Tiếng Việt ơi

Hồ Hoàn Kiếm (Hồ Gươm) - Lake of the Restored Sword

john — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 15:58:57 GMT

A beautiful basket of flowers inside Hanoi, a mirror-like green lake, a place of love, etc. are converged in Hoan Kiem Lake – the core of Hanoi!

Ho Hoan Kiem

(or Lake of the Restored Sword) was once part of the Red river (song Hong). Throughout thousands of years of geographical changes, the lake moved eastward to its present position kilometers from the river. Before the famous historical legend of King Le Loi here, Hoan Kiem Lake used to be called Luc Thuy Lake (or Green Water Lake) since the water was green all the year round. In 15th century, it was named Hoan Kiem Lake after the legend of Emperor Le Thai To, which is somehow similar to the story of King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake's.

Now please close your eyes and turn back time to the Le Dynasty 6 centuries ago to witness the legendary story. During the war against the Minh aggressors, King Le Thai To was given a precious fairy Sword by the Golden Turtle God. After 10 years of continuous struggling, the King finally defeated the Chinese and reclaimed the nation’s independence. After that, on a nice day, while boating on lake Luc Thuy, a large turtle came towards him.

It immediately grabbed the sword with its mouth and submerged. The king mourned the lost of such a valuable sword, yet could not find either the turtle or the sword. He realized that the God must have lent him the sword to drive back the enemy, but then that his nation was free, the sword must be returned. Hence, King Le Thai To named the lake Ho Hoan Kiem or Lake of the Restore Sword after this episode.

Since the reign of King Le Trung Hung (XVI century), every King in the Le dynasty, and Lord Trinh have all contributed to the beauty of the lake. Lord Trinh Giang built Khanh Thuy shrine on Ngoc island on the north end of the lake. He also had the two man made hills built across fromNgoc son Shrine. At the end of the Le Dynasty, Khanh Thuy was toppled by Chieu Thong. A philanthropist named Tin Trai built Ngoc Son pagoda, which was renamed into Ngoc Son shrine during the reign of Thieu Tri III (1843) as it was no longer a Buddhist shrine. Instead, it became a shrine of Van Xuong, a deity, in charge of literature and the various tests required to become a Mandarin. It has also been a shrine of General Tran Hung Dao, a national Hero who secured numerous victories against the Mongols.

Hence, Hoan Kiem Lake is now situated inside a complex of Ngoc Son Temple, The Huc Bridge, Pen Tower in the surroundings, making a sparkling colorful natural picture! Ngoc Son has undergone a lot of renovations, one among which was the addition of Thap But (translated as Pen Tower) on its hill, which was once called Dao Tai. Three words were inscribed on the tower: "Ta Thien Thanh" or "write on blue sky". Inside the gate a pool resembling the shape of an ink well was added. Beyond the ink well is The Huc bridge, which means "where the sun light is absorbed". The bridge leads to Dac Nguyet Lau (or "Moon Light tower") - Ngoc Son shrine. Beyond the gates to the shrine, there are two walls called bang Rong and bang Ho (dragon and tiger slate), where the names of those who passed the national test were inscribed.

What could not be missed in this beautiful complex is the Turtle Tower, which lies in the middle of the Lake, so as to remind Vietnamese people of the Turtle God of his great assistance. It was told that King Le Thanh Tong used to fish here. Lord Trinh also built the structure to house his entourage while visiting the lake.

Despite the time’s ashes and dust, Hoan Kiem Lake - the popular historical and legendary beauty-spot is eternal for good as an evidence of a fairy & heroic Hanoi during the past wars, and a romantic & charming Hanoi of Today!

Hoan Kiem Lake is considered one of the first things to see in Hanoi when one arrives in this bustling capital city. Visitors are recommended to hire a tour guide or book a Hanoi day tour so that they can learn many interesting stories and legends about the lake and other attractions surrounding it. For day tour information, take a look at this Hoan Kiem lake tour.

Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu-Quốc Tử Giám)

john — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 10:34:51 GMT

The very first stop-over of any foreign tourist in Hanoi is always Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (translated as Temple of Literature), which reveals the Hanoians’ spirit of study in the past!

