Mau Son - a nature beauty

Mau Son is a mountain in Loc Binh District, Lang Son Province, in northeastern Vietnam. It is located about 170 km northeast of the capital Hanoi, about 30 km east of Lạng Sơn City, and close to the international border between Vietnam and China. The highest peak of the Mount Mẫu Sơn reaches about 1,600 m above sea level.
Mau Son has been settled by the Yao people. In the early 20th century, the French built a military base on the mountain followed by a cluster of villas in 1936. The French installations on Mount Mẫu Sơn have since fallen into disrepair and only ruins remain of the buildings.

 

 The highest mountain in a cluster of 80 peaks that offer marvellous views of the north east region

 

Ruins and old villas

Mau Son' resort

 

 

Path to Dao minority's villages

Chicken has many claws

The rice terraces 

Vietnamese Embroidery Painting

Worked completely by hand, each embroidery painting is intricately stitched using select strands of silk or cotton thread in coordinated colors and hues reflective of the scene being depicted.

Viewed from a distance, our Vietnamese silk "embroidery paintings" are often easily mistaken for the handiwork of an artist's brush magically blending raw color into a timeless masterpiece. But up close, the eye feasts on the intricate density of thousands of silk strands exquisitely embroidered on cloth in such a way that the detail in the hand work rivals the detail of the imagery itself. 

In face, you must hold the embroidery in your hands, feel its weight, to properly understand that thousands of tiny hand-stitches can blend together to form such authentic art.

For each embroidery artist, thread is their paint, the needle is their brush. With extraordinary patience, the artist  selects carefully each thread they use, and in several cases may incorporate up to 500 different types and colors of thread into each piece of art.

The paintings can take from three weeks to several months to complete, and require that the artist be not only a highly-skilled needle artist, but have the "eye"and artistic talent to accurately render the scene before them.

By means of comparison,  the work of embroidery painting is more difficult than any other form of embroidery, requires much more patience than either sculpting or traditional painting do. And only in Vietnam will you find this particular embroidery technique.

Hand embroidery holds a unique place in Vietnam's cultural history. Along with cooking and sewing, it is one of the most popular extra-curricular activities in which young high-school girls engage.

Since the 1960's, hand embroidery painting in Vietnam has been raised to the level of an art, and many male and female are all embroidery artists. Look in on our gallery of pictures.

Embroidery paintings from World Threads are guaranteed to brighten up any home, and certainly that you will enjoy the unique and artistic value of these masterpieces.

These are some photos of Embroidery paintings:

Village artists of Vietnam

The village of artists, called Ham Long, is located near the windy Sai Gon River, 10km from the hub of Ho Chi Minh City. It has this name because most of the owners of houses in the village are artists.
Visiting the village, tourists have a chance to behold houses built in the traditional architectural style of the Vietnamese people, such as a Hue Ruong house, a house-on-stilts of the Muong ethnic people and ancient houses of the South. Each house is an artistic architectural complex that is designed beautifully by its owner.

A garden overlooks the Sai Gon River.

The house built in the style of a Hue garden house

The most striking feature of the village probably is the houses owned by painters Nguyen Hoai Huong and Ly Khac Nhu. The house of Nguyen Hoai Huong was built in the style of a Hue Ruong house looking solemn and private while the house of Ly Khac Nhu looks rustic with a simple leave-covered roof.

The artists arrange many works of art and unique miniatures in their houses, such as paintings, pottery products, statues, a small lake and rock-works. Even the work place of the artists is an interesting place for tourists.

The village boasts many beautiful architectural constructions which include the house owned by painter Thanh Chau with oil paintings of a war theme, the house by painter Ho Huu Thu with abstract lacquer paintings and the one by artist Duong Dinh Hung which is famous for a garden of statues. Each house has its own beauty, showing the characters style of each artist.

Another interesting point of this village is that all the houses are not separated from each other by high walls but by low fences with entrances. Hence, these houses seem to be connected naturally like in rural areas that give a close and warm feeling.Visiting here, tourists in Vietnam tours not only enjoy unique artworks but also the beautiful scenery of the Sai Gon River at sunrise or sunset with a pure and cool atmosphere.

Foreign tourists visit the house owned by painter Ly Khac Nhu.

At Ky Long Vien, the house by painter Ly Khac Nhu, tourist services are available at the price of 10USD/person.

Address: No.35 Thich Mat The Road, Thanh My Loi Ward, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: (84-8) 38893871 – (84) 0918031225

Ao Dai in Hue Festival

A grand show of Ao Dai (traditional long dress) took place at Hue National University as a key event of the Hue Festival.

The event aimed to honor the beauty of Vietnamese women’s traditional costume through the image of lotus, which has provided endless inspiration for artists, architects, sculptors and painters.

During the show, Ao Dai adorned with lotus patterns provided invaluable spiritual values and the aesthetic eternity of such a beautiful flower, as well as the perception of the traditional dress in the soul of Vietnamese people.

In the early summer breeze from the Huong (Perfume) River and the sounds of zither, two-stringed violin, monochord and flute played, special Ao Dai collections by 20 leading designers were gracefully demonstrated by 150 top models from across the country.

