Visiting Buddha Park along the Mekong in Laos

Posted on May 11, 2012 by admin

Fifty years ago, the shaman Bounlua Suliat selected a location along the Mekong River, 25km east of Vientiane the capital of Laos, to place his oversized artwork. This artwork was based on a mixture of Hindu and Buddhist religious influences, using the medium of outdoor sculpture to create a complex named Wat Xieng Khuan, today commonly known as Buddha Park.

Buddha Park along the Mekong in LaosBounlua’s works in Buddha Park were created in the 1950s and 1960s, including during the fiercest periods of the Indochina War. They express the people’s feelings and emotions through the face of each statue.

Bounlua was not a monk; he did not shave his head or wear a robe. He used to wear a white suit that made him look like a shaman. Bounlua was well-versed in the philosophy of Hinduism and Buddhism, and their accompanying mythology and symbolism, although he never formally studied art or sculpture. The works of Buddha Park were created out of the dreams, imagination, and the real sense of the Divine in daily life among Bounlua and his assistants.

The images in Wat Xieng Khuan Buddha Park combine Hindu and Buddhist figures from the Ramayana epic, the complex of Buddha and the Gods Shiva, Arjuna, Vishnu, Rama, Sita, etc. Bounlua used only cement to flesh out the statues. The simplicity of this basic material makes the message of the statues more potent. The larger the statue, the more skill required to make it. Tourists can see the charming smile on the Goddess’ face or the tear of a sad wife abused by her husband.

There are hundreds of statues and Hindu Gods in Xieng Khuan Park, including mascots, demons and people (musicians and dancers). One large work is shaped like a giant pumpkin that tourists can go inside. The door is through the mouth of a monster some 2 meters high. You can visit each of the three floors, symbolizing hell, earth and heaven. From the top of this pumpkin world, you can view the entire park.

A huge Buddha 40 meters high was placed in the middle of Buddha Park. Buddha’s face is peaceful and gentle with its large forehead, slightly opened eyes and smiling lips.
The gentle image of Buddha is even more beautiful beside the image of the Goddess Vishnu, embodied by a snake with many heads. Tourists can view many Theravada Buddhist works that reflect the rich cultural exchange throughout Laos and neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar. However, Lao culture was influenced more by Indian culture a long time ago. A number of the statues here are accompanied by descriptions in Lao script.

Tourists will appreciate the peace of Buddha Park while wandering among the hundreds of statues. On the right, there is a garden, a forest and a stream, while the Mekong River is on the left. Buddha Park is just across the river from Nong Khai Province of Thailand, where this shaman later built the second Buddha Park called Wat Khaek. Wat Khaek is a complex of even more massive statues made of cement, brick and steel.
Visitors to Buddha Park will find a calm space to contemplate the commandments of Buddhism. Buddha Park is one more attraction, among temples, pagodas and festivals, not to mention famously friendly people and generally welcoming weather, making Laos such a fascinating place. Come to Laos to experience Buddha Park and more, and develop your own take on this hidden jewel.

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Ghenh Rang Landscape – A Natural Wonder of Binh Dinh

Posted on May 10, 2012 by admin

It would be pity to visit Vietnam’s south central province of Binh Dinh without a stop by Ghenh Rang. Ghenh Rang is located just 3 kilometers south from Quy Nhon city centre. In 1991, Ghenh Rang was ranked as a national heritage and is considered the most beautiful landscape in Binh Dinh Province.

Ghenh Rang Landscape – A Natural Wonder of Binh DinhA legend tells us that, long ago, a beautiful girl ran away to Quy Nhon because she was chased by mandarins. Reaching Ghenh Rang, there was a strong thunderclap, the mountain cracked and the girl disappeared. When her beloved came to the mountain, he saw only her shadow in the sky. “Ghenh Rang Fairy Hill” was named from this legend.
Ghenh Rang is a charming landscape and a true gem among Vietnam’s scenic areas. To the south and west, high mountains reach toward the blue sky. The broad sea to the east hugs the sand and then bends up the coast like the crescent moon in summer. From the mountain there are wonderful natural scenes. Some rocks shaped like lion heads perch over the deep water. The silent waiting statue, bear and elephant shaped rocks, and Chong Islet are seen as guardians of the land. These rocks stand resiliently in spite of being beaten repeatedly by storms.