Situated at the south of Thang Long citadel, is on top of the historical and beautiful sightseeings of the beautiful capital of Vietnam. Please follow us in a brief tour of exploring his beauty and deep values;

Historical meaning

Tourists, particularly the foreign ones, now flock to the site for taking a look into its profound traditional meanings of both a Confucion temple and the first university of Vietnam. Văn Miếu or Temple of Literature, known as "pagode des Corbeaux" during the period of French colonisation, was founded as a Confucian temple in 1070.

Only parts of the Văn Miếu complex date back to the earliest period, although much of the architecture dates to the Ly (1010 – 1225) and Tran (1225 – 1400) Dynasties. In 1076, Vietnam's first university, the Quốc Tử Giám (or National University), was established within this temple to educate Vietnam's mandarin class. The university functioned for more than 700 years, from 1076 to 1779, during which, 2,313 doctors graduated. Hence, the complex has been attached to the name of Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam up to now.

A beauty-spot of architectural values

This ancient Confucian sanctuary is now considered one of Hanoi's finest historical and cultural sites. "The ever special architetural style of Van Mieu dates back to the 11th century, evoking an inspiration of classical creativeness of many of us”, one of my tourists remarked. Just take a look into the art of architecture, you will share the feeling! The temple is based on Confucius' birthplace at Qufu in the Chinese province of Shandong. It consists of five courtyards lined out in order, entrance to the first, via the impressive twin-tiered Van Mieu gate leads to three pathways that run through the length of the complex. The centre path was reserved for the King only, the one to its left for administrative Mandarins and the one to its right for military Mandarins.

The first two courtyards are peaceful havens of ancient trees and well-trimmed lawns where the scholars could relax away from the bustle of the city outside the thick stone walls. Entrance to the third courtyard is through the dominating Khue Van Cac (constellation of literature), a large pavilion built in 1802. Central to the this courtyard is the Thien Quang Tinh ("Well Of Heavenly Clarity"), either side of which stand two great halls which house the true treasures of the temple. These are 82 stone steles. Another 34 are believed to have been lost over the years. They sit upon stone tortoises and are inscribed with the names and birth places of 1306 men who were awarded doctorates from the triennial examinations held here at the Quoc Tu Giam ("National University") between 1484 and 1780, when the capital was moved to Hue.
The fourth courtyard is bordered on either side by great pavilions which once contained altersl of 72 of Confucius greatest students but which now contain offices, a gift shop and a small museum which contains ink wells, pens, books and personal artifacts belonging to some of the students that have studied here through the years. At the far end of the courtyard is the altar with statues of Confucius and his four closest disciples. The fifth courtyard contained the Quoc Tu Giam, Vietnam's first university founded in 1076 King Ly Can Duc, but this was destroyed by French bombing in 1947.

Though having gone through lots of restoration work, the temple still retains its very first original shape, to be one of the visit-worthy sightseeings of Hanoi, captivating to a huge number of tourists elsewhere.

A space of peace, green trees and solemnity covers the whole temple of historical and traditional love for study, making tourists feel like they were lost in a land of Confucion and traditional values. If you are in Hanoi, you should really come and explore it yourself!

Being an ancient school of Thang Long and the first university in Vietnam, Temple of Literature is acknowledged as an ancient historical-cultural heritage which gives tourists deeper understanding about Hanoi's years of culture and tradition. Tourists should definitely add the Temple of Literature to their visiting list in Hanoi. It is included in a lot of Hanoi city tours as one of the main attractions in this bustling capital city. Coming here, tourists might see many Vietnamese students visiting the places as a ritual for good luck before they enter an important exam such as the entrance exam into college.

Secret war bunker in Thang Long Citadel

john — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 00:08:39 GMT

VGP – The underground bunker is located west of the Department of Operations, the General Staff of the Viet Nam’s people Army in the imperial citadel of Thang Long in downtown Ha Noi.

