Changes Are Sweeping Through the Old Quarters

What do you expect to see in the Old Quarters?

If you have read the history of the Old Quarters in travel guidebooks (Lonely Planet Guide, Insight Guide Vietnam, Traveler's Companion), you know that many of the street names were derived from the trades that were plied in those streets in times begone.

However, many of the streets have lost the original trades which gave rise to street names like: Phố Hàng Bè (Rafts Street), Phố Gia Ngư (Fishermen Street), Phố Hàng Tre (Bamboo Streets), Phố Hàng Buồm (Sails Street).

Phố Hàng Gai (Silk Street) is a noticeable exception. It continues to live up to its name. There are many silk shops lining the street, offering tourists a colourful selection of silk scarves, shawls, dresses and áo dàis.

Besides Silk Street, there are still some streets, where some of the shops continue to ply their original trades. An example is Phố Hàng Bạc (Silver Street), where a few silversmiths continue to sell silver jewellery.

But on the whole, the Old Quarters seem to be developing a ubiquitous look – overcrowded with travel cafes, hotels, and restaurants.

Many of the original buildings and temples have given way to modern development. Instead of seeing two-storey ancient shophouses or temples, 7- to 8-storey hotel buildings now stand in their place.

In recent years, efforts have been made by the provincial government to preserve certain buildings in the Old Quarters, but is it already too late?

One thing is for sure. Some effort is better than no effort.

Tis the season to be jolly in Hanoi

It is truly amazing how the spirit of Christmas has caught up with Vietnam.

I hark back to the time when I visited Vietnam way back in Dec 2005. I don't recall seeing many Christmas trees and decorations, except in major international hotels, and shopping malls.

Fast forward to Dec 2010.

Christmas trees and decorations adorn many places, including:

(1) in major hotels, or hotels aspiring to be taken seriously by foreign tourists...


Thaison Hotel in Old Quarters

Hoabinh Palace Hotel in Old Quarters

(2) banks...

Christmas Decorations at Maritime Bank
(3) even in the Old Quarters

Choosing a Christmas Tree in Old Quarters

Tis indeed the season to be jolly in Hanoi.

Getting Great Bargains at Hanoi's Night Market

Without fail, a night market is set up on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday near the famous Dong Xuan market (Chợ Đồng Xuân) (see picture above). The present Dong Xuan market is reconstructed in the image of the old Dong Xuan market, which was almost totally gutted in a fire in 1994. You can find wholesalers and traders selling garments, household goods, fresh fruits and vegetables to stalls selling Vietnamese food.

The night market straddles 5 streets starting from Hàng Đào Street(Phố Hàng Đào), continuing along Hàng Ngang Street (Phố Hàng Ngang), Hàng Đường Street(Phố Hàng Đường), Đồng Xuân Street (Phố Đồng Xuân), and ending at Hàng Giấy Street (Phố Hàng Giấy).

You can get great bargains of bootlegged branded goods at fantastic prices...provided, of course, you know how to bargain.

Be prepared to be fleeced, if you don't bargain. Knowing a word or two of Vietnamese helps to soften the seller's resistance to reduce prices. There is no hard and fast rule, but a rule of thumb is to aim to achieve a discount of 30% to 40% off the initial quoted price.

Back off from aggressive bargaining, when the seller becomes visibly unhappy or testy. Your counteroffer has probably taken away too much of the profit margin, leaving little benefit to the seller in selling you the item(s).

At this time of the year when it approaches Christmas, and is not so far away from Tết (the Vietnamese New Year), it may be quite a sight to foreigners to see stalls displaying Christmas decorations for sale in one stall, and decorations for the Tết festival in an adjacent stall or across the street.
Besides festive season decorations, you can find leather bags, wallets, belts, shoes, undergarments, sports suits, clothes, handphone covers, books and movie DVDs being marketed in the night market stalls, as well as in the shops along these streets.

"Don't You Call Me Fat!"

It seemed like it was going to be just like any other evening.

I went to one of my favourite cafes along Hang Hanh Street in the Old Quarters.

The cafe was quiet, unlike the past few times when it was filled to the brim with patrons.

I ordered my favourite set, comprising a delectable selection of Bánh cuốn, fish, ice-cream and a glass of red wine for a neat price of VND130,000 (Note: 1USD=20,000VND today).

