THE NORTH

What is that makes the word ‘North’ synonymous with ‘cold’ in the minds of almost every Vietnamese? First of all, Northern Vietnam enjoys a much diverse climate than other regions, with four seasons throughout the year.

These seasons include spring (March to April), summer (June and July), fall (August to November), and winter (December to February). The most distinct feature of the Northern Vietnamese climate has to be its extremely cold winters, with temperatures dropping down to below 10 degrees (all temperature measurements are in Celsius). 

To ease in and out of the extremity of winter, fall and spring delivers more pleasant temperatures, often staying on the cool side, but not necessarily cold. It is important to note that while these two seasons share the same temperatures, fall tends to be a lot drier than spring.

Meanwhile, summer is the complete contrast of the three seasons above. On an average summer day in Hanoi, it can easily get as hot as 35 degrees, with relatively high humidity to complement the heat. Thus, one would be best advised to visit the north on a warm delightful day in spring.

THE CENTRAL 

As we go from northern to central, the seasons start to get muddled up with each other. From November to April, the weather is much like that of the fall in Northern Vietnam: cool, dry and mild. However, temperatures start to climb quickly as we enter the remaining months of the year, with the period from June to August being the hottest.

Da Nang City is a prime example of Central Vietnam’s climate, with temperatures going over 35 degrees on peak days and averaging at about 33 – 35 degrees from June to August. Meanwhile, the monsoon season from September to March can massively cool down the atmosphere (to as low as 18 degrees from November to January). 

Hoi An, on the other hand, is usually a notch cooler, yet still warm year-round. With temperatures rarely going above the 30-degree ceiling, its weather is split into two definite seasons: a monsoon season from September to January and a dry season in the remaining months.

THE SOUTH

Much like Hoi An, most cities in the south adhere to the two-season rule: a wet monsoon season from May to October, and a dry season from November to April. Unlike other regions, however, Southern Vietnam is always hot.

Needless to say, Ho Chi Minh City is the best representative of the steaming southern climate. Almost all year round, you can rarely find a day where the temperature would drop below 25 degrees, with humidity levels averaging at 75%. 

Monsoon season in the south offers a slight cool-down with downpours of up to 300 millimeters of rain. Nevertheless, it is still possible to find intermittent periods of sunshine to bask in, but just remember to take your umbrella!

All in all, it seems that the best time to visit Southern Vietnam would be from December to February. Not only is the weather drier and more pleasant, but there’s also a series of festivals and activities taking place all over the region to celebrate Tet – the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. 

The post Rain or Shine: A weather guide in Vietnam appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

The Đồng Đình Museum opened its doors in 2011 to a wealth of visitors seeking to relive the good old days of 20th-century Vietnam. The first to be privately-owned in Central Vietnam, this museum boasts not only a large set of one-of-a-kind exhibits but also an exquisitely mesmerizing architectural setting, full of old-world aesthetics. What strikes the eyes the most, however, is the vast amount of greenery incorporated into virtually every corner of the museum, including the ‘đồng đình’ (or ‘đủng đỉnh’) plant after which the place was named.

All the spectacles aside though, Đồng Đình museum’s ample collection of various relics and other antiquities is the real proof of the pudding. The museum complex is made up of many buildings, each with their own set of pieces that conforms to a certain theme.

These buildings can feature anything from modern and traditional Vietnamese art to a visual study of Vietnamese ethnology, and they are designed in a way that best represents what they contain, which, in a way, serves to give a far more detailed and vivid historical context to each and every piece on display than the conventional introductory texts. In fact, such is the nostalgic atmosphere radiating from the environment it creates that the museum has managed to extend its usefulness beyond its original purpose, now occasionally chosen as a venue for major reminiscent art exhibitions and workshops.

Video by Lan Nguyen 

To fully capture the beauty of Đồng Đình Museum, our photographers at Maze Vietnam has put together a collection of photos detailing its archaic magnificence. Enjoy!

Photos by Lan Nguyen
Words by Duy Nguyen

The post Dong Dinh Museum – Da Nang’s Hidden Gem appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Like any other women at her age, Lê Thi spends her days grounded to the bed (any movement would prove too tiresome), continuously chewing on her piece of betel in a mouth that shows extreme deprivation of teeth of any kind, and frequently conversing with any of her children or grandchildren that happens to be around.

