Visit Trung Nguyen Coffee Village

To get to where the story of Vietnamese coffee began, and to trace the nation’s spectacular rise as a major world coffee exporter, a visit to Trung Nguyen Coffee Village is a must.

Located in the highland city of Buon Ma Thuot in Dak Lak Province in the Central Highlands, Trung Nguyen Coffee Village offers more than a cup of the exquisite beverage. It is an ideal place for those who are interested in learning about coffee trees and the coffee processing industry.

White flowers of coffee trees in Trung Nguyen Coffee Village

Part of Trung Nguyen Coffee Village.

With a desire to build a coffee paradise for tourists who visit the capital of coffee, Trung Nguyen Corporation constructed a coffee village in a total area of 20,000m2. Two years after beginning construction, the project was completed in 2008 and is considered the largest historical and cultural museum of coffee in the Central Highlands.

The village is separated into two main areas including one for enjoying coffee and the other for display. Each area brings interesting experiences to visitors. In the area for enjoying coffee, tourists can see a house with a special architectural space and style of ancient houses in Hue. It has three main compartments namely Cherry, Arabica and Robusta. However, the most striking feature of the village is a garden of old coffee trees. It surely gives tourists relaxing moments when enjoying a tasty cup of coffee under canopies of old coffee trees in an immense space. 

Inside the village, there are small streams that help create a cool and airy space and convey stories about the coffee culture of the locals in the Central Highlands. It is the water resource from pure streams that is attributed to creating the distinctive tasty for this area’s coffee.

The second part of the village is used as a display area which was built from wood according to the architecture of a Dai (long) house of the E De ethnic people. Visiting the area, tourists have a chance to see with their eyes objects relating to processing coffee. It is also the place for displaying over 500 objects that show diverse cultures of enjoying coffee from many countries. Here, many art performances of making coffee of other countries in the world have been held, such as making Cappuccino from Italy, roasting and grilling coffee of the Japanese and the traditional method for roasting coffee of the E De people in Vietnam. 

Foreign tourists learn about the tools for making coffee in Trung Nguyen Coffee Village. 

Utensils of the ethnic people in the Central Highlands are exhibited in the village. 

Tourists visit the display area in Trung Nguyen Coffee Village

where there are many old objects that hold coffee. 

Tourists are interested in a German coffee grinding machine. 

Foreign tourists learn about the traditional coffee processing of the  ethnic people in the Central Highlands

Coffee harvest in central highland

Besides the objects, visitors are also fascinated by valuable ones which feature cultures of the ethnic people groups in the Central Highlands with gongs, mysterious legends and Can wine. 

Last but not least is the souvenir shop in the village where tourists can buy Trung Nguyen coffee and other products such as bags and shirts made from brocade as presents for their relatives or friends. 

By Tat Son, Trinh Van Bo - VNP

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Over 900 years old of the Craft of Casting Bronze in Tong Xa

For over 900 years, bronze casting in Tong Xa Village, Yen Xa Commune in the district of Y Yen in Nam Dinh Province has been preserved and strongly developed, bringing a good life to the local people

.

By the end of the 12th century, Nguyen Minh Khong who is considered the ancestor of bronze casting settled in Tong Xa to reclaim new lands and taught the local people the craft to help them earn their living. 

Pouring the bronze liquid into moulds

The craftsman in Tong Xa Village make mould of the statute before casting.

Carving bronze products.

Skillful hands make sophisticated carvings on product.

Thanks to the secrets handed down by their ancestors together with their skillfulness, creativeness and the application of advanced technology, the local people have not only preserved but also strongly developed their traditional craft. Previously, they only cast household items and worshipping objects in small sizes, namely Buddhist statues, incense burners, basins and pots. 

