Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Fireworks Over the Beautiful Han River
Nature has endowed Da Nang with the
beautiful Han River. The city residents have turned the river into a
work of art with contests of firework performances at an international
level, creating its own brand.
“Feast” of colours
In 2008, with the idea of establishing a special event to make Da Nang become “A City of Events”, the local authorities asked the Prime Minister to allow the city to organize The Da Nang International Fireworks Competition (DIFC) and this proposal was accepted. Da Nang became the only area in the country to organize a DIFC event annually. After four years, the DIFC has become a great cultural and artistic event of regional and international stature, showing off the identity of the Central coastal city. It is a unique tourist attraction for domestic and international visitors.
To prepare for this special event, Da Nang selected the Han River, which flows through the city, to showcase the most beautiful and spectacular “feast” of firework performances.
In 2010, teams from France, the United States, Japan and Portugal together with a Da Nang team of Vietnam presented a splendid and spectacular fireworks show. At this contest, with exciting rock’n roll music, the American team fascinated viewers with a fireworks performance entitled “The Wonder of the Han River - The Wonder of Fire”. With a romantic and classical style, the French team enthralled viewers with a performance reproducing the love story “Legend of Au Co and Lac Long Quan” of the Vietnamese people. The Portuguese team presented the story “Dragon and Fire - the Birthplace of the Legend”.
The fireworks displays were accompanied by sweet melodies which were sometimes tuneful, sometimes ebullient but always creating amazing effects of sound and light on the Han River.
We saw an exciting difference between the teams with these two styles. The Asian teams talked less and were enigmatic while the Western teams were enthusiastic and witty and were ready to talk about their performance. Therefore, the DIFC always shows a blend between eastern and western cultures and art. The mysterious, quiet and soft light of the eastern style and the fresh, ebullient and liberal light of the western style were displayed over the Han River, creating a “feast” of fireworks shows that amaze every viewer.
The DIFC has become a world famous brand. When referring to the DIFC, domestic and foreign tourists always talk about Da Nang, a beautiful, romantic and dynamic city on the banks of the Han River.
DIFC 2012 – COLOURS OF DA NANG
Da Nang will organize the 5th DIFC themed “Colours of Da Nang”, with the participation of the four teams which were champions in the previous contests, including Canada (2008), China (2009), France (2010) and Italy (2011), and the Da Nang team (Vietnam).
At a press conference to introduce DIFC 2012, Vo Duy Khuong, Vice Chairman of Da Nang City People’s Committee, said, “The DIFC has become an important focal point of tourism in recent years. It is the pride of the city’s government and people because it is becoming more and more professional and impressive to make Da Nang become a city of events and tourism. I am waiting for DIFC 2012 with a special excitement because it is a contest of four big names of world class.”
He also said that funds for the contest do not come from the State budget but from businesses in a voluntary spirit. The event provides a good opportunity for businesses to introduce their brands to thousands of viewers and millions of people who watch the event through the mass media.
The Cham Museum
The Cham Museum in Danang is
the largest collection of Cham sculpture and artwork in the world.
Whenever visiting the museum, you still perceive an individual
atmosphere particular to this place, the reverie of reminiscences.
Situated in a quiet area of Da Nang City, Cham Museum was built in 1915 according to the motifs of ancient Cham Architecture. At first it was named the Henry Parmenties Museum. The museum is officially known as the Museum of Champa Sculpture. The kingdom of Champa (or Lin-yi in Chinese records) controlled what is now south and central Vietnam from approximately 192 through 1697. The empire began to decline in the late 15th century, became a Vietnamese vassal state in 1697, and was finally dissolved in 1832. At present, the museum houses 297 stone and terracotta sculptural works made between the 7th and the 15th centuries. These are impressive works typical of the Cham culture.
A Brief History of the Champa
According
to Chinese chronicles, the Champa kingdom was founded in 192 A.D and
had different names such as Lin-Yi, Huang-Wang and Chang-Chen. Its
territories stretched from south of the Ngang Pass in Quang Binh
Province to the delta area of the Dong Nai River in Binh Thuan Province.
It included the coastal plains, highland and mountain ranges.
Influenced
by the early Hindu civilization, the Champa kingdom was a federation of
several smaller states called Mandala and comprised several ethnic
groups.
The
most important legacy of the Champa kingdom is located in Central
Vietnam in the form of brick temples and towers which are scattered over
the coastal lowlands and highlands. The structures date from between
the 7th and 8th centuries to the 16th and 17th centuries and are
concentrated in Quang Nam, Danang, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan.
The most extensive collection of Cham art worldwide...
The Cham Museum
was built in Cham architectural style, using thin lines that are simple
and gentle. The museum displays an intensive and diverse collection of
Champa sculpture dating from the 7th to the 15th centuries, when a
matriarchal society prevailed.