Yet, if only by looking at the bright sparkle that lights up in the old lady’s eyes when asked about her burning passion to learn and learn more, few could tell those belong to someone whose life has spanned nearly a century.

“If there are ten things I don’t know about, I’d learn as many of them as I can! As you know, I used to be illiterate”, she said. 

Lê Thi’s soft voice blends well with the look of pure ecstasy on her face while recounting everything from her years of living under French colonization to how she learned to use Skype to contact her relatives in Moscow, or how she started writing her very own autobiography at age 87.

It’s this joy that she finds in simply ‘knowing more’ that has allowed her to familiarize herself with various Internet activities, from Googling information, chatting, social networking to making comments on forum threads, drawing in young fans who gave her the above-mentioned nickname in the process.

In 2007, bitten by the writing bug, yet lacking the means to do so (shaky hands and blurry eyes wouldn’t do), Lê Thi had her first go at using a computer to type. Soon after, she was given a laptop by her children, and began her period of keyboard training that culminated in her 600-page autobiography ‘Ngược dòng’.

But she didn’t stop there. In the years following the completion of her first book, Lê Thi went on to churn out more works at an astonishing rate, totaling at around 50 titles at the time of this article. She is also a prolific painter, translating her unquenchable thirst for artistic expression to a collection of over 2000 pieces, a small fortune for someone at her age.

Thi’s elderly success doesn’t serve to rid her of her bittersweet past, however. Memories of childhood, of youth, of a time when Vietnam was so much different from nowadays, still reside deeply and clearly inside the old woman’s mind.

Born as a female in a society where males were more appreciated, Thi received, indeed, less than a special treatment from her father. Much less, in fact.

“Step aside, you woman”, she remembered. 

Those were the words she had to endure every time she dared venture into the close vicinity of her dear father. Despite him being a teacher, she was never given any form of education, as she was naturally considered the lesser of two sexes, and was expected to act her part in the social hierarchy back then.

Nevertheless, this gender barrier failed to stop her desire to learn. “If my father can read, and my brother can read, so can I. I don’t want to accept my fate.” – Thi reminisced her thoughts.

Soon enough, she taught herself how to read and write, and found a way to get hold of her father’s books to read whenever possible. In addition to that, she also relished a new found joy – art, using the ground as her canvas and twigs and sticks as her brush.

Once old enough, Thi joined up in the revolutionary forces, where she’d later meet her husband. Their relationship blossomed, yet soon after the birth of their first child, a bombing took away his father, putting an abrupt and painful end to the marriage. Now single-handedly raising her child, Thi had to go to great lengths to ensure the family’s wellbeing. By her account, she took up any job from cattle rearing, making clothes to being, and often doubling, as a construction worker.

Today, having been through so many ups and downs, the old lady can finally sit back and relax in her house in Hà Nội, casually clicking through websites on the Internet, reading, or continuing her unfinished literary and artistic works. As of now, she has three grandchildren, all of which have been privy to a proper education, something which fills her voice with pride as she introduces them.

Eventful as her life was, Lê Thi still manages to retain a strong yearning to explore new areas of knowledge and a love for peace. When commenting on her upcoming publication ‘Spiral of life’, which offers readers a glance of her view on modern life, she says: “Life is so much of a spiral of materialistic pursuits. Material gains nowadays are synonymous with happiness for a large number of people. Yet, happiness for me is freedom and knowledge of science. I feel bad for those who waste so much of their time pursuing a materialistic lifestyle.”

Needless to say, time is now a very important thing for Thi, as her writing and learning capability will only diminish with age. Yet, she never fails to wear a fiercely optimistic smile on her face, claiming she’ll continue working on more books, even if that takes her another decade!

Indeed, may health and happiness stay with this lovely old woman, so that we can watch as the fairy tale of Vietnam’s most beloved silver surfer continues to unfold!

The post This 97-Year-Old Vietnamese Grandma Is Never Too Old for The Internet appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Spring Flower Festival is an annual event enjoyed by both the inhabitants of and visitors to the urban residence of Phú Mỹ Hưng in District 7. While 2017’s festival featured various ornamental recreations of a thriving countryside based on the theme “The spring of prosperity” and the image of a chicken, Spring Festival’s theme is “Spring Love of the River”. 