The Military Operation bunker – General Command Headquarter

It played an important role in the American war, especially during the 12 days and nights of the Ha Noi – Dien Bien Phu air battle 40 years ago. Recently, the bunker was restored by the Thang Long Heritage Preservation Centre and was officially opened to tourists.

The bunker was built at the end of 1964 in a total area of 64km2 with cement blocks measuring a total of 1,000 cubic meters. The top of the bunker is 1.4m above the land and its walls are 0.4m thick. With a system of air conditioning, filtering and ventilation, the bunker was considering one of the most modern of its kind that could provide shelter from atomic bombs.

The basement has three rooms with the largest covering 34m2. It was equipped with four booths. Each booth was installed with three telephones, a system of monitoring the air routes of both the US and Viet Nam aircrafts, a war map, an alarm and loudspeaker. This was the ongoing work of the team in combat duty by the Department of Operations, the General Staff in charge, responsible for direct reply to President Ho Chi Minh when he asked and monitored hostilities in the northern battlefield as well as the Indochina war and made proposals to the General Staff of combat plans.

The two remaining rooms are tactical briefing room, covering 20m2, which is near the door of the bunker to the east and the motor, covering 10m2 which is near the door of the bunker in the south. The tactical briefing room is the place where the warfare commanders organized continuous meetings and commended the fight against the US, particularly the Ha Noi-Dien Bien Phu air battle from December 18-29, 1972.

Forty years have passed since the Paris Peace Accords were signed (1973-2013), and the bunker was opened to the public. The Thang Long Heritage Preservation Center restored the whole space of the relic, including wooden walls and ceiling and paper maps. The cadres of the centre collected 185 out of 197 artifacts and materials such telephones, work diaries and utensils for the display in the bunker.

The opening of the warfare bunker helps visitors both at home and abroad understanding the historical period of the brave fight and the victory of the army and people of Viet Nam in the war against the US./.

The door of the bunker is made by two-layers of steel that could provide shelter from bombs, toxic gas and radioactivity

A system of monitoring air routes of the invaders

Four telephone booths were used to make contact with soldiers in battle

The ongoing work of the team in combat duty by the Department of Operations

Telephones of cadres

Learn Vietnamese with Hoang Anh in Hanoi
I upload this video to help others especially foreigner feel easier to learn Vietnamese steps by step and also help my student to practice. I hope that, this video can be an usefull document with who want to learn Vietnamese.
Hope that every one of you have a good experience with Vietnamese
Don't hesistate if you have any question and want to ask me something
Please post it down there

--
PHAN HOÀNG ANH
Vietnamese teacher

Tiếng Việt ơi

My student 's language proficiency is my pride
And their Vietnamese experience is my responsibility

Keep calm and learn Vietnamese

Email: hoanganhphan91@gmail.com
Phone number: +84 01256729315
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoanganh.phan.7
Skype: johnducan
Vietnamese learning material: http://learnvietnamese.ucoz.com/
My TNH Hanoi link: http://tnhvietnam.xemzi.com/vi/spot/12091/hoang-anh-vietnamese-language-teacher-hanoi
Make Hanoi your home

If you need anything in Vietnam (translation, investment support, house for rent or motor bike for rent) , please tell me, I can help you

About us

john — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 03:12:08 GMT

Xin chào

Hello. My name is Phan Hoàng Anh, a representative of Vietnamese teachers, who want other people know more about Vietnam and our language. This website is one of our product to support our sutdent and to let other have more chance to learn Vietnamese at home (if they dont have chance to come to Vietnam). If you have any question about Vietnam and Vietnamese or even you need a Vietnamese teacher don't hesitate to contact with me.

