Japanese actress Aya Ueto in áo dài, an iconic traditional Vietnamese dress for a photoshoot in Vietnam. If not mistaken the pictures were released in April 2009 by ImageTV to promote her Treasure of Asia photobook. Looks great ain’t so?
Vietnam Blog
Cha Ca grilled fish, Hanoi, Vietnam
Cha Ca La Vong is a restaurant in Hanoi famous for its grilled fish (Cha Ca) dish which was created some 130 years ago. The restaurant/dish is so famous that the street is named after it, and it’s featured in almost every single Hanoi’s travel guide.
There’s one problem though, as some other restaurants are riding on its fame with similar name and menu to take advantage of naive foreign travellers, and I was one of the fallen prey of the conspiracy during my Hanoi trip in July 2008…
Sung Sot Cave, Halong Bay, Vietnam
Sung Sot Cave (Cave of Surprises) is the largest cave in Halong Bay, Vietnam. Located at the Bo Hon Island, the cave got its name (grotte des surprises) from a French admiral who was surprised at the size of the cave when he discovered it.
Photos from my July 2008 visit, including an aerial view of the iconic Bo Hon Bay which often features on travel magazines and postcards…
Halong Bay random photos
Random photos of Halong Bay, Vietnam; taken during my trip in July 2008…
Vietnam plans state-run bride agency
Vietnam is planning to set up an official matchmaking agency to arrange marriages between Vietnamese women and foreign men [via BBC]
Cross country arranged marriages are not uncommon in Asia, and its popularity is ever increasing for the past two decades. Women often see it as a route out of chaos and poverty, while men seeking foreign companions for various reasons.
Chinese women used to be the wife-in-demand, but Thai and Vietnamese are catching up in recent years. Their husband-to-be are usually from relatively well being places like Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan etc.
The boom however opens loopholes for illegal syndicates to cheat ladies into prostitutions or other illegal activities; and it’s also quite common that the men they finally met are not fitting to the descriptions provided by the agencies.
The Vietnamese government says it hopes the plan will help prevent the abuse of Vietnamese women by criminal organisations or by their new husbands.
Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi – outdoor exhibits
Photos of some outdoor exhibits of various Vietnam’s ethnic tribes at the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi, taken during my Hanoi visit in July 2008…
Tomb for the rich and high ranking people in the Cotu society
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