Pho cuon: A favourite dish for hot summer in Hanoi

The summer in Hanoi is extremly hot and often seems like a chore to face a bowl of steaming hot noodle soup (Pho) or a plate of rice. One cool and refreshing alternative is Pho Cuon, a food similars to fresh spring rolls, but basically different in a number of ways.

Many  people believe that such dishes, by inducing sweat, really help lower ones body temperature and help fight the heat. Not everyone feels that way. One cool and refreshing alternative is Pho Cuon, a food similars to fresh spring rolls, but basically different in a number of ways.

The most famous places to find the dish are located on Truc Bach lake,opposite West Lake, Hanoi's largest lake. There are lots of places that offer Pho Cuon around the lake, but the easiest way to find are on Trúc Bạch road, on the north end of the lake, or Tran Vu on the south end.

Pho Cuon consists of a slightly cooked rice paper shell the same thickness as a Pho noodle. Inside this soft shell is a selection of herbs and greens - mainly cilantro, lettuce and mustard leaf  - and thinly sliced beef that has been cooked with garlic and generous amounts of pepper. It is served cold with a bowl of fish sauce, boiled water, garlic, carrots, raddish, vinegar, chilli and some sugar for dipping.

Once dipped in the sauce the taste of Pho Cuon contains many of the fundamental elements of Vietnamese cuisine: slightly sweet and spicy but light and fresh. The dish is served cold and has the effect of a hearty salad on one's appetite leaving plenty of room for a few cheeky beers or to try some other delights that many of these restaurants offer like Pho Chien.

Pho Chien is similarily light summer fair; it uses the same rice noodle paper as Pho Cuon but is sliced into squares, stacked, and deep fried. It is topped with the same garlicky beef as well as field cabbage and recommended that one dip it in the Phở Cuốn sauce. 

Hours can easily slip by sitting cross legged on bamboo mats as one enjoys the cool breeze of the lake and a few plates of Pho Cuon with friends. Tourists with Vietnam travel guide see a different, more relaxed side of Hanoi, as old men fish and young couples paddle along leisurely in swan boats. It is the ideal place to wile away one's time under the shade of a tree and await the cooling relief of evening.

The Pho Cuon restaurants on Truc Bach are open from morning till about nine or ten at night. The cost for a plate of about ten Phở Cuốn, a plate of Pho Chien, and four beers is just around VND200,000 (US$10). For the relief it offers from the heat, it's a steal.

Source: VOV

Dau Pagoda - the Cradle of Vietnam Buddhism

Dau Pagoda - the oldest Buddhist pagoda in Vietnam with many Buddhists is ideal destination for you to explore Ancient Vietnamese culture

Dau Pagoda, located in Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province, is considered the oldest Buddhist pagoda in Vietnam according to researchers. The pagoda is about 1 hour away from Hanoi Old Quarter, making it easy for a morning trip off the city noise.

Dau Pagoda - the Cradle of Vietnam Buddhism

History

In the past, the region where Dau Pagoda was built today was the capital of Giao Chi district, the political, economic and cultural center of Vietnam. About 1,800 years ago, the Indian monk named Khau Da La came to this area to do the missionary work and founded the first Buddhism center in Vietnam called Luy Lau. There were many pagodas, citadels and market built in the area at that time and Dau Pagoda was among them.

As Dau Pagoda was the biggest pagoda in the Buddhist center region, many monks from either India or China came there to do research and spread Buddhism to the local residents.

This ancient pagoda has undergone many restorations and expansion, with the largest construction undertaken under the Ly and Tran dynasty. Going through the fluctuation of history, although many structures in the region were destroyed, the pagoda still exists and preserves the traditional oriental architecture style especially the wood block aged about 1752 years old and two bronzes' Xa Loi bodies of Vu Khac Minh and Vu Khac Truong monk.

Architecture

The yard in front of the pagoda hosts a three stories tower name Hoa Phong. The tower originally had six stories but it was partly destroyed. Inside the tower, there are a number of valuable artifacts such as a large bell dating back in Canh Thinh Dynasty (1793), a big bronze gong casted in Ming Mang Dynasty (1817) and several statues of Gods in Buddhist legends.

Visitor Information

Since its inception, Dau Pagoda has hosted the annual Dau Pagoda Festival on April 8th in lunar calendar. This is also the biggest Buddhism festival of the northern region of Vietnam. In 2012, the festival will fall on April 28^th.

The oriental architecture style and the antiques at the pagoda will absolutely impress any visitor. Moreover, it is also a great chance for those who want to discover and experience the traditional culture of Vietnam, and a must visit for Buddhists.

The best way to get to Chua Dau is to rent a car with a driver, who already knows the way and will take care of parking issues. You can also ride a motorbike, by following highway 5 and turning to Highway 1B. Chua Dau is about 35km from Hanoi downtown.

If tourists in Vietnam Travel have chance to visit Bac Ninh Province, Dau Pagoda is a must-see place that should not be missed!

www.vietnamtourism.org.vn

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A temple is the middle of Sword Lake in Hanoi

Once you have time to visit Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, you should come to Ngọc Sơn Temple, which is a small museum covering many precious relics from different historical eras of Vietnamese history, it will help you understand a part history of the country.

Ngoc Son Temple (Đền Ngọc Sơn) is located on a small islet at Hoan Kiem Lake in the City of Hanoi. The temple was founded in the 14th century but most of its current structures were built in the 18th century.

Ngoc Son Temple is also a small museum covering many precious relics from different historical eras such as the stele writing entitled Ngọc Đế Sơn, (complied by Dr. Vũ Tông Phan in 1843), and about 1,156 valuable carved wooden blocks for printing books on literature, medicine, and linguistics.

On the walls and pillars there are parallel sentences and large letters and fantastic poems by many famous Confucian scholars who came here as sightseers. In particular, there is a specimen of a rare Hồ Gươm (Sword lake) turtle 2.1m in length, 1.2m wide and weighing 250 kilograms, which was found in 1967.

The temple is made more beautiful and sacred by being placed on Sword Lake and relating to the legend of Lê Lợi returning the sword to the magical tortoise after gaining independence for the nation in 15^th century.

Although the Temple is located at the centre of a developing city, but this site still maintains a sense of the poetic atmosphere of ancient Thăng Long. The Huc Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple have symbolized Thăng Long–Hà Nội for years.

These are some photos of Ngoc Son Temple.

Gate to Ngoc Son Temple

Morning Sunlight Bridge (Thê Húc)

Thap But - mean to write on the blue sky

Ngọc Son Temple

The Temple has three main sections: the external one is the bái đường (kowtowing place), the central section is Văn Xương (for worshipping) and the end section is dedicated to Trần Hưng Đạo (A figure of almost legendary proportions in Vietnamese history, a brilliant military strategist who defeated two Mongol invasions and became a cultural hero among modern Vietnamese).

Hồ Gươm (Sword lake) turtle

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