Contact me at

PHAN HOÀNG ANH

Vietnamese teacher

My student 's language proficiency is my pride

And their Vietnamese experience is my responsibility

Keep calm and learn Vietnamese

Email: hoanganhphan91@gmail.com

Phone number: +84 01256729315

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoanganh.phan.7

Skype: johnducan

My TNH Hanoi link: http://tnhvietnam.xemzi.com/vi/spot/12091/hoang-anh-vietnamese-language-teacher-hanoi

Make Hanoi your home

DO’S and DON’T

john — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 01:49:35 GMT

Hanoi people are very gracious, polite and generous and will make every effort to make guests feel comfortable. Here are some general advices about things to do and not to do in Hanoi and Vietnam as well:

BARGAINING & SHOPPING

Bargaining is a culture in small retail businesses in Asian countries in general and in Vietnam in particular. If you look at any items which do not have listed prices when you go shopping, salesperson usually offers 10% - 20% higher than the real price. Be skillful and haggle to buy your favorite items and keep in mind the following tips:

Some shops display a "fixed price” sign” no hope there! But there are many places to practice your bargaining techniques: markets, stalls, souvenir shops and so on. Try your luck in the morning: many vendors will accept a very favorable price to secure the first scale of the day. It brings them luck. Remain friendly manner at all times: a deal will only be struck if both parties agree to it. Bargain should be an enjoyable experience, not a battle, and leave both sides satisfied.
DO make a reference and consider carefully before buying valuable items such as jewelleries, gems or cameras. It is suggested to buy your needed items in large stores with clear warranty period.
Night Markets: Hanoi Night Market takes place every Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays stretching horizontally from Hang Ngang, Hang Dao, Hang Duong and so on. You should not expect to find good quality products here, but they offer amazing rates which are very cheap and could be a pleasant experience for you.
Do not buy souvenirs such as pearls from fisherman. Halong is the centre for pearl cultivation to export for trading. Normally, those commodities which are made by fisherman do not have good quality and provide very cheap rates.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

According to Vietnam Laws, all items must be listed in Vietnam Dong and all transactions must be settled down by Vietnam Dong. It is easily to exchange currency from USD or other currencies into Vietnam Dong directly at our hotel reception or surrounding banks. The nearest banks are Vietcombank which is on the left of our hotel or VietinBank which is just few steps away from the hotel.
Paper notes include: VND 500,000; 200,000; 100,000; 50,000; 20,000; 10,000; 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500; 200 and 100. Coins include VND 5,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500 and 200.
Visa, Master card, JCB and American Express Cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants, tourist centers, shops, supermarkets and booking offices.
Most of the foreign currencies can be exchanged into Vietnam Dong. The most widely accepted currency is U.S. dollar. Many restaurants hand you the bill in both currencies – VND or US dollar. Fees and rates are quoted in dollar as well. Euro is hardly recognized and can actually be quoted at rates significantly less than the international rate. Therefore, it is advisable to keep Vietnam Dong for easy shopping such as buying souvenirs or enjoying delicious cuisine on the street vendors.

DRESS CODE

Always dress appropriately and conservatively. In Vietnam, the dress code is casual. Unless you want to dress for dinner in the top-end hotels and up-market restaurants, there's no need to bring smart outfits and accessories.
DO always be aware when entering someone’s home, local dwellings or visiting religious sites such as temples/pagodas, it is a must to remove your shoes at the front door.
Never wear shorts, dresses or skirts, or tops with low-neck lines and bare shoulders to Temples and Pagodas. To do this is considered extremely rude and offensive.

GIFT GIVING

If invited to Vietnamese home, small gifts for the hostess, children or elders of the home are a sign of respect. Usable items, such as soaps, cosmetics or picture frames or flowers, fruits are appreciated, and should be wrapped in colorful paper.
Do not give handkerchiefs, anything black, yellow flowers or chrysanthemums.
Business gift giving is fairly common at the end of a meeting or during a meal in honor of your business associates. Gifts should be small but not expensive. Something with your company logo or something typical from your country both makes excellent gifts.

HOTEL PHOTOS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Hotel Photos: Our hotel photos are 100% real and are not modified by any image programs like Photoshop. When selecting the best hotel in any destination, you should distinguish between the real and 3D photos. You should also pay attention to the hotel scale such as how many rooms and categories the hotel has. A hotel which has little rooms could not guarantee other services for guests.
Fake Reviews: Before booking any hotels or services in Vietnam, most tourists will check certain services through various social networks for their references. We highly appreciate all guests’ comments in those websites. However, there are many competitors currently who compete unfair. By whatever means, they could hire someone to write fake reviews about our hotel in order to lose our hotel’s reputation. They may post a bad review or a short indifferent review. By being affected by bad reviews, the hotel will lose its good rankings. Travelers who are searching for accommodation may ignore hotels that are low down in the ranking and overlook the good hones hotels because of this scam. Our advice for fellow travelers is please do not let the bad or fake reviews fool you and believe in your choice by reliable sources in order to make the right decisions.