One of the Vietnamese waitresses started touting for business from the passers-by. She managed to interest two Caucasian men to try her cafe for drinks. The two men sat down at a table just across from me.

Now, catching everyone by surprise, she asked one of them, "Why you so fat?", while another fellow waiter and waitress were trying to get their drinks order down.

The barrel-chested, rotund white man crossed his arms, and tried to ignore the poor waitress.

Thinking that the customer has not heard what she said, she repeated her question 2 or 3 more times. His back was facing me, but I could almost imagine his eyes flashing daggers at her. He grew visibly red in the face, and he inhaled deeply, seething with anger.

He must have really wanted to yell at the poor waitress, "Don't You Call Me Fat!".

The poor waitress only wanted to practise her conversational English, but she chose the wrong topic to engage her customer. I will bet that customer will NEVER return to the same cafe EVER AGAIN. One of the taboo conversational topics is a person's physical appearance, regardless of language or culture.

In this case, this unhappy incident could have been avoided if the Vietnamese waitress understood about the culture of these foreign men.

Now, such unhappy incidents can happen the other way. Unwittingly, as we travel the globe, we may create some annoyances to the local people, due to our insensitivities of their cultures.

If you are visiting Vietnam, I strongly recommend that you read Vietnam - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture.

I have deliberately not named the cafe where this incident took place, because I don't want to sully its reputation. Honestly, it serves quite good food at affordable prices.

Old Quarters - Where Time Does Not Stand Still

Dear fellow travel bugs,

It's been 3 days since I arrived in Hanoi. The weather has just been absolutely gloomy, and I have got a cold, and have been sniffing away for the past 3 days!

What a welcome relief today, when we actually enjoyed the sun for pretty much of the day!

Armed with my camera, I decided to trot around the Old Quarters and snap some pictures.

You can see a picture above of the statue of Lý Thái Tổ in a park within the Old Quarters. Lý Thái Tổ founded the Lý D‎ynasty, after ascending the throne following a popular revolt against the last king of the Anterior Lê Dynasty.

Lý Thái Tổ decided to move the ancient capital to what is known today as Hanoi. The myth goes that he saw a yellow dragon ascending on his way to the new capital, so he decided to name the new capital Thăng Long.

Well, the Old Quarters has been going through massive changes. It is not uncommon to see construction and renovation works going on in many streets, as many of the original "tube houses" and temples continue to make way for new hotels, travel cafes and other new enterprises.

An aerial shot of the Old Quarters. You can now see multi-storey buildings sprouting out here and there. Much of the charm and homogeneity in the Old Quarters has been lost due to economic progress.

The Old Quarters deserves more mention, so do stay tuned to this blog for more entries on the Old Quarters.

Forbidden City - No Longer Forbidden Grounds

Dear fellow travel bugs,

One of the feature songs during the countdown to the 2008 Summer Beijing Olympics was 'Beijing welcomes you'(北京欢迎你).

Besides featuring more than a hundred entertainers and artistes from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, one is also treated a a visual feast of stunning footages from China's cultural, political and educational capital - Beijing.

There were many shots made in one of Beijing's must-see attractions - the Forbidden City.



With a long 590 years of history, the Forbidden City used to be home to the Chinese emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. These palatial grounds were off limits to all, except the royal household, officials and guards.

I am sure that those Chinese emperors of the past would have never imagined that their home would be so open to all paying visitors, regardless of status, position, wealth or nationality. The Forbidden City is visited by millions of visitors each year. In fact, in order to protect this World Heritage Site, it has decided to introduce an e-ticketing system next year to cap the number of visitors entering the palace.

According to Wikipedia, the Forbidden City consists of 980 buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms[1] and covers 720,000 m2 (7,800,000 sq ft). Visitors are allowed to visit only parts of this complex, including the Palace Museum, which has an extensive collection of Chinese ceramics, architecture and artwork dating back up to 5,000 years.

During the peak season (April 16 to October 15), an admission ticket will cost RMB60 per person. During the off-peak season (October 16 to April 15), the ticket price is RMB40.

Admission times is 8:30am all-year round. The closing time is 5:00pm during the peak season, and 4:30pm during the off-peak season.

Myanmar - A Country Rich in Buddhist Sanctuaries

Dear fellow travel bugs,

What do you know about Myanmar?

Not many people have been to this member country belonging to the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN).

