Buddhism in Vietnam

 In Vietnamese culture there are numerous religions and local beliefs. In general our culture are mix of local beliefs and ancestor worshiping, and 3 philosophies of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Catholicism, and Islam.

According to documents and folk tale, Buddhism was first introduced in Vietnam in 3rd century BC. It is marked by story of Chu Dong Tu and Tien Dung princess, the earliest story of Buddhism in Vietnam. The philosophy reached the prominent during Ly dynasty ( 11 - 13th century) then continue during Tran Dynasty, but the signs of decline from later Le Dynasty ( 15 century). Most of famous pagodas in Vietnam were built during Ly dynasty, even the whole members in Royal family were flowers of Buddhism.

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Buddhism was introduced first by Indian traders who practiced Buddhism when they came to trade in Vietnam. Later on there was interference among Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese Buddhist philosophy. So that in Vietnam there are different branches of Buddhism, but you see 2 main Buddhism of Mahayana and Theravada. In the North Vietnam people practice Mahayana Buddhism while in the South they do Theravada.

Nowadays the followers of Buddhism is over 70% of population. There are over 18,000 pagodas across Vietnam. The oldest pagoda is Dau pagoda in Bac Ninh province, the mid of Red River Delta, where the Indian monks came and preached the religion.

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In Vietnam, the Buddhist day or Buddhist festival is on 8th April, Lunar Calendar. Vietnamese normally go to pray in pagoda on full moon day, and the 1st day of lunar month, or whenever they have sadness of joyfulness. We burn incense sticks and bring offerings of flower, fruits, cakes when pray in pagoda. In Mahayana pagoda there are many statues of Buddha like three lives of Buddha, Buddha at birth, Buddha enters nirvana, Amitabha Buddha, Bodhisattva, Medicine Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva....

Travel to Vietnam you are introduced to visit famous pagodas built in wonderful landscapes, and learn more about Vietnamese culture.

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Drink Bia Hoi in Hanoi

 Walking along streets in Old Quarter Hanoi you often see "Bia Hoi Hanoi". It means Draft Beer, especially in hot season (May - October). The first time, the appearance of Bia Hoi was in 1890 in Hanoi from a French Brewery - the first one in Hanoi. At that time the capacity for Bia Hoi was only 150 liters a day.

That first Brewery has been renovated and the name is changed for Habeco with the capacity of over 200 million liters of beer/ year. The head office of Brewery is at 183 - Hoang Hoa Tham street - Ba Dinh District - Hanoi city. The name Bia Hoi Hanoi is one of products made by Habeco, which is considered the best Draft beer at the moment.

                       President Barack Obama drinks Hanoi Beer in Hanoi city - Photo Internet

The taste of Bia Hoi is fabulous and tasty, especially in hot season. Normally we see men only in beer shop, not women. Vietnamese love to chat with each other so that draft beer is not only a kind of drinks but also the reason for friends gathering. Bia Hoi is cheap and delicious, and also popular. Simply, we drink Bia Hoi and order snacks of dried or steam bean nuts, fried tofu, grilled dry squid....

                                      Eric & friends drink Bia Hoi in Hanoi - Photo ST Internet

We like to enjoy Bia Hoi at open-air spaces like on street pavement, local market corner. The Beer glass is place on a plastic chair, and drinkers are also seat on low plastic chair.It is so fun. The time for drinking Bia Hoi is at noon time and late afternoon. It may last 30 mins - 3 hour, depending on short or long stories. At the moment of writing, one glass of Bia Hoi ( 300 ml) costs 45 cents or 10,000 VND.

                           Mr. Le Huy Van, designer Bia Hoi glass in 1975 - Photo ST Internet

The glass used for drink Bia Hoi is still the same style as in 1976 when it was first designed by a Vietnamese designer who graduated from an art school in Germany. The glass looks humble but durable and convenient for drinkers. It is also unique for drink Bia Hoi, not others. Drink Bia Hoi is an interesting aspect of Hanoi Culture. Foreign travelers also love to try Bia Hoi when they visit Hanoi.

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Stew pork with eggs

Pork and egg are common food daily in Vietnam. There are several tens ways of cooking food from pork meat. In this article we are glad to introduce Stew pork with eggs. You can do it at home or order from local Vietnamese restaurant.

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Ingredients for this dish include pork meat that not much fat, chicken or duck eggs, coconut juice, sugar, fish sauce, caramel, seasoning, salt and pepper. If you are familiar to spicy food, please add some chili and lemon grass.

You boil eggs, stew pork with fish sauce, and others for 30 mins till well-done, then ladle out the food onto the plate, then serve hot. The pork is soft and delicious with spices.

