humidity high.

health:Pairing skin - more opportunities for patients living deep burns

2009-08-06T06:10:00.001-07:00

Patients with deep burns, especially children, with the death rate is very high because of injuries to recover. Skin transplant surgery (death or type of contract) for the results are spectacular. This method is being implemented successfully in the National Football.

According to experts, the chub light (level 1-2) can be from within 10 days. To the extent more severe (Grade 3), can burn words but after 3 weeks to re seo. These cases are referred to as agricultural burns, can afford to re-create the skin and does not affect much the quality of life.

Cases with severe burns (level 4-5), an area of extensive damage, burn depth (can account for 40-50% of the body), all germ layers skin destruction should not have skin changes so. This impact is very serious to the patient, the risk of mortality is very high, especially with children. In this case, the pair has been assigned to help burn for protection, to avoid bacterial penetration, wounds more easily recover.

Children with burns were deep, and get the pair from the body (skin get in the good of the body to pair cover injuries) will be limited by lack of healthy skin offset. To overcome the problems "in the source pair", the National Football used type is fresh (from parents or relatives cognition) to temporarily cover the wound. This is the method many advantages: time bám pair live long (average 19 days, the maximum can be 41 to date), skin transplant regardless of the correspondence between blood groups and to receive. These conditions are very favorable for helping children can recover wounds.

Technical pair not too complicated but also require specialized requirements strict. First, physicians must take a small skin of the patient, outspread by canal to the small, creating "broken system" to cover injuries. Pieces from this body can also be generated into small pieces to cover the wound (called tem pair type messages). Closed types are covered with fresh top, like a shirt outside the protected circle. Amount of skin transplant only enough permission to get the level needed to get the skin very thin, security for the re-created, to avoid causing damage to the skin areas were taken. Skin transplant "living" is through the osmotic but not directly by raising the blood vessels. Therefore, the thin skin of the important factors to help it bám life.

The use of force is kind of fresh adult patients on the depth of burns has increased the area covered. Average 1% of adult skin cover 3.2% of injuries in children. Research shows that this technique has raised the rate of patients with deep burns, burns large area will be live on 90%. The proportion of patients with burns bacterial blood was saved reached nearly 80%. This rate is very high compared to the time the 2001 return before: only 20-30% of patients burns deep, wide be saved.

health :Warning on new anti-wrinkle skin cream

2009-08-06T06:08:00.002-07:00

Warning on new anti-wrinkle skin cream

Doctors in Australia launched a new warning that Botox, a cream to combat and remove sticky labels in the eyes of capital markets is very popular, containing elements from the index bacteria causing food poisoning. To remove the skin, zinc can cause potential effect is to paralyze institutions, including the closed eyelid open.

health :The anti-aging skin ongg

2009-08-06T06:08:00.001-07:00

Eat plenty of fruit is a good vitamin supplement.
As well as other agencies in the body, skin aging is also under age. Even your skin is old age if not previously know how to hold. Using the pharmaceutical anti-aging is one of the slow process, help you get fresh skin care.

Skin is the covered body, helps the body front of the people outside as sunlight, temperature ... Therefore, over time, it can easily be wrinkle, dry, thin shrink, disorders of the ... These manifestations of aging skin.

Aging in the skin is a whole change, can not be avoided by time. This process is controlled by the anti-aging gene. Of this gene makes the averaged out between the variables with the repair and survive. When is the averaged this aging process will start.

Skin aging due to environmental appear due to the influence of sunlight, alcohol, tobacco, smoke. These factors make the skin becomes dry and thin, especially in the details. Number of melanin cells decreased 10-20% every 10 years, making ability against ultraviolet rays reduced, leading to the unusual color of the mole, mole, skin spread black and white ...

To prevent early aging skin, it's important first is to limit the maximum direct contact with the sun. Noting that protect the skin very seriously right from the young (even from the time are children), not to skin destroyed by toxic chemicals, tobacco, alcohol ...

The medicines used in treating skin aging

1. Rub medicine on skin:

- Retinoide: Includes retinoique tout trans acid (Tretinoine), dab long can reduce most signs of aging skin by the sun. Time treatment lasts at least 10 months, can be combined with sunscreen and keep moist. Points of tretinoide inconvenience is caused skin irritation. So we have to find other retinoide less irritation than efficiency is retinaldehyde.

- Bottom: is the composite index from milk products (lactique acid), fruit (malique acid, acid citrique) or sugarcane (glycolique acid). Using a dab on the spot, bottom labels reduce skin, reduce raw machines and year within several months after treatment daily.

- Quality of anti-oxygen: Include vitamin A, C, E, beta-carotene and bioflavonoide. Besides the role against free radicals in the body, it helps change the damage or mạn skin.

- Endocrinology factors: The rub in the product of oestrogen can work actively in treatment of aging skin.

2. Drug

- Vitamin C: Prevent the production of free radicals, protecting not no fatty acid of cell membranes, and help re-use of vitamin E (nature of oxygen and the prevention of cell membranes). Dosage 500-700 mg / day. If you use the dose will cause diarrhea, the absorption difficult. To increase the amount absorbed, it should be divided into smaller doses and use multiple times to the end of meals. Careful with the kidney gravel (gravel calcium oxalate). Avoid vitamin C combined with the salt because when combined with iron or copper, it can become the money of oxygen and cause aging.

- Vitamin A: Can use both types retinol and beta-carotene.