However, they now make various kinds of products in large sizes that require high skills and techniques. In recent years, the artisans in Tong Xa Village and its neighbouring village, Van Diem, cast successfully several grandiose bronze monuments and statues. They are the Monument of Dien Bien Phu Victory, 16.2m in height and 220kg in weight located in Dien Bien and the statue of King Ly Thai To, 10.1m in height and 45 tonnes in weight in Hanoi. There are also the statue of The Great Buddha, 35 tonnes in weight on Non Nuoc Mountain, Soc Son Province, and three statues of Buddha, weighing 50 tonnes in Bai Dinh Pagoda in Ninh Binh Province.

Besides large monuments and statues ordered by customers, the villagers also make traditional items, including incense burners, bronze urns, statues of sacred animals, statues of famous people and statues of leaders in small and medium sizes. The statues of celebrities and leaders of the country made by Ngu Xa artisans are rendered beautifully thanks to painstaking care using delicate strokes. 

To make high quality products, the villagers combine traditional techniques and secrets of modern technology. Therefore, the village’s products have gained prestige in the market.

Statue of President Ho Chinh Minh

A bronze urn.

Patterns on a bronze drum.

A statue of rhinoceros made from bronze.

Visiting the village, one will see with his own eyes the bustling life in the 900-year-old craft village. Along the main road in the centre of Lam Town in Yen Xa Commune are a series of shops selling Tong Xa products, which are always full of customers. The products are not only sold to local people, but also to other provinces nationwide and exported to foreign countries.

In the village, there are now about 150 workshops producing bronze fine arts items, providing jobs for over 1,500 people, each earning 3 - 4 million VND/month. Sales from the whole village reaches over 600 billion VND/year.

Apart from small scale establishments, many private enterprises with large scale production, such as Tan Tien, Quang Ha, Duong Ba Phong and Duong Ba Tan, were established, making a great contribution to shifting the traditional and small scale production into an industrial and modern direction, expanding production, increasing productivity and improving the quality of the village’s products. 

To meet the demand of the domestic and foreign markets, a mechanical casting area was established in Lam Town in the district that involves the participation of many households. At present, both the villagers and private enterprises have invested in machines, expanded markets and sought new partners. It is a sound direction, promising a bright prospect for bronze casting in Tong Xa and making a contribution to developing the local economy.

Story: Thuc Hien - Photo: Trinh Van Bo / Source: VNP

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Vietnam in top country - Wanderlust Travel Awards 2015: THE WINNERS

Where is the world's top destination? Which country is the one to watch? Where is the loveliest international airport – and which airline is the best to fly with? The Wanderlust Travel Awards 2015 reveals all...

