Rach Gia City worth exploring

hanoi package tours - Rach Gia City in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is normally where tourists rest before moving on with their tours to destinations like Ha Tien, Phu Quoc Island and Nam Du Island.

A view of the sunset seen from the urban area in Rach Gia City

However, Rach Gia is also worth exploring. When stopping by this seaside city, tourists can drop by Nguyen Trung Truc Temple and the reclaimed urban area, the two most famous places in Rach Gia. 
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Rach Gia is a coastal area, so it has taken the city many years to carry out a massive project to reclaim land in the sea. This urban area is now home to a lot of coffee shops and restaurants where tourists can eat and drink while enjoying sea breezes. This is also where to admire a magnificent view of the sun setting.

Those wishing to take a boat tour to watch the sunset can contact tour operators in the area.

Long before the new urban area took shape, Rach Gia had been known for Nguyen Trung Truc Temple and the festival to commemorate the death anniversary of national hero Nguyen Trung Truc.

As a fisherman, Nguyen Trung Truc (1839-1868) led village militia forces to fight the  French in the Mekong Delta from 1861 to 1868. He was active in Tan An, which is now part of Long An Province, and Rach Gia until his capture and execution. His great patriotism and glorious sacrifice during the first years of the anti-French Resistance War are remembered until on February 18.

The famous quote he made before his death is “Only after all the grass in Vietnam is weeded will there be no more Vietnamese people fighting against the aggressors.”

For southern people, the festival to honor Truc’s death anniversary, or Nguyen Trung Truc Festival in short, is an important event taking place from the 26th to the 28th of the eighth lunar month.

During the festival, people from different parts of the Mekong Delta gather at Nguyen Trung Truc Temple, which is located at 8 Nguyen Cong Tru Street in Vinh Thanh Ward, to clean up the temple and worshiping items, and cook a lot of vegetarian dishes. 
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What makes the festival special is that all people are invited to enjoy food at no cost and those who come from faraway places are offered free accommodation. All expenses are covered by benefactors and philanthropists.

Describing the festival, Vu Van Duc, a local man, said: “People from different parts of the southern region come to the temple to make food on the death anniversary of Nguyen Trung Truc just like they do at home: The living people make meals for offering to their loved ones who passed away, which is a very beautiful culture and tradition of the Vietnamese.

“On the other hand, the festival reflects the hospitality and community spirit of the southerners when people from different places and social backgrounds can sit together to organize the festival, and all food is shared for locals and visitors and donated to the needy.”

Apart from food, the festival features southern folk music performances such as cai luong and don ca tai tu, and specialties in the region.

The festival lured over 800,000 people in 2012 and the figure rose up to over one million last year, according to the Nguyen Trung Truc Temple’s management.

The statue of national hero Nguyen Trung Truc is in front of his temple in Rach Gia City A woman offers incense at the altar of national hero Nguyen Trung Truc inside Nguyen Trung Truc Temple A view of the reclaimed urban area in Rach Gia City – Photos: Le Minh

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An untouched beach near Hoi An

hanoi travel agency - Around three kilometers from Hoi An City on the central coast, An Bang beach is still in its primitive state. Clean water, yellow sand, a pure atmosphere and daily chores of local fishermen make the beach area unique.

The yellow-sand An Bang beach

Unlike other beautiful beaches which are always crowded with people, An Bang beach is peaceful. Stretching around four kilometers, the place perfectly suits those loving nature and wanting to shy away from crowds.
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Coming to An Bang, visitors can find several bamboo basket boats on the beach. This type of boat is still used as a major means for fishing in the waters near the shore. Along the stone embankment at the beach are fresh seafood stalls where hungry souls can stop by.

Fishermen pull their bamboo basket boat to the shore at An Bang beach – Photos: Tung Son

On the way to An Bang beach, tourists pass a fishing village, which is several kilometers from the city but exotic and tranquil. 
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Certain investors have shown interest in developing An Bang beach area into a hideaway, with several resorts and hotels having sprung up. A road from downtown Hoi An City to the beach has been connected to Tra Que Vegetable Village in Cam Ha Commune, where visitors can see farmers in action.    