The museum was established at the end of the 19th century by the Ecole
Francaise d'Extreme Orient with a collection of artifacts gathered in
central Vietnam, from Quang Binh to Binh Dinh. They were then displayed
at Le Jardin de Tourane on a small hill by the Han River. This is the
site of the present museum. The building was designed by two French
architects, Delaval and Auclair, in imitation of the most commonly used
aspects of Champa towers and temples. At present, the museum displays
approximately 300 sandstone and terra-cotta sculptures, among which some
are made from terracotta. Most of the artifacts are masterpieces of
Champa art and some are considered to be equal to works anywhere in the
world. The sculptures were collected from Cham temples and towers
throughout Central Vietnam, more specifically the area stretching from
Quang Binh to Binh Thuan. All the sculptures are displayed in ten
showrooms named after the localities where the pieces have been
discovered.
After
viewing the pieces in the showrooms, you can visit exterior
exhibitions. The arts of the Champa were chiefly sculpture, but the
sculptures are only part of the religious architecture. The temples and
towers themselves are considered to be sculptural artifacts. They are
decorated on the exterior of their brick walls with bas-relief columns,
flowers and leaves and worshipping figures between brick pillars. The
tympana, lintels and the ornamental corner pieces are of sandstones
carved with the figures of gods, the holy animals of the Hindus and
flowers and leaves.
The
artifacts displayed at the museum are altars, statues and decorative
works collected from Hindu and Buddhist temples and towers. Champa
sculpture displays various styles. Sometimes they were influenced by
other cultures but no matter at what period or in what style the Champa
artifacts were made they always displayed original characteristics.
Visitors
to the museum will have the opportunity to appreciate the eight
centuries of evolution of Champa sculpture from its golden age to its
decline. In their own way, the artifacts exemplify the rise and fall of
the Champa civilization. When we stand before these artistic
masterpieces we can comprehend the noblest ideal of art, the creation of
the infinite from the finite. The eight centuries of art at the Champa
museum is a thick history book reflecting the ups and downs of Champa
art. From inanimate stones came living art, and from these wonderful
invaluable artifacts we can get the feeling that the warmth from the
Champa artists' hand is still there, on the fine skin of the
stone-timeless.
The sculptures displayed here almost have the same drifting life as the very destiny of the once-glorious culture that generated them. Through the ruins of time, war and even the oblivion, such original Champa sculptures were hardly collected and brought here by many human generations. And in this systematic collection, these works of the ancient Champa artists again have a new life.
Coming
to visit the museum, it seems that you can see again the glorious time
of the past of a nation for whom both the passion for art and the
creative talent were already at a very high level. The mysterious world
of deities, the pictorial legends, the religious symbols, the curving
lines of the bodies of dancing girls, the features of full swelling
breasts, the smiles of a vague time, all of these are shown very lively
and in much in details.
The
art of Champa, although influenced by the Hindu themes of India and
Southeast Asia, has many elements that make it distinctive. Temples in
Champa were made of bricks. As a result, artists did not have long
expanses of wall to decorate with bas-reliefs depicting Hindu epics or
phases of Buddhist life as seen, for example, at Angkor Wat. The Chams
incorporated their sculptures into their temple architecture by carving
them separately and making them part of the construction. These carvings
are classified into four main groups: Icons; Pedestals; Pediments; Fragments of architectural decorations at the base or on various ties of the temple.
Profoundly
influenced by the architecture and sculpture of the Indian
civilization, the ancient Champa has a vision of life and religion
according to their own feeling. Such refraction brought to their world
of art a subtle and distinct beauty: spiritual and very close, unique
and familiar...
scenery from Ngu Hanh Son
Enjoy beauty scenery from Ngu Hanh Son
Ngu Hanh Son (The Marble Mountains) is about 8km southeast of Da Nang City.
This is a cluster of five marble mountains lying close to the sea. That
is why, it is dubbed Hon Non Nuoc, which means Mountain and Water in
Vietnamese.
In
the early 19th century, King Gia Long, the founder of the Nguyen
Dynasty, passed by and named the five mountains as Ngu Hanh Son. He also
named each of them according to one of the five elements of the
universe: Kim Son (metal of gold), Moc Son (wood), Thuy Son (water), Hoa
Son (fire), and Tho Son (earth). According to Oriental philosophy,
metal, wood, water, fire and earth are five elements that create the
universe. Five is a very important number in oriental mentality and
life. And so, the five mountains that compose Marble Mountain are filled
with mysterious.
