Formerly, there were four important temples guarding the four entrances to Thăng Long in four directions. Among them, Voi Phục (Kneeling Elephant) Temple was the western “guardian temple” of ancient Thăng Long. The temple was built on a high mound south of Thủ Lệ Zoo in what is now known as Ngọc Khánh Ward, Ba [...]

When having most Vietnamese food, “nuoc mam” or Fish Sauce is the indispensable spice of much deliciousness. Whoever coming to Vietnam and most Southeast Asian countries (such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia) is much fond of a special condiment – Fish sauce (or nuoc mam in Vietnamese). It is a staple ingredient of numerous food like [...]

Corn noodles? Never heard of them – what are they, where can you get them and how do they taste? The corn noodles are really great! Corn noodles are made from corn and is very delicious and sweet-tasting if noodle makers use the corn from the Tuy An and Dong Xuan areas of the central [...]

Usually served as a snack with raw garlic, Nem chua is eaten all year round as an appetizer or a side. It is eaten especially for the Lunar New Year by many Vietnamese families. Nem chua is a meat roll with a sweet, sour, salty and spicy taste which makes the mouth salivate with each [...]

In Vietnamese New Year party, beside traditional dishes, no family can forget to make a tray of “Mứt Tết”, a cup of tea, betel and areca ready to entertain their visitors. “Mứt Tết” refers to fruits or vegetables that have been prepared and canned for long term storage. The preparation of preserved fruit traditionally involves [...]

“Banh xeo” is Vietnamese style crepe with whole shrimp, thinly sliced pork and bean sprouts. Like the salad roll, the “banh xeo” is a do-it-yourself dish that involves the messy but delicious process of wrapping the crepe in lettuce with cilantro and basil. Though the filling might fall out on your table, you will be [...]

Guoc Moc is footwear that imbued with symbolic meaning for Vietnamese people… Due to Vietnam’s hot and humid climate and wading days in wet rice paddies or fishing, Vietnamese people usually went barefoot. Formerly, on cold days, men and women from rural areas would don clogs made from bamboo roots when attending festivals or visiting [...]

Vietnam is a culturally diversified nation with 54 ethnic groups with multiple customs and traditions. Each group has its own unique costume character, that adds more colour to Vietnamese culture… Being the second largest ethnic group in Vietnam, the Thai’s brocade is very well-known for its unique, colourful and durable motifs. In recent decades, Thai [...]

Along with the “ao tu than”, traditional girls and women in Northern Vietnam are often charming with a “khan dong” and a “khan mo qua”. The “khan dong” is a black piece of fabric wrapped around a girl’s long hair so that it forms a tube around the hair. The fabric-entubed hair is wrapped around [...]

Spiritual life is a belief or practice irrationally maintained by ignorance or by faith in magic or chance. It is totally unscientific; however, there is a lot superstitious culture on over the world. Different spiritual life will be found in different countries. Asia which is a cradle of the world’s culture has a lot of [...]