Most people would have formed certain impressions based on the news coverage, history lessons, and book reviews they have encountered.

To some of you, the memory of the immense devastation wreaked by Cyclone Nargis remains recent. To pro-democracy advocates, the release of Aung San Suu Kyi may herald a new dawn.

Myanmar has indeed gone through turbulent times throughout the centuries.

But yet, a journey to the countless stupas and pagodas dotting all over the whole landscape of Myanmar will not even remind you of those turbulent times. One feels at ease, and at peace at these Buddhist sanctuaries.

You see these stupas and pagodas in small towns and big cities; on top of hills, in forests, and by the river.

Myanmar has three seasons – the hot season (early March to late May), the monsoon season (late May to mid October)and the cool season (late October to late February). In fact, this is the best time to visit Myanmar - during the cool season!

The weather is unbearably hot during the hot season, if you are visiting Myanmar during the hot season. You might end up spending large amounts of time staying indoors to escape the torrid heat. Temple visiting is almost impossible between 10am and 4pm, because the ground would be so hot - you might feel like you are dancing on hot coals. Just in case you do not know, you are only allowed to walk with your bare feet on temple grounds.

If you are planning a trip to Myanmar, you will have to arrange a visa (whether for business or for social visit) before you enter the country. There is no such thing as visa upon arrival.

Generally, the requirements for visa application are:
(1) Original, signed passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity
(2) Passport-size photographs: 2 (in some Myanmese embassies in some countries, the requirement is for 3 photographs, so check the requirement with your local Myanmese embassies)
(3) Copy of round trip tickets or confirmed itinerary.

If you are arranging a trip to Myanmar from Singapore, you will have to prepare a letter to the official in the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar, explaining the purpose of your visit.

You are advised to obtain the visa first, prior to arranging your flight tickets, to avoid complications with rearranging your flights. The expected turnaround time for processing of visa is 3 working days in Singapore, though this may vary from country to country.

You may also apply your visa online at http://myanmar.visahq.com/. Further information can be obtained from the Lonely Planet Myanmar (Burma) (Country Travel Guide).

I wish you happy travelling.

Mysterious Xinjiang

Dear fellow travel bugs,

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (新疆维吾尔自治区) remains one of the more underexplored travel destinations in the People's Republic of China.

This is partly due to its harsh terrain. Much of Xinjiang remains uninhabitable with vast mountain ranges and long stretches of barren deserts. If you are travelling in summer, be prepared for the unbearable heat. Drink lots of fluids to prevent yourself from getting a heat stroke.

Long bus rides (up to 22 hours and beyond for some routes) are the norm, when commuting between destinations. Train tickets to Kashgar from Urumqi (Xinjiang's capital) and back are mostly in hot demand. It is best that you buy the train ticket at Urumqi, if you want to be assured of a seat in the train carriage. Otherwise, if you are buying a ticket from a train stop along the Urumqi-Kashgar route, you may have to endure a tiring overnight journey, squeezing with strangers in the train compartments. For the latest travel information, do check out the Lonely Planet China (Country Guide).

Xinjiang offers plenty for the adventurous. Being home to a number of different ethnic groups, it has lots to offer in terms of languages, religions, cultures, and dressing. If you hunger for adventure, Xinjiang is the place to go.

I leave you with a picture of an aerial view of the stark mountain ranges. This was taken during a summer trip, when you could even feel the piercing heat from inside the aircraft.

Welcome to sunny Singapore

Dear viewer,

Welcome to my blog. This is my maiden post, and I thought of introducing you to the sunny island of Singapore.

Singapore is an island state, that is situated around the Equator. That means, we do not experience four seasons. In fact, we only have two seasons – the rainy monsoon season that happens usually towards the end of the year, and the dry season in the middle of the year.

You can expect to have frequent spells of rain interspersed by occasional bursts of sunshine right at this time of the year. Weather check right now - sunny!

So for those of you who love to brown yourselves and get that beautiful tan, Singapore is an ideal location.

However, given that the sun rays are really strong here, you are advised to get some sun protection. For those of you who are determined to get that alluring bronzed look, don’t forget to bring your SPF 15 Protective Tanning Oil.

I leave you with a picture of the kitchen of KT’s Grill, where mouth-watering authentic New York Grill are being prepared. If you are craving for a taste of New York, head right down to Universal Studios Singapore on beautiful Sentosa.