In 2017, the area of the festival was divided into sections, each with its own portrayal of wealth and prosperity, from a garden with luscious fruits (called the ‘spring garden’), a road with elegantly built models of the rooster placed alongside (the ‘spring road’) to a hustling floating marketplace (the ‘spring harbor’). And let us not forget the star of the show – the flowers: everywhere you could find abundant flowers, put in single pots or spread over a field, all of which in full bloom and having many bright colors that will certainly make walking around the area ‘a taste of eye candy’.

Of course, if you were willing to pay, you could always bring those ‘eye candies’ home, as the organizers had conveniently set up over 500 small flower shops to meet every customer’s’ shopping needs. All in all, the Spring Flower Festival is a perfect place to spend time with your family and friends on the days leading up to Tet.

More Photos of Spring Festival last year here:

However, in 2018, Spring Festival held in the Crescent Lake formed by the Thay Tieu River recalls the life on the river of Nha Be – the area that is formed a village on the raft – a long time ago. The festival has a floating market at Ben Xuan (Spring Wharf) area, featuring lots of flower boats at anchor representing the boats of the merchants in the old days, raft houses, and water coconut trees.

Like in 2017, Spring Garden in the festival is expected to attract visitors by the colorful flowers and beautiful plants.

The highlight area of the fesival is on the highest hill which has a 5-meter-long dog statue to mark the Year of the Dog.

Upon arrival at the festival, visitors can come by over 250 booths selling flower and bonsai plants to decorate their homes during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

The Spring Festival on Crescent Lake is opened from February 8 to February 14, 2018.

The other areas like Spring Garden are displayed until February 20, 2018.

The post Phu My Hung Spring Flowers Festival – Tet Holiday in Saigon appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

The Bus Cafe is located on the shores of Thuận An beach, which is only a thirty-minute motorbike ride from the central Huế, and faster by car. Like most others, the cafe has a quite large menu to offer, but it is not the quality of the drinks that sets this place apart, it is actually the unique space in which they are served.

The name ‘Bus Cafe’ derives from the fact that buses play a key role in the cafe’s aesthetics: everything from the ordering counter to tables and chairs is made from parts of a bus! The vehicles there were once disused and (maybe) a little disgusted, but now, after some extensive refurbishment, they not only managed to outlast their usefulness as a means of transport, but also prove a hit with younger customers. In fact, such is the atmosphere which the ornamental buses and the cafe as a whole have managed to generate that many people actually choose to camp there just to extend their experience, and before you know it, a tent-renting service has been born, so now everyone can spend the night in this rather peculiar surrounding.

What’s more, the cafe claims to have the best views of all cafes in Huế, and while that may sound a little presumptuous, it is really not. Why? Simple: it is placed directly the n hot sand and not very far from the water, so you can enjoy drinking and at the same time take in the expansive view of the sea (or even swim in). After all, who doesn’t want to sip some coffee on a comfortable bus seat while leaning against its bonnet and marvelling at the colors of dawn right by the seaside.

Many tourists I met before often think of Huế as a solemn and old place, mainly because of the impression they get from seeing the great Imperial City. The truth is, however, that Huế is changing everyday, and with new ingenuous minds emerging from the young generation comes innovative ideas that put a new image on this ancient city. The Bus Cafe is more or less representative of this trend, so on your next trip to Huế, stop by, have a drink, and see how the city is renewing.

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

Words by Duy Nguyen
Photos by Dang Hoang (View more photos taken by Dang Hoang here)

The post Awesome Vintage Bus Converted Into A Beautiful Cafe appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

The Vietnamese grilled ricepaper is originally a street food associated with Đà Lạt. Started out as a mere sheet of ricepaper grilled on charcoal stoves with fat scallion topping, the dish quickly gained popularity among tourists, as its heat perfectly complements the coldness of the city. Inevitably, vendors selling grilled ricepaper had to compete against each other by renovating the dish, churning out more and more variations and thereby blessing this once uncouth snack with a level of complexity and diversity. News about this wonderful street munching spread as fast as lightning, and soon it became ubiquitous throughout the country.