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Pig procession festival in Hanoi’s village

hanoi travel agency - La Phu, a village 20 kilometers from Hanoi center, was known for its silk products in the past and now for wool weaving for export and malt making. Like many villages nationwide, La Phu has its own village festival, but the pig procession and offerings on the night of the 13th of lunar January every year are only found in this area.

This custom was initiated a long time ago. The village temple has many precious exhibits including royal proclamations from the seventeenth century honoring a general who had struggled for the peace of the village. It was said that the general, born on the seventh of lunar January, had trained his troops in La Phu village. Whenever the enemy troubled the area, the villagers prepared steamed sticky rice and pigs to give a feast to the general and his troops before the fight and after victory.

The villagers then decided to select the thirteenth of lunar January to mark the general’s death and his contributions by building a temple to worship the general. During the festival, the villagers arrange a number of processions and cultural and sports activities.

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The pig procession is the most significant activity of the festival. The villagers raise a pig with special care from the previous year to reach 120-200 kilograms. The procession is featured with some old people and 32 young people, all wearing formal uniforms and going from the main path of the village to the temple.

Many people from other neighboring areas join the festival with people of La Phu to pray to the village tutelary god for a bumper crop and happiness all year.

The procession of 17 pigs at La Phu Village Festival 2016:

This year 17 pigs weighing from 200kg to 300kg were chosen for the festival, which took place on the evening of February 20.

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About Tam Coc photographers golden season

For the professional photographer and also those working workout morning, everyone wants to set foot on the harvest of Tam Coc. Each of May on hundreds photographers from North to South are simultaneously "dating" the ancient capital of land photography golden season.

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May not plighting, so that surfing through the forums, as well as photographers wing phượt people invite each other to rip away Tam Coc gold hunting season. The pictures gold sparkle, Wu Dong constant waves on the line last season is attracting hundreds of visitors like and comment as make guests want to carry the backpack on the road immediately.

In early summer, the sky Tam Coc soaring, pure ripple not a cloud. Downstream along the Ngo Dong as smooth as water collection tank, boat oars waving gently bring travelers into the Elysian summer. Rolling limestone mountains, timeless contemplation reflected the blue of the water. Wind blows through mountain rocks carrying rice flavor, birds coo, sparkling sun rays through the cave ... makes doubly scenic vistas.

And how wonderful moment when you are sitting leisurely stroll on the boat cool and watching golden rice fields by the river. Same identical mountains, immense golden beach ... opens a beautiful picture, seems to extend to endless. There, we encountered countless gorgeous colors, peaceful life. Not all surprised with the bright yellow rice, do you admire a brilliant palette of green color of the mountains, the silvery color of the water combined with the clear sky.

The two banks, the local people are in a hurry though still not forgotten harvest fresh smile whenever visitors towards the lens. These days, in addition to passenger boat, there are the yellow rice teeming with radiant faces of the farmers during the harvest season. Therefore, despite not owning a terrible machine, which just equipped with enough memory cards and battery charger, you also composed the "shoot" Ultra "quality".

According to local photographers, the best time to go traveling and photographing in Tam Coc - Bich Dong is from late May to early June, lasts about 2 weeks, when the rice field where it began to turn color to catch gold a prosperous season. Here, you can also sailing through the cave Both, Maritime, three felt the cool air flow and see stalactites hang from the ceiling like pendulous iridescent pearls.

To have beautiful photos, a forum for visitors recommend people take pictures focus on the themes: Tam Coc Bich Dong, Thai Vi Temple, countryside, harvest, scene Ngo Dong River boating between grain season. Best shooting time is from 9 - 11 am because if too early, the little boat, but it was still too late blind will have sun and shade the top is no longer beautiful again. If possible, choose a high position to capture panoramic rice is browned surrounding mountains, looming some red phoenix tree blooms will absolutely stunning. 

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