I revisited Khiêm Lăng – Emperor Tự Đức’s Modest Tomb (1964-1967) one late afternoon when the last tourists were almost done with their visit and were about to leave. Light was changing to golden color and painting the trees, the lakes, the roofs, the stones and bricks with their warmth and gentle touch. I walked […]
- Huế
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Huế Imperial City After Sunset
I never knew Huế Imperial City after sunset until it has recently been opened to guests until late at night since April 2017. Light is on at every main palaces, temples, long corridors and lanes in the Imperial City but the rest is dominated with darkness. It gives me a feeling of mystery and a […]
- Food
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Making Wood Fire-baked Bánh Mì in Huế
My mother loves nothing but loaves of bánh mì which are freshly baked in wood-fired ovens and still feel hot in her hands the moment she has them. I’m happy that I could always make her satisfied thanks to the traditional bakeries near our house. Many bakeries in Huế have changed from baking bánh mì […]
Where Creatures Rejoice, Spirits Are at Peace
台池鸟兽乐, 山川鬼神宁. Đài trì điểu thú lạc. Sơn xuyên quỉ thần minh. The birds and beasts in the pond and on the esplanade rejoice. The ghosts and Gods of the mountains and rivers are at peace. It’s said that Emperor Tự Đức was known as an emperor and poet who chose a peaceful lifestyle. During […]
Hến Islet and Dã Viên Islet Should Be a Pair of Green Lungs for Huế City
Dear KOICA, And to whom it may concern, Greetings from Hương Lan, the Hương River swimmer and the storyteller, in Huế, Việt Nam. I would like to thank you for planning Hương Riversides, from Vọng Cảnh Hill to Bao Vinh Old Town with the best of intentions. I would also like to thank you for […]
How to Make Ambarella Salad in 15 Minutes
When I was a little girl, my neighbors had an ambarella tree. I sometimes came over and asked for some. My neighbors would use a long bamboo stick with a hook at one end to pick up the ambarella fruits for me. I loved it best when they harvested the ambarella fruits for sale. It […]
Scenting Tea with Lotus Blossoms
This lotus season is special to me as I have had a chance to watch my friend Tiên and her friends and tea-lovers scenting tea with lotus blossoms for the first time. I’m not sure since when Vietnamese people have made and drunk lotus-scented tea but it’s said that the emperors of Nguyễn Dynasty had […]
- Food
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Bánh Ú Tro – The Once-In-A-Year Treat (or Trick)
In Huế, bánh ú tro only appears once a year on Tết Đoan Ngọ (Duanwu Festival) which is on the fifth day of the fifth month according to lunar calendar. People buy it to offer to their ancestors on this special occasion. It is sold at Đông Ba Market or other traditional markets from early […]
- Huế
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The Gangsters of Hương River
Especially for The Gangsters of Hương River, When the hot summer comes and the school year starts to end, the Gangsters of Hương River are back to the water. They are around 10 years old and they live not very far from the river. I nicknamed them the “Gangsters of Hương River” because whenever they […]
- Huế
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Lantern Fruits Light up My Memory
On those days back to early 80s, what do you think I did in my free time? Of course, no video games neither Youtube to entertain a bored kid as I was. All I had was a spacious blue sky overhead, wide spread green fields, hedges, bushes, and earth roads overgrown with different kinds of […]