Video shot by Chi Le and edited by Son Nguyen

Saigon is another center for grilled rice paper vendors. Here it adopts the nickname ‘Vietnamese pizza’ from the analogy drawn between the two dishes. Indeed, this food with its round base and triangular servings may remind one of the Italian pizza, but on close inspection, it’s easy to see how far the grilled rice paper departs from its seeming ‘counterpart’. The key element that sets the dish apart is its rice paper base, which turns extra-crispy when grilled. On top of that base are stir-fried scallions and often dried shrimps coated in egg yolk, making for a bright yellow finish dotted with green. Sounds tasty already, but the real selling point of this street food is its openness to modifications: dried shrimps can be replaced by beef jerky, sausages, chicken or pâté and quail yolks can stand in for the chicken yolk, plus mayonnaise or cheese can be added to enhance the flavor. This allows individual vendors to effectively customize their grilled rice paper to create such unique and delicious results.

The flexibility of this dish means you can create one in your own kitchen. Follow these steps as demonstrated in the video above.

Ingredients: a sheet of rice paper, scallions, dried shrimps (or other ingredients of choice e.g. beef jerky or chicken), 1-2 egg yolks, mayonnaise, cheese and chili sauce (optional)

Execution:

• Spread the rice paper on top of the charcoal stove (other cooking methods applicable, but charcoal stove is recommended to create an authentic taste)
• Beat egg yolks and mix with scallions
• Pour the mixture on top of the rice paper sheet and spread evenly
• Once the yolk is nearly cooked start scattering pieces of dried shrimps on top
• Move the rice paper around on the stove to evenly grill its edge
• Wait until the rice paper achieves a nice brownish yellow and add mayonnaise and chili sauce
• For the finishing, fold the rice paper in half

Enjoy!

Words by Duy Nguyen
Video by Son Nguyen & Chi Le
Photos by Phuc Nguyen

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The park was named after the musician Lưu Hữu Phước, whose pieces are well-known for their howling depiction of history. It is one of the largest parks in Cần Thơ and some would even call it ‘a gem of the city’, thus it is only fitting for the park to be situated on one the grandest routes of Ninh Kiều district – the Hòa Bình avenue. In 2014 it received a massive renovation which added several features as well as conveniences, making it the ultimate gathering spot for many residents.

The play has been going on for quite some time. The tall sky is once again blue-washed, dotted with the occasional white clouds and illuminated by strands of soft sunlight, which makes for an extravagant backdrop for the ongoing performance. Birds are still chattering, trees still dancing and breezes continue to flow between the stoned paths. In the midst of all the action, several dew drops are to be seen hanging down from leaves enjoying their final moments of glory. Flowers open up in full bloom, sporting a multitude of colors in the early haze. It is, indeed, a sight to behold, but the real stars of the show have just made their entrance.

Five thirty in the morning and Lưu Hữu Phước park is already crowded with people of all ages seeking a fresh start to their day through an array of activities. Though the most popular one has to be jogging and running, many can be seen biking around the park or enjoying a game of badminton. Rarer are the shuttlecock kickers deeply immersed in their game, and here and there you can find some street vendors selling typical items like soybean curd. All look happy and full of beans, and there is a strong sense community that flows through the scene.

From the youngest kid to oldest man and woman, or even a park janitor, everybody seems to know everybody else through the friendly conversations they make about all sorts of things, and if you show enough interest, everybody is willing to let you enter their world and keep you company for the morning. It is truly amazing that, in a world that moves so fast, if you take the time to look closely, there are still places full of affable individuals like Lưu Hữu Phước park to balance out the harshness of day-to-day life, and thus is its wondrous beauty.

By 8 a.m. the actors have already rushed behind the wings. The majority of people – the working class – have left the park for their commute, trees have settled, breezes have weakened to nothing and birds, like humans, have also started their day of work. Such is the abruptness of the ending to this little play that it almost feels sad to witness, but then it is also uplifting to know that you can come back for more. Tomorrow, I guess…

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

To see Early Morning Hanoi, click here

Words by Duy Nguyen
Photos by Nhi Nguyen (more photos in Can Tho by Nhi Nguyen here )

The post Can Tho Early Morning appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Cầu Rồng (Dragon Bridge)

On March 29th, 2013, citizens of Đà Nẵng greeted a valuable addition to the city’s collection of bridges, one that bears the shape of a dragon, glows during night time and occasionally breathes fire – the Dragon Bridge. Boasting a length of 666 meters, the bridge serves as a faster route from Đà Nẵng Airport to the heart of the city, providing numerous vehicles with a passage across Hàn river on its six impressively wide lanes (total width is 37.5 meters). What makes this bridge stand out is, of course, its extraordinary architecture. As mentioned, the bridge’s arches form a large-scale model of a dragon from the Lý dynasty. The gold dragon flies in the direction of the sea, symbolizing growth and prosperity, and after sunset, it is lit inside-out with multi colored lights. That, coupled with the frequent ‘fire breaths’, makes for an extravagant display which few would want to miss.