Toward Quy Nhon you’ll find Egg Beach or Queen Beach, thus named because Queen Nam Phuong, wife of Bao Dai, the last Vietnamese king, bathed here. Nearby is the tomb of Vietnamese poet Han Mac Tu, which was moved from Qui Hoa. A museum featuring his photographs and background is behind the tomb.

Ghenh Rang Fairy Hill rises about 30 meters beside the sea, with an area of 150 ha stretching away toward Vung Chua Mountain. The Binh Dinh local authority has spent some 10 billion VND on building the 3 main visitor areas of Ghenh Rang. The cultural park has a floating stage with statues of writers and poets such as Dao Tan, Xuan Dieu and Che Lan Vien. There is an area for ornamental fish and a museum for sea creatures, as well as places for relaxing, camping, climbing and swimming.

Nightfall only adds mystery to the scene at Gheng Rang. The sky on summer nights looks like velvet. From the bottom of Ghenh Rang, you hear crashing waves and sea winds. From the top of the hill, you can see the twinkling lights in distant houses of farmers. Looking toward Quy Nhon, the headlights from motorbikes and cars stream along the beach. All these scenes make Ghenh Rang a beautiful and appealing spot.

Summer is coming; don’t miss the chance to visit Gheng Rang and enjoy its fresh air and romantic scenes.

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Bokor National Park in Cambodia: An Amusement Paradise?

Posted on May 9, 2012 by admin

Bokor National Park is located in Kampot Province in southwest Cambodia. The park was established under the order of King Norodom Sihanouk in 1993 and was listed among 23 protected areas in Cambodia. The park is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including large mammals. It is also, most recently, the site of a major casino and entertainment complex project, but let’s get the background in first, shall we?

Bokor National Park in CambodiaBokor National Park covers an area of 1,580 square kilometers, and is the most popular destination in Kampot Province. A place of mountains and forests, the name Bokor means cow in Khmer, and the mountain was thus named because it was said to look like the horn of a cow.

The historical attraction of Bokor National Park is found at Bokor Hill Station, the remains of which take one’s mind back to perhaps the most glamorous period of this mountain retreat.

In 1917, the French constructed schools, post offices, churches, and a complex including restaurants and the Palace Casino and Resort to serve well-heeled French colonists looking to escape the heat of Phnom Penh. During World War II while the Japanese occupied French Indochina, the resort was abandoned. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, members of King Sihanouk’s royal family and favoured Cambodian oligarchs used this place as a relaxing weekend getaway. In the 1970s when Cambodia was convulsed by the Khmer Rouge, Bokor was again left to the elements, and in 1979 the ruins were the scene of an extended battle between Khmer Rouge forces and the Vietnamese.

Following its years of abandonment and neglect, Bokor was left in ruin. After it became a national park in 1993, though, travellers began to see a charm in the relics there, with broken stairs and windows and crumbing brick walls. People considered Bokor Park “the world’s most secret park” or “the eeriest place in the world” because of the mysteries of its past. Bokor Park was chosen as the location to produce two films, City of Ghosts in 2002 and R-Point in 2004.

Remaining from the original French Hill Station are the basic structures of the 1917 Palace Casino & Resort, and the Old Catholic Church. Wat Sampov Pram, the “Five Boats Temple” in reference to a prominent nearby rock formation, was constructed in 1924 by King Monivong. Popokvil Waterfall has two tiers, 15m above and 18m below, and is a great place for swimming when the water flow is high – your best chance for that is in the June to October rainy season.

The days of Bokor National Park being a remote, off-the-map spot for adventurous trekkers are now gone. In 2009, the Sokimex Investment Group signed a contract with the Cambodian government to renovate Bokor Hill Station and develop the hilltop area into a full service casino and resort entertainment complex. Construction on this massive project is now well underway. While this controversial development dramatically changes the nature of a visit to Bokor, it remains to be seen how well the relics of the original hill station will be preserved, and how wide the impact of this entertainment centre will be on the larger area of the national park itself.

Haivenu is glad to arrange visits to Bokor. Whether you wish to trek discreetly through areas of this vast park which remain untouched, or experience the newest incarnation of the hill station resort mindset, we can get you there.

