vietexplorer0015

Have you ever admired the beauty of Indochine architecture blended with typical patterns of highland people at a hotel in Sapa Town in the northern mountain province of Lao Cai? Overwhelmed by the fresh, natural space at hotels in Danang City or Hanoi? Bill works at his Bensley Outsider Gallery in InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort. Photo courtesy of the resort  The person behind all these masterpieces is the wizard Bill Bensley – the leading architect in the tourism and hotel industries worldwide. He was named “the king of exotic luxury resorts” by Time Magazine , as well as recognized by Fast Company as one of the 100 most creative people in the world. Bill Bensley has designed more than 200 resorts and hotels in 30 countries. He also made his mark in Vietnam with large-scale hospitality projects from North to South. His latest work is the 5-star hotel Capella Hanoi, inspired by the Palais Garnier or Opera Garnier in Paris in the 1920s. Exch...

Similar to the Western custom of adorning the home with a Christmas tree and garlands to celebrate the festive season and the coming new year, Hanoians decorate their homes with kumquat trees and “ Tranh Tet ”, a special range of paintings used only for Tet , during the lunar new year festive season.    Tet in Vietnamese folk paintings The Kim Hoang folk painting “Mother of the Pig Herd” expresses hope for a happy, harmonious, prosperous Lunar New Year ahead. File photos This year, January 21 heralds the beginning of the most important holiday in Vietnam. Tet marks the end of the cold and harsh winter in the north and the beginning of spring. Similar to the Western new year, Tet also signifies new beginnings. Hanging Tet paintings around the home remains a key element of traditional Tet decorations, even as society undergoes various changes. Every spring, Tet paintings appear and add to the excitement as the new year approaches. After the day of “ Ong Co...

Phno Don pagoda is also called Gong Lon pagoda or Stork pagoda. It was built in 1677 on the alluvial bank of a big canal in Dai An commune, Tra Cu district, 40 km south of Tra Vinh city.   The pagoda is surrounded by green bamboo groves, several species of evergreen trees, and vast rice fields stretching to the horizon. Flocks of storks come here to shelter. Trinh Van Minh, a resident of Dai An commune, said, “Storks stay in the land surrounding the pagoda, so people call it Stork pagoda. They come here in the rainy months to nest and breed. This is the largest, most famous, and most beautiful pagoda in Tra Vinh province. It attracts many visitors from across Vietnam and even some foreigners. During the New Year holiday the pagoda is very crowded.” Decoration at Phno Don pagoda The Khmer architectural style can be seen in the pagoda gate, the main hall, the monks’ house, the main hall, and the towers that hold the ashes of cremated monks. The external de...