Beauty of Vietnam landscapes

Top Country 1. New Zealand 97.78% 2. Namibia 97.37% 3. Ethiopia 97.27% 4. Bhutan 97.14% 5. Zambia 96.36% 6. Oman 96% 7. Costa Rica 95.43% 8. Laos 95.25% 9. Myanmar/Burma 95.16% 10. Vietnam 94.56%	Top City 1. Luang Prabang 97.14% 2. Bagan 95% 3. Stockholm 94.74% 4. Kyoto 94.29% 5. Hoi An 94.12% 6. Vancouver 93.85% 7. Berlin 93.51% 8. Rome 93.13% 9. Vienna 92.86% 10. Krakow 92.5%	Top Emerging Destination 1. Papua New Guinea 100% 2. Mongolia 97.5% 3. Montenegro 97.5% 4. Iran 97.14% 5. Bolivia 95%
Top Tour Operator 1. Bamboo Travel 99.57% 2. Selective Asia 99.09% 3. Holiday Architects 98.9% 4. TransIndus 98.33% 5. Llama Travel 98.3% 6. Wildlife Worldwide 96.84% 7. Journey Latin America 95.29% 8. Audley Travel 95.13% 9. Ramblers Worldwide Holidays 94.29% 10. Trailfinders 93.66%	Top Airline 1. Singapore Airlines 93.22% 2. Air New Zealand 92.94% 3. Eva Air 89.47% 4. Emirates 88.18% 5. Qatar Airways 85.83% 6. Eithad Airways 84.85% 7. Cathay Pacific 82.14% 8. Malaysia Airlines 82.11% 9. KLM 81.91% 10. Turkish Airlines 81.74%	Top Worldwide Airport 1. Singapore Changi 94% 2. Copenhagen Airport 89.47% 3. Helsinki Airport 89.33% 4. Zurich Airport 88.24% 5. Hong Kong International 87.17% 6. Amsterdam Schipol 84.29% 7. Beijing Airport 81.82% 8. Keflavik Airport 81% 9. Vancouver Airport 80.65% 10. Auckland Airport 80%
Top UK Destination 1. Lake District 2. London 3. Cornwall 4. Scottish Highlands 5. Edinburgh 6. Peak District 7. York 8. Northumberland 9. Snowdonia 10. Yorkshire Dales	Top UK Airport 1. Newcastle International 86% 2. Southampton Airport 83.2% 3. Edinburgh Airport 79.19% 4. London City 78.82% 5. Birmingham International 78.81% 6. Bristol International 78.29% 7. Manchester Airport 77.03% 8. London Heathrow 76.15% 9. London Gatwick 74.18% 10. Glasgow Airport 73.33%	Top TV or Radio Programme 1. Sacred Rivers with Simon Reeve 2. The Mekong River with Sue Perkins 3. Life Story 4. Great British Railway Journeys 5. Great Continental Railway Journeys 6. Wonders of the Monsoon 7. Downton Abbey 8. An Idiot Abroad 9. Anthony Bourdain 10. Coast Australia

 By Wanderlust Travel 

Hoi An - Vietnam

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Hanoi Water Puppet Theater - Vietnam Water Puppet Show - Water Puppets Made

Located at 57B, Dinh Tien Hoang street, nearby Hoan Kiem Lake, Thang Long Water Puppet Theater is a familiar address for both domestic tourists and foreign ones, who want to enjoy water puppet shows and discovery the beauty of this unique Vietnam traditional art.

Location & History

Located at 57B, Dinh Tien Hoang street, nearby Hoan Kiem Lake, Thang Long Water Puppet Theater is a familiar address for both domestic tourists and foreign ones, who want to enjoy water puppet shows and discovery the beauty of this unique Vietnam traditional art.

In 1969, the theater was established and since 1990; many water puppet shows have been performed by Thang Long theater artists.Every year, about 500 shows are offered to approximately 150,000 audiences. Moreover, the theater has brought water puppetry art to more then 40 foreign countries like Japan, France, America, Australia, Spain… through performance tours, or international cultural exchange program or puppetry festivals.

Water Puppet Show

Traditional content of water puppet performance like daily life of Vietnamese farmers (cultivating, tending buffalo, catching fishes…), communal entertainment (swimming contest, dragon dancing…), or historical legends (Le Loi returns precious sword…), with modest performance way have appealed audiences for centuries. However, the artists of Thang Long Water Puppet Theater want to renew the old puppet shows with effect of light, music and combination between people and puppets.

It sounds risky, but the theater has been successful since the beginning the beginning and received favors and praises from audiences. To enjoy some typical water puppet performances, you can take a look at the video below.  

Certainly, it will be much great if tourists can directly watch these shows in Thang Long Water Puppets Theater after enjoying a cup of coffee in the coffee lounge which is right in front of the theater, and giving a nice view to Hoan Kiem Lake.

Show schedule

• There are puppet show every day at 15:30 - 17:00 - 18:30 - 20:00 - 21:15 and Sunday at 9:30
• Ticket costs between 60.000 - 100.000 VND ($3-5)  by contacting the theatre:
• Tel: (84-04) 3 824 9494, 3 825 5450 
• Fax: (84-04) 3 824 5117
• Email: thanglongwpt@fpt.vn
• Website: www.thanglongwaterpuppet.org

How are Water Puppets Made?