HANOI CUISINE

It is recommend to spend time enjoying Hanoi’s cuisine culture and delicious dishes

"Pho” – Special Hanoi’s noodle.
Hanoi Spring Roll.
"Cha Ca La Vong” – Grilled fishes.
"Bun Cha”

Most traditional Hanoi dishes could be found at "Quan Ngon Restaurant” which is located at No.18 Phan Boi Chau. Telephone: (04) 3942 8162.

Moreover, if you would like to cook and enjoy your own food, we strongly recommend taking part in the cooking class in the best cooking centre in Hanoi – Hanoi Cooking Centre. For your information of this program, kindly click here.

Our Guest Relations team is always ready to provide all useful information above at any your best convenient time.

LANGUAGES & EXPRESSIVENESS

Expressiveness and Vietnamese language is very rich, sometimes you will probably make a mistake. Many Vietnamese people do not speak English well; they can somehow listen to you, laughed and just nodded. It is actually their friendly gesture, but it does not mean that they totally understand what you mean. When you need to express your language without an interpreter, it is advisable to use pen and paper.

PLACES OF INTERESTS

Upon your arrival to Hanoi, you should spend your valuable time to visit the following sightseeing places:

01 hour to stroll around the Old Quarter streets of Hanoi.
Water puppet program – a traditional art form of Vietnam. (The Water Puppet Theatre is 50m away from Boss hotel).
Temple of Literature – the first university of Vietnam which is built in 1070 with the ancient and unique architecture.
Complex of HCM Mausoleum – where you can image a great portrait man who used to live and work there. This is also a place where One Pillar Pagoda – a famous temple, was built in 1049.
Museum of Ethnology – where you will have time to understand deeper about the Vietnamese’s culture and it shows 54 images of Vietnam ethnic minorities.
Halong Bay – a must see destination in Northern Vietnam. It has been listed as one of the seven natural wonders in the world. It is advisable to travel to Halong Bay for a few hours cruise on the emerald water.
Hotel location – located in the heart of the city centre – provides easy access to many famous and popular sightseeing places such as Dong Xuan market, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son temple, Hoa Lo prison, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Long Bien bridge, Opear House and so on...

How to survive in the Road of Hanoi

john — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 09:08:41 GMT

by JAC on DECEMBER 6, 2011

Chaos.

Utter chaos as motorbikes swerve by inches from my taxi. Others bikes took to the curb, weaving between tourists to get through the jam, while several bikes zoomed by with their entire family piled on. My first hour on the streets of Hanoi was definitely eye-opening, and had me worrying about how I would it make through Vietnam without causing any road accidents.

I was lucky to meet other tourists at my guesthouse who showed me the ropes, and later as I pounded the pavements on my own, I was confident enough to make my way around safely.

Here are four simple things that will have you crossing roads like a savvy local:

Be open

Throw your expectations of normal traffic rules out the door and adapt to the Vietnamese way. The general basic rule that governs Vietnamese driving style is that the traffic rules you’re used to back home are but loosely regarded ‘guidelines’ in Vietnam. Traffic signals aren’t usually followed, and the size of your vehicle usually indicates how much respect you’re going to get on the road.

I was honestly surprised not to see more accidents in the time that I was there, but I soon realized that it’s because the Vietnamese have developed their own unique code when it comes to their road culture, and things went smootly as long as everyone was on the same page.

Be decisive

When you do decide to cross the road, don’t change your mind halfway. The Vietnam driving style, while seemingly chaotic, is actually a fairly friendly one that works by everyone giving way to each other. Find the gap between vehicles and make your move with deliberation; as long as they can see what you’re doing, the drivers will react accordingly.

