Discovered in 2005, the Heaven Cave is the longest dry cave in Asia. Located in the ecological restoration area of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park, Quang Binh province, the cave has been opened for tourists as of September 3.

The cave, 31km long, 191 metres above the sea level, has the most beautiful and spectacular stalactites in the park. Despite the robust geological tectonic process, the whole structure of the cave has still been persevered intact.

A 4.7 kilometres long forest road was built so that tourists can reach the destination on foot, by cross country bicycle or by host cart.

Some pictures of the cave:

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VietNamNet Bridge – Ly Son Island is some 18 nautical miles east offshore Quang Ngai mainland, composed of Big Island and Small Island with total area of over 10 km2, devided into three comunes of An Vinh, An Binh and An Hai.

For hundreds of years, Ly Son island has been called by many as a “fairy island,” thus a destination for either businesspeople or trevellers.

There are on the island well-known beauty spots such as Hang Cau (An Hai), Hang Co (An Hai), Hang To (An Vinh), Hang Ke Cuop (An Binh). There are also some others: Gieng Tien Mount, Thoi Loi Mount, Ban Than and Mu Cu isles. But the most noticeable are Hang and Duc Pagodas and An Hai Temple.

Hang Pagoda, founded about 400 years ago using a natural cave, is a combination of natural feature and human labour, thus of great value in different ways: a striking evidence of the making and development of the island by Dai Viet residents. Apart from that, endowned with magnificient and poetic scenary Hang Pagoda is naturally chosen by tourists as an ideal destination for relaxation.

The An Hai Village Temple in Dong Hamlet, An Hai Commune, Ly Son Island District was built in the first year of King Minh Mang (1820) in an architectural style of Nguyen Dynasty which was reflected in uniquely carved altars or on the surface of rafters, supports and doors.

The temple is characterized by a worshiping combination that turns out to be the incorporation of broken pieces of Cham culture into Viet culture to make the identity of village temples on Ly Son Island: it is, on the one hand, well related to the worshiping shrine for the Vietnamese celebrities in those of An Vinh Family, Bui Ta Han Temple, Thanh Hoang Temple, Thuy Long Temple and Nghia Tu Pagoda, and is also a shrine to worship Thien Y A Na (Po Inu Nagar), Lord Ngung Man Nuong and his predecessors as well as descendants of the Cham culture on the other.

Not much torn by wars, Ly Son has well stored hundreds of cultural and historical relics and diversified architecture which are densely ditributed on a narrow area. Perhaps, no other places on the mainland possess as many temples, tombs and pagodas as Ly Son does, especially those relics in connection with Hoang Sa Team set up in the reign of Nguyen Lords and Nguyen Dynasty later.

There are also traces of Sa Huynh Culture (via excavations in Xom Oc, Suoi Chinh) and Cham Culture. In addition, there exist on the island the traditional boat-racing festival held yearly on 4 – 7 January of Lunar Calendar and other popular yearly events such as Khao Le The Linh Hoang Sa, An Hai Festival, Whale Worship Festival, Doi Bong Festival and others.

Visitors can go to Ly Son island by boats. Read the rest of this entry »

VietNamNet Bridge – Once upon a time, in a village near a big river, there was a young couple who were deeply in love.

Dambri waterfall. (Photo: Internet)

They wanted to spend their life together but the girl’s father was a rich village chief who wouldn’t allow his daughter to marry the young man from a poor family. The chief then forced the boy to leave the village causing his daughter great sorrow. She came to the river to cry every day, longing for her lover to return but he never did. The girl died in desperation, turning into green leaves on the hill and her tears flowed into the river forming a beautiful waterfall that was named Dambri or “Longing for love”.

This is the legend of Dambri waterfall, about 20 minutes ride from Bao Loc Town. Many like to retreat to the more comfortable pace of Bao Loc to getaway from the city for a few days. The cooler weather is another draw card.

From the center of the town, the road winds around the hills to the fabled waterfall. Riding a motorbike is the best way to get there – the cool air on your face, French colonial houses and the great smelling tea plantations along the road. The waterfall is down in a green valley and the stairs can be a little slippery. From half way down you can hear the roar of the roaring water like thousands of elephants running, as if the grief of the girl is pushed to the limit. Read the rest of this entry »

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam with a long coastline enjoys a strong advantage and suitable conditions to become a regional yachting center, a profession yacht race organizer said.

Yap Kai Keng, chief representative for Indochina of the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) as an international yachting event, told the Daily that WMRT would take place in the coastal city of Nha Trang next year. He said that apart from Nha Trang, other places in Vietnam like Quang Ninh, Danang, Phu Quoc and Phan Thiet also have good conditions for organizing the race as an attractive event of sport and tourism.

Nha Trang has been chosen by a task force of WMRT from London as the top place for the race because it met strict requirements in terms of infrastructure, transportation arrangement, sea conditions and the wind.

“These conditions make Nha Trang an attractive place for the race. Furthermore, the race venue is in close proximity with Cam Ranh Airport, making transport arrangement for participants easier,” Yap said.

Vietnam, he said, is endowed with a long coastline and beautiful beaches, and thus can develop into a regional sailing center with sea sport activities and sea tourism. Read the rest of this entry »

Amidst the greenery and serenity of a small quiet commune of An Thach in Phu Yen Province stands Mang Lang Church, a building that has weathered over a hundred years in the harsh central region.

The 120 year-old Mang Lang Church in Phu Yen Province. (Photo: SGT)

The burning heat in the dry season, and downpours and storms in the rainy season have not ruined Mang Lang, but have left a grey-black layer on the façade of the oldest church left  in the province which is better known for its natural attractions such as Da Dia Cliffs.

Time has left its mark on the church’s two bell towers that attract many tourists, Catholic and non-Catholic.

The church is equally appealing behind its walls. It has stained glass windows with the Cross and other Christian images and yellow arches along the corridors that run down both sides of the building.

The silence inside Mang Lang is overwhelming when there aren’t any prayer sessions or services underway. The beautiful paintings and carvings about Christ and saints shed light over the quietude. The stained glass filtered sunlight bathes the inside of the church during the day while it is lit by lanterns at night. Read the rest of this entry »

Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay won second largest number of international votes over the past four weeks in the campaign voting for the world’s seven new natural wonders.

The information was released by the NewOpenWorld on its website

The voting for Ha Long Bay has achieved satisfactory results in several countries like Japan , the Republic of Korea , France and Mexico .

Recently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has worked with the Ha Long Bay Management Board to open a photo exhibition in New York City of the US from August 11-18.

In the coming time, a wide range of activities to vote for Ha Long Bay will continue to take place in many countries across the world.

To voted for Ha Long bay, twice recognised by the UNESCO for its landscapes and geological values, please visit the website www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/vote_on_nominees.

Source: VNA