Trần Thị Lý Bridge

Built back in 1950 during the French Colonial Period as the only bridge across Hàn river, the bridge went through many names, first known as De Lattre bridge, then Trịnh Minh Thế bridge and finally Trần Thị Lý bridge when it was rebuilt around the same time as the Dragon Bridge. It is 731 meters long and 34.5 meters wide and though lacking in splendor when compared to its dragon-like counterpart, Trần Thị Lý bridge still sports some of the most stunning architectural features, with its single support pylon built not upright but a little leaned to the side so that when viewed along with the cables, the whole structure would resemble sail gliding towards the sea, as an emblem of the city’s desire to thrive. Similar to the Dragon Bridge, this bridge treats its onlooker to a feast of eye candy with its splendid light performances every night.

Address: Cầu Trần Thị Lý, Hòa Cường Bắc, Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng

Hàn River Bridge

Aah, the swing bridges, feats of engineering, unearthly sights to the eyes and marks of human’s resourcefulness, all in Da Nang. This makes it feel a little bit privileged for Đà Nẵng to have the only such bridge in Vietnam in its own traffic system – the Hàn River bridge.

Following 5 years of construction, the Hàn River bridge had its inauguration on March 29th, 2003. A major route across Hàn river, the bridge stands as a source of pride for Vietnam’s construction industry, having been thoroughly designed and built by Vietnamese architects and engineers despite being the first of its kind. With its opening, Đà Nẵng entered a new era of growth to become the lively and flourishing city that came to be known as ‘the new Singapore’.

Hàn River Bridge is approximately 487 meters long and 13 meters wide – a no match for the above-mentioned bridges in terms of size or grandeur, yet many still regard it as the most interesting bridge in Đà Nẵng. Why? Because its main attraction only comes at midnight (yes, midnight!) – the ‘swinging’ action: at anytime from 11 p.m to 2 a.m everyday (exact time fluctuates) and for a span of just over an hour, the middle section of the bridge turns 90 degrees sideways to make room for large coming vessels to pass through and then revert to its original state. Indeed, this makes for a curiously mesmerizing sight, at least for those new to swing bridges, and a good many of such are to be found on the riverside or even the bridge spectating with awed eyes.  

If you have ample time to discover Đà Nẵng, be sure not to miss out on this wondrous moment. After all, who doesn’t want to be chilling by the banks with cool breezes blowing from the river while watching such a massive structure morph itself.

Address: Cầu Sông Hàn, Hải Châu 1, Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng

Thuận Phước Bridge

Some would disagree, but I like to call Đà Nẵng the city of the extremes – it has some of the best holiday resorts, it is regarded as the best place to live in Vietnam, TripAdvisor puts it in the top 10 new destinations, and on July 19th, 2009, with the inauguration of Thuận Phước bridge, the city officially became known for having the longest suspension bridge in all of Vietnam. Unlike the somewhat traditional-looking Dragon bridge, this 1856-meter-long bridge has a modern aura to itself, and the fact that it’s located right on the waterfront only helps to further its attractiveness. During daytime, the bridge’s white-washed supports help to polish the already gleaming cityscape; at night, its technicolor lighting adds a touch of enigma to the ever so captivating view over Hàn river. Yet, spectacle aside, the significance of Thuận Phước bridge lies in its functionality as a way of connecting major routes to form a continuous traffic system from Hải Vân to Sơn Trà peninsula, thereby expanding travel and business opportunities. Indeed, if the completion of Hàn River bridge marked a new period of development for Đà Nẵng, then the erection of Thuận Phước bridge would be the sweet result.