Themed “Lotus in painting”, the show attracted thousands of visitors, including foreign ambassadors to Vietnam and international friends.

The event aimed to honor the beauty of Vietnamese women’s traditional costume through the image of lotus, which has provided endless inspiration for artists, architects, sculptors and painters.

During the show, Ao Dai adorned with lotus patterns provided invaluable spiritual values and the aesthetic eternity of such a beautiful flower, as well as the perception of the traditional dress in the soul of Vietnamese people.

In the early summer breeze from the Huong (Perfume) River and the sounds of zither, two-stringed violin, monochord and flute played, special Ao Dai collections by 20 leading designers were gracefully demonstrated by 150 top models from across the country.

Following are some pictures taken at the show:

10 the most amazing tourist destinations in Vietnam

Tourists are attracted by the country’s wonderful natural beauty in Vietnam: From the green rice fields in the north to the fascinating bustle of the Mekong Delta in the south. Although Vietnam is also a country with a long history and ancient traditions, it has many historic attractions as well as old temples. The overview of the most amazing tourist attractions in Vietnam.
1. Ha Long Bay

Halong Bay is located in north Vietnam about 120 kilometer long coast line and is literally translated as “Bay of Descending Dragons”. The top tourist attraction in Vietnam, Ha Long Bay features thousands of islands, each topped with thick jungle vegetation, creating a spectacular escape of limestone pillars. Several of the islands are hollow, with various caves; other islands include lakes together with some support floating villages of fishermen.
2. Thien Mu Pagoda (Hue)

With seven stories, the Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue is the tallest pagoda in Vietnam. The pagoda overlooks the Perfume River and is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the former imperial capital. The temple was built in 1601 during the rule of the Nguyễn Lords. The initial temple was very simply constructed, but over time it was redeveloped and expanded with more intricate features.
3. Hoan Kiem Lake (Hanoi)

Located in the historical center of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as the locals’ favorite leisure spot. Hoan Kiem means “returned sword”, and the name comes from a legend in which King Le Loi was given a magical sword by the gods, which he used to drive out the invading Chinese. Later he returned the sword to the Golden Turtle God in the lake.
4. Hoi An

This fishing-village-turned-tourist-attraction is situated on the coast of the South China Sea. Hoi An has been an international port from the 16th century although the serious shipping business has long since moved to the city of Da Nang. The heart of the city is still the Old Town, full of winding lanes and Chinese-styled shops. It is sometimes called the “Venice of Vietnam” because of the narrow canals that cut through part of the town.
5. Phu Quoc

Located in front of the Cambodia coast, Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam. Phu Quoc is what Phuket would be if it hadn’t been overrun by development. The island features pristine tropical forests, undamaged coral reefs and great beaches. One of its beaches, named Bai Dai (Long Beach), was chosen by the ABC News as one of five beautiful and clean beaches. Phu Quoc is famous for producing the best nuoc mam or fermented fish sauce in the world.
6. Sa Pa Terraces


Sa Pa is a town in northwest Vietnam not far from the Chinese border. Rice terraces can be found in the Muong Hoa valley between Sa Pa town and the Fansipan Mountain, on a backdrop of thick bamboo woodlands. Local mountain people, the Hmong, Giay, Dao, Tay, and Giay, grow rice and corn on these paddy terraces, along with vegetables.
7. Mui Ne

The formerly little-inhabited beach south of the fishing village of Mui Ne has seen some serious development in the last 15 years. Due to strong sea breezes it is a popular destination in Vietnam for kite- and windsurfing. No trip to Mui Ne is complete without a trip to the famous sand dunes located a short distance north of the town. The vast sandy expanse provide some great panoramic views especially during sunset.
8. Mekong River (Mekong Delta)

The Mekong Delta is the region in southern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea. It is a very rich and lush area, covered with rice fields, that produces about half of the total of Vietnam’s agricultural output. Subsequently, life in the Mekong Delta revolves much around the river, and all the villages are often accessible by river rather than by road.
9. Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located about 40 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during the Vietnam War, and were the base of operations for the Tết Offensive in 1968. The tunnels have become a popular tourist attraction, and visitors are invited to crawl around in the safer parts of the tunnel system.
10. Nha Trang

Nha Trang is Vietnam’s most popular seaside resort town located along the second most beautiful bays in the country. It features beautiful beaches with fine and clean sand and clear ocean water with mild temperatures. The city has about 300,000 inhabitants and is more lively and urban in character than other beach destinations like Mui Ne and Phu Quoc. It’s also the scuba diving center of Vietnam.

Beautiful Vietnamese girls in Ao Dai (traditional long dress) fashion show

Forty beautiful girls in the Miss Vietnam 2012 pageant dazzlingly posed for photographs in ao dai (traditional long dress) at a resort in the central city of Danang on August 19.

Ninh Hoang Ngan

Vuong Thu Phuong

Nguyen Thu Thao

Meticulous preparations-A peacock-tailed dress as long as six metres

Nguyen Tuyet Ngoc

Pham Thi Phuong Thao

Tran Bao Vy

 



Source: Vietnam tourism