A water puppet stands on a round wooden plate which can rotate around its horizontal axis with a rudder at the bottom. The plate is linked with a long pole which the puppeteer uses to move the puppet on the water. Ropes or string run from the puppet’s articulation through pulleys and along the pole to the performers.

To move puppets to a far distance from the manipulation room, poles with pulleys are placed under the water to connect the strings between puppets and performers.

With the skilful manipulation by the performers, the puppets can swim, catch fish, cross sword, row a boat, raise a flock of ducks, dance, jump high in the sky, spurt fire and kick a ball.

Puppets maker must be good at designing, wood sculpture and have a good knowledge of the complicated movements of water puppets.

When working out a water puppet item, first of all artisans think of movements and operation mechanism of puppets in order to make puppets with proper structures.

For istance, Uncle Teu has two arms moving around a vertical axis. Fairies‘ arms can wave around the axis perpendicular to their body. Teu’s arms has a single articulation while fairies’s arms have joints at their hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders. More complicated puppets have very special structures: dragons that can sprut fires and water, fishes or frogs that snatch bait.

Pham Hoang Hai, “Traditional Water Puppetry”

The puppets usually range from 30 to 100cm (12 to 39ins) in height and weigh from 1 to 5kg (2 to 11lbs). Larger puppets can weigh up to 20kg (44lbs) and need four people to manipulate them.

Some comments:

by jorgejuansanchez: I enjoyed very much ths show in this theater. The shows refered to Vietnamese traditions by means of water puppets, like daily life of Vietnamese farmers (cultivating, tending buffalo, catching fishes…), communal entertainment (swimming contest, dragon dancing…), or historical legends

by ValbyDK: Water puppet theatre is a traditional art form in Vietnam, and has existed for more than 1000 years. The Puppeteers use bamboo poles to move their puppets around the small pond that forms the stage. I must admit that they are very skilful, but water puppet theatre never caught my interest. I think it is one of those things that you either love or hate – and I found it pretty boring...

I visited the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre (located at the Hoan Kiem Lake) and paid 40000 dong for a one hour show.

by katherin810: We booked the show through our hotel in Hanoi, the Emotion Hotel. As the evening tickets were sold out, they bought us a late afternoon ticket instead. The puppets were cool and so the accompanying music and narratives. I am even more impressed when learn about the effort behind the scene. Great fun and insightful learning about Vietnamese culture. My kids loved it too. I think it was our lucky charm to watch it in the afternoon as the night show seems to be packed.

by TheAndos: It is a very entertaining show - the fish are realistic, I loved the water buffalo, and the man climbing the coconut tree, - oh and the dragon that flies away! The puppeteers work from behind a screen in waders, standing in the water. Some of the puppets are up to 15kgs and keep several villages outside of Hanoi in work, as they have to be replaced frequently. Live music.

Highly recommended.

by quepeng: You absolutely must go to a Water Puppet Show (mua roi nuoc) when you are in Hanoi...At the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre you'll see a traditional art form which is unique to Hanoi and northern Vietnam.The show takes place in a pool of water. The puppeteers are behind a bamboo screen and the controls are under water and out of sight.

by Greggor58: If you are spending time in Ha Noi..DO NOT miss this AMAZING performance at the Water Puppet Theater. You will witness a series of “ancient” short stories and legends presented through the use of traditional music, song, and characters. The stage is actually a large container of water where the characters (carved wooden puppets} “act” out the story. Most of the stories are whimsical and fun and the music is live, performed by a group of musicians that share a side stage adjacent to the water stage. 

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Festival of “Spring color from all over the country”

Festival of “Spring color from all over the country” will take place on February 07-11 at Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism.

The event consists of a program to meeting and wishing New Year and their springtime traditional customs and games such as fire hopping and Central Highlands gong performances will also be re-created during the fest.

Also, the program will introduce some traditional performances, cuisine in some craft villages and handicraft. The event is annually put on by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to preserve and promote the Vietnamese ethnic communities’ cultural identity.

Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic communities, with Kinh people making up the majority of the total population.

Source: Cinet

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