There’s a story behind every nickname, and behind Đà Nẵng – ‘The city of bridges’ lies the story of a burgeoning city striving every day towards a better future for its citizens. Surely, some may see Đà Nẵng’s bridges as no more than concrete and metal, but like every great architectural landmark, it is still what makes them stand out.

Address: Cầu Thuận Phước, Thanh Khê, Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng

To see more photos, check Photo Album Flickr

Come to Đà Nẵng, and come visit the bridges, you won’t regret it!

Words by Content writer Duy Nguyen
Photos taken and video shot by Contributor Lan Nguyen

The post Discover Da Nang’s Most Beautiful Bridges appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

First open to the public in early September 2016, Saigon’s book street has since been referred to as a ‘paradise’ for book lovers, and so far it has been living up to its reputation. Boasting a length of over 100 meters, Nguyễn Văn Bình book street is not only the longest but also presumably the most diversified of its kind. The street is made up of many kiosks measuring from 3 to 4 meters in width placed side by side.

Each kiosk belongs to a specific publisher or bookstore looking to promote their products, which range from literary publications and magazines to reference books and comics. Items on the shelves cover quite a broad spectrum of genres, such as fictions, non-fictions, travel writings, or poetry, so it is almost guaranteed that anyone can find something for themselves. My favorite kiosk, however, is one that sells old books and postcards for next to nothing, and collectors are to be found lingering around it hoping to find some of their favorite out-of-print materials.

Apart from being a splendid outdoor library, Nguyễn Văn Bình book street also serves as a gathering spot for book enthusiasts. Near the end of the street lies a reading area offering comfortable chairs and sofas for you to sit back and enjoy your book. This place is often filled to the brim with readers, young and old, absorbed in their books for hours on end. They are generally friendly, from my personal experience, and after a few minutes of breaking the ice, most people are willing to have a little chat about whatever topic that comes to mind. Occasionally, these reading spaces are used to hold many interesting activities like book talks by experts or inspirational figures or art and cultural workshops by numerous artists. The most recent activity that I had a chance to partake in was a calligraphy workshop and it was amazing to get to interact directly with the hosting artists who would have otherwise been distanced from the audience had they performed on a stage.

In a sprawling metropolitan like Ho Chi Minh city – Saigon, entertainment is in great demand and a vast array of recreational places are established to meet the ever-growing need. Yet, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, the image of a calm street full of books still manages to stand out. Why? Because Nguyễn Văn Bình street doesn’t just give its visitors books, but more importantly a place for them to come together and share their knowledge and experiences, and ultimately the one thing those who choose to set foot on such a street have in common – the love for reading.

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

All photos by Trieu Anh
Words by Duy Nguyen

The post Saigon’s Book Street | A Great Destination for Book Lovers appeared first on Maze Vietnam.

Each Hanoian has his or her own way to relish this enchanting moment when day and night meet, but some would say it is best experienced by the bank of West Lake. And true, West Lake has a lot to offer, from a sweeping panoramic spectacle to breaths of cool wind to ease off the swelter of the day. Standing against a balustrade or sitting on one of the benches placed alongside the lake, you can witness the sun sinking behind the city skyline, to the point where the tallest skyscrapers become barely visible to the naked eye as they fuse with the coming darkness of the night, and where the remnants of what was once a blazing sun are but a few trails of yellow-orange light. Needless to say, it is a sight to be marveled, but if you think that’s all to be seen at West Lake, you’d probably be wrong.

Just as the sun casts its final majestic rays of light over the gleaming water, people start to gather along the bank. Some people enjoy a leisurely stroll, some do evening exercises such as running or cycling along the sidewalk, and some just sit back and take in the view, while others like to have a go at fishing.

Here and there are street vendors who sell a miscellany of dishes, from ice cream to steamed seafood items. All mentioned activities happen in a such a lazy manner that if you were to compare it with all the hustle and bustle on the streets of Hanoi, the two might seem poles apart despite being in the same city. Thus is the beauty of the West Lake. It presents, or represents, a completely different side of Hanoi, one where the city appears ever so tranquil and quaint in its own right.

To see more photos, check the open album below or go to Flickr:
Photo Album Flickr
(Please use the left/right arrows to navigate in the files of the open album)

Photos by Nhan Tran
Words by Duy Nguyen

The post Sunset at West Lake appeared first on Maze Vietnam.