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?
Vietnamese Traditions
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…
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
[Read more…] about Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi – outdoor exhibits
LoL moment at Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi
Some interesting tomb design of the Giarai (or Jarai) tribe, an ethnic group based primarily in Vietnam’s Central Highlands…
Floating village, Halong Bay, Vietnam
The floating village is a cultural heritage and tourist attraction in Halong Bay, Vietnam. People have been living in these houses for hundred of years with fishing as the main income activity. Some photos below, taken during my trip in July 2008…