Walking the streets and parting the sea of motorbikes like the red sea is one experience you’re never going to get anywhere else.

Be alert

While the drivers usually make the effort to avoid you, you still have to keep both eyes peeled for any errant drivers who might have missed you. So always look both ways (yes, that goes for one-way streets as well), and even when you’re walking on the pavements, remember that sidewalks are often parking bays and sometimes alternative routes for motorbikes, so you still need to pay attention even when you have ‘right of way’.

I often wound up really tired at the end of each day, not so much from the actual walking, but from just being on high alert all the time!

Be calm

Most importantly, don’t panic! You put yourself in further peril if you suddenly freeze up or change direction in the middle of a crowded street. My little tip: I hummed to myself to help stay calm in the face of a zillion motorbikes bearing down on me.

Or when in doubt, remember that there is safety in numbers – trail a savvy local closely, or find fellow tourists to make that move.

And don’t worry if you suck at it! I met two American ladies who told me about their first failed attempt to cross the road, which left them stranded by the roadside so long that a local finally took pity on them, seized their arms and hauled them across the road. (I’m glad I wasn’t that bad!)

Vietnamese Language

john — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 05:43:28 GMT

The ancient Vietnamese language, though not complex structurally (subject, object, verb with no plurals), is tonal and therefore difficult for Westerners to master. In its earliest written form, Vietnamese was based on the Chinese pictographic writing, called Chu Nom, and you'll see remnants of that tradition on temple walls -- in fact, young people still study written Chinese in school. But in the 17th century, a French missionary named Alexandre de Rhodes developed Quoc Ngu, the Romanized Vietnamese alphabet that's used today. Unlike other languages in the region, many of which use Sanskrit as a base, Vietnamese looks almost readable to a Westerner, and though the easy recognition of Romanized letters makes finding street addresses much easier, the system of accent marks is complex and pronunciation is difficult. There are no dialects of Vietnamese, but regional accents are quite distinct.

To really learn Vietnamese, you'll need to work with a pronunciation coach, and the best part about traveling in Vietnam is the willingness of people to listen, laugh, and correct or model for you as you bludgeon their precious language. Learning just a little goes a long way.

Today most city dwellers seem to speak at least a little English, and the older generation speaks some French. With increased influence from China -- the Chinese comprise well over 50% of international visitors in Vietnam -- younger people are increasingly studying Mandarin. Students especially will be eager to practice English with you (as well as French or Mandarin). Solo travelers, being less intimidating, are at an advantage; you'll have many opportunities (and invitations) to have a squat on a street corner, drink a bia hoi (local draft beer), and practice pronunciation.

Laugh from Your Mistakes -- The Vietnamese language, with its six tones, has an enormous capacity for puns, and Vietnamese people get a kick out of foreigners' mistakes. Words that mean "progress with sales," if pronounced incorrectly, come out as "very hungry." Bawdy mistakes by foreigners who think they're ordering pork but are naming a human body part, for example, send Vietnamese people into a tizzy.

Who Do You Think You're Talkin' To?

It's important to know who you're speaking to, especially in Vietnam, where the pronoun you is used widely and denotes the relationship of the two people speaking. If you're just saying "Hello" to someone, you need to say the equivalent of "Hello older man" or "Hello young person." In fact, when peers meet, there's a moment of figuring out who is older/younger -- sometimes folks even ask so that they know what to call you. The second-person pronouns are important and easy to learn. Say hello as follows:

Use Chao ong for a man significantly older, an elder or grandfather.
Chao ba is polite for a married woman older than you, an auntie or grandma.
Anh is the word for a young man (only if older than you) or brother; if you're elderly, everyone is Em and Anh to you.
Say Chao chi to an older or middle-age lady.
Use Chao co when referring to an older single lady or teacher.
Chao em is the proper pronoun for someone younger than you, male or female. Note: A man saying this to a woman is considered too informal -- as if it were a come-on -- so the more neutral Chi or Co is better. Also note that shouting "Em" or "Em oi!" is the best way to get a waitress's attention. If the waitress is much older, though, be sure to use "Ba oi!" instead.