Travel to Vietnam, normally, tourists eat food in Vietnamese restaurants, and they are served with several dishes called set menu. But when you need just a humble meal you choose a local food stall call "Com Binh Dan" or popular Vietnamese food, then you can find authentic Vietnamese daily food.

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Hat Xam songs

 Hat Xam or Xam Songs has a long history, since XIV century, under Tran Dynasty. It is said that the founder of this art is a royal prince who wish to express his tough life and admire beautiful ways of living and tradition. We take the day of 22 Feb Lunar Calendar as Hat Xam day. 

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In the old day Hat Xam was normally performed by the blind who join in group of 2 - 5 persons gathering by local market, boat wharf, festival places, or crowded residential areas . People are fond of Hat Xam, for it has an emotional tunes that are in harmony with joyful rhythm of the percussion instruments and sweet sounds of string instruments like Bau and Nhi in Vietnamese. 

Lady Ha Thi Cau, artist and master of Hat Xam - Photo Internet 

In the past people sang Hat Xam for making their living, like troubadours. Since XIV century to the mid of 20th century. Today professional artists, Hat Xam lovers, and clubs practice Hat Xam for their passion and preserve traditional  Folk art of Vietnam. 

Vietindo Travel can arange tour with Hat Xam show and holiday in Vietnam. 

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Water puppet show in Hanoi

 Water puppet show is a Vietnamese folk art which has a long history of over one thousand years from the Red River Delta . It reflects wet rice civilization because it gives out the rural activities and folk tails concerning rural life also. It must - see show when traveling in Vietnam. 

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The art of water puppet was born under Ly Dynasty (1010 - 1025) in Northern Vietnam. It is also called drama on water of which puppets are characters that are made of jack fruit timber. The artists who control puppets stand half-deep - body in water behind bamboo curtains. They use bamboo poles and strings to manage the puppet games. The games includes cultivating rices, harvesting rice, flooding rice field, fairy dance, phoenix dance, fox catch ducks, Le Loi King's story and holy tortoise...

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The most outstanding puppet is Chu Teu, which has round face and funny smile giving humorous saying to audience. The waster puppet art is performed in the theaters, on the villages ponds and lakes at special occasions like village holidays or New year festival. 

Travel to Vietnam you can enjoy water puppet art in big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city, Halong, Danang, or villages in countryside performed by artists or farmers. The ticket price is from 5$ - 10$ depending on class ranges. 

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Travel Vietnam and it's neighboring countries

 Nowadays Vietnam is like one of the gates to South East Asia and Asia. There are about 10 international airports along Vietnam connecting to Vietnam's neighbors like Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, China and it does not take long by air with direct flight  to Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka ....

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When you travel in Vietnam, then wish to take more time for holiday in Asia you should ask for visa permission from Embassy Offices located in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city. It is quite easy to do it by yourself or the help from local tour operators if you don't have much time. 

You can travel from Vietnam to it's neighboring countries, normally, by air, or cross the border. or by international cruises. For example, from Hanoi capital city, by air, it takes 1h40 mins to Bangkok - Thailand, 3h00 to Singapore, 1h 45 mins to Yangon - Myanmar, 3h15 mins to Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia, 4h15 mins to Bali - Indonesia, 4h15 mins to Seoul - South Korea, 4h35 mins to Tokyo - Japan, 3h35 mins to Beijing - China, 4h00 Ho Chi Minh city - Bhutan, 3h20 mins to Bangladesh, 45 mins to Laos, 40 mins from Ho Chi Minh city to Phnom Penh - Cambodia. 

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Vietindo Travel helps you explore charming Asia. Contact us for more in details. 

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Smoking Vietnam's pipe

 Being different from cigarette, Vietnam's tobacco or Thuoc Lao has been become common drink for a long time. Thuoc Lao is widely planted in lowland and midland in Northern Vietnam. The farmers pick the leaves then slice into thin fibers, dry under the sun, then preserve in dry and cool place. 

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Traditionally Vietnam's men like to smoke Thuoc Lao as the start of telling a story when they meet each other and at joyful time. It is still uncertain why we call the tobacco Thuoc Lao. It may comes from Laos or planted first by a man named Lao few hundred years ago.

Normally, for a smoking man, he smokes 3 - 5 times a day. He smokes right after he wakes up in the morning, after meals, or chatting time. 

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He use a small piece of Thuoc Lao, places on smoking pipe made of bamboo or ceramic smoking bow. Inside the pipe or smoking bow there must be certain amount of water that help soften strong tobacco. Because of the inside water it makes funny bubbling sound when he smokes.

Vietnamese women chew betel nuts and plant they also add a small piece of Thuoc Lao and lime paste. Nowadays smoking is not encouraged in Vietnam but traveling to countryside, remote villages, it is common to see bamboo smoking pipe in each family.   

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