Almost every district has a market day on a specified date of the month (on the lunar calendar). Each time when the market day comes the streams of people from villages in the mountains and valleys flock to the market and make it a bustling place. The markets in the highlands have become the lifestyle of local people.
A mountain market
Coming to a village market, visitors would feel the special of each market, such as the colorful brocade clothes of H'mong people in Ha Giang, the iron knives and agricultural tools in Cao Bang markets or the buffaloes and dogs in Si Ma Cai. Joining the market-goers one would feel the beauty and attractions hidden behind, it's not prominent and sophisticated but simple and rustic.
Floating markets have existed in Vietnam for hundreds of years and have become crucial part of daily life in the Mekong Delata. The boats here are packed with socialities from the nearby farms and villages such as vegetables, coconut, banana, watermelon, grapefruit and dragon fruit. As well as produce the market offers products that would be found in any other conventual market such as clothes, cosmetic supplies, mobile cards and motorbike repair parts.
As the quality of life improves, the weekend markets also change, but the traditional beauty, the cultural identity of all ethnic groups are still very well preserved in the markets.
This unique stonework was built for 3 months in 1937 by Ho Quy Ly who was the highest-ranking mandarin of Tran Dynasty. The Citadel of Ho Dynasty also is known as Tay Do castle. It was the political, economic and cultural center of Viet Nam from 1936 to 1407.
In the late 14th century, the Tran Dynasty was in disarray, and Ho Quy Ly laid plans to usurp the throne of King Tran Thuan Tong. In 1937, after the citadel was finished, Ho Quy Ly forced the King to move the capital from the citadel of Thang Long (Hanoi) to Thanh Hoa province. No longer after that few years, in 1400, Ho Quy Ly crowned himself to replace King Tran and renamed the country as Dai Ngu. The Citadel of the Ho Dynasty official became the capital citadel until 1407 with the name of Tay Do castle.
The Citadel of Ho Dynasty constructed of large limestone blocks. It is a magnificent combination of the Vietnamese architecture and the unique building techniques of Southeast Asia and Eastern Asia. This construction represents a new development of architectural technology and adaption of the geomantic city. It also states the skillful use of architectural elements in terms of space management and decoration. The complex structure demonstrates a concept of royal power and the adoption of Confucian philosophy within the predominantly Buddhist culture.
The Citadel composed of the Inner Citadel, La Thanh Outer Wall and the Nam Giao Altar (for worshipping the Heaven) covers 155.5 ha, surrounded by a buffer zone of 5078.5 ha. The Citadel is located in a landscape of great scenic beauty between the Ma and Buoi rivers in Vinh Loc district Thanh Hoa province of Viet Nam.
Differently with other kinds of paintings, the silk canvas are usually not painted. The Vietnamese traditional silk painting style tends to use the silk canvas directly as the background of the painting. The colors are used delicately with the canvas to make Vietnamese silk paintings. The delicate white color found in the sky, water, or human portrait, is the color of silk. The color of silk is well known to describe human figure in the paintings of many famous Vietnamese artists. Delicate color and silk background give the paintings such an harmony with the nature. Whatever style they follow, silk painters must have an intimate knowledge of the material and fully exploit its shininess and its attractiveness. Painting silk is full of changing and unexpected characteristics, and a wrong stroke of the brush is irreversible.
These paintings are made by the Vietnamese artists in Hue, central of Vietnam (110km from North of Da Nang.) These paintings are about the beauty of Hue, the most splendid royal capital of Vietnam, and of other famous provinces of Vietnam. This is an interesting collection that reflects the beauty of Vietnam via various landscapes and Vietnamese daily activities. The bamboo scroll silk paintings are made in the north of Vietnam. The oriental bamboo scrolls are perfect frames for the paintings.
Thanks Do Xuan Manh for this lovely set of covers and stamps !
Hun Kra Bok is a half-bodied puppet with the important parts being as follows:
The puppet’s head – represents the different roles such as the hero, the heroine, the monkey, the demon, the joker, and the animal.
The puppet’s hand – The heroine has both hands in the Tang Wong Ram gesture, each hand is attached to a stick, called Mai Takiap, for controlling the hand gesture. While about the hero, the demon and the joker, their right hand is a clenched fist motion for holding a weapon, and in their left hand is in the Tang Wong Ram hand gesture.
The puppet’s body – Its body is made from bamboo or other material.
The puppet’s shoulders – Its shoulders are made from wood or other material.
The puppet’s clothes – Its costume is like a sack covering from its shoulders to its half-bodied length. Furthermore there is ornate embroidery work for each puppet, which will be different according to its role.
Thanks Do Quoc Minh for the beautiful cover with such clear postmarks :) and for another cover too !
The 2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit, commonly known as the Hanoi Summit, was a two-day summit meeting between North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-unand U.S. President Donald Trump, held at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27–28, 2019. This was the second meeting between the leaders of the DPRK and the United States, following the first meeting in June 2018 in Singapore.
