Many Westerners as well as the local people mistranslated Ngọ Môn – the main entrance to Hoàng Thành (Huế Royal City) is Noon Gate. This happens as the word “Ngọ” in ancient Chinese – Vietnamese language means “noon” when talking about time but it indicates “South” when referring to direction. Ngọ Môn of Huế Royal […]
Author: lanhue
- Food
- ...
Fruits You Shouldn’t Miss If You Visit Huế City
You haven’t really known Huế if you come and leave this garden city without trying some of its locally-grown fruits. Fruits are certainly at their best if you taste them seasonally. That said, don’t try to find bưởi and thanh trà (kinds of pomelo) if you happen to be in Huế in the wintertime. Just […]
- Huế
- ...
Photos: My Aunt’s Funeral
My aunt was 94 when she passed away last August. More than 2 decades of her later life, she was a vegetarian. She led a modest life of a Budhist and had a simple eating habit. Cooked rice and steamed vegetables dipped in soy sauce or paired with ground sea salt and red chilli pepper […]
#ComeWalkWithMe: Huế Citadel
Please, please don’t rush through Huế City if you ever visit us! Why should you see Huế from a tourist bus window while you can walk this city and have a closer look at the local life? Come walk with me to see more of this one-time capital of Vietnam. Below are the photos from […]
Luang Prabang: From Mekong River to Kamu Village
One of the things that you should not miss when visiting Luang Prabang is taking a cruise on the powerful and scenic Mekong River. Unlike the calm and clear Hương River running through my home town, the Mekong River rushing through Luang Prabang with its mightiness and charisma. From the old town of Luang Prabang, […]
Bản Giốc Waterfalls, Gems on the Crown of Cao Bằng
As a Vietnamese folk song says “The first month of a lunar year is a festive time”, with that festal mood still in the air, I packed my things and headed for Bản Giốc Waterfalls in Cao Bằng which is known as the world’s fourth largest waterfall along a national border right after Tết holiday. […]
Wading into the Wonderland of Swallows
We reached what we had longed for: an entrance to Hang Én (Swallow Cave), which is arguably one of the largest caverns in the world at last. But this was not possible until we had trekked 10 kilometers of thick jungles on foot and crossed dozens of streams. As we got closer to the entrance, […]
Hương River & Me
Especially for em Khỏe, Being able to swim, dive, twist and float in water is one of my dreams-come-true while swimming across Hương River is the most beautiful thing I’ve done. Hương, who runs through my hometown, is a tender, calm and fresh river. She cools down the volcano in me which is ready to […]