Thuy
Son is both the highest and the most beautiful. Marble mountains
associates with many different legends. Thuy Son, covering an area of
15ha, has three peaks namely Thuong Thai, Trung Thai and Ha Thai. As a
result, the pagoda built on the mountain was named Tam Thai. Thuy Son
has been exploited as a popular tourist resort because of its alluring
beauty. Stone steps carved into the mountain lead to Tam Thai Pagoda
where Phat Di Lac is worshipped. In the past, the pagoda paid tribute to
Hindu and Buddhist gods and is now dedicated to Cham deities. Also on
the cliff of the mountain are such beautiful grottoes as Linh Nham
Grotto, Van Thong Grotto, Tang Chon Grotto and Huyen Khong Grotto. Huyen
Khong Cave was the base for Vietnamese revolutionaries during wartime.
The
Marble Mountains are famous for their traditional stone engraving
activities. In Dong Hai village close to Thuy Son, 600 families chisel
stone producing statues, jewelry, and art work. Stone from the Marble
Mountains has been exported to many countries.
Cultural
and historical vestiges are still on every pagoda and tower of the
early 19th century and on Champa sculptures of the 14th and 15th
century. There are poets of the Le and Tran dynasty engraved on stones.
All monuments such as the grave of Capital Tran Quang Khai’s mother, a
temple for worshiping Ngoc Lan princess (Minh Mang King’s younger
sister), autograph of conferring Tam Thai pagoda to be the national one,
Da Chong tunnel, Ba Tho cave, Kim Son mountain, Am Phu cave, etc. are
forceful evidences to the legendary Marble Mountains.
The
stone carving village stretching along the road leading to the Ngu Hanh
Son entrance is also a very attractive sight for visitors. At this
village, you can admire all those wonderful works created by patient
craftsmen right in front of you. All the stones for the works are taken
and transferred from the Marble Mountains.
The Marble Mountains are situated between Da Nang City and Hoi An ancient town and very close to Non Nuoc Beach,
which stretches for kilometres with clean and white sand and is one of
the nicest beaches in Vietnam, which is very convenient for visitors who
want to go climbing and bathing. Ngu Hanh Son is
familiar to almost everyone who has been to Da Nang. It is so well
known that many people consider it as the symbol of the area.
Non Nuoc Beach
Non Nuoc Beach - One of the World's Beautiful Beaches
Nuoc Beach gently slopes towards the calm, clear, blue sea; the clarity of the water attracts visitors who come to bathe and enjoy the seafood. This fine sandy beach with sunshine all the year round makes it suitable for tourism in all four seasons.
Da Nang has a coastline of 30 kilometres long, famous for many beautiful seashores stretching from the north to the south such as My Khe,
Thanh Binh, Tien Sa, Son Tra and so on. Non Nuoc Beach also pertains to
Da Nang Sea and has been voted as one of the most beautiful and
attracting beaches of the planet, 2005, according to Forbes, the leading
magazine of America. This beach has gentle slope, mild waves, and
purely blue sea water during the four seasons. The unpolluted water
source here has attracted a number of tourists coming to bathe, enjoy
local special sea foods and take a rest for weekends. The beach Non Nước
is also a place that exist precious and rare seaweeds such as
gracilarias "yellow thread" and glacilaria "screw" that have high value
of exporting.
With
green water and white sand, Non Nuoc Beach stretches five kilometers
along the shore of Hoa Hai Ward at the foot of Ngu Hanh Son (The Marble
Mountains). The beach isfamous
for its seaweed, which reaches exportation standards. Many five-star
hotels were built in Non Nuoc to accommodate the domestic and foreign
tourists in the area. Together with its feature of wave degree, climate,
weather and salinity, Non Nuoc Beach is suitable for water sports,
especially surfing. In 1993, there took place an international champion
with the participation of nearly 40 athletes from many countries around
the world.
Along
the beach, on the white sand is a forest of age-old casuarinas which is
shady, green and is waving in the whistling wind. This is an ideal
place for resting and camping. When the darkness falls and the moon
rises, you can set yourself free on smooth benches along the beach to
listen to melodious sounds of the waves and enjoy the occult space.
The
beach is managed by the Non Nuoc Tourism Company that has three hotels
with more than 100 rooms on the beach. They provide entertainment
services including photographs for souvenir, handicraft shops, massage,
restaurant, tennis and some gymnastics. A chain of tourism resorts is
planned to cater for international tourists including seaside hotels and
restaurants, especially an international standard golf court.
Besides
convalescence and bathing, tourists to Non Nuoc Beach can also combine
their journeys with traveling the relic Marble Mountains, which boast
some ancient pagodas and sacred monumental caves, go around fine art
stone handicraft villages right at the foot of the Mountains or go
boating on Co Co River (Stork Neck River) to enjoy peacefulness of the
Marble Mountains.
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