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Be Transfixed by Wat Sisaket in Laos

Posted on May 8, 2012 by admin

Wat Sisaket or Sisaket Pagoda in Laos was built in 1818 on the order of King Anouvong, situated now on Setthathilath Road at the corner of Avenue Lane Xang, in the capital city of Vientiane. Wat Sisaket attracts tourists not only for its cultural value and religious ambiance, but also for its 6,840 precious bronze statues, some of them gold-inlaid. Wat Sisaket has the most Buddha statues of any temple in Laos.Wat Sisaket or Sisaket Pagoda in LaosOn the left hand side of the pagoda from the main entrance is a fascinating feature; hundreds of Buddha statues, of all sizes, which have had the heads removed. Some also have had limbs broken off or are otherwise damaged, but they are all beheaded.
The head is the most important part of the body. The head of a Buddha statue is sacred; the soul of the statue. Sculptors put their best efforts into the heads of Buddha statues so that people can feel the sacredness of the statue. Sculptors often use gold, silver, or diamonds on the heads of Buddha statues.

These statues in Wat Sisaket hold a message of peace for Laos. The statues were beheaded in a time of war, the enemy considering them as valuable booty. After the war, the pagoda was repaired and new statues were cast. However, the damaged statues are kept to remind generations of Lao people of the injustice of war.

Many pagodas in Laos were destroyed and looted because of both their spiritual and material value. The enemy, aiming to demolish the cultural traditions of Laos and steal valuable booty, cut off the heads of Buddha statues, then melted them down for easy transport.

Lao people always hope to live in peace, but have suffered many invasions. There are many places where you can see remnants of these wars, but Wat Sisaket is still considered the most forceful evidence.

The overwhelming majority of Lao people are fervent Buddhists and Wat Sisaket is one of the Buddhist symbols of Laos. Tourists can see the influence of other religions, but they are dwarfed by the ubiquitous Buddhist influence on almost all Lao customs and traditions. While there are about 1,400 pagodas around the country, Vientiane is home to hundreds of them, such as the Temple of the Heavy Buddha built in the first century and a school for many generations of monks, and Wat Prakeo (Hall of the Emerald Buddha) with the Phra Bang Statue, cast in gold in Sri Lanka, brought to Vientiane by King Fa Ngum from Angkor in the 14th century. This statue is considered a symbol of Lao Buddhism.

Wat Sisaket compound also houses a number of stupas, storing the bone-ash of the dead. Every morning, monks from the temple walk the streets begging and get food from the local people. The food provides the monks 2 meals per day, and is offered for the spirits of the dead. Local people send the food to their loved ones in the afterlife.

Wat Sisaket, built in the Buddhist architectural style with a surrounding terrace and an ornate five-tiered roof, may now be the oldest original temple structure in Vientiane. Join Haivenu Tours to visit Laos, and take in the peaceful and sacred environment of Wat Sisaket.

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A Unique Ethnic Fair in Hanoi

Posted on May 7, 2012 by admin

In the midst of charming waterways, the “Vietnamese Cultural Village” is bustling with a unique ethnic fair in Vietnam’s capital city Hanoi, attracting many tourists from all over the place.

A unique ethnic fairThis ethnic minority fair has an open area of over 30 booths divided into four main areas including a market from the northern mountainous areas, a Chinese market from the South, a rural market and a floating market.

Shoppers can experience the entire outdoor space representing different styles of markets from throughout the country.

The booths are open and demonstrate the variety of cultures in Vietnam with their commodities, and the costumes and language of the sellers.

The most popular goods to be seen here include cloth made by the Mong, clothes of the Dao, and wine of the Nung ethnic groups. Each product demonstrates a particular traditional beauty of that region.

Although some of the products are similar in type, they are produced with different methods and processes, which market shoppers can see and learn about.

The ethnic fair also offers many typical goods of famous brands, even being exported to foreign countries.

This is a good sign of the improving skills of ethnic minority people in gradually adopting new technologies and knowledge, preparing for international integration.

Visitors from throughout Vietnam and around the world have noted that this fair is not only a place to shop for products, but also to learn about the production, customs and lifestyles of a wide range of Vietnamese ethnic minorities, something not common in traditional ethnic markets.

Many people hope that fairs like this are put on in more places, to maintain the inherent beauty of the ethnically diverse Vietnamese community.

This ethnic market is an initiative of the Ministry of Culture, Sport & Tourism and by decision of the Prime Minister, marking the Ethnic Culture Day of Vietnam.

The fair this year officially opened on 19 April 2012. Many art performances will be put on at the fair, including music and dance of ethnic minorities, and especially, the manufacturing procedures of traditional crafts and cuisine.
This is a great chance for tourist to explore Vietnamese culture in the country’s capital. Contact Haivenu Tours for further information about this and other attractions.

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