- Vitamin E: Anti-by oxygen and prevent or interrupt the reactions generating free radicals. In adults, lack of vitamin E may take tens of I year. Do enough of vitamin E necessary to protect the body so patients can suddenly appear cardiovascular disease or a cancer.

- Selen: effects against oxygen status of fatty acid and to set up the cell membranes, because the cells often damage when exposed to sun, toxins, free radicals. Selen in meat, fish, eggs, cereals.

health :Skin solid evidence

2009-08-06T06:07:00.001-07:00

Do think the snakes have occurred in pregnant some girls are worried about when this phenomenon, the number of people to process the suspect's white. Indeed, solid skin may encounter in a bar, girls.

Solid skin pucker are small areas of thin skin and weak, occurs when the skin does not stretch enough to adapt to changes in the body. Spot solid skin is formed through two periods. Manifestation at the red stain, red, purple, with or without the itch, or vinegar glide in place. Period 2, has to have that white as nacre and form the stria lởm (it's time to create pucker), the contrast is quite clearly between normal skin and pucker.

Solid experience in the skin or women. Who are pregnant to 4 months may appear pucker skin, but typically the first 6-7 months. Pucker usually appear in labor, goods, and đùi breast. We believe that this is due to skin tension excessive stomach do break out from the fibers of the skin.

Solid skin may encounter in the girls when they do not stretch enough to adapt to changes in the body, especially the changes in weight. HlJ subjects also have role in causing pucker. Changes in subjects HlJ puberty (and during pregnancy) has limited out of the skin and cause skin solid strength. Snakes have genetic factors, if the mother was the daughter or well. Position solid experience in the skin or stomach, đùi, party, hip, breast, butt, knee, calf, elbow, it's back.

By the type of corticoid (as cortibion, flucicort, flucinar ...) long can also cause skin solid disaster. If swimming with large, medication can cause a solid skin wide area, especially the bit with the drug, or when swimming in the sticky fold. In this case, should stop immediately remove the drug.

When the skin has been solid and do not have medicine to cure from it. However, they can do discoloration, crease and red, white solid with traces of the drug by. In people with experience using oil region, soya oil, the oil fields against solid skin removed. 2 times a day (morning and evening), pour a little oil to hands and then remove all xát the solid skin. Or may use one of the following: the red chicken eggs, fresh cows milk, tomatoes, roasted carrots giã fine but removed, for a while and then wash back to clean.

More convenient, can use all kinds of cream manufacture available, have sold in the pharmacy. Such happy event for ice cream (including olive oil and some maintenance of the skin) to remove the solid skin a few minutes every evening before going to sleep, or use cream vergeturin remove a sufficient amount of solid areas on the skin 2 times a day. Not used in first 4 months of pregnancy. Effective as the time started removing drug; the pucker will open a new better the stain has time.

Can use the drug for the pucker change the weight of the body, when subjects HlJ fluctuations (up or is pregnant). Medication to remove the areas of skin, slim as it keep the skin soft, up to the Forum, the limited solid skin.

health: 7 can damage the skin

2009-08-06T06:03:00.000-07:00

Structure designs to Second Skin. There may be some damage you skin on the face that does not know

It 1:

Surface considered is 1 month contract experiment: use a variety of cosmetic products to beautify your face.

It 2:

Use cosmetic dose too many people mistook use 2 times, the good will and colors rather than using 1 times.

It 3:

Too strong in that: do not rub with hard materials.

Thu 4 It:

Drinking beer and smoking a lot less sleep can damage skin.

It 5th:

Acne drug nặn: nặn qualified or nặn it can do for skin infections.

It 6:

Massage surface: it may increase blood circulatory as too strong but will do work.

It 7:

Do not know how to wash your face: wash face excessively am not washed up and face bleaching techniques.

health:Of acne and acne seo by modern techniques

2009-08-06T06:01:00.000-07:00

The scar or the lởm caused by acne can be overcome through use laser. However, for efficiency, this technique should be combined with France's cold coffee skin, skin surface, open da ...

Method in treating acne seo above, experts use techniques mài wear super digital nannygoat wear surface in the skin will, take away layers of cells on top of the envelope in that area to smooth, flat than. And after creating a new skin, patients must avoid sun exposure (about 2 months) to sam from the skin. In all cases, the acne treatment seo only be done when the disease is evolving again.

Treatment of acne, until now, many drugs have been formed but does not always bring results. Recently, the Canadian researchers have invented a drug can cut the spawn points acne is antibiotics bring new code MBI 594 AN. That this drug was effective in fighting acne causing bacteria Propionibacterium acnes. It can attack directly into cell membranes causing acne bacteria quickly, making them not promptly assigned.

Past to present, medicine has not brought effective in treating acne because bacteria easily create resistance mechanisms. Only leads to the vitmin A is effective but causes more side effects severe; risk of acne recurrence or increase the drug is stopped are not excluded. AN 594 with MBI, the scientists hope will not encounter this situation. Medicine has been tested on 75 patients. As a result, they all bacteria cause acne already resistance to drug treatment are currently feeling the Man MBI 594 AN. Of the bin through this cell membranes quickly, as a broken structure bacteria, they do not have time to react to create the resistance should not occur the drug resistance. MBI 594 AN is continuing research and may be launch market within 2 years time.

In the future, fish eggs acne can be treated by making the original coordinate multiple materials such as France use antibiotics in combination with laser and other drugs. The antibiotics reduce infections, help reduce the formation of acne seo. With the scar has formed, depending on the characteristics (depth, shape, location), the skin touches will choose methods appropriate form as bioxyde carbon